Mechanistic dissection of increased enzymatic rate in a phase-separated compartment.

ABSTRACT: Biomolecular condensates concentrate macromolecules into discrete cellular foci without an encapsulating membrane. Condensates are often presumed to increase enzymatic reaction rates through increased concentrations of enzymes and substrates (mass action), although this idea has not been widely tested and other mechanisms of modulation are possible. Here we describe a synthetic system where the SUMOylation enzyme cascade is recruited into engineered condensates generated by liquid-liquid phase separation of multidomain scaffolding proteins. SUMOylation rates can be increased up to 36-fold in these droplets compared to the surrounding bulk, depending on substrate K_M. This dependency produces substantial specificity among different substrates. Analyses of reactions above and below

SUBMITTER: Peeples W 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8635274 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature