Abstract

The nucleolus is a multilayered structure. Each layer is thought to be a compositionally distinct phase, although how these phases form and interface with one another remains unclear. Using computational, proteomics, in vitro, and in vivo studies, we uncover distinct molecular grammars within intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) of nucleolar proteins that localize to fibrillar centers (FCs) and dense fibrillar components (DFCs). FC and DFC proteins feature two distinct types of IDRs namely those with long tracts of acidic residues and those with blocks of lysines interspersed by acid-rich-regions. We find that phase separation driven by complex coacervation in mixtures of nucleolar proteins, with their distinctive IDRs, and ribosomal DNA and RNA molecules is sufficient to drive the formation of structural facsimiles of FCs and DFCs. One-Sentence SummaryFacsimiles of core nucleolar substructures were reconstituted via phase separation of key protein and nucleic acid mixtures.