Macromolecular Crowding-Induced Unusual Liquid-Liquid Phase Separation of Human Serum Albumin via Soft Protein-Protein Interactions

J Phys Chem Lett. 2022 Apr 28;13(16):3636-3644. doi: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.2c00307. Epub 2022 Apr 18.

Abstract

Macromolecular crowding has a profound impact on the conformational dynamics and intermolecular interactions of biological macromolecules. In this context, the role of inert synthetic crowders in the protein-protein interactions of globular proteins is poorly understood. Here, using native human serum albumin (HSA) under physiological conditions, we show that macromolecular crowding induces liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) via liquid-like membrane-less droplet formation in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. Circular dichroism measurements reveal significant alteration in the secondary structure of HSA inside the droplet during aging. In contrast, at a high protein concentration, a liquid-to-solid-like phase transition has been observed upon maturation. Our findings reveal that the LLPS of HSA is mainly driven by enthalpically controlled intermolecular protein-protein interactions via hydrophobic contacts involving aromatic and/or nonaromatic residues. Moreover, modulation of LLPS of HSA has been demonstrated upon denaturation and ligand binding. This study highlights the importance of soft protein-protein interactions of globular proteins in a crowded cellular environment in driving the LLPS.

MeSH terms

  • Circular Dichroism
  • Humans
  • Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions
  • Macromolecular Substances / chemistry
  • Protein Structure, Secondary
  • Serum Albumin, Human*

Substances

  • Macromolecular Substances
  • Serum Albumin, Human