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Methods to Study Changes in Inherent Protein Aggregation with Age in Caenorhabditis elegans
Published on: November 26, 2017
Spatial organization of ER-derived protein aggregates in the nucleus requires the Hsp70-family member BiP
Shoukang Du1, Yuhan Wang1, Ting Gang Chew2
1The Zhejiang University-University of Edinburgh Institute, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Haining, 314400, China; College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH4 2XR, UK.
Abstract:
Cells maintain proteostasis by sequestering misfolded proteins into deposition sites. Aggregation-prone endoplasmic reticulum (ER) proteins form membrane-bound nuclear compartments that are cleared during cell division, yet the mechanisms underlying their spatial organization remain unclear. Here, using transcriptomic and proteomic analyses, we identified the ER-localized Hsp70 chaperone BiP as a key player. Genetic depletion or chemical inhibition of BiP prevented nuclear aggregate formation, while manipulating BiP regulators perturbed the aggregate formation. BiP-driven aggregation precedes the inner nuclear membrane synthesis that encapsulated the aggregates. Under proteostatic stress, nuclear aggregates localized adjacent to ER-derived aggregates. Our findings demonstrate that BiP is essential for organizing ER-derived aggregates in the nucleus, which further regulate nuclear proteostasis through spatial interactions with nuclear aggregates.
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