Rapid diffusion-state switching underlies stable cytoplasmic gradients in the Caenorhabditis elegans zygote.

ABSTRACT: Protein concentration gradients organize cells and tissues and commonly form through diffusion away from a local source of protein. Interestingly, during the asymmetric division of the Caenorhabditis elegans zygote, the RNA-binding proteins MEX-5 and PIE-1 form opposing concentration gradients in the absence of a local source. In this study, we use near-total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) imaging and single-particle tracking to characterize the reaction/diffusion dynamics that maintain the MEX-5 and PIE-1 gradients. Our findings suggest that both proteins interconvert between fast-diffusing and slow-diffusing states on timescales that are much shorter (seconds) than the timescale of gradient formation (minutes). The kinetics of diffusion-state switching are strongly polari

SUBMITTER: Wu Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6130366 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature