Arai Japan Medical Institute, Tokyo, Japan.
Biosci Trends. 2022 Nov 20;16(5):359-362. doi: 10.5582/bst.2022.01453. Epub 2022 Oct 25.
Mounting evidence has suggested that phase separation, and especially liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS), underlies the formation of membraneless organelles, which are supramolecular assemblies of proteins and RNA molecules in cells. These membraneless organelles are also called biomolecular condensates. Evidence is now growing that condensates, such as stress granules, P bodies, Cajal bodies, and nucleoli, play vital roles in biological processes, like RNA storage and processing, signaling regulation, transcription regulation, gene regulation, and transport. Conversely, condensates may cause diseases, such as neurodegenerative diseases and tumors, when they go wrong. Condensates initially have liquid-like properties, but accumulating biological and chemical mutations with age render them into a more solid-like state, like amyloids in Alzheimer's disease, Huntington's disease, and Parkinson's disease. Research into phase separation is still in its infancy, but this field is a promising avenue for treatment of aging-related diseases.
越来越多的证据表明，液-液相分离（LLPS），尤其是液-液相分离（LLPS），是无膜细胞器形成的基础，无膜细胞器是细胞中蛋白质和 RNA 分子的超分子组装体。这些无膜细胞器也被称为生物分子凝聚物。现在有越来越多的证据表明，凝聚物，如应激颗粒、P 体、Cajal 体和核仁，在生物过程中发挥着重要作用，如 RNA 储存和处理、信号调节、转录调节、基因调节和运输。相反，当凝聚物出错时，可能会导致神经退行性疾病和肿瘤等疾病。凝聚物最初具有液态特性，但随着年龄的增长，积累的生物和化学突变使它们呈现出更类似于固体的状态，如阿尔茨海默病、亨廷顿病和帕金森病中的淀粉样蛋白。液-液相分离的研究仍处于起步阶段，但这一领域是治疗与衰老相关疾病的一个有前途的途径。
