Yoshizawa Takuya, Nozawa Ryu-Suke, Jia Tony Z, Saio Tomohide, Mori Eiichiro
Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Ritsumeikan University, Kusatsu, Shiga, Japan.
Division of Experimental Pathology, Cancer Institute of the Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research (JFCR), Tokyo, Japan.
Biophys Rev. 2020 Apr;12(2):519-539. doi: 10.1007/s12551-020-00680-x. Epub 2020 Mar 18.
Progress in development of biophysical analytic approaches has recently crossed paths with macromolecule condensates in cells. These cell condensates, typically termed liquid-like droplets, are formed by liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS). More and more cell biologists now recognize that many of the membrane-less organelles observed in cells are formed by LLPS caused by interactions between proteins and nucleic acids. However, the detailed biophysical processes within the cell that lead to these assemblies remain largely unexplored. In this review, we evaluate recent discoveries related to biological phase separation including stress granule formation, chromatin regulation, and processes in the origin and evolution of life. We also discuss the potential issues and technical advancements required to properly study biological phase separation.
生物物理分析方法的发展进展最近与细胞中的大分子凝聚物产生了交集。这些细胞凝聚物，通常被称为类液滴，是通过液-液相分离（LLPS）形成的。现在越来越多的细胞生物学家认识到，细胞中观察到的许多无膜细胞器是由蛋白质和核酸之间的相互作用引起的LLPS形成的。然而，细胞内导致这些组装体形成的详细生物物理过程在很大程度上仍未被探索。在这篇综述中，我们评估了与生物相分离相关的最新发现，包括应激颗粒形成、染色质调控以及生命起源和进化过程。我们还讨论了正确研究生物相分离所需的潜在问题和技术进步。
