Macromolecular crowding: Macromolecules friend or foe

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry
• Cell Biology
• Biophysics

Background:

• The cell interior is densely packed with macromolecules, occupying approximately 40% of cellular volume.
• This dense environment, known as macromolecular crowding, alters the properties of biomolecules.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the deleterious effects of macromolecular crowding on proteins and enzymes.
• To highlight the under-explored negative impacts of crowding, complementing existing research on positive effects.

Main Methods:

• Literature review focusing on studies investigating the negative consequences of macromolecular crowding.
• Analysis of existing data on how crowding affects protein folding, structure, stability, and function.

Main Results:

• Macromolecular crowding exerts both beneficial and detrimental influences on biomolecules.
• This review specifically details the adverse effects of crowding on macromolecular properties.

Conclusions:

• Intracellular crowding is not universally beneficial and can have harmful effects on macromolecules.
• The cellular environment's crowdedness level and nature critically regulate macromolecule functions and disease progression, including proteopathies.