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Scientists have finally solved a long-standing biological puzzle by identifying a key protein in our cells that sheds light on the evolution of an important cellular component known as the nucleolus.
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Within living cells, structures called biomolecular condensates exist, but the process of how proteins and biomolecules come together to form these structures has remained a mystery.
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Researchers from MIT have published a study in Cell Reports revealing their discovery of a crucial scaffolding protein called TCOF1. This protein is responsible for creating a specific condensate within the nucleolus.
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TCOF1 is essential for the formation of this condensate. Lead authors Nima Jaberi-Lashkari and Byron Lee, recent MIT PhD graduates, suggest that this finding could explain a major shift in the nucleolus's evolution around 300 million years ago.
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Eliezer Calo, an associate biology professor at MIT and the senior study author, explains that while the core structure and function of ribosomes remain consistent across species, the process of ribosome creation has evolved over time.
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Before this evolutionary change, the nucleolus, responsible for building ribosomes, was divided into two compartments. However, in species like reptiles, birds, and mammals, a third compartment in the form of a condensate emerged within the nucleolus.
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This recent discovery focuses on a specific type of condensate called the fibrillar center. This finding could provide researchers with a better understanding of its role and function, as well as insights into the origins of other condensates in cells.
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Calo highlights that many essential cellular processes are connected to condensate formation and activity, but the mechanisms behind their formation are not well understood.
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TCOF1 not only aids in creating the condensate but also leads to the reorganization of the nucleolus, giving it new properties. This suggests that the chemistry introduced by the condensate has the power to change the composition of the organelle.
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Jaberi-Lashkari, who recently completed her PhD at MIT, is excited about their work's potential to manipulate condensates at a molecular level. This could provide insights into the relationship between structure and function, helping to uncover the role of the newly discovered third compartment.