Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division, Center for Desert Agriculture, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia.
Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division, Center for Desert Agriculture, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia.
Curr Opin Plant Biol. 2023 Aug;74:102385. doi: 10.1016/j.pbi.2023.102385. Epub 2023 Jun 21.
Biomolecular condensate (BMCs) formation facilitates the grouping of molecules, including proteins, nucleic acids, and small molecules, creating specific microenvironments with particular functions. They are often assembled through liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS), a phenomenon that arises when specific proteins, nucleic acids, and small molecules demix from the aqueous environment into another phase with different physiochemical properties. BMCs assemble and disassemble in response to external and internal stimuli such as temperature, molecule concentration, ionic strength, pH, and cellular redox state. Likewise, the nature of the regulatory stimuli may affect the lifespan, morphology, and content of BMCs. In humans, compelling evidence points to the critical role of BMCs in diseases. By contrast, the link between BMC formation, stress resistance, and cell survival has not been revealed in plants. Recent studies have pointed out the nascent roles of small molecules in the assembly and dynamics of BMCs; however, this is still an emerging field of study. This review briefly highlights the most significant efforts to identify the molecular mechanisms between small molecules and BMC formation and regulation in plants and other organisms. We then discuss (i) how small molecules exert control over the BMC assembly and dynamics in plants and (ii) how small molecules can influence the formation and material properties of plant BMCs. Finally, we propose novel alternatives that might help to understand the relationship between chemicals and condensation dynamics and their possible application to plant biotechnology.
生物分子凝聚物（BMCs）的形成有助于分子的聚集，包括蛋白质、核酸和小分子，从而创造出具有特定功能的特定微环境。它们通常通过液-液相分离（LLPS）组装，当特定的蛋白质、核酸和小分子从水相分离到具有不同物理化学性质的另一相时，就会出现这种现象。BMCs 会响应温度、分子浓度、离子强度、pH 值和细胞氧化还原状态等外部和内部刺激进行组装和拆卸。同样，调节刺激的性质可能会影响 BMC 的寿命、形态和内容。在人类中，有强有力的证据表明 BMC 在疾病中起着关键作用。相比之下，植物中 BMC 形成、抗逆性和细胞存活之间的联系尚未被揭示。最近的研究指出了小分子在 BMC 组装和动力学中的新兴作用；然而，这仍然是一个新兴的研究领域。本综述简要强调了在植物和其他生物体中鉴定小分子与 BMC 形成和调控之间的分子机制的最重要努力。然后，我们讨论了小分子如何控制植物中 BMC 的组装和动力学，以及小分子如何影响植物 BMC 的形成和材料性质。最后，我们提出了一些新的选择，这可能有助于理解化学物质与凝聚动力学之间的关系及其在植物生物技术中的可能应用。
