关于液-液相分离的开放性问题。

Institute for Molecules and Materials, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.

Commun Chem. 2023 Feb 3;6(1):23. doi: 10.1038/s42004-023-00823-7.

Liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) underlies the formation of intracellular membraneless compartments in biology and may have played a role in the formation of protocells that concentrate key chemicals during the origins of life. While LLPS of simple systems, such as oil and water, is well understood, many aspects of LLPS in complex, out-of-equilibrium molecular systems remain elusive. Here, the author discusses open questions and recent insights related to the formation, function and fate of such condensates both in cell biology and protocell research.

液-液相分离（LLPS）是生物学中细胞内膜无细胞器形成的基础，并且可能在生命起源过程中对浓缩关键化学物质的原始细胞形成起到了作用。虽然简单体系（如油和水）的液-液相分离已得到充分理解，但复杂的非平衡分子体系中液-液相分离的许多方面仍然难以捉摸。在此，作者讨论了细胞生物学和原始细胞研究中与这类凝聚物的形成、功能及命运相关的开放性问题和最新见解。