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
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Quinary protein structure and the consequences of crowding in living cells: leaving the test-tube behind.
Anna Jean Wirth,Martin Gruebele +1 more
TL;DR: The unresolved problem of how the forces in the cell modulate quinary structure is discussed, and to what extent the cell has evolved to exert control over the weakest biomolecular interactions is discussed.
Journal ArticleDOI
Evidence for and against Liquid-Liquid Phase Separation in the Nucleus.
Peng A,Stephanie C. Weber +1 more
TL;DR: It is proposed that LLPS, together with multiple modes of protein-nucleic acid binding, drive spatiotemporal organization of the nucleus and facilitate functional diversity among nuclear compartments.
Journal ArticleDOI
Marine mammals trace anthropogenic structures at sea.
Debbie J. F. Russell,Sophie Brasseur,David R. Thompson,Gordon D. Hastie,Vincent M. Janik,Geert Aarts,Brett T. McClintock,Jason Matthiopoulos,Simon Moss,Bernie J. McConnell +9 more
TL;DR: Using high resolution GPS data, it is shown how infrastructure, including wind turbines and pipelines, shapes the movements of individuals from two seal species, infer that these animals are using structures to forage, at a time of unprecedented developments in marine infrastructure.
Journal ArticleDOI
Clusters of bacterial RNA polymerase are biomolecular condensates that assemble through liquid–liquid phase separation
Anne-Marie Ladouceur,Baljyot Parmar,Stefan Biedzinski,James Wall,Samantha Graydon Tope,David E. Cohn,Albright Kim,Nicolas Soubry,Rodrigo Reyes-Lamothe,Stephanie C. Weber +9 more
TL;DR: This work provides direct evidence for LLPS in bacteria and demonstrates that this process can serve as a mechanism for intracellular organization in prokaryotes and eukaryotes alike.
Journal ArticleDOI
Phase separation of TPX2 enhances and spatially coordinates microtubule nucleation.
Matthew R. King,Sabine Petry +1 more
TL;DR: It is demonstrated how regulated phase separation can simultaneously enhance reaction efficiency and spatially coordinate microtubule nucleation, which may facilitate rapid and accurate spindle formation.
References
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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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