Surface condensation of a pioneer transcription factor on DNA

ORAL

Abstract

Transcription factors cluster into sub-micrometer sized condensates while initiating transcription of their target genes. How do cells achieve a liquid phase of constrained size and location that emerge at a finely tuned concentration is not known. Here we investigate the role of DNA in nucleation of condensates, using the pioneer transcription factor KLF-4. We show that KLF-4 forms liquid-like condensates on the DNA surface at physiological concentrations, below the one required for Klf4 phase separation. We demonstrate that condensation occurs via a switch-like transition from a thin adsorbed layer to a thick condensed layer on DNA that is well described as a prewetting transition on a heterogeneous substrate. This phenomena is thus a form of surface condensation mediated by and limited to the DNA surface.

*S.W. and A.K. acknowledge EMBO Long-Term Fellowship (ALTF 708-2017, ALTF 1069-2017). This project received funding from EU Horizon 2020 research programme under Marie Sklodowska-Curie agreements No 791147; No 798297. A.A.H acknowledges MaxSynBio Consortium and NOMIS foundation. S.W.G. was supported by the DFG (SPP 1782, GSC 97, GR 3271/2, GR 3271/3, GR 3271/4) and the European Research Council (GR 742712).

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Presenters

  • Jose Morin

    • Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics (MPI-CBG)

Authors

  • Jose Morin

    • Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics (MPI-CBG)

  • Sina Wittmann

    • Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics (MPI-CBG)

  • Sandeep Choubey

    • Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems

  • Adam Klosin

    • Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics (MPI-CBG)

  • Stefan Golfier

    • Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics (MPI-CBG)

  • Anthony A Hyman

    • Max Planck Institute for Cell Biology and Genetics
    • Max Planck Institute for Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics; Physics of Life, TU-Dresden
    • Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics (MPI-CBG)

  • Frank Julicher

    • Max Planck Institute for Physics of Complex Systems
    • Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems
    • Max Planck Institute for Physics of Complex Systems, Noethnitzer Strasse 38, 01187 Dresden, Germany
    • MPI PKS, Dresden

  • Stephan Grill

    • Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics (MPI-CBG)