Open AccessProteome-wide observation of the phenomenon of life on the edge of solubility
Author(s) -
Giulia Vecchi,
Pietro Sormanni,
Benedetta Mannini,
Andrea Vandelli,
Gian Gaetano Tartaglia,
Christopher M. Dobson,
F. Ulrich Hartl
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
proceedings of the national academy of sciences of the united states of america
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1091-6490
pISSN - 0027-8424
DOI - 10.1073/pnas.1910444117
Subject(s) - solubility , proteome , caenorhabditis elegans , chemistry , chaperone (clinical) , biophysics , biology , biochemistry , medicine , organic chemistry , pathology , gene
Significance More than a decade ago, we put forward the “life on the edge of solubility” hypothesis, according to which proteins are expressed in the cellular environment at levels close to their solubility limits. This observation was based on the analysis of a small number of proteins for which solubility and cellular concentration information was available at the time. To confirm this hypothesis we have now taken advantage of recent advances in mass spectrometry that have enabled the proteome-wide analysis of protein concentrations in both the soluble and insoluble forms. We have been able to show in this way that the vast majority of proteins in a model organism are indeed expressed above their solubility limits, and to investigate the consequences of this phenomenon.