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Reentrant DNA shells tune polyphosphate condensate size.

Ravi Chawla1,2, Jenna K A Tom1, Tumara Boyd1

  • 1Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA.

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DNA can form protective shells around inorganic polyphosphate (polyP) and magnesium (Mg2+) condensates. This interaction, observed in a minimal system, reveals tunable organization relevant to cellular processes.

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Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Molecular Biology
  • Biophysics

Background:

  • Polyphosphate (polyP), an inorganic biopolymer, is found across all life forms and influences numerous cellular functions.
  • PolyP often localizes near chromatin and forms magnesium (Mg2+)-enriched condensates in bacterial nucleoids, especially under stress.
  • The physical mechanisms governing polyP, DNA, and Mg2+ interactions and their impact on nucleoid organization are not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the physical interactions between polyphosphate, magnesium ions, and DNA.
  • To elucidate how these components self-organize and influence cellular structures.
  • To understand the role of polyP-Mg2+ condensates in DNA organization.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized a minimal in vitro system comprising polyphosphate, Mg2+, and DNA.
  • Observed the formation of DNA shells around polyP-Mg2+ condensates.
  • Analyzed the effects of varying Mg2+ concentrations, DNA length, and DNA concentration on condensate structure and DNA morphology.

Main Results:

  • DNA spontaneously forms shells around polyP-Mg2+ condensates.
  • These DNA shells exhibit reentrant behavior, forming within a specific range of Mg2+ concentrations.
  • The association of DNA with condensates modulates condensate size and DNA morphology, influenced by DNA length and concentration.
  • Even low DNA concentrations significantly impact condensate organization.

Conclusions:

  • DNA can act as a structural component, organizing inorganic polyphosphate-Mg2+ condensates.
  • The observed reentrant DNA shell formation offers a tunable mechanism for organizing biomolecular condensates.
  • This study highlights the fundamental capacity of simple inorganic molecules to drive complex DNA organization within cells.