Evgenia A Momchilova

Abstract The nucleolus is a dynamic membraneless organelle that rapidly responds to cellular perturbations. Under harsh environmental conditions, it transitions from a ribosome biogenesis center into a dense proteinaceous structure, known as a nucleolar amyloid body (A-body). Although A-bodies share biophysical characteristics with pathological amyloids, these physiological structures are non-toxic, protective, and reversible. Here, we identify alcohol exposure as an A-body-inducing stimulus.

Abstract In response to environmental stress, eukaryotic cells reversibly form functional amyloid aggregates, called amyloid bodies (A-bodies). While these solid-like biomolecular condensates share many biophysical characteristics with pathological amyloids, A-body are non-toxic, and induce a protective state of cellular dormancy. As a recently identified structure, the modulators of A-body biogenesis remain uncharacterized, with the seeding noncoding RNA being the only known regulatory factor.