Liquid-liquid phase separation in physiology and pathophysiology of the nervous system

Y Hayashi, LK Ford, L Fioriti, L McGurk… - Journal of …, 2021 - Soc Neuroscience
Journal of Neuroscience, 2021Soc Neuroscience
Molecules within cells are segregated into functional domains to form various organelles.
While some of those organelles are delimited by lipid membranes demarcating their
constituents, others lack a membrane enclosure. Recently, liquid-liquid phase separation
(LLPS) revolutionized our view of how segregation of macromolecules can produce
membraneless organelles. While the concept of LLPS has been well studied in the areas of
soft matter physics and polymer chemistry, its significance has only recently been …
Molecules within cells are segregated into functional domains to form various organelles. While some of those organelles are delimited by lipid membranes demarcating their constituents, others lack a membrane enclosure. Recently, liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) revolutionized our view of how segregation of macromolecules can produce membraneless organelles. While the concept of LLPS has been well studied in the areas of soft matter physics and polymer chemistry, its significance has only recently been recognized in the field of biology. It occurs typically between macromolecules that have multivalent interactions. Interestingly, these features are present in many molecules that exert key functions within neurons. In this review, we cover recent topics of LLPS in different contexts of neuronal physiology and pathology.
Soc Neuroscience