Biomolecular condensates modulate membrane lipid packing and hydration

Agustín Mangiarotti (), Macarena Siri, Nicky W. Tam, Ziliang Zhao, Leonel Malacrida () and Rumiana Dimova ()
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Agustín Mangiarotti: Science Park Golm
Macarena Siri: Science Park Golm
Nicky W. Tam: Science Park Golm
Ziliang Zhao: Science Park Golm
Leonel Malacrida: Universidad de la República
Rumiana Dimova: Science Park Golm

Nature Communications, 2023, vol. 14, issue 1, 1-19

Abstract: Abstract Membrane wetting by biomolecular condensates recently emerged as a key phenomenon in cell biology, playing an important role in a diverse range of processes across different organisms. However, an understanding of the molecular mechanisms behind condensate formation and interaction with lipid membranes is still missing. To study this, we exploited the properties of the dyes ACDAN and LAURDAN as nano-environmental sensors in combination with phasor analysis of hyperspectral and lifetime imaging microscopy. Using glycinin as a model condensate-forming protein and giant vesicles as model membranes, we obtained vital information on the process of condensate formation and membrane wetting. Our results reveal that glycinin condensates display differences in water dynamics when changing the salinity of the medium as a consequence of rearrangements in the secondary structure of the protein. Remarkably, analysis of membrane-condensates interaction with protein as well as polymer condensates indicated a correlation between increased wetting affinity and enhanced lipid packing. This is demonstrated by a decrease in the dipolar relaxation of water across all membrane-condensate systems, suggesting a general mechanism to tune membrane packing by condensate wetting.

Date: 2023
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41709-5

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