Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Kravikass, Mathar, Koren, Gil, Saleh, Omar A., Beck, Roy
Format: Preprint
Published: 2023
Subjects:
Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2311.18337
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1866929246316789760
author Kravikass, Mathar
Koren, Gil
Saleh, Omar A.
Beck, Roy
author_facet Kravikass, Mathar
Koren, Gil
Saleh, Omar A.
Beck, Roy
contents Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) are a subset of proteins that lack stable secondary structure. Given their polymeric nature, previous mean-field approximations have been used to describe the statistical structure of IDPs. However, the amino-acid sequence heterogeneity and complex intermolecular interaction network have significantly impeded the ability to get proper approximations. One such case is the intrinsically disordered tail domain of Neurofilament low (NFLt), which comprises a 50 residue-long uncharged domain followed by a 96 residue-long negatively charged domain. Here, we measure two NFLt variants to identify the impact of the NFLt two main subdomains on its complex interactions and statistical structure. Using synchrotron small-angle x-ray scattering, we find that the uncharged domain of the NFLt induces attractive interactions that cause it to self-assemble into star-like polymer brushes. On the other hand, when the uncharged domain is truncated, the remaining charged N-terminal domains remain isolated in solution with typical polyelectrolyte characteristics. We further discuss how competing long- and short-ranged interactions within the polymer brushes dominate their ensemble structure, and, in turn, their implications on previously observed phenomena in NFL native and diseased states.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2311_18337
institution arXiv
publishDate 2023
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle From isolated polyelectrolytes to star-like assemblies: The role of sequence heterogeneity on the statistical structure of the intrinsically disordered Neurofilament-low tail domain
Kravikass, Mathar
Koren, Gil
Saleh, Omar A.
Beck, Roy
Biological Physics
Soft Condensed Matter
Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) are a subset of proteins that lack stable secondary structure. Given their polymeric nature, previous mean-field approximations have been used to describe the statistical structure of IDPs. However, the amino-acid sequence heterogeneity and complex intermolecular interaction network have significantly impeded the ability to get proper approximations. One such case is the intrinsically disordered tail domain of Neurofilament low (NFLt), which comprises a 50 residue-long uncharged domain followed by a 96 residue-long negatively charged domain. Here, we measure two NFLt variants to identify the impact of the NFLt two main subdomains on its complex interactions and statistical structure. Using synchrotron small-angle x-ray scattering, we find that the uncharged domain of the NFLt induces attractive interactions that cause it to self-assemble into star-like polymer brushes. On the other hand, when the uncharged domain is truncated, the remaining charged N-terminal domains remain isolated in solution with typical polyelectrolyte characteristics. We further discuss how competing long- and short-ranged interactions within the polymer brushes dominate their ensemble structure, and, in turn, their implications on previously observed phenomena in NFL native and diseased states.
title From isolated polyelectrolytes to star-like assemblies: The role of sequence heterogeneity on the statistical structure of the intrinsically disordered Neurofilament-low tail domain
topic Biological Physics
Soft Condensed Matter
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2311.18337