ARNA Seminar Series - Jean-Yves Bouet (Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), Toulouse)

Jean-Yves Bouet présentera une conférence intitulée "Phase separation in the assembly of plasmid partition complexes: From trends to mechanisms".

Abstract

Faithful DNA segregation in bacteria is orchestrated by ParABS systems, which ensure the precise partitioning of both chromosomes and low-copy-number plasmids. Central to this process is the CTPase ParB, which assembles into dynamic condensates at centromere-like parS sites, and the ATPase ParA, which spatially organizes these complexes within the cell. Despite increasing evidence that ParB forms phase-separated assemblies, the mechanisms governing the formation, maintenance, and dynamics of these condensates remain poorly understood. I will present our recent work combining inducible chromosome degradation with quantitative imaging to dissect the kinetics and physical principles underlying ParB condensate dynamics in vivo. Our findings establish the ParB_F partition complex of the E. coli plasmid F as a bona fide biocondensate and reveal how its dynamics are finely tuned by ParA_F to ensure robust and faithful DNA segregation. These insights illuminate broader principles of biomolecular condensate regulation in cellular organization.

Contact

• Anaïs Le Rhun,  anais.le-rhun@u-bordeaux.fr