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Methods for characterizing the material properties of biomolecular condensates

  • SUNY Buffalo

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapterpeer-review

77 Scopus citations

Abstract

Biomolecular condensates are membrane-less sub-cellular compartments that perform a plethora of important functions in signaling and storage. The material properties of biomolecular condensates such as viscosity, surface tension, viscoelasticity, and macromolecular diffusion play important roles in regulating their biological functions. Aberrations in these properties have been implicated in various neurodegenerative disorders and certain types of cancer. Unraveling the molecular driving forces that control the fluid structure and dynamics of biomolecular condensates across different length- and time-scales necessitates the application of innovative biophysical methodologies. In this chapter, we discuss major experimental techniques that are widely used to study the material states and dynamics of biomolecular condensates as well as their practical and conceptual limitations. We end this chapter with a discussion on more advanced tools that are currently emerging to address the complex fluid dynamics of these condensates.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationLiquid-Liquid Phase Coexistence and Membraneless Organelles
EditorsChristine D. Keating
PublisherAcademic Press Inc.
Pages143-183
Number of pages41
ISBN (Print)9780128211595
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 2021

Publication series

NameMethods in Enzymology
Volume646
ISSN (Print)0076-6879
ISSN (Electronic)1557-7988

Keywords

  • Condensate viscoelasticity
  • FRAP
  • Fluorescence microscopy
  • Liquid-liquid phase separation
  • Microrheology
  • Optical tweezers
  • Particle tracking

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