journal article·2026-07-20Open access

PolyG Fibrils Coalesce Into Nuclear Ribbons That Engage Proteostasis Machinery in Neuronal Intranuclear Inclusion Disease

Hui Dong, Yongcheng Pan, Zhiyao Tang, Yuxuan Yao, Guicong Zhang, Junpu Wang, Haonan Xiao, Yun Tian, Beisha Tang, Dan Li, Qiang Guo, Ruijun Tian, Qiong Liu, Cong Liu

Abstract

ABSTRACT Neuronal intranuclear inclusion disease (NIID) arises from GGC repeat expansions in NOTCH2NLC . These expanded repeats produce polyglycine (polyG) proteins, and the accumulation of these polyG proteins in neuronal nuclei serves as the characteristic pathological hallmark of NIID. However, the native cellular ultrastructure of polyG and its contribution to pathology remain poorly understood. Here, using a transgenic NIID mouse model, we extract polyG assemblies from diseased brain and characterize their architecture by cryo‐electron tomography (cryo‐ET). We further examine their native organization by tracer‐guided in situ cryo‐ET in vitrified mouse brain. We find that polyG forms highly branched ∼5 nm fibrils that laterally coalesce into densely packed ribbons, which represent the predominant polyG state within neuronal nuclei in situ. In parallel, proximity‐dependent labeling coupled to mass spectrometry reveals selective enrichment of proteostasis factors—including proteasome subunits and molecular chaperones—at polyG assemblies in mouse brain. Consistent with this, cryo‐ET visualizes proteasome‐like particles decorating ribbon‐shaped surfaces and edges in cells. Together, these findings uncover an unexpected ribbon‐shaped supramolecular architecture for a low‐complexity disease protein and suggest that nuclear polyG ribbons act as scaffolds that engage proteostasis machinery, providing mechanistic insight into NIID.
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Research context

OpenAlex topics: Genetic Neurodegenerative Diseases · Nuclear Structure and Function · Ubiquitin and proteasome pathways

SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.

Affiliations

Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry Chinese Academy of Sciences Shanghai China

Key Laboratory of Hunan Province in Neurodegenerative Disorders Department of Neurology & National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders Xiangya Hospital Central South University Changsha Hunan China

State Key Laboratory of Medical Proteomics and Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Functional Proteomics Department of Chemistry and Research Center for Chemical Biology and Omics Analysis School of Science and Guangming Advanced Research Institute Southern University of Science and Technology Shenzhen China

Bio‐X Institutes Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders (Ministry of Education) Shanghai Jiao Tong University Shanghai China

Zhangjiang Institute for Advanced Study Shanghai Jiao Tong University Shanghai China

Department of Pathology Xiangya Hospital Central South University Changsha Hunan China

Department of Geriatrics Xiangya Hospital Central South University Changsha Hunan China

State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology Peking‐Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies School of Life Sciences Peking University Beijing China

Changping Laboratory Beijing China

Shanghai Academy of Natural Sciences (SANS) Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry Chinese Academy of Sciences Shanghai China

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China

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