Fig. 4: Proteins are sequestered into Q-bodies during glucose starvation.

a Hsp70 colocalizes with Hsp104 in aggregates formed during glucose starvation. The percentage of Hsp70-containing (Ssa1-GFP) aggregates is, on average, 76% in 0.2 and 85% in 0.02% glucose and corresponds to the abundance of Hsp104-mCherry aggregates. b In the hsp42Δ strain, the percentage of cells with Hsp104-GFP aggregates is reduced in both 0.2% and 0.02% glucose. In a and b, n = 1100 cells were screened for aggregates starting from three independent exponential yeast cultures for each condition. Bar height represents mean ± SD from three separate cultures, each performed in triplicate. The mean of three technical replicates for each biological replicate is displayed as single data points. ***p < 0.001; **p < 0.01; *p < 0.05 (one-way ANOVA plus Tukey post hoc). The images are representative of three biological replicates, each in three technical replicates. The black bar represents 8 µm. c The number and the median diameter of Hsp42-bearing aggregates increase during starvation. Data represent binned values of individual aggregate diameters for n = 221, 494, and 541 aggregates from three independent exponential yeast cultures for each condition: 2%, 0.2% and 0.02% glucose, respectively. Kolmogorov–Smirnov test was used to compare the statistical significance of the observed differences between each studied condition and the control (2% glucose) (***p < 0.001; **p < 0.01; *p < 0.05). The images are representative of three biological replicates, each in three technical replicates. White dotted lines mark cell boundaries. The black bar represents 8 µm. d The fraction of cells bearing at least one Hsp42-GFP aggregate increase from an average of 10% in control to 45% in 0.2% glucose and 70% in 0.02% glucose. N = 550 cells were screened for Hsp42-containing aggregates starting from three independent exponential yeast cultures for each condition. Bar height represents mean ± SD from three separate cultures, each performed in triplicate. The mean of three technical replicates for each biological replicate is displayed as single data points. ***p < 0.001; **p < 0.01; *p < 0.05 (one-way ANOVA plus Tukey post hoc).