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Biomolecular condensates as cellular memory modules: Thermodynamic principles and plant stress adaptation
Shukendu Maity1, Panagiotis Nikolaou Moschou2
1Department of Biology, University of Crete, Heraklion, Greece; Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, Heraklion, Greece.
Biophysical Journal
|November 28, 2025
Summary
Organisms use stress memory to adapt to environmental challenges. Biomolecular condensates, like processing bodies, may store stress information, enhancing plant resilience.
Area of Science:
- Plant biology
- Cellular biology
- Biophysics
Background:
- Organisms face abiotic stresses (drought, salinity, temperature).
- Stress memory improves responses to recurring environmental challenges.
- Biomolecular condensates regulate gene expression post-transcriptionally during stress.
Purpose of the Study:
- Explore biophysical principles of condensate formation and dynamics.
- Focus on processing bodies (PBs) as potential cellular memory systems.
- Propose a framework for PB function in stress information processing.
Main Methods:
- Review of biophysical principles governing condensate formation.
- Analysis of literature on processing bodies and stress response.
- Theoretical framework development for PB-mediated stress memory.
Main Results:
- Biomolecular condensates dynamically organize molecules for post-transcriptional regulation.
- Processing bodies (PBs) are implicated as potential sites for cellular stress memory.
- PBs may integrate signals to encode, maintain, and retrieve stress information.
Conclusions:
- PBs offer a model for understanding cellular stress memory.
- Condensate dynamics are crucial for adaptive resilience in plants.
- Further research needed to elucidate PB mechanisms in stress memory.
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