Michieletto Davide, Marenda Mattia
School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Peter Guthrie Tait Road, Edinburgh EH9 3FD, U.K.
MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, U.K.
JACS Au. 2022 Jun 13;2(7):1506-1521. doi: 10.1021/jacsau.2c00055. eCollection 2022 Jul 25.
Phase separation is as familiar as watching vinegar separating from oil in vinaigrette. The observation that phase separation of proteins and nucleic acids is widespread in living cells has opened an entire field of research into the biological significance and the biophysical mechanisms of phase separation and protein condensation in biology. Recent evidence indicates that certain proteins and nucleic acids condensates are not simple liquids and instead display both viscous and elastic behaviors, which in turn may have biological significance. The aim of this Perspective is to review the state-of-the-art of this quickly emerging field focusing on the material and rheological properties of protein condensates. Finally, we discuss the different techniques that can be employed to quantify the viscoelasticity of condensates and highlight potential future directions and opportunities for interdisciplinary cross-talk between chemists, physicists, and biologists.
相分离就像在油醋汁中看到醋与油分离一样常见。蛋白质和核酸在活细胞中广泛存在相分离这一现象，开启了一个全新的研究领域，即研究生物学中相分离和蛋白质凝聚的生物学意义及生物物理机制。最近的证据表明，某些蛋白质和核酸凝聚物并非简单的液体，而是兼具粘性和弹性行为，这反过来可能具有生物学意义。本综述的目的是回顾这一迅速兴起的领域的最新进展，重点关注蛋白质凝聚物的材料和流变学特性。最后，我们讨论了可用于量化凝聚物粘弹性的不同技术，并强调了化学、物理和生物学之间跨学科交流的潜在未来方向和机遇。
