Endogenous oligomer formation underlies DVL2 condensates and promotes Wnt/β-catenin signaling

Activation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway crucially depends on the polymerization of dishevelled 2 (DVL2) into biomolecular condensates. However, given the low affinity of known DVL2 self-interaction sites and its low cellular concentration, it is unclear how polymers can form. Here, we detect oligome...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Senem Ntourmas, Martin Sachs, Petra Paclíková, Martina Brückner, Vítězslav Bryja, Jürgen Behrens, Dominic B Bernkopf
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: eLife Sciences Publications Ltd 2024-12-01
Series:eLife
Subjects:
Online Access:https://elifesciences.org/articles/96841
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1846130520682921984
author Senem Ntourmas
Martin Sachs
Petra Paclíková
Martina Brückner
Vítězslav Bryja
Jürgen Behrens
Dominic B Bernkopf
author_facet Senem Ntourmas
Martin Sachs
Petra Paclíková
Martina Brückner
Vítězslav Bryja
Jürgen Behrens
Dominic B Bernkopf
author_sort Senem Ntourmas
collection DOAJ
description Activation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway crucially depends on the polymerization of dishevelled 2 (DVL2) into biomolecular condensates. However, given the low affinity of known DVL2 self-interaction sites and its low cellular concentration, it is unclear how polymers can form. Here, we detect oligomeric DVL2 complexes at endogenous protein levels in human cell lines, using a biochemical ultracentrifugation assay. We identify a low-complexity region (LCR4) in the C-terminus whose deletion and fusion decreased and increased the complexes, respectively. Notably, LCR4-induced complexes correlated with the formation of microscopically visible multimeric condensates. Adjacent to LCR4, we mapped a conserved domain (CD2) promoting condensates only. Molecularly, LCR4 and CD2 mediated DVL2 self-interaction via aggregating residues and phenylalanine stickers, respectively. Point mutations inactivating these interaction sites impaired Wnt pathway activation by DVL2. Our study discovers DVL2 complexes with functional importance for Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Moreover, we provide evidence that DVL2 condensates form in two steps by pre-oligomerization via high-affinity interaction sites, such as LCR4, and subsequent condensation via low-affinity interaction sites, such as CD2.
format Article
id doaj-art-d5b61e976be743fca0a2384c105e1095
institution Kabale University
issn 2050-084X
language English
publishDate 2024-12-01
publisher eLife Sciences Publications Ltd
record_format Article
series eLife
spelling doaj-art-d5b61e976be743fca0a2384c105e10952024-12-09T16:50:43ZengeLife Sciences Publications LtdeLife2050-084X2024-12-011310.7554/eLife.96841Endogenous oligomer formation underlies DVL2 condensates and promotes Wnt/β-catenin signalingSenem Ntourmas0Martin Sachs1Petra Paclíková2Martina Brückner3Vítězslav Bryja4https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9136-5085Jürgen Behrens5Dominic B Bernkopf6https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4870-5248Experimental Medicine II, Nikolaus-Fiebiger-Center, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, GermanyExperimental Medicine II, Nikolaus-Fiebiger-Center, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, GermanyDepartment of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech RepublicExperimental Medicine II, Nikolaus-Fiebiger-Center, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, GermanyDepartment of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech RepublicExperimental Medicine II, Nikolaus-Fiebiger-Center, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, GermanyExperimental Medicine II, Nikolaus-Fiebiger-Center, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, GermanyActivation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway crucially depends on the polymerization of dishevelled 2 (DVL2) into biomolecular condensates. However, given the low affinity of known DVL2 self-interaction sites and its low cellular concentration, it is unclear how polymers can form. Here, we detect oligomeric DVL2 complexes at endogenous protein levels in human cell lines, using a biochemical ultracentrifugation assay. We identify a low-complexity region (LCR4) in the C-terminus whose deletion and fusion decreased and increased the complexes, respectively. Notably, LCR4-induced complexes correlated with the formation of microscopically visible multimeric condensates. Adjacent to LCR4, we mapped a conserved domain (CD2) promoting condensates only. Molecularly, LCR4 and CD2 mediated DVL2 self-interaction via aggregating residues and phenylalanine stickers, respectively. Point mutations inactivating these interaction sites impaired Wnt pathway activation by DVL2. Our study discovers DVL2 complexes with functional importance for Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Moreover, we provide evidence that DVL2 condensates form in two steps by pre-oligomerization via high-affinity interaction sites, such as LCR4, and subsequent condensation via low-affinity interaction sites, such as CD2.https://elifesciences.org/articles/96841dishevelledDVL2Wnt signalingbiomolecular condensatesparalogs
spellingShingle Senem Ntourmas
Martin Sachs
Petra Paclíková
Martina Brückner
Vítězslav Bryja
Jürgen Behrens
Dominic B Bernkopf
Endogenous oligomer formation underlies DVL2 condensates and promotes Wnt/β-catenin signaling
eLife
dishevelled
DVL2
Wnt signaling
biomolecular condensates
paralogs
title Endogenous oligomer formation underlies DVL2 condensates and promotes Wnt/β-catenin signaling
title_full Endogenous oligomer formation underlies DVL2 condensates and promotes Wnt/β-catenin signaling
title_fullStr Endogenous oligomer formation underlies DVL2 condensates and promotes Wnt/β-catenin signaling
title_full_unstemmed Endogenous oligomer formation underlies DVL2 condensates and promotes Wnt/β-catenin signaling
title_short Endogenous oligomer formation underlies DVL2 condensates and promotes Wnt/β-catenin signaling
title_sort endogenous oligomer formation underlies dvl2 condensates and promotes wnt β catenin signaling
topic dishevelled
DVL2
Wnt signaling
biomolecular condensates
paralogs
url https://elifesciences.org/articles/96841
work_keys_str_mv AT senemntourmas endogenousoligomerformationunderliesdvl2condensatesandpromoteswntbcateninsignaling
AT martinsachs endogenousoligomerformationunderliesdvl2condensatesandpromoteswntbcateninsignaling
AT petrapaclikova endogenousoligomerformationunderliesdvl2condensatesandpromoteswntbcateninsignaling
AT martinabruckner endogenousoligomerformationunderliesdvl2condensatesandpromoteswntbcateninsignaling
AT vitezslavbryja endogenousoligomerformationunderliesdvl2condensatesandpromoteswntbcateninsignaling
AT jurgenbehrens endogenousoligomerformationunderliesdvl2condensatesandpromoteswntbcateninsignaling
AT dominicbbernkopf endogenousoligomerformationunderliesdvl2condensatesandpromoteswntbcateninsignaling