Institute for Systems Genetics, New York University Langone Medical Center, 435 E 30th Street, New York, NY 10016, USA.
Institute for Systems Genetics, New York University Langone Medical Center, 435 E 30th Street, New York, NY 10016, USA.
Trends Cell Biol. 2023 Nov;33(11):924-938. doi: 10.1016/j.tcb.2023.05.002. Epub 2023 Jun 5.
Life emerges from thousands of biochemical processes occurring within a shared intracellular environment. We have gained deep insights from in vitro reconstitution of isolated biochemical reactions. However, the reaction medium in test tubes is typically simple and diluted. The cell interior is far more complex: macromolecules occupy more than a third of the space, and energy-consuming processes agitate the cell interior. Here, we review how this crowded, active environment impacts the motion and assembly of macromolecules, with an emphasis on mesoscale particles (10-1000 nm diameter). We describe methods to probe and analyze the biophysical properties of cells and highlight how changes in these properties can impact physiology and signaling, and potentially contribute to aging, and diseases, including cancer and neurodegeneration.
生命源于细胞内数千种生化反应的共同作用。通过对体外分离生化反应的重建，我们已经对此有了深入的了解。然而，试管中的反应介质通常较为简单和稀释。细胞内部则复杂得多：大分子占据了超过三分之一的空间，且消耗能量的过程使细胞内部处于搅动状态。在这里，我们将回顾这种拥挤、活跃的环境如何影响大分子的运动和组装，重点介绍中尺度颗粒（直径 10-1000nm）。我们描述了探测和分析细胞生物物理特性的方法，并强调这些特性的变化如何影响生理学和信号转导，并可能导致衰老和疾病，包括癌症和神经退行性疾病。
