Molecular Condensation in Cell Signaling

Miao laboratory works on interdisciplinary research focusing on the fundamental mechanisms by which molecular condensation and mechanical force regulate signal transductions, in space and time, in eukaryotic cells, including plant immunity, stress responses, and fungal polarity.

 

One of the significant signaling outputs during signaling transduction we focus on is the molecular condensation-mediated actin remodeling on the plasma membrane. First, we are particularly interested in the fundamental mechanisms by which the high-order macromolecular condensate of signaling regulators and actin-binding proteins on the cell surface into membrane-bound membraneless organelles. Second, we are also interested in studying the mechano-regulation of molecular condensation by cellular tensegrity structure, cell wall (CW) – plasma membrane (PM) – actin cytoskeleton (AC) continuum, and subsequent signal transduction.

 

We are particularly interested in the macromolecular assemblies of actin regulatory proteins for polarized cell growth, stress adaptation, and immune responses in yeast, filamentous fungi, and plant systems.

 

Nanodomain-mediated OMV uptake during plant-bacteria interaction

Tuan Minh Tran#, Choon-Peng Chng#, Xiaoming Pu, Zhiming Ma, Xiao Han, Xiaolin Liu, Liang Yang, Changjin Huang*, Yansong Miao*. (2021) Potentiation of plant defense by bacterial outer membrane vesicles is mediated by nanodomain assembly. The Plant Cell

 

Molecular condensation of Formin complex within nanodomain remodels actin assembly during plant innate immunity

Zhiming Ma, Yanbiao Sun, Xinlu Zhu, Liang Yang, Xu Chen, Yansong Miao(2021) Membrane nanodomains modulate formin condensation for actin remodeling in Arabidopsis innate immune responses. The Plant Cell 

 

Two-dimensional phase separation of the bacterial effector XopR hijacks host actin remodeling spatiotemporally during host-pathogen communications

He Sun, Xinlu Zhu, Chuanxi Li, Zhiming Ma, Xiao Han, Yuanyuan Luo, Liang Yang, Jing Yu, Yansong Miao* (2021) Xanthomonas Effector XopR Hijacks Host Actin Cytoskeleton Via Complex Coacervation. Nature Communications

 

Nano-scale molecular condensation of formin on the plant plasma membrane triggers rapid actin remodeling during immune responses.

Zhiming Ma, Xiaolin Liu, Sangeeta Nath, He Sun, Tuan Minh Tran, Liang Yang, Satyajit Mayor, Yansong Miao* (2021) Formin Nano-clustering Mediated Actin Assembly during Plant flagellin and DSF-signalings. Cell Reports 34, 108884


 

The bacterial molecule  hijacks plant sterol biosynthesis to suppress plant innate immunity

Tuan Minh Tran, Zhiming Ma, Alexander Triebl, Sangeeta Nath, Yingying Cheng, Ben-Qiang Gong, Xiao Han, Junqi Wang, Jian-Feng Li, Markus R. Wenk, Federico Torta, Satyajit Mayor, Liang Yang, Yansong Miao*. (2020) The bacterial quorum sensing signal DSF hijacks Arabidopsis thaliana sterol biosynthesis to suppress plant innate immunity. Life Science Alliance 3, 1857.


 

Molecular Condensation of Actin Nucleation Proteins during Stress Adaptation in Yeast

Ying Xie#, Jialin Sun#, Xiao Han, Alma Turšić-Wunder, Joel D.W. Toh, Wanjin Hong, Yong-Gui Gao*, Yansong Miao* (2019) Polarisome scaffolder Spa2-mediated macromolecular condensation of Aip5 for actin polymerization. Nature Communications 10:5078


Profilin Negatively Regulate Actin Assembly during Arabidopsis Immune Responses via N-terminal IDR

He Sun, Zhu Qiao, Khi Pin Chua, Alma Tursic, Xu Liu, Yong-Gui Gao, Yuguang Mu, Xingliang Hou, Yansong Miao (2018) Profilin negatively regulates formin-mediated actin assembly to modulate PAMP-triggered plant immunity. Current Biology 28, 1-14.

Reconstitution of Actin Assembly in Cell-free Extract

reconsitution Figure 3        Reconstitution of Actin Cable

Reconstitution of F-actin assembly in yeast cell-free extracts. 


Yansong Miao, Catherine C.L. Wong, Vito Mennella, Alphée Michelot, Michael Costanzo, Charles Boone, David A. Agard, Liam J. Holt, John R. Yates, III and David G. Drubin (2013) Cell cycle regulation of formin-mediated actin cable assembly. PNAS, 110:E4446-55 (Cover)

Cdk1 Phospho-regulates Yeast Fimbrin Sac6 in Actin Crosslinking via N-terminal IDR 

 Fig 2-1     Actin bundling example

Cell cycle and F-actin (3D-SIM)                                Actin Bundling by Sac6 (TEM)

Sac6 for NTU1

Yansong Miao*, Xuemei Han, Liangzhen Zheng, Ying Xie, Yuguang Mu, John R. Yates, III, and David G. Drubin (2016) Fimbrin phosphorylation by metaphase Cdk1 regulates actin cable dynamics in budding yeast, Nature Communications 7: 11265.