Liquid-Liquid Phase Separation in Biology
Abstract
Cells organize many of their biochemical reactions in non-membrane compartments. Recent evidence has shown that many of these compartments are liquids that form by phase separation from the cytoplasm. Here we discuss the basic physical concepts necessary to understand the consequences of liquid-like states for biological functions.
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LLPS has been modelled quantitatively, at least in simpler systems, building on soft matter physics.
“an important feature of LLPS is that it has been modelled quantitatively, at least in simpler systems, building on the foundations of soft matter physics [429].”
From Transcriptional enhancers and their communication with gene promoters (2021) · cites this paper as [429]
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- Authors
- Hyman, A. A., Weber, C. A., & Jülicher, F.
- Affiliations
- Max Planck Society (DE)
- Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems (DE)
- Venue
- Annual Review of Cell and Developmental Biology
- Publisher
- Annual Reviews
- Published
- 2014-10-11
- Volume
- 30
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 39-58
- ISSN
- 1081-0706 (ISSN-L)
- 1530-8995
- OpenAlex
- W2139066576
- Cited by
- 3,155
- References
- 5
- Citations by year
- 2026: 318 · 2025: 353 · 2024: 390 · 2023: 386 · 2022: 358 · 2021: 428 · 2020: 317 · 2019: 235 · 2018: 173 · 2017: 94 · 2016: 76 · 2015: 26 · 2014: 1
- FWCI
- 6.19
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Annual Review of Cell and Developmental Biology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics (submittedVersion)
- MPG.PuRe (Max Planck Society) (submittedVersion)
- OPUS (Augsburg University) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › RNA Research and Splicing
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Protein Structure and Dynamics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Biophysics › Chemical and Physical Studies
- Keywords
- liquid-liquid phase separation, biomolecular condensates, non-membrane compartments, cytoplasm
- MeSH terms
- Origin of Life, Animals, Cell Compartmentation, Cytoplasm, Diffusion, Gels, Intracellular Fluid, Terminology as Topic, Solubility, Entropy, Phase Transition
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