Ichor Publishes Article Unraveling Evolutionary Mechanisms of Phase Separation Proteins in Extreme Microorganisms ​

Lafayette, N.Y. – September 8, 2022 – Ichor Life Sciences, a premium preclinical research organization, recently published an article in collaboration with SUNY-Upstate Medical University. The article, “Coevolution of the Ess1-CTD axis in polar fungi suggests a role for phase separation in cold tolerance”, investigates the unique properties of proteins associated with the Ess1-CTD axis and their coevolutionary adaptation enabling tolerance to extreme conditions.

Recent advancements have indicated that bimolecular condensates may facilitate a wide range of biochemical processes that allow organisms to maintain dynamic control of cellular processes in unfavorable conditions.

The article is quoted, “On the basis of these findings, we propose that localized sequence divergence within the CTD, and potentially in the intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) of other proteins, may be an evolutionary driver to enable adaptation of organisms to extreme environments by altering biophysical properties such as the ability to undergo phase separation…Our findings lay the groundwork for future studies using a new and highly tractable model for cold adaptation of a globular enzyme (Ess1/Pin1) and its intrinsically disordered substrate, as well as for uncovering the link between evolutionary selection for sequence divergence in IDRs, phase separation properties, environmental adaptation, and the CTD cod”.

The article can be found in the most recent issue of Science Advances here. The paper’s co-authors from Ichor Life Sciences include Dr. Kelsey Moody and Dr. Aaron Wolfe.