Analysis of Biomolecular Condensates in Chromatin-Based Intranuclear Processes

CD BioSciences is dedicated to the broad functional characterization of biomolecular condensates to develop a range of regulatory targets and approaches to provide new opportunities for drug development and clinical treatment of disease. Here, CD BioSciences offers professional services to analyze the function of biomolecular condensates in chromatin-based intranuclear processes for the development of drug targets.

Introduction

The nucleus is the crucial organelle in eukaryotic cells where genomically encoded information is stored, expressed, replicated and maintained. Central to these intranuclear structures is chromatin, which is organized hierarchically over multiple length scales in sequence and physical space. The structure of nucleosomes is the first level of DNA compression, and these nucleosomes are then further organized and compressed to various degrees to form chromatin fibers. Heterochromatin or silent chromatin coordinates the myriad of biochemical reactions that occur within the nucleus in a spatially and temporally controlled manner. In the last decade or so, phase separation, particularly liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) has become a common mechanism to accomplish this compartmentalization in different chromatin-based intranuclear processes.

Fig. 1. LLPS in heterochromatin and genome organization. (Laflamme G, et al., 2020)

Customized Services

LLPS underlies the organization and dynamics of different chromatin-based structures at each length scale and involves the regulation of various intranuclear processes. Our experts are committed to developing multiple orthogonal methods and potentially new technical techniques to analyze how this higher order organization regulates delineated intranuclear processes by characterizing the composition, location, and kinetics of condensates.

Here, CD BioSciences offers specialized services to analyze the role of biomolecular condensates in regulating a variety of chromatin-based processes, including transcription, splicing, DNA damage repair, chromatin loop stabilization, and genomic organization.

• Analysis of biomolecular condensates in gene expression
  Eukaryotic gene expression is regulated by a range of transcription factors and co-activators. Transcription requires strict regulation in space and time with high precision and is one of our most thoroughly studied intranuclear processes in quantitative terms. We can analyze a variety of transcription-related phase condensates, such as super enhancers, transcription initiation hubs and transcription elongation/splicing hubs.
• Analysis of biomolecular condensates in DNA repair
  Cells have evolved several complex DNA repair pathways, and different DNA repair pathways rely on LLPS for efficient repair. We can analyze a variety of DNA damage-repair-related phase condensates, such as Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP1), 53BP1 condensates, and RAD52 droplets.
• Analysis of biomolecular condensates in heterochromatin
  Heterochromatin is essential for maintaining genomic stability, including telomere protection, prevention of abnormal repeat recombination, inhibition of transposon activity, and chromosome segregation during mitosis. We can analyze a variety of biomolecular condensates in heterochromatin, such as HP1, the polycomb group repressive complexes (PRCs).

Based on a conceptual understanding of the physics and chemistry of phase separation and quantitative techniques that continue to improve precision, resolution and sensitivity, we provide a flexible and efficient method for cells to accomplish a wide range of chromatin-based regulatory functions in a precisely controlled manner in space and time by analyzing different biomolecular condensates in nuclear processes. We aim to use chromatin-based phase separation for drug development. If you have any special requirements for our services, please feel free to contact us. We are looking forward to working together with your attractive projects.