Journal ArticleDOI
Germline P Granules Are Liquid Droplets That Localize by Controlled Dissolution/Condensation
Clifford P. Brangwynne,Christian R. Eckmann,David S. Courson,Agata Rybarska,Carsten Hoege,Jöbin Gharakhani,Jöbin Gharakhani,Frank Jülicher,Frank Jülicher,Anthony A. Hyman,Anthony A. Hyman +10 more
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TLDR
It is shown that P granules exhibit liquid-like behaviors, including fusion, dripping, and wetting, which is used to estimate their viscosity and surface tension, and reflects a classic phase transition, in which polarity proteins vary the condensation point across the cell.Abstract:
In sexually reproducing organisms, embryos specify germ cells, which ultimately generate sperm and eggs In Caenorhabditis elegans, the first germ cell is established when RNA and protein-rich P granules localize to the posterior of the one-cell embryo Localization of P granules and their physical nature remain poorly understood Here we show that P granules exhibit liquid-like behaviors, including fusion, dripping, and wetting, which we used to estimate their viscosity and surface tension As with other liquids, P granules rapidly dissolved and condensed Localization occurred by a biased increase in P granule condensation at the posterior This process reflects a classic phase transition, in which polarity proteins vary the condensation point across the cell Such phase transitions may represent a fundamental physicochemical mechanism for structuring the cytoplasmread more
Citations
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Rigidity enhances a magic-number effect in polymer phase separation
Bin Xu,Guanhua He,Benjamin G. Weiner,Pierre Ronceray,Yigal Meir,Martin C. Jonikas,Ned S. Wingreen +6 more
TL;DR: Lattice simulations and analytical calculations are used to show that the phase separation of two species of associating polymers is suppressed by a magic-number effect for certain combinations of the numbers of binding sites if one component has a rigid shape.
Journal ArticleDOI
Liquid-liquid phase separation: Orchestrating cell signaling through time and space
Qi Su,Sohum Mehta,Jin Zhang +2 more
TL;DR: In this paper, the pervasive role of liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) in signal transduction is reviewed, highlighting several key pathways that intersect with LLPS, including examples in which LLPS is controlled by signaling events, and how LLPS orchestrates signaling by compartmentalizing signaling molecules, amplifying signals nonlinearly, and moderating signaling dynamics.
Journal ArticleDOI
Kinetics of liquid–liquid phase separation in protein solutions exhibiting LCST phase behavior studied by time-resolved USAXS and VSANS
Stefano Da Vela,Michal K. Braun,Andreas Dörr,Alessandro Greco,Johannes Möller,Zhendong Fu,Fajun Zhang,Frank Schreiber +7 more
TL;DR: The kinetics of the liquid-liquid phase separation and its arrest in protein solutions exhibiting a lower critical solution temperature (LCST) phase behavior using the combination of ultra-small angle X-ray scattering (USAXS) and very- small angle neutron scattering (VSANS) are studied.
Journal ArticleDOI
Phase separation in immune signalling.
TL;DR: In this paper, an up-to-date view of how liquid-liquid phase separation drives the formation of signalling condensates and regulates immune signalling pathways, including those downstream of T cell receptor, B cell receptor and the innate immune receptors cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS)-stimulator of interferon genes (STING) and retinoic acid-inducible gene I protein (RIG-I).
Journal ArticleDOI
Plasma membrane-associated platforms: dynamic scaffolds that organize membrane-associated events.
Veronica Astro,Ivan de Curtis +1 more
TL;DR: A working model for the assembly and turnover of these platforms is proposed on the basis of the intrinsic disorder of the proteins constituting the core of these PMAPs and of the dynamics of these structures at the periphery of motile cells.
References
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Karen E. Kasza,Amy C. Rowat,Jiayu Liu,Thomas E. Angelini,Clifford P. Brangwynne,Gijsje H. Koenderink,David A. Weitz +6 more
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Journal ArticleDOI
PGL-1, a Predicted RNA-Binding Component of Germ Granules, Is Essential for Fertility in C. elegans
TL;DR: It is shown that a component of germ granules is essential for fertility in C. elegans and that its primary function is in germline proliferation.
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