Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42024488›Full record

ArticleMolecular biology of the cell2026

Sequence and structure of protein binding sites in RNA impact biomolecular condensates.

Sierra J Cole, Scott R Allen, Bryan B Guzmán, Yue Hu, Benjamin M Stormo, Christine A Roden, Joanne Ekena, Vita Zhang, Grace A McLaughlin, Alex W Crocker and 3 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Molecular biology of the cell, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors.

Sierra J ColeUniversity of North Carolina Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Genetic Medicine Building, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.
Scott R AllenDuke University Department of Cell Biology, Durham, NC, 27710, USA.
Bryan B GuzmánUniversity of North Carolina Department of Pharmacology, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.
Yue HuUniversity of North Carolina Department of Pharmacology, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.
Benjamin M StormoDuke University Department of Cell Biology, Durham, NC, 27710, USA.
Christine A RodenUniversity of Montreal, Department Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Succ. Centre-ville, Montréal, Québec, H3C 3J7, Canada.
Joanne EkenaDuke University Department of Cell Biology, Durham, NC, 27710, USA.
Vita ZhangDuke University Department of Cell Biology, Durham, NC, 27710, USA.
Grace A McLaughlinDuke University Department of Cell Biology, Durham, NC, 27710, USA.
Alex W CrockerUniversity of Minnesota Twin Cities Biotechnology Institute, Gortner Laboratory, MN 55108, USA.
Alain LaederachUniversity of North Carolina Department of Biology, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.
Daniel DominguezUniversity of North Carolina Department of Pharmacology, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.
Amy S GladfelterDuke University Department of Cell Biology, Durham, NC, 27710, USA.

Funding

Non-coding RNA structure change in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary DiseaseR01HL111527 · NHLBI · UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL · PI Alain T Laederach, Kevin M Weeks · 2012 to 2026
$6.6M
Cytoplasmic Organization by phase transitionsR01GM081506 · NIGMS · UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL · PI GLADFELTER, AMY S · 2010 to 2023
$4.0M
Variant induced RNA structure change in human genetic diseaseR35GM140844 · NIGMS · UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL · PI LAEDERACH, ALAIN T · 2021 to 2025
$2.1M
Organization of Syncytial CellsR35GM156800 · NIGMS · DUKE UNIVERSITY · PI Amy S Gladfelter · 2025 to 2026
$1.1M
NHLBI NIH HHS R01 HL111527NIGMS NIH HHS R01 GM081506NIGMS NIH HHS R35 GM140844NIGMS NIH HHS R35 GM156800
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Biomolecular condensates are central to subcellular compartmentalization and RNA regulation. In the multinucleate fungus Ashbya gossypii, condensates composed of Whi3 protein and CLN3 mRNA help ensure nuclear cycle asynchrony in a shared cytoplasm. Here, we investigated how Whi3 protein binding sites within CLN3 mRNA are specified and influence properties of the condensate. We found that Whi3 binds to varied RNA sequences but prefers the five-nucleotide motif UGCAU, which appears at five locations in the CLN3 transcript. Mutating individual UGCAU motifs altered the saturation concentration (Csat) and dense phase concentration of RNA and Whi3 in cell-free reconstitution experiments. These defects were partially rescued by melting and refolding the mRNA, indicating that RNA structure plays a critical role in distinguishing binding sites and determining condensate properties. Lastly, a subset of mutants showed reduced condensate numbers and dysregulation of the cell cycle in cells. These data reveal that the context of otherwise identical mRNA sequences can differentially affect condensate properties.

Indexed as

Biomolecular CondensatesEremotheciumFungal ProteinsBinding SitesCell CycleCytoplasmProtein BindingRNARNA-Binding ProteinsRNA, FungalRNA, MessengerFungal ProteinsRNARNA-Binding ProteinsRNA, FungalRNA, Messenger

Identifiers

PMID42024488
PMCPMC13537349

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.