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Updated: Aug 5, 2026
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Using Solution NMR to Characterize Biomolecular Condensates Under Biphasic Conditions
Published on: April 17, 2026
From Pan-Life Phase Insights to PhaseHub: Analyzing Protein Condensate Complexity
Qiyu Liang1, Weibo Gao2, Yansong Miao3
1School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 637371, Singapore; School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 637551, Singapore.
Molecular Plant
|July 30, 2026
Summary
Biomolecular condensates form essential signaling hubs. This study reveals how phase separation (PS) evolves across species, balancing function and aggregation, and introduces PhaseHub for exploring these dynamic systems.
Area of Science:
- Molecular Biology
- Evolutionary Biology
- Biophysics
Background:
- Intracellular biomolecular condensates are crucial for cellular processes like development and stress response.
- Understanding the dynamic organization of multicomponent condensates under physiological conditions is challenging.
- Existing knowledge lacks integrative frameworks combining biophysical predictions with experimental data.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze phase separation (PS) proteins across the Tree of Life to understand their evolutionary patterns.
- To identify signaling hubs and components by integrating PS propensity with experimental data.
- To develop a computational framework and resource for exploring condensate dynamics.
Main Methods:
- Analyzed PS proteins in 1,106 species, focusing on eukaryotes and prokaryotes.
- Examined amino acid homorepeat-containing proteins (HRPs) to understand PS evolution.
- Integrated PS-positive proteins with experimental data on abundance, interactomes, localization, and conservation.
- Developed the PhaseHub web interface.
Main Results:
- Phase-separation propensity differs significantly between eukaryotes and prokaryotes, influenced by genome size.
- Phase separation evolves through a balance between functional condensation and avoiding aggregation-prone sequences.
- Identified potential signaling hubs and components across kingdoms using integrated data.
- PhaseHub provides a platform for exploring PS protein dynamics and signatures.
Conclusions:
- An evolutionary framework integrating molecular grammar and physiological context explains multicomponent PS hubs.
- The study facilitates hypothesis generation for condensate function and rational design.
- PhaseHub serves as a valuable resource for researchers studying biomolecular condensates.
