Protein disorder in the centrosome correlates with complexity in cell types number

Area of Science:

• Molecular Biology
• Evolutionary Biology
• Cell Biology

Background:

• The centrosome is a key regulator of animal cell division and differentiation.
• Understanding the evolution of centrosomal proteins is vital for comprehending organismal complexity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the properties and evolutionary trajectory of centrosomal proteins.
• To correlate changes in centrosomal protein structure with the increase in cell-types during animal evolution.

Main Methods:

• Comparative analysis of centrosomal proteins versus control proteins within organisms.
• Reconstruction of indel and substitution evolutionary events.
• Prediction of protein structural features like disordered and coiled-coil regions, and phosphorylation sites.

Main Results:

• Centrosomal proteins are significantly enriched in disordered regions, coiled-coil structures, and phosphorylation sites compared to control proteins.
• The ratio of these features increases with the number of cell-types in an organism.
• Indels and substitutions contribute to the evolution of disorder and coiled-coil regions, respectively, with rates correlating to cell-type expansion.

Conclusions:

• Organismal complexity, marked by an increase in cell-types, is linked to the evolution of disordered and coiled-coil regions in centrosomal proteins.
• Structural plasticity in centrosomal proteins, driven by disordered regions and phosphorylation, is crucial for their mechanical properties and spatio-temporal regulation.
• This study establishes a connection between evolutionary increases in organismal complexity and molecular adaptations in the centrosome.