Function and Regulation of Phase-Separated Biological Condensates

• DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.7b01228
• Publication Date: 2018-02-02T12:43:26Z
• Authors: Xiao-Han Li; Pavithra L. Chavali; Rita Pancsa; Sreenivas Chavali; M. Madan Babu
• Keywords: /dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/1300/1303; 570; 0303 health sciences; name=Biochemistry; 610; Proteins; Biological Evolution; Models, Biological; Phase Transition; 03 medical and health sciences; Nucleic Acids; Humans; Biological Assay; Genetic Fitness

Achieving functional specificity while minimizing cost to fitness is a key constraint during evolution. Formation of biological condensates by liquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS) appears serve as an important regulatory mechanism generate moderate in molecular recognition maintaining reasonable for terms design complexity. serves unique achieving some level without huge fitness. Rapid formation vivo induced specific cellular or environmental triggers has been shown be increasing Here we discuss the functions and regulation condensates, especially those formed LLPS, involving interactions between proteins nucleic acids. These are spatially isolated within cytosol nucleus can facilitate biochemical under conditions such stress. The misregulation resulting nondynamic aggregates implicated number diseases. Understanding importance their opens doors development therapies targeting dysfunctional well spatiotemporal engineering cells.