无膜颗粒与生物大分子液-液相分离:形成机制、生物功能及数据资源

Membraneless Granules and Liquid-liquid Phase Separation:Formation,Biological Function and Data Resources

为了保证细胞内各种生化反应和调控过程的有序进行,细胞内存在一系列隔室将不同的生物分子分隔开来。这其中除了有膜细胞器,还存在一类无膜细胞器或无膜颗粒,使得具有特定功能的蛋白质和核酸在不同无膜颗粒中聚集,保证相应生化过程在特定时空条件下高效进行。大量的研究证据表明,液-液相分离(liquid-liquid phase separation,LLPS)是介导胞内无膜颗粒凝聚形成的重要机制。本文首先围绕相分离介绍了胞内无膜颗粒的形成机制;进一步总结部分胞内无膜颗粒的功能,以及相分离在其行使生理功能时发挥的重要作用;最后总结相分离数据库及其所常采信的实验方法,期望通过对胞内无膜颗粒形成机制、生物功能及相分离数据资源的总结,为初入领域的科研工作者提供参考,并推进高通量方法在相关领域研究的应用与发展。

A series of compartments separating different biomolecules exist to ensure specificity and efficiency of biochemical reactions and regulation processes within living cells.Aside from membranebound organelles,membraneless organelles exist to condense proteins and nucleic acids in different granules so as to guarantee efficiency of biochemical reactions in specific spatiotemporal conditions.Mounting evidence indicates liquid-liquid phase separation(LLPS)as an important mechanism in mediating assembly of membraneless granules.This paper introduces the possible assembling mechanism of membraneless granules;then moves on to summarize the function of some membraneless granules and illustrates the role phase separation plays when they perform physiological functions.We also summarize some phase separation databases and the experimental evidences that they collected.This article expects to review the formation,biological function and data resources of membraneless compartments to inspire researchers and promote the application of high-throughput methods in this field.