Gu Yan, Wei Ke, Wang Jun
Department of Thoracic Surgery, Jiangsu Province Hospital, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210029, China.
J Biomed Res. 2024 May 29;38(4):307-321. doi: 10.7555/JBR.37.20230214.
Liquid-liquid phase separation, a novel biochemical phenomenon, has been increasingly studied for its medical applications. It underlies the formation of membrane-less organelles and is involved in many cellular and biological processes. During transcriptional regulation, dynamic condensates are formed through interactions between transcriptional elements, such as transcription factors, coactivators, and mediators. Cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell proliferation, but the precise mechanisms underlying tumorigenesis often remain to be elucidated. Emerging evidence has linked abnormal transcriptional condensates to several diseases, especially cancer, implying that phase separation plays an important role in tumorigenesis. Condensates formed by phase separation may have an effect on gene transcription in tumors. In the present review, we focus on the correlation between phase separation and transcriptional regulation, as well as how this phenomenon contributes to cancer development.
液-液相分离是一种新型生化现象，因其医学应用而受到越来越多的研究。它是无膜细胞器形成的基础，并参与许多细胞和生物学过程。在转录调控过程中，转录元件（如转录因子、共激活因子和中介因子）之间的相互作用会形成动态凝聚物。癌症是一种以细胞不受控制地增殖为特征的疾病，但其肿瘤发生的确切机制往往仍有待阐明。新出现的证据已将异常转录凝聚物与多种疾病（尤其是癌症）联系起来，这意味着相分离在肿瘤发生中起重要作用。相分离形成的凝聚物可能会对肿瘤中的基因转录产生影响。在本综述中，我们重点关注相分离与转录调控之间的相关性，以及这种现象如何促进癌症发展。
