Publication details
Liquid-liquid phase separation of a bacterial translation factor
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| Year of publication | 2023 |
| Type | Conference abstract |
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| Description | Compartmentalization is a hallmark of living cells that allows them to perform complex tasks by dynamically coordinating matter and energy fluxes in space and time. This compartmentalization of membrane-less organelles in prokaryotes is driven by Liquid-Liquid Phase Separation (LLPS). Studies have shown LLPS to be a major driving force in the subcellular organization of bacterial cells. These biomolecular condensates are comprised of proteins that are generally rich in intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs). In prokaryotes, translation initiation factor 2 (IF-2) is a GTPase that binds the initiator tRNA and catalyses the ribosomal subunit joining to form the elongation competent 70S complex. A large portion of IF-2 contains IDRs, making the protein a favourable candidate for homotypic and/or heterotypic interactions. Here, we present biochemical evidence that IF-2 can phase separate under specific conditions. The IF-2 LLPS formation can provide deeper insight into compartmentalized translation machinery in bacterial cells. |
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