Macromolecular Phase Transitions in Human Physiology and Pathology

A special issue of Biomolecules (ISSN 2218-273X).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2020) | Viewed by 261

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Baylor College of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Houston, TX 77030, USA
Interests: NMR spectroscopy; intrinsically disordered proteins; stem cell biology; protein structure and function; post-translational modifications; macromolecular assembly; biomolecular phase transitions
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Co-Guest Editor
Department of Biochemistry & Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, USA
Interests: single molecule biophysics; biomolecular complexes; macromolecular assembly pathways; RNA folding; protein–nucleic acid interactions; fluorescence spectroscopy; dynamics of G protein-coupled receptors; HIV-1 RNA-protein interactions

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Co-Guest Editor
Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
Interests: single molecule biophysics; fluorescence spectroscopy; molecular mechanisms of neurodegenerative disorders; intrinsically disordered proteins; protein folding and misfolding; protein–ligand interactions; biomolecular phase transitions
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Biomolecular phase transitions have been recently identified as a key mechanism of subcellular organization. Phase transitions allow for the dynamic formation-dissolution of cellular, membraneless organelles such as cytosolic stress granules, P-bodies, and germ granules; and nuclear Cajal bodies, paraspeckles, nuclear speckles, PML-bodies, and nucleolus. Phase transitions also facilitate several biomolecular assembly processes including chromatin condensation, transcription bubble formation, RNA-induced silencing complex formation, and signalling complex assembly.  Thus, it is becoming increasingly clear that the biomolecular phase transitions play prominent roles in the spatiotemporal regulation of cellular functions.

In vitro studies suggest that many disordered proteins undergo phase transitions at physiologic protein concentrations. Protein phase transitions can result in the formation of liquid-like condensates or solid-like fibrillar aggregates. For many proteins, liquid condensates can eventually transform to solid fibrils. Such liquid-to-solid phase transitions are exacerbated by disease-linked mutations and are assumed to represent protein pathologic transformation. Many biochemical perturbations such as post-translational modifications, ligand interactions, and RNA enrichment/depletion tune liquid-to-solid phase transitions of protein-rich membraneless organelles both in vitro and in vivo. Interestingly, recent reports indicate that disease-associated RNAs (linked to nucleic acid repeat-expansion disorders) themselves can undergo liquid–liquid phase transitions to form RNA condensates/gels.

This Special Issue of Biomolecules is focused on understanding the role of phase transitions in a multitude of human pathologies. We encourage the submission of original research articles or communications that contribute to the molecular-level as well as a mesoscopic-level understanding of biomolecule condensation, protein fibrillation, and macromolecule condensation-linked aggregation in the context of both human physiology and pathology.  Critical reviews that synthesize the current research literature on biomolecular phase transitions and provide guidance for newcomers on emerging directions are also highly welcome.

Prof. Dr. Josephine C. Ferreon
Prof. Dr. Rajan Lamichhane
Prof. Dr. Allan Chris M. Ferreon
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • Liquid–liquid phase separation
  • Protein fibrillation
  • Intrinsically disordered proteins
  • Nucleic acid binding proteins
  • Protein–protein interaction
  • RNA-protein interaction
  • Post-translational modifications
  • Macromolecular assembly
  • Folding and misfolding of biomolecules
  • Ribonucleoproteins.

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Published Papers

There is no accepted submissions to this special issue at this moment.
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