Language
English
Publication Date
3-12-2025
Journal
Biomolecules
DOI
10.3390/biom15030406
PMID
40149942
PMCID
PMC11940141
PubMedCentral® Posted Date
3-12-2025
PubMedCentral® Full Text Version
Post-print
Abstract
Biomolecular condensates (BMCs) are membrane-less protein compartments with physiological and pathological relevance. The formation of BMCs is driven by a process known as liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS), a field that has largely focused on the study of micron-sized condensates. However, there have been recent studies showing that proteins that undergo LLPS also form nanometer-sized condensates. These nanometer-sized condensates, or nanocondensates, are distinct from microcondensates and potentially exhibit more relevance in cell biology. The field of nanocondensate research is in its infancy, with limited biophysical studies of these structures. Here, we studied condensate formation and dissolution of wild-type and disease-linked (hyperphosphorylated and missense mutated) Tau. We investigated the effects of solution condition modulation on nanocondensate formation and dissolution, and observed that Tau condensation is strongly regulated by electrostatic forces and less affected by hydrophobic disruption. We observed that all three Tau variants studied shared condensate formation properties when in solution conditions with the same ionic strength. However, hyperphosphorylated and missense-mutated Tau exhibited higher resistance to dissolution compared to wild-type Tau. This study uncovers additional distinctions between different types of condensates, which provides further insight into the distinctions between physiological and pathological condensates.
Keywords
tau Proteins, Static Electricity, Humans, Phosphorylation, Biomolecular Condensates
Published Open-Access
yes
Recommended Citation
Tsoi, Phoebe S; Lucas, Lathan; Rhoades, Derek; et al., "Electrostatic Effects on Tau Nanocondensates" (2025). Faculty, Staff and Students Publications. 6531.
https://digitalcommons.library.tmc.edu/baylor_docs/6531