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Updated: Apr 17, 2026

Engineering Cell-permeable Protein
Published on: December 28, 2009
Active transport enables protein condensation in cells
Gaurav Chauhan1, Edward G Wilkinson2, Yaning Yuan2
1Department of Biomedical Engineering and Center for Biomolecular Condensates, James McKelvey School of Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA.
Abstract:
Multiple factors drive biomolecular condensate formation. In plants, condensation of the transcription factors AUXIN RESPONSE FACTOR 7 (ARF7) and ARF19 attenuates response to the plant hormone auxin. Here, we report that actin-mediated movement of cytoplasmic ARF condensates enhances condensation. Coarse-grained molecular simulations of active polymers reveal that applied forces drive the associations of macromolecules to enhance phase separation while giving rise to dense phases that preferentially accumulate motile molecules. Our study highlights how molecular motility can drive phase separation, with implications for motile condensates while offering insights into cellular mechanisms that can regulate condensate dynamics.
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