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Dr. Beata Greb-Markiewicz

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Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Chemistry, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Wybrzeże Wyspiańskiego 27, 50-370 Wroclaw, Poland
Interests: bHLH transcription factors; protein localization; protein-protein interaction; protein structure; intrinsically disordered proteins; liquid-liquid phase separation; signal transduction
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Prof. Dr. Andrzej Ożyhar

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Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Chemistry, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Wybrzeże Wyspiańskiego 27, 50-370 Wroclaw, Poland
Interests: structure-function relationship in proteins; transcription factors; intrinsically disordered proteins; membraneless organelles; liquid-liquid phase separation; biomineralization

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Transcription underlies the development and physiology of all living organisms. This process requires tight regulation, as any of its dysregulation can lead to pathophysiology and serious disorders. Knowledge regarding the mechanism of transcription molecular details is advanced, however some important issues remain unexplored. Recent findings indicate the significance of spontaneous thermodynamically driven liquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS), leading to the formation of dense, liquid condensates. It has been proposed that transcriptional control may be linked to LLPS, and that intrinsically disordered regions of transcription factors mediating phase separation with coactivators are responsible for the regulation of the transcription level.

The Special Issue, “Protein Disorder and Phase Separation in Transcription”, aims to summarize all aspects of current knowledge concerning the role of intrinsically disordered proteins/regions and LLPS in the regulation of transcription processes. This Issue will cover a selection of original and review articles regarding recent studies focused on the role of IDP/IDR in LLPS-controlled transcription processes, as well as in the context of pathophysiology, leading to different kind of disorders. Experimental and theoretical papers, up-to-date review articles, and commentaries are welcome.

Dr. Beata Greb-Markiewicz
Prof. Dr. Andrzej Ożyhar
Guest Editors

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Keywords

Transcription factors
Transcriptional regulation
Mediator complex
Protein–protein interaction
Intrinsically disordered protein
Intrinsically disordered region
Liquid–liquid phase separation
Phase transition
Post-transcriptional modification
Membraneless organelles
Molecular crowding

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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33 pages, 6875 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Participation of the Intrinsically Disordered Regions of the bHLH-PAS Transcription Factors in Disease Development

by Marta Kolonko-Adamska, Vladimir N. Uversky and Beata Greb-Markiewicz

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021, 22(6), 2868; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22062868 - 11 Mar 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3252

Abstract

The basic helix–loop–helix/Per-ARNT-SIM (bHLH-PAS) proteins are a family of transcription factors regulating expression of a wide range of genes involved in different functions, ranging from differentiation and development control by oxygen and toxins sensing to circadian clock setting. In addition to the well-preserved DNA-binding bHLH and PAS domains, bHLH-PAS proteins contain long intrinsically disordered C-terminal regions, responsible for regulation of their activity. Our aim was to analyze the potential connection between disordered regions of the bHLH-PAS transcription factors, post-transcriptional modifications and liquid-liquid phase separation, in the context of disease-associated missense mutations. Highly flexible disordered regions, enriched in short motives which are more ordered, are responsible for a wide spectrum of interactions with transcriptional co-regulators. Based on our in silico analysis and taking into account the fact that the functions of transcription factors can be modulated by posttranslational modifications and spontaneous phase separation, we assume that the locations of missense mutations inducing disease states are clearly related to sequences directly undergoing these processes or to sequences responsible for their regulation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Protein Disorder and Phase Separation in Transcription)

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Review

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18 pages, 1126 KiB

Open AccessReview

Transcription Regulators and Membraneless Organelles Challenges to Investigate Them

by Katarzyna Sołtys and Andrzej Ożyhar

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021, 22(23), 12758; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms222312758 - 25 Nov 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1945

Abstract

Eukaryotic cells are composed of different bio-macromolecules that are divided into compartments called organelles providing optimal microenvironments for many cellular processes. A specific type of organelles is membraneless organelles. They are formed via a process called liquid–liquid phase separation that is driven by weak multivalent interactions between particular bio-macromolecules. In this review, we gather crucial information regarding different classes of transcription regulators with the propensity to undergo liquid–liquid phase separation and stress the role of intrinsically disordered regions in this phenomenon. We also discuss recently developed experimental systems for studying formation and properties of membraneless organelles. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Protein Disorder and Phase Separation in Transcription)

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