The protein G3BP helps build stress granules in cells

G3BP, a protein involved in stress granule assembly, is recruited in cells exposed to arsenite.

• Stress granules form in response to various toxic agents and play a role in mRNA metabolism during stress.
• G3BP is a phosphorylation-dependent endoribonuclease that interacts with RasGAP and is linked to mRNA fate during stress.
• Overexpression of G3BP can induce stress granule assembly, while a specific domain of G3BP can inhibit this process.
• Arsenite treatment induces the dephosphorylation of serine 149 on G3BP, affecting its ability to oligomerize and form stress granules.
• A mutant form of G3BP that mimics phosphorylation (S149E) cannot assemble stress granules, whereas a nonphosphorylatable mutant (S149A) can.

Simplified