Phosphorylation-dependent regulation of messenger RNA transcription, processing and translation within biomolecular condensates

Abstract

Regulation of messenger RNA (mRNA) transcription, processing and translation occurs in the context of biomolecular condensates. How the physical properties of condensates connect with their biological regulatory functions is an ongoing area of interest, particularly for RNA metabolic pathways. Phosphorylation has emerged as an important mechanism for regulating protein phase separation propensities and localization patterns into different condensates, affecting compositions and dynamics. Key factors in transcription, mRNA processing and translation exhibit such phosphorylation-dependent changes in their roles within condensates, including their catalytic activities. Phosphorylation is increasingly understood to regulate the exchange of proteins through functionally linked condensates to fulfil their mRNA metabolic functions.

Keywords: Biomolecular condensates; FUS; GW bodies; Histone locus bodies; Mediator; Nuclear speckles; P-bodies; Phase separation; Phosphorylation; Prion-like domains; RNA polymerase II; RNA-binding proteins; Stress granules; Superenhancer clusters; Transcription; Transcription factories; Translation; mRNA processing.