Unraveling the Hydration Dynamics of Biomolecular Condensates

Compartmentalisation in a cell occurs by lipid membrane bound organelles or membrane-less organelles (MLOs). MLOs are dynamic liquid-like condensates inside the cell constituted of various biomolecules formed by liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS). In LLPS, a biomolecule in an aqueous solution de-mixes from a single well-mixed phase to form two phases – a concentrated phase and a dilute phase. It creates a local concentration hotspot for the biomolecule, leading to enhancement of associated biological functions.
Creating two phases from a single well-mixed aqueous phase involves significant restructuring of the hydration water around the biomolecule. These dynamics are expected to play a crucial role in forming two coexisting phases in the same medium. However, the solvent's role in forming biomolecular condensates remains a relatively unexplored territory.
Recent pioneering work from our group has uncovered the critical role of solvent in the phase separation of RNA binding proteins (RBPs) and how differences in local hydration behaviour leads to phase separation. Following up on our previous work, we study how the alteration of hydration dynamics of different RBPs leads to their phase separation and how protein level modifications in the RBP modulate these dynamics.