Core Fermentation (CoFe) granules focus coordinated glycolytic mRNA localization and translation to fuel glucose fermentation

• Published in: iScience Vol. 24; no. 2; p. 102069
• Main Authors: Morales-Polanco, Fabian, Bates, Christian, Lui, Jennifer, Casson, Joseph, Solari, Clara A., Pizzinga, Mariavittoria, Forte, Gabriela, Griffin, Claire, Garner, Kirsten E.L., Burt, Harriet E., Dixon, Hannah L., Hubbard, Simon, Portela, Paula, Ashe, Mark P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 19-02-2021; Elsevier
• Subjects: cell biology; molecular biology; molecular biology; cell biology
• ISSN: 2589-0042; 2589-0042
• DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.102069

Glycolysis is a fundamental metabolic pathway for glucose catabolism across biology, and glycolytic enzymes are among the most abundant proteins in cells. Their expression at such levels provides a particular challenge. Here we demonstrate that the glycolytic mRNAs are localized to granules in yeast and human cells. Detailed live cell and smFISH studies in yeast show that the mRNAs are actively translated in granules, and this translation appears critical for the localization. Furthermore, this arrangement is likely to facilitate the higher level organization and control of the glycolytic pathway. Indeed, the degree of fermentation required by cells is intrinsically connected to the extent of mRNA localization to granules. On this basis, we term these granules, core fermentation (CoFe) granules; they appear to represent translation factories, allowing high-level coordinated enzyme synthesis for a critical metabolic pathway.
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•Glycolytic mRNAs colocalize and are translated in RNA granules•The glycolytic mRNA granules are important when cells are fermenting•Glycolytic protein translation is likely coordinated in these translation factories•Therefore, “CoFe granules” are core fermentation factories for glycolytic proteins
Molecular biology; cell biology