Taurine suppresses liquid–liquid phase separation of lysozyme protein

Abstract

Taurine is a compatible osmolyte that infers stability to proteins. Recent studies have revealed that liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) of proteins underlie the formation of membraneless organelles in cells. In the present study, we evaluated the role of taurine on LLPS of hen egg lysozyme. We demonstrated that taurine decreases the turbidity of the polyethylene glycol-induced crowding solution of lysozyme. We also demonstrated that taurine attenuates LLPS-dependent cloudiness of lysozyme solution with 0.5 or 1M NaCl at a critical temperature. Moreover, we observed that taurine inhibits LLPS formation of a heteroprotein mix solution of lysozyme and ovalbumin. These data indicate that taurine can modulate the formation of LLPS of proteins..

Micro-Raman spectroscopic analysis of liquid–liquid phase separation

“…Although previous research on Lys–Alb droplets using fluorescence microscopy has revealed the presence of Lys inside the liquid droplets, 52 to the best of our knowledge, the presence of Alb in these droplets has not previously been demonstrated experimentally. Thus, we conducted Raman analysis with 50 mg ml −1 Lys and 50 mg ml −1 Alb solutions without the crowding agent ( i.e.…”

Taurine Stabilizing Effect on Lysozyme

“…These assumed benefits determined an increase in the global taurine market size, which was USD 264 million in 2020 and is expected to reach USD 434 million in 2021 [68]. Nevertheless, contrary to other osmolytes present in cells like trimethylamine N-oxide [17,[69][70][71][72], taurine had not been widely investigated in its molecular interactions with biomolecules, neither in its modification of water network until now, with the exception of a few recent works [37,59,73], at our knowledge. Thus, to fill the gap concerning this osmolyte represents an important challenge, above all for its relevance in several medical issues and its increasing consumption.…”

Tailoring the Molecular Structure of 6-Gingerol for Targeting the Phase Separation in Human Lysozyme

“…This interesting study revealed that sucrose enhances the stability of LLPS, whereas BSA hinders it . Tsubotani et al (2021) showed that taurine inhibits LLPS of lysozyme by decreasing its turbidity and cloudiness across different circumstances . Taratuta et al (1990) investigated the influence of pH and the specific type of salt, emphasizing the significance of ionic conditions in LLPS .…”

“…5 Tsubotani et al (2021) showed that taurine inhibits LLPS of lysozyme by decreasing its turbidity and cloudiness across different circumstances. 6 Taratuta et al (1990) investigated the influence of pH and the specific type of salt, emphasizing the significance of ionic conditions in LLPS. 7 The hypothesis of lysozyme amyloid formation has evolved significantly over time.…”