Biomolecular condensates are distinct molecular communities made of DNA, RNA and proteins that "condense" molecules to key locations inside cells. Intense efforts have focused on uncovering the numerous ways in which condensation is controlled, modulated and regulated inside cells.
In research published in Science Advances, biomedical scientists at Washington University in St. Louis and Duke University report new insights regarding the role of movements of molecules as drivers of condensation in cells.
"Protein condensation requires the crossing of protein-specific saturation concentrations. Molecules that move in directed ways can enable local supersaturation, allowing for directed motions to drive condensation," said Rohit Pappu, the Gene K. Beare Distinguished Professor of biomedical engineering in the McKelvey School of Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis.
The research has direct implications for how root systems manage responses to plant hormones. It also has broader implications for understanding condensation of other proteins that move under the influence of myosin motors.
