Intermolecular RNA-RNA interactions during RNA condensation
RNA and certain proteins assemble to form ribonucleoprotein (RNP) granules. Stress granules are RNP granules formed upon increases in non-translating messenger ribonucleoprotein particles (mRNPs) during stress. G3BP1 and G3BP2 proteins are proposed to assemble stress granules through multivalent crosslinking of RNPs.
The researchers demonstrate that some proteins responsible for organizing ribonucleoprotein granules can chaperone intermolecular RNA-RNA interactions in addition to their role in scaffolding. They show that G3BP1 also has “condensate chaperone” functions, which promote the assembly of stress granules.
They also demonstrate that G3BP1 functions as an “RNA condenser,” a protein that promotes intermolecular RNA-RNA interactions stabilizing RNA condensates, leading to RNP granule persistence.
These findings cement RNARNA interaction networks as a key component of granules, highlighting the need to further explore the regulation of RNA dynamics within granules.
https://www.cell.com/molecular-cell/fulltext/S1097-2765(24)00917-1
