One way that proteins and other molecules in the cell achieve this flexibility is by condensing into specialized droplets, a phenomenon called liquid-liquid phase separation.
One way that proteins and other molecules in the cell achieve this flexibility is by condensing into specialized droplets, a phenomenon called liquid-liquid phase separation. Clifford Brangwynne, a professor of chemical and biological engineering, leads a research group investigating the formation and functions of these droplets — called membraneless organelles or condensates, in contrast to the better-known membrane-enclosed organelles such as the mitochondria or nucleus.
Membraneless organelles play key roles in the nucleus, where a cell’s genome is stored and its genes are transcribed into messages that direct cellular activities. Brangwynne’s team has developed novel tools to examine and manipulate the condensation of proteins in the nucleus, and is now applying these approaches to uncover new aspects of gene regulation. The work could help elucidate how gene regulation goes awry in cancer and neurodegenerative diseases, and may aid in the discovery of new therapeutic approaches.
“The genome is not just an abstract software program,” said Brangwynne, a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator. Each chromosome is a long strand of DNA that’s packed into a relatively tiny nucleus and wrapped around accompanying proteins. Physical forces are critical to gene regulation, and Brangwynne explores how protein droplets act in, on, and around the genome to influence the expression of genes.
Read more at Princeton University
Image: Clifford Brangwynne’s team has developed novel tools to examine and manipulate how proteins condense into specialized droplets, and is applying these approaches to uncover new aspects of gene regulation. CREDIT: Princeton University
