Liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) in living cells has received considerable attention in the biomedical research field. This study is the first to report nanoparticle (NP) uptake into LLPS droplets. Fluorescent dye, Nile red loaded polystyrene NPs (NR-PSt NPs) uptake into model LLPS droplets consisting of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and poly-L-lysine (PLL) was visualized using fluorescence imaging. Fluorescence imaging showed that the LLPS droplets had a quick NP uptake behavior. Furthermore, temperature changes (4-37 °C) significantly affected the NP uptake behavior of the LLPS droplets. Moreover, the NP-incorporated droplets displayed high stability under strong ionic strength conditions (1 M NaCl). ATP measurements displayed that ATP was released from the NP-incorporated droplets, indicating that the weakly negatively charged ATP molecules and strongly negatively charged NPs were exchanged, which resulted in the high stability of the LLPS droplets. These fundamental findings will contribute to the LLPS studies using various NPs.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/cplu.202300207 | DOI Listing |
Cell
January 2025
Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. Electronic address:
Xist RNA initiates X inactivation as it spreads in cis across the chromosome. Here, we reveal a biophysical basis for its cis-limited diffusion. Xist RNA and HNRNPK together drive a liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) that encapsulates the chromosome.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSmall
January 2025
Dept. of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 7610001, Israel.
Transient amorphous phases are known as functional precursors in the formation of crystalline materials, both in vivo and in vitro. A common route to regulate amorphous calcium carbonate (ACC) crystallization is via direct interactions with negatively charged macromolecules. However, a less explored phenomenon that can influence such systems is the electrostatically driven formation of Ca-macromolecule dense phases.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFProc Natl Acad Sci U S A
January 2025
Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China, Key Laboratory of Immune Response and Immunotherapy, Center for Advanced Interdisciplinary Science Interdisciplinary Science & Biomedicine of Institute of Health and Medicine, Division of Life Sciences & Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, Anhui, China.
The DNA-sensing protein cGAS plays a pivotal role in the innate immune response and pathogenesis of various diseases. DNA triggers liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) and enhances the enzymatic activity of cGAS. However, the regulatory mechanisms of the disordered N terminus remain unclear.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Phys Chem B
January 2025
Department of Physical Chemistry, Sciences II, University of Geneva, 30 Quai Ernest Ansermet, Geneva 1211, Switzerland.
The formation of protein condensates (droplets) via liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) is a commonly observed phenomenon in vitro. Changing the environmental properties with cosolutes, molecular crowders, protein partners, temperature, pressure, etc. has been shown to favor or disfavor the formation of protein droplets by fine-tuning the water-water, water-protein, and protein-protein interactions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPoult Sci
January 2025
Chinese-German Joint Laboratory for Natural Product Research, Shaanxi International Cooperation Demonstration Base, Shaanxi University of Technology, Hanzhong 723000, Shaanxi, PR China; Centre of Molecular and Environmental Biology (CBMA), Department of Biology, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, Braga 4710-057, Portugal; Department of Biomedical Sciences, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada. Electronic address:
This study presents a novel and efficient method for extracting immunoglobulin Y (IgY) antibodies from egg yolk based on the principle of liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) induced by polyethylene glycol 8000 (PEG 8000). Initial delipidation of egg yolk samples with varying PEG 8000 concentrations demonstrated optimal delipidation efficiency and protein recovery at 2.5 % PEG 8000 concentration.
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