Related Experiment Video

Updated: Sep 9, 2025

Chemical Dimerization-Induced Protein Condensates on Telomeres
08:52

Chemical Dimerization-Induced Protein Condensates on Telomeres

Published on: April 12, 2021

3.2K

Trimerization domain-interfering peptide inhibits EML4-ALK condensate formation, fusion-dependent signaling, and cell

Kyle Scheller1,2, Xin Zhou1,2, Kun Li3

  • 1Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL 32610.

Molecular Biology of the Cell
|August 28, 2025
PubMed

Insights

Targeting the EML4-ALK fusion protein

Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Molecular Oncology
  • Biophysics

Background:

  • Biomolecular condensates are crucial for cellular functions.
  • Dysregulation of condensates is linked to diseases like cancer.
  • The EML4-ALK fusion protein forms oncogenic condensates that drive cancer progression.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of the trimerization domain (TD) in EML4-ALK condensate formation.
  • To develop a strategy to disrupt EML4-ALK condensates.
  • To assess the impact of condensate disruption on cancer signaling and proliferation.

Main Methods:

  • Designed a peptide inhibitor targeting the EML4-ALK trimerization domain.
  • Disrupted EML4-ALK self-assembly and induced condensate dissolution.
  • Utilized patient lung tumor-derived cells for experiments.

Main Results:

  • The trimerization domain is essential for EML4-ALK condensate formation.
  • Peptide-mediated disruption dissolved EML4-ALK condensates.
  • Disruption significantly reduced EML4-ALK-driven signaling and cell proliferation.

Conclusions:

  • Targeting protein-protein interactions within condensates is a viable therapeutic strategy.
  • Disrupting oncogenic condensate assembly can attenuate cancer signaling.
  • This approach offers a novel avenue for cancer treatment.

More Related Videos

Monitoring eIF4F Assembly by Measuring eIF4E-eIF4G Interaction in Live Cells08:47

Monitoring eIF4F Assembly by Measuring eIF4E-eIF4G Interaction in Live Cells

Published on: May 1, 2020

3.2K
Myeloid Innate Signaling Pathway Regulation by MALT1 Paracaspase Activity07:09

Myeloid Innate Signaling Pathway Regulation by MALT1 Paracaspase Activity

Published on: January 7, 2019

7.6K

Related Concept Videos

Mitogens and the Cell Cycle02:38

Mitogens and the Cell Cycle

Mitogens and their receptors play a crucial role in controlling the progression of the cell cycle. However, the loss of mitogenic control over cell division leads to tumor formation. Therefore, mitogens and mitogen receptors play an important role in cancer research. For instance, the epidermal growth factor (EGF) - a type of mitogen and its transmembrane receptor (EGFR), decides the fate of the cell's proliferation. When EGF binds to EGFR, a member of the ErbB family of tyrosine kinase...
6.6K
The JAK-STAT Signaling Pathway01:20

The JAK-STAT Signaling Pathway

Several cytokine receptors have tightly bound Janus kinase or JAK proteins attached at their cytosolic tail. Small signaling molecules such as cytokines, growth hormones, or prolactins bind to the cytokine receptors and initiate their dimerization. The dimerization brings the cytosolic JAKs together that trans-phosphorylate and activates each other. The activated JAKs now phosphorylate cytosolic tails of the cytokine receptors, which serve as binding sites for adaptor proteins such as  SH2...
9.2K
Abnormal Proliferation02:23

Abnormal Proliferation

Under normal conditions, most adult cells remain in a non-proliferative state unless stimulated by internal or external factors to replace lost cells. Abnormal cell proliferation is a condition in which the cell's growth exceeds and is uncoordinated with normal cells. In such situations, cell division persists in the same excessive manner even after cessation of the stimuli, leading to persistent tumors. The tumor arises from the damaged cells that replicate to pass the damage to the...
4.6K
Interactions Between Signaling Pathways01:19

Interactions Between Signaling Pathways

Signaling cascades usually lack linearity. Multiple pathways interact and regulate one another, allowing cells to integrate and respond to diverse environmental stimuli.
Convergence and divergence, and cross-talk between signaling pathways
Two distinct signaling pathways can converge on a single functional unit, which may either be a single protein or a complex of proteins. The response is either functionally distinct or synergistic between the two pathways but different from the response...
6.4K
Eukaryotic Transcription Inhibitors01:52

Eukaryotic Transcription Inhibitors

Certain biochemical processes, such as embryonic development and cell growth regulation, depend on the repression of specific genes. DNA binding proteins known as eukaryotic transcription inhibitors regulate the repression of gene expression in eukaryotes. The presence of these inhibitors at the required location and time in the cell is triggered by the presence of hormones and additional signals from other cells.
Eukaryotic transcription inhibitors usually contain two distinct domains, a...
10.0K
Intracellular Signaling Affects Focal Adhesions01:17

Intracellular Signaling Affects Focal Adhesions

Integrins act both as extracellular input receivers and as intracellular processing activators. As their name suggests, integrins are entirely integrated into the membrane structure. Their hydrophobic membrane-spanning regions interact with the phospholipid bilayer's hydrophobic region. These membrane receptors provide extracellular attachment sites for effectors like hormones and growth factors. They activate intracellular response cascades when their effectors are bound and active.
Some...
2.8K