Molecular Dissection of FUS Points at Synergistic Effect of Low-Complexity Domains in Toxicity

Publication date: 17 July 2018Source: Cell Reports, Volume 24, Issue 3Author(s): Elke Bogaert, Steven Boeynaems, Masato Kato, Lin Guo, Thomas R. Caulfield, Jolien Steyaert, Wendy Scheveneels, Nathalie Wilmans, Wanda Haeck, Nicole Hersmus, Joost Schymkowitz, Frederic Rousseau, James Shorter, Patrick Callaerts, Wim Robberecht, Philip Van Damme, Ludo Van Den BoschSummaryRNA-binding protein aggregation is a pathological hallmark of several neurodegenerative disorders, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD). To gain better insight into the molecular interactions underlying this process, we investigated FUS, which is mutated and aggregated in both ALS and FTLD. We generated a Drosophila model of FUS toxicity and identified a previously unrecognized synergistic effect between the N-terminal prion-like domain and the C-terminal arginine-rich domain to mediate toxicity. Although the prion-like domain is generally considered to mediate aggregation of FUS, we find that arginine residues in the C-terminal low-complexity domain are also required for maturation of FUS in cellular stress granules. These data highlight an important role for arginine-rich domains in the pathology of RNA-binding proteins.Graphical Abstract

Source: Cell Reports - July 18, 2018 Category: Cytology Source Type: research