相分离影响癌症发生发展的研究进展

An update on phase separation in cancer

相分离是细胞内无膜区室形成的主要机制,参与调控细胞代谢、信号转导、基因表达和蛋白质稳态等多种生理过程。近年来,研究人员发现相分离和癌症密切相关,通过影响DNA修复过程,转录调控,致癌基因和抑癌基因的表达,以及癌症中重要的无膜区室的组装等影响癌症的发生发展。本文回顾了相分离的概念、研究历史、生理功能及其与癌症的关系,重点分析了相分离影响癌症发生发展的可能途径,并提出了相分离领域目前存在的局限性和未来可深入研究的方向。

Phase separation is the main mechanism for the formation of membrane-free organelles in cells,which is involved in regulating a variety of physiological processes,such as cell metabolism,signal transduction,gene expression and proteostasis.Recent researches have revealed that phase separation is closely associated with cancer.It plays an important role in the occurrence and development of cancer by affecting DNA repair,transcriptional regulation,the expression of oncogenes and tumor suppressors,and the formation of important membrane-free organelles in cancer.This paper reviews the concept,historyand physiological function of phase separation,focuses on the relationship between phase separation and cancer,puts forward the limitations of phase separation and the direction of further research.