The Role of Liquid-Liquid Phase Separation in Actin Polymerization

Int J Mol Sci. 2023 Feb 7;24(4):3281. doi: 10.3390/ijms24043281.

Abstract

To date, it has been shown that the phenomenon of liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) underlies many seemingly completely different cellular processes. This provided a new idea of the spatiotemporal organization of the cell. The new paradigm makes it possible to provide answers to many long-standing, but still unresolved questions facing the researcher. In particular, spatiotemporal regulation of the assembly/disassembly of the cytoskeleton, including the formation of actin filaments, becomes clearer. To date, it has been shown that coacervates of actin-binding proteins that arise during the phase separation of the liquid-liquid type can integrate G-actin and thereby increase its concentration to initiate polymerization. It has also been shown that the activity intensification of actin-binding proteins that control actin polymerization, such as N-WASP and Arp2/3, can be caused by their integration into liquid droplet coacervates formed by signaling proteins on the inner side of the cell membrane.

Keywords: actin; actin polymerization; actin-binding proteins; coacervate; liquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS); membrane; signaling proteins.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Actin Cytoskeleton / metabolism
  • Actins* / metabolism
  • Cytoskeleton / metabolism
  • Microfilament Proteins* / metabolism
  • Polymerization

Substances

  • Actins
  • Microfilament Proteins

Grants and funding

This research received no external funding.