The RNA-dependent interactions of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate with intrinsically disordered proteins contribute to nuclear compartmentalization.

Abstract

The RNA content is crucial for the formation of nuclear compartments, such as nuclear speckles and nucleoli. Phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) is found in nuclear speckles, nucleoli and nuclear lipid islets and is involved in RNA polymerase I/II transcription. Intriguingly, the nuclear localization of PIP2 was also shown to be RNA-dependent. We therefore investigated whether PIP2 and RNA cooperate in the establishment of nuclear architecture. In this study, we unveiled the RNA-dependent PIP2-associated (RDPA) nuclear proteome in human cells by mass spectrometry. We found that intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) with polybasic PIP2-binding K/R motifs are prevalent features of RDPA proteins. Moreover, these IDRs of RDPA proteins exhibit enrichment for phosphorylation, acetylation and ubiquitination sites. Our findings reveal that RDPA protein BRD4 associates with PIP2 in an RNA-dependent manner via electrostatic interactions, and that elevated PIP2 levels increase the number of BRD4 protein nuclear foci. Thus, we propose that PIP2 spatiotemporally orchestrates nuclear processes through association with RNA and RDPA proteins and affects their ability to phase separate. This suggests pivotal role of PIP2 for the establishment of a functional nuclear architecture competent for gene expression.