RNAs and Phase Separation Phenomena

Dear Colleagues,

Membrane-less condensates are dynamic cellular compartments that lack a surrounding lipid membrane. These structures arise through a process known as liquid–liquid phase separation, in which specific proteins and nucleic acids undergo a phase transition from a homogeneous solution into a dense, droplet-like condensate. This phase separation is driven by multivalent interactions between proteins and RNA, allowing for the reversible assembly of these compartments. Membrane-less condensates are involved in cellular compartmentalization, creating microenvironments that enrich specific molecules and facilitate biochemical reactions. These condensates regulate key cellular functions such as transcription, RNA processing, and signaling in a very dynamic way. Furthermore, condensates formed through aberrant phase transitions have been associated with numerous human diseases, including neurodegeneration and cancer. The role of RNAs in the formation, stability, and dynamics of macromolecular condensates and their functions in driving phase separations is a timely and relevant topic that deserves a closer look. This Topic will put together a collection of manuscripts containing original data, as well as technical reviews, on the functions of RNA molecules in the general phenomenon of phase separation, with special emphasis on their interactions with other cellular components and their roles as scaffolds of membrane-less condensates.

Dr. Ana Lúcia Leitão
Prof. Dr. Afshin Beheshti
Dr. Francisco J. Enguita
Topic Editors