Light and temperature perceptions go through a phase separation

Hui Shi; Shangwei Zhong

doi:10.1016/j.pbi.2023.102397

Light and temperature perceptions go through a phase separation

Curr Opin Plant Biol. 2023 Aug:74:102397. doi: 10.1016/j.pbi.2023.102397. Epub 2023 Jun 7.

Authors

Hui Shi¹, Shangwei Zhong²

Affiliations

¹ College of Life Sciences, Capital Normal University, Beijing Key Laboratory of Plant Gene Resources and Biotechnology for Carbon Reduction and Environmental Improvement, Beijing, 100048, China. Electronic address: hui.shi@cnu.edu.cn.
² Peking University Institute of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Shandong Laboratory of Advanced Agricultural Sciences in Weifang, Weifang, 261325, China; State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China. Electronic address: shangwei.zhong@pku.edu.cn.

PMID: 37295295
DOI: 10.1016/j.pbi.2023.102397

Abstract

Light and temperature are two distinct but closely linked environmental factors that profoundly affect plant growth and development. Biomolecular condensates are membraneless micron-scale compartments formed through liquid-liquid phase separation, which have been shown to be involved in a wide range of biological processes. In the last few years, biomolecular condensates are emerged to serve as phase separation-based sensors for plant sensing and/or responding to external environmental cues. This review summarizes the recently reported plant biomolecular condensates in sensing light and temperature signals. The current understanding of the biophysical properties and the action modes of phase separation-based environmental sensors are highlighted. Unresolved questions and possible challenges for future studies of phase-separation sensors are also discussed.

Keywords: Biomolecular condensates; LLPS; Photoreceptor; Signal clustering; Thermosensor.

Publication types

Review