Review

Protein Phase Separation: A New Phase in

Cell Biology
Steven Boeynaems,1,2,3,* Simon Alberti,4 Nicolas L. Fawzi,5 Tanja Mittag,6 Magdalini Polymenidou,7
Frederic Rousseau,8,9 Joost Schymkowitz,8,9 James Shorter,10 Benjamin Wolozin,11,12
Ludo Van Den Bosch,2,3,* Peter Tompa,13,14,* and Monika Fuxreiter15,*

Cellular compartments and organelles organize biological matter. Most well- Highlights
known organelles are separated by a membrane boundary from their surround- Phase separation is known to play a role
in a variety of cellular processes, includ-
ing milieu. There are also many so-called membraneless organelles and recent
ing formation of classical membraneless
studies suggest that these organelles, which are supramolecular assemblies of organelles, signaling complexes, the
proteins and RNA molecules, form via protein phase separation. Recent dis- cytoskeleton, and numerous other
supramolecular assemblies.
coveries have shed light on the molecular properties, formation, regulation, and
function of membraneless organelles. A combination of techniques from cell The concept of phase separation pro-
biology, biophysics, physical chemistry, structural biology, and bioinformatics vides a new framework for our under-
standing of the functional role of
are starting to help establish the molecular principles of an emerging field, thus sequence degeneracy (low-complex-
paving the way for exciting discoveries, including novel therapeutic ity) and protein disorder.
approaches for the treatment of age-related disorders.
Accumulating evidence points to a key
role for phase transitions in human dis-
eases associated with protein aggre-
Introduction gation, and to the misregulation of
Eukaryotic cells are composed of numerous compartments or organelles. These organelles membraneless organelles in disease.
carry out specific functions and provide spatiotemporal control over cellular materials, meta-
Understanding the physical principles
bolic processes, and signaling pathways. For example, the nucleus physically separates and molecular interactions behind pro-
transcription from translation; this has allowed eukaryotes to develop a complex system of tein phase separation could inspire
posttranscriptional control, which is largely absent from prokaryotes [1]. Other examples of novel biomaterials.
membrane-bound organelles include lysosomes, the endoplasmic reticulum, and synaptic
vesicles. However, cells also harbor organelles that lack a delimiting membrane. These are
supramolecular assemblies composed of proteins, nucleic acids, and other molecular com-
1
ponents. They are present in the nucleus (e.g., nucleolus, nuclear speckles), as well as in the Department of Genetics, Stanford
University School of Medicine,
cytoplasm [e.g., stress granules (SGs), processing bodies, the centriole] [2,3]. Many of these
Stanford, CA, USA
cellular bodies were identified decades ago and numerous structural insights became available 2
KU Leuven, Department of
as the bodies were discovered. However, questions have remained about how these bodies Neurosciences, Experimental
Neurology and Leuven Research
form, why they form, and how their physical features contribute to biological function. These
Institute for Neuroscience and
questions are starting to be answered, and recent advances in interdisciplinary approaches Disease (LIND), Leuven, Belgium
3
have fueled the emergence of insights into their organization, molecular properties, and VIB, Center for Brain and Disease
Research, Laboratory of
regulation [2–4]. A growing understanding of the underlying molecular principles and the
Neurobiology, Leuven, Belgium
physicochemical forces that drive the formation of membraneless organelles (see Glossary) 4
Max Planck Institute of Molecular
has enabled the elucidation of their diverse functions in a variety of cellular processes, including Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden,
Germany
the stress response, the regulation of gene expression, and the control of signal transduction 5
Department of Molecular
[5–8]. In the past few years, there has been increasing evidence for the involvement of Pharmacology, Physiology, and
membraneless organelles in age-related disorders, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis Biotechnology, Brown University,
Providence, RI, USA
(ALS) [9–16]. Together, these discoveries have created a new field in cell biology, focused 6
Department of Structural Biology, St.
on understanding how organization of cellular matter into membraneless organelles contributes Jude Children’s Research Hospital,
to function, and how their dysregulation leads to disease. Memphis, TN, USA

420 Trends in Cell Biology, June 2018, Vol. 28, No. 6 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tcb.2018.02.004
© 2018 Published by Elsevier Ltd.
 7
In this review, we examine the current state of the growing interest in membraneless organelles, Institute of Molecular Life Sciences,
University of Zürich, Zürich,
providing insights into their biogenesis, organization, dynamics, regulation, and function. We Switzerland
also discuss how recent findings can give us molecular insights in age-related diseases. This 8
Switch Laboratory, VIB, Leuven,
could pave the way for developing novel therapeutic strategies that leverage our understanding Belgium
9
KU Leuven, Department for Cellular
of phase separation. Finally, we highlight the major challenges that lie ahead and questions and Molecular Medicine, Leuven,
that need to be answered quantitatively and completely in the coming years. Belgium
10
Department of Biochemistry and
Biophysics, Perelman School of
Membraneless Organelles Are Formed via Phase Separation Medicine at the University of
Many membraneless cytoplasmic and nuclear compartments (e.g., P bodies, SGs, the Balbiani Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
11
body, germ granules, PML bodies, Cajal Bodies, nuclear speckles, and the nucleolus) have Department of Pharmacology,
Boston University School of Medicine,
been studied for a long time. However, the forces driving their formation mostly remained Boston, MA, USA
12
enigmatic. Several early studies highlighted the dynamic nature of these assemblies [17–19]. In Department of Neurology, Boston
2005 it was argued that Cajal bodies behave as ‘semifluid spheres suspended in semifluid University School of Medicine,
Boston, MA, USA
nucleoplasm’ [17]. However, definitive experimental evidence for the physical nature of these 13
VIB, Center for Structural Biology
assemblies was lacking. This changed in 2009, when Brangwynne, Jülicher, and Hyman (CSB), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB),
showed that P granules (RNA and protein-containing bodies in embryos of Caenorhabditis Brussels, Belgium
14
Institute of Enzymology, Research
elegans) have liquid-like properties and form by phase separation [20]. This is a physical Centre for Natural Sciences of the
process that occurs when a supersaturated solution of components spontaneously separates Hungarian Academy of Sciences,
into two phases, a dense phase and a dilute phase, that then stably coexist. The proposed Budapest, Hungary
15
MTA-DE Laboratory of Protein
liquid-like nature of P granules was evident from their round appearance (the result of Dynamics, Department of
minimizing surface tension), deformability (fusion and fission events), and dynamic exchange Biochemistry and Molecular Biology,
of components. Similar observations were made 2 years later for nucleoli [21]. The liquids University of Debrecen, Debrecen,
Hungary
themselves are not ‘simple liquids’, which is a term that has specific connotations. A ‘simple
liquid’, also known as a van der Waals fluid, comprises of spherical particles that interact via
isotropic short-range potentials. Protein and RNA liquids are not spherical particles of uniform *Correspondence:
stickiness. Instead, they are best described as associative polymers and the liquids formed by [email protected]
(S. Boeynaems),
such systems have distinctive structures that are defined by physical crosslinks that give rise to [email protected]
a panoply of material properties, including the possibility of spatially organized droplets where (L. Van Den Bosch),
one polymer wets another [17,22–27]. [email protected] (P. Tompa),
and
[email protected] (M. Fuxreiter).
Phase separation is a well-known phenomenon in polymer chemistry [28]. However, its
application to biomacromolecules is a much more recent development. Some proteins, such
as hemoglobin, had previously been reported to undergo phase separation at high concen-
tration in vitro [29,30], but the significance of these observations remained unclear. Especially
among crystallographers, liquid–liquid phase separation is frequently observed during crystal-
lization trials [31]. Liquid droplet formation lowers the free energy of nucleation and thus is often
a desired phenomenon in crystallization experiments [32]. However, the realization that phase
separation might be the operational principle governing the formation of membraneless
organelles to regulate biological functions and activities has emerged only recently. Strong
support for this idea was provided by Rosen and colleagues in 2012. They showed that protein-
and RNA-containing bodies could be reconstituted from purified components; they further
provided evidence that these reconstituted liquid bodies can promote the nucleation of actin
polymers [6]. In the years following these seminal discoveries, there has been growing
appreciation that proteins and other macromolecules, such as RNAs, can form condensates
that are either well-mixed or spatially organized, and switch between different material states
[14,16,33]. Membraneless organelles are known more generally as biomolecular condensates,
and the constituent biomolecules obey the same physical principles as other polymers (Box 1).
Accumulating data underscores the variety of different phase transitions and the complex
molecular and physical interactions behind these processes.

Trends in Cell Biology, June 2018, Vol. 28, No. 6 421

 Box 1. Membraneless Organelles Can Be Liquids, Solids, or Gels
Glossary
Membraneless organelles are often referred to as liquids, but this designation also creates considerable confusion
Gel: defined by a system- or droplet-
because of the mental picture this might conjure. In this regard, it is worth noting that all liquids, even so-called simple
spanning network formed by the
liquids made up of hard spheres, have a well-defined structure that is quantifiable in terms of pair-correlation functions.
constituent macromolecules. The
These functions show that liquids adopt ordered arrangements, rather like crystalline solids, on length scales that are of
crosslinks are either covalent bonds
the order of magnitude of the size of a typical molecule. On longer length scales, the molecules are randomly organized,
(chemical gel) or noncovalent bonds
in a manner that is reminiscent of dilute gases. Aspherical molecules have spatial as well as directional order, as is the
(physical gel). The material properties
case with water and other molecular liquids, including polymeric ones. Local spatial ordering and preferred inter-
of gels vary in a broad range
molecular orientations arise from hierarchies of interactions with different spatial extents and directional preferences,
dictated by the lifetimes of crosslinks,
such as long-range electrostatics, multipolar interactions, hydrogen bonds, forces, and short-range interactions
the extents of crosslinking, and the
involving pi-systems.
crosslinking patterns. Associative
polymers can form physical gels.
In the world of biological phase separation, gels are often thought of as being synonymous with solids, and gelation is Water-soluble polymers form
thought to be the process of transitioning from a liquid to solid. Gels are generated by a system-spanning network of hydrogels.
intermolecular interactions, along which one can ‘walk across a gel by relying on the connectivity of the constitutive Intrinsically disordered protein/
macromolecules. If gels have long-lived crosslinks and a high density of crosslinks, then the material properties can be region: proteins containing regions
consistent with those of solids. In contrast, gels with short-lived crosslinks and/or a low level of crosslinking will have that adopt multiple structures or
material properties that are akin to those of liquids. exhibit a fast conformational
exchange in their native state.
In reality, an organelle can be a liquid, some form of solid, a liquid–gel, a solid–gel, a crystalline–solid, a semi-crystalline– Liquid: one of the four fundamental
solid, or liquid–crystalline depending on the extent of spatial ordering and the directional preferences for spatial states of matter. Characterized by a
ordering. To assign an appropriate designation to a membraneless organelle, one would have to, at a minimum, definite volume, but no fixed shape.
measure five quantities, namely: (i) the concentrations of macromolecules within droplets to quantify density, (ii) the Liquids minimize their surface area
extent of long-range spatial order of molecules with respect to one another to quantify the intermolecular organization (to reduce surface tension), which
within the droplet, (iii) the extent of physical crosslinking amongst molecules, (iv) the interfacial tension between the often leads to the formation of
droplet and its surroundings, and (v) the timescales for making and breaking bonds within droplets. Ideally, all five spherical droplets. If two droplets
measurements would be performed using in vitro facsimiles of droplets and within the appropriate body in living cells to fuse, they also adopt a spherical
uncover the commonalities and differences between the two scenarios. shape. In liquids, local spatial
ordering (i.e., preferred intermolecular
distances and orientations) does not
exceed the dimensions of a few
Molecular Determinants of Protein Phase Separation In Vitro and In Cells molecules, beyond which the
Proteomic and genetic studies have identified protein components of several membraneless molecules are randomly organized.
organelles [23,34–36]. These studies suggest that multivalency of adhesive domains and/or linear This leads to fast reorganization of
liquid structure and also enables an
motifs is a defining feature of proteins (and perhaps RNA molecules) that drive phase transitions.
exchange of components with the
Multivalency can come about in at least one of three ways: (i) folded proteins, with well-defined surroundings.
interaction surfaces, can form oligomers that engender multivalency of other associative patches, Liquid–crystalline: a material state,
which participate in stereospecific interactions; (ii) folded domains can be strung together by which shares properties with both
liquids and crystals. The constituent
flexible linkers to generate linear multivalent proteins; and (iii) intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs)
molecules are oriented in a crystal-
can serve as scaffolds for multiple, distinctive short linear motifs. Of course, multivalency can also like manner, yet can flow, similarly to
emerge by combinatorial arrangements of the three archetypes mentioned here or through liquids. Ordering is considerable on a
emergent processes such as a structure formation within disordered regions. One feature that molecular scale, at least into one
direction. Liquid crystals frequently
has attracted considerable attention is the presence of IDRs in proteins that drive phase tran-
undergo phase transition in response
sitions. These regions display a sequence-intrinsic preference for conformational heterogeneity (i. to temperature changes.
e., disorder) and are known as intrinsically disordered proteins/regions (IDPs/IDRs) [37]. Liquid–liquid demixing: two liquids
Many IDRs have a biased amino acid composition and may be repetitive in sequence, hence, coexist as separate phases instead
of a mixed solution (see phase
specific subsets of these IDRs are also referred to as low-complexity domains (LCDs) [23,37– separation).
39]. The formation of supramolecular assemblies enriched in IDRs/LCDs leads to membraneless Low-complexity domain (LCD): a
organelles with a variety of different properties (Figure 1A–C). As one key example, distinct protein segment, which is enriched in
intermolecular interactions among IDRs, folded domains, and nucleic acids gives rise to a range or composed of only a few amino
acids. These often follow simple
of assembly dynamics (Box 1). For example, the Balbiani body in oocytes is a solid-like protein patterns, like tandem repeats, and
assembly held together by strong b-sheet interactions [36]. By contrast, many RNA-protein (RNP) are associated with fast evolutionary
granules are dynamic and liquid-like, and genetic experiments have demonstrated that IDRs can rates.
Material state: there are four
aid in their assembly [40–42]. RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) are known to have a multivalent
material states or phases in which
modular domain architecture [43], which seems to be a critical factor in phase separation (Box 2). matter can occur: gas, liquid, solid,
Engineered proteins containing multiple interaction domains connected by flexible linkers exhibit and plasma.

422 Trends in Cell Biology, June 2018, Vol. 28, No. 6

 (A) Membraneless organelle: a non-
Solute Liquid Gel Solid membrane-bound cellular
compartment. Membraneless
organelles are usually composed of
protein and nucleic acids assemblies
and sample a broad range of
material states.
Phase separation: phase
separation reflects a demixing
transition, in which a homogenous
and well-mixed solution rearranges
Disordered Ordered itself such that distinct regions of
space are occupied by a distinct
Weak interacons Strong interacons
concentration of species. In the
Dynamic Rigid simplest case of a binary mixture
(polymer and solution), phase
(B) separation yields a high
concentration region and a low
concentration region. In Flory-
E.g., FUS

Huggins solution theory, the free

1mm energy of mixing associated with a
binary mixture includes a single
interdispersing term (x). If this term is
favorable (x < 0), the components
will form a homogenous well-mixed
solution. If the interdispersing term is
(C) unfavorable (x > 0) demixing will
occur and a two-phase solution will
appear.
Phase transition: while phase
separation refers to a demixing of an
Organelles

initial homogeneous solution, phase

P granule Centrosome TDP-43 aggregate transition describes the switch in
phase of a molecule (e.g., from liquid
to solid).
Solid: although both liquids and
100 nm

solids are termed as condensed

matter, they differ in the range of
long-range organization of their
LAF-1 droplet SPD-5 gel TDP-43 fibrils components and dynamics. Material
states of membraneless organelles
can also be crystalline, semi-
(D) crystalline, or liquid–crystalline
Stress granule Nucleolus Centrosome depending on the extent of spatial
ordering and the directional
Dense
preferences for spatial ordering.
fibrillar
Fibrillar
P-body
Shell

Pericentriolar
Centrioles
Core Granular material

Figure 1. Different Characteristics of Protein Phase Transitions. (A) Material state and dynamics can vary in a wide
range from liquid-like to solid states. (B) Example of the protein FUS, which can span the entire range of material states in
vitro. Pictures adapted from reference [16]. (C) Examples of membraneless organelles and their reconstituted in vitro
counterparts. Pictures adapted from references [48,66,72,87,142] (D) Several membraneless organelles have complex
topologies with different subcompartments that may belong to different states. All scale bars 5 mm unless indicated.

Trends in Cell Biology, June 2018, Vol. 28, No. 6 423

 Box 2. Insights from Polymer Theories and Multiscale Simulations
Phase transitions are cooperative transitions that involve the collective effects of interacting modules from multivalent
proteins. They can undergo gelation, whereby they form physically crosslinked, system-spanning networks, where the
crosslinks are noncovalent interactions among associative domains/motifs. Protein polymers can also condense via a
density transition, enabling the formation of a dense phase that coexists with dilute phases. The physics of gelation, or
more precisely sol–gel transitions, have been deployed to understand the impact of valence of associative domains/
motifs on the driving forces for phase transitions [6,143]. In contrast, the physics of density transitions explain the
formation of condensed phases that are spherical in shape and display many properties that are congruent with those of
liquids [20,50]. In reality, the physical principles underlying both types of transitions synergistically underlie the formation
of membraneless organelles, which are better known as biomolecular condensates.

Multivalent proteins belong to a class of polymers known as associative polymers, in that they can undergo gelation
aided by phase separation or gelation without phase separation. Here, valence refers to the effective numbers of
adhesive domains/motifs that provide specificity in intra- as well intermolecular interactions. Recent computer simula-
tions and adaptations of the theories of associative polymers show that multivalent proteins may be parsed into
associative domains/motifs, so-called stickers, interspersed by spacers [78]. The stickers enable physical crosslinking,
whereas the spacers or linkers determine whether or not gelation will be driven by phase separation. Linkers or spacers
that are preferentially solvated will inhibit phase separation, whereas linkers/spacers that prefer self-associations or are
indifferent about whether they interact with themselves or solvent, will enable gelation via phase separation. The key
result emerging from theory, simulations, and recent experiments [87] is a clear role for intrinsically disordered regions as
determinants of the nature of phase transitions, as well as the densities and organization of protein modules within
droplets.

spontaneous liquid–liquid demixing upon interacting with their specific targets [6]. These data
suggest that so-called ‘fuzzy’ interaction modes might enable a multitude of combinations
amongst multivalent interaction domains and that this could be a general driver of protein phase
transitions [44] (Box 3).

In addition to serving as merely linkers, IDRs may also mediate ‘sticky’ interactions to promote
phase transition [45]. McKnight and coworkers found that concentrated solutions of different
IDRs could, over time, spontaneously form hydrogels [39], similar to existing observations
made regarding FG-repeat-containing nuclear pore proteins [46]. Shortly thereafter, Taylor and
coworkers discovered disease mutations in the IDRs of hnRNPA1 and hnRNPA2B1 that
resulted in accelerated assembly into higher-order structures in vitro. Furthermore, these
mutants promoted the spontaneous formation of SGs with dramatically reduced dynamics
in living cells [33]. Subsequent work from several groups showed that the proteins containing

Box 3. Heterogeneity Matters for Organelle Dynamics

Nuclear pore complexes possess high frequency, weakly interacting FG motifs in disordered regions, yet exhibit long
recovery times in FRAP experiments [144]. What needs to be considered is that repetitive motifs or SLiMs may generate
a variety of contact topologies, resulting in large numbers of iso-energetic microstates and higher entropy. This requires
highly dynamic linkers (e.g., IDRs) to minimize the coupling between the binding sites and enable a multitude of
arrangements. In addition, weak-affinity or nonspecific motifs may simultaneously interact with multiple target sites, or
even with more binding partners via weak, short-range contacts. In contrast to the one-to-one binding model, cation–pi,
pi–pi, aromatic hydrogen bonds, and van der Waals interactions are realized at different extents with alternative target
sites causing uncertainty in defining contacts between the multivalent motifs. Computer simulations using a mathe-
matical framework show that partial, heterogeneous interactions can lower the phase boundary by an order of
magnitude as compared with the one-to-one binding model [145]. From this aspect, the higher-order assembly
resembles an encounter complex, which facilitates productive contacts, yet enables fast reorganization of the interface.
This also implies that heterogeneous systems can undergo phase transition at lower valency [145]. Different, redundant
interaction patterns could be generated by large number of structural states [44]. Albeit surprising, conformational
heterogeneity could also promote assembly via entropic effects, as was observed in the case of FUS [10]. Taken
together, interaction and structural heterogeneity are likely the critical determinants of assembly and dynamics of
membraneless organelles, and not mere multivalency of the constituent proteins. As such heterogeneity is ubiquitous to
protein interactions [146], it is possible that the molecular driving forces associated with membraneless organelles are
maybe not fundamentally different from traditional protein complexes and ‘lower-order' assemblies [44].

424 Trends in Cell Biology, June 2018, Vol. 28, No. 6

disease-associated IDRs such as hnRNPA1 or Fused in Sarcoma (FUS) can also make liquid
droplets [10,14,16,47–49]. These findings drew the attention of the entire field to the impor-
tance and functionality of IDRs in phase separation and provided an additional rationale for the
abundance of protein disorder in eukaryotic proteins.

How exactly are multivalent interactions encoded in IDRs? These sequences are often enriched
in uncharged polar side chains (glutamine, asparagine, glycine, serine, proline), charged amino
acids (arginine, lysine, glutamic acid, aspartic acid), or aromatic residues (phenylalanine and
tyrosine). Interestingly, these residues do not seem to be distributed randomly throughout the
sequence, but are often found as short linear interaction motifs (SLiMs), alternating charge
blocks, or degenerate repeats [50,51]. The range of sequence biases associated with IDRs that
mediate phase separation indicates that there may be a range of underlying driving forces.
These likely include electrostatic, dipole–dipole, pi–pi, cation–pi, hydrophobic, and hydrogen
bonding interactions [9,49,50,52–56] (Figure 2A,B). Indeed, mutational studies have demon-
strated that phase separation of different LCDs can be prevented by interfering with a variety of
residue types [9,10,14,16,57]. Additionally, disrupting alternating charge blocks [49,53] and
mutating key residues in degenerate repeats [39,46] can also perturb phase separation.

Membraneless organelles frequently contain nucleic acids, especially RNA. Moreover, the
proteins associated with membraneless organelles often possess RNA-binding domains or
motifs [9,23] and RNA promotes phase separation of various RBPs [9,10,14,16,58–60]
(Figure 2C). Interestingly, high RNA/protein stoichiometries can inhibit phase separation as
well [10,61]. RNA also regulates the nucleation and spatiotemporal distribution of membrane-
less organelles [62,63]. Even G-bodies, which are composed of proteins involved in glucose
metabolism, require RNA for biogenesis [64]. RNA can also affect the material properties of
protein droplets [48,60]. Interestingly, repetitive RNA species have recently been found to
phase separate through intermolecular base-pairing interactions, once more highlighting the
universality of multivalency and structural polymorphisms as drivers of phase separation [65].

Material States of Membraneless Organelles: Liquids, Hydrogels, and

Aggregates
Although several proteins have been shown to phase separate in the test tube, the underlying
molecular structures associated with these phase separated states in vitro or in cells remain
heavily debated. The Balbiani body is dependent on stable amyloid-like interactions [36], while
the pericentriolar material and postsynaptic density are mediated by interactions amongst
proteins that form coiled-coils [66,67]. The picture is less clear for other assemblies. A lot of
attention has been dedicated to better understand the internal structure of SGs. SGs form
reversibly when cells are stressed and it is thought that the formation of SGs is a form of stress
response [62]. Recent work from the Parker lab suggests that the situation in cells might be
more complicated than expected, based on test tube experiments alone. It was shown that
SGs contain stable cores that withstand dilution, indicating their nonliquid character. Although
this does not rule out a combination of spontaneous phase separation and gelation as the route
to forming SGs, the data suggest that dissolution of SGs might be a driven process to force the
material out of kinetic traps [7,23] (Figure 1D). Indeed, super-resolution microscopy and
crosslinking experiments have confirmed that SGs contain a labile liquid shell. These results
point to a complex internal organization of SGs, a picture that, given recent work, is likely true for
other membraneless organelles as well [24,25,68].

Missense mutations in several SG proteins cause neurodegenerative disorders such as ALS,

and both mutant and wild type proteins are found aggregated in neurons [69–72]. While SGs

Trends in Cell Biology, June 2018, Vol. 28, No. 6 425

(A) RNA-binding domains Oligomerizaon domain Helix–helix Caon–anion

β–zipper
Dipole–dipole
Mof-binding domain

Caon–pi
RNA base-pairing Pi–pi
Coiled coil

(B)

FUS (stress granules) DDX4 (P granules)

TDP-43 (stress granules) SPD-5 (centrosome)

(C)
Aging, mutaons, proteostasis defects
pH changes, osmolarity changes, cellular stress

Concentraon

Hydrotropes, chaperones
RNA

Subcellular
Localizaon PTMs

Figure 2. Interactions and Regulatory Mechanisms Implicated in Protein Phase Separation. (A) Overview of
different kinds of contacts, which have been observed in protein phase separation. (B) Examples of phase separating
proteins illustrate the importance of multivalency, highlighted by an array of interaction modules within a single protein. (C)
Different mechanisms regulate the material state and nucleation of protein phase separation.

are dynamic assemblies, these aggregates may have a fibrillar architecture [73,74]. FUS and
hnRNPA1 are examples of such SG proteins, with long, low-complexity IDRs that are mutated
in ALS patients [75,33]. Initial studies from McKnight and coworkers found that these disor-
dered domains can form reversible hydrogels, and this is dependent on labile kinked b sheets
[39,76]. Interestingly, repeated cycles of gelling/dissolution of hydrogels promoted a transition

426 Trends in Cell Biology, June 2018, Vol. 28, No. 6

toward irreversible gels [14,15]. A different mechanism is suggested by studies of liquid
droplets formed by full-length FUS and hnRNPA1, or their LCDs [14,16]. In such liquid droplets,
the LCDs seem to retain their tendency to be disordered, which is similar to their monomeric
state [10,56]. However, for many droplets formed by low-complexity IDRs, especially in the
case of constructs that contain the full-length protein, an eventual maturation into fibrillar solid
aggregates occurs. Interestingly, the rate of maturation is enhanced by ALS-causing mutations
[14,16] (Figure 2C). Both the labile-to-stable gel [15] and liquid-to-solid [14,16] transitions could
explain the pathological conversion of SGs to aggregates in ALS [77], but their exact relation to
both cellular SGs and aggregates remains undetermined.

How Is Specificity Generated and Maintained?

Interestingly, many proteins reside in multiple distinct membraneless organelles [9,23,69]. As
these proteins are significantly enriched in multivalent proteins, the question inevitably arises as
to what determines the specificity and ensures the integrity of these assemblies: how is fusion of
distinct membraneless organelles prevented? How are distinct subcompartments within
membraneless organelles maintained (e.g., in the nucleolus; Figure 1D)? How can a multiphase
system such as the nucleolus be assembled and controlled? Recent work has suggested that
differences in surface tension of protein droplets could mediate the formation of such multi-
phase droplets [24]. The key components of two subnucleolar compartments can phase
separate independently, but the resulting droplets have different surface tensions. When mixed
together, these droplets do not fuse but arrange in a droplet-within-a-droplet topology, which
appears strikingly similar to the nucleolus. This example hints at a more general principle that
could underlie multiphase behavior in other membraneless organelles.

Besides physical properties, specificity of granule assembly may derive from the specificity of
direct protein–protein interactions. IDPs and proteins undergoing phase separation are
enriched in SLiMs and degenerate repeats, which can serve as primary protein-binding
modules [51] (Figure 2A,B). Specificity may be related to additional features of IDPs, such
as the number and spacing of repetitive binding motifs (multivalency), their post-translational
modifications (PTMs), or the dynamics of the intervening linkers [44,78]. Nonspecific electro-
static interactions, especially with RNA, could be critical to nucleate droplet assembly, and
different IDRs respond differently to changing ionic strength [10,49]. Although SLiMs possess
some degree of specificity, the multiplicative effects of multiple SLiMs may determine the
material properties and composition of a given assembly.

Additionally, several key proteins in membraneless organelles possess folded dimerization or

oligomerization domains. For example, G3BP1 contains a folded dimerization domain sufficient
for SG targeting [79]. Other examples include components of PML and Cajal bodies, and nuclear
speckles [80–82]. TDP-43 can phase separate by dimerizing via a transient alpha helix in its LCD
[11], and can multimerize through its folded N terminal domain [83] (Figure 2B). This suggests that
for some proteins, phase separation may occur via two distinct mechanisms that are physically
coupled by the protein structure. A convincing demonstration for such a mechanism of assembly
has come from elegant work by the Brangwynne lab [84]. Shin et al. used a plant-derived light-
inducible protein oligomerization domain to provide an optogenetic route for driving protein–
protein interactions. Fusion of this oligomerization domain to LCDs known to drive phase
separation yielded synthetic proteins that formed liquid droplets in cells upon light stimulation.
These so-called ‘optodroplets’ indicate that the combination of specific oligomerization domains
with LCDs indeed is a potent mechanism to mediate specific cellular phase transitions. In addition
to oligomerization domains, coiled-coils and b-zippers could provide the requisite multiplicative
sticky interactions that are needed to drive the formation of membraneless organelles

Trends in Cell Biology, June 2018, Vol. 28, No. 6 427

[39,66,67,76] (Figure 2B). Interestingly, labile b-zipper regions, as the ones driving FUS gelation,
have recently been found to be enriched in numerous disordered proteins [85].

It has also become clear that there is a clear distinction between structural components of
membraneless organelles and client proteins, which only target the compartment [36,66].
However, the exact molecular characteristics discriminating between these behaviors currently
remain unknown. Preference of client proteins for certain assemblies could simply be mediated
by the physical restrictions introduced by the constituent components of the compartment. The
array of interactions in a protein droplet/gel creates a network with a specific mesh size. This
mesh size could act as a diffusion barrier by allowing free diffusion of small molecules below the
mesh size through the network, while limiting the entry of larger ones [49,86,87]. Additionally,
membraneless organelles could be anchored in space, hereby preventing diffusion and fusion
events. Aggresomes, for example, are perinuclear misfolded protein deposits kept in place by a
cytoskeletal cage, which prevents their diffusion through the cell [88].

Spatiotemporal Regulation
Given the rapidly expanding range of proteins that are being shown to undergo spontaneous
phase separate in the test tube, it remains puzzling how cells can exercise precise control over
this process. For example, several RBPs appear fully soluble at cellular concentrations well
above their in vitro saturation concentration [14,16], yet their transition to a different phase only
occurs under specific conditions. Put simply, how is the cell able to avoid spontaneous and
uncontrollable phase separation? This question is closely related to the above-mentioned ideas
surrounding the origins of specificity of phase transitions.

Work from different labs has shown that both serine and tyrosine phosphorylation can control
phase separation [12,52,89,90], and the same holds true for arginine methylation [49,91] and
sumoylation [80]. Importantly, the activity of the dual specificity kinase DYRK3, which partitions
into SG, was shown to be necessary for SG dissolution [92], suggesting that there might be
specific cellular switches controlling these processes. Interestingly, proteins prone to phase
separation, seem to be enriched in residues that are targeted by PTMs [38]. Indeed, PTMs can
dramatically alter the charge or other properties of these IDRs/LCDs, hence, modifying the
sequence-intrinsic driving forces to phase separate [49,52] (Figure 2C).

Another way for the cell to control phase transitions is by controlling the cellular concentrations
and intracellular distribution (i.e., diffusivities of proteins that mediate phase separation)
(Figure 2C). The cellular concentrations of hnRNPA1 are higher than the in vitro saturation
concentration, yet these molecules remain soluble in the nucleus for reasons that remain
unclear [14]. Blocking nuclear import of hnRNPA1, which leads to its accumulation in the
cytoplasm, leads to the spontaneous formation of SGs [14]. Interestingly, nuclear transport
factors are themselves components of SGs, suggesting that nucleocytoplasmic transport
processes might control phase separation in multiple, albeit unknown ways [69].

Since RNA is involved in enabling the formation of multiple membraneless organelles,

availability of specific RNA species may also regulate phase separation in time and space
(Figure 2C). For example, expression of the noncoding NEAT-1 RNA is essential for para-
speckle formation [93]. Also, polysome disassembly upon cellular stress results in the
cytoplasmic availability of free mRNA, which subsequently nucleates SGs. Inhibiting poly-
some disassembly prevents SG formation, even when the stress response is activated [18].
Moreover, the canonical stress-granule marker poly(A)-binding protein (PAB1) undergoes

428 Trends in Cell Biology, June 2018, Vol. 28, No. 6

phase separation in response to heat stress, which leads to the release of its bound RNA [54].
This suggests a complex relationship between translational responses and SG formation.

Disease, Pathology, and Aging

Several key proteins in neurodegenerative disorders are components of membraneless organ-
elles. Hence, misregulation in the formation, maintenance, or clearance of these assemblies
may provide a stepping-stone for pathological aggregation [70,71]. Indeed, spontaneous
maturation of dynamic protein droplets and hydrogels to solid aggregates has been observed
over the course of hours in the test tube and in cells [14–16,24,84]. This conversion indicates
that the dynamic assemblies may be metastable or inherently unstable, and specific cellular
processes keep them from solidifying (Figure 2C). The fact that these liquid-to-solid transitions
are accelerated by disease mutations further highlights the significance of phase transition to
pathology [11,14–16]. These disease mutations seem to target b-zippers in IDRs, which makes
them more prone to fold into stable amyloid structures [14,33,94]. Yet, it is important to note
that there is currently no direct evidence that pathological protein aggregates in patient brains
result from solidification of SGs or other membraneless organelles.

Disease mutations might also affect phase separation through the generation of aberrant
protein and RNA species. Repeat expansion disorders prove especially interesting in this
regard. Several of these disorders involve the formation of repeat RNA foci, which trap RBPs,
resulting in their loss of function [95]. Interestingly, such repeat RNAs can themselves phase
separate through multivalent base pairing, mimicking the foci observed in patients [65].
Additionally, several of these expanded repeat RNAs have been found to be translated,
generating peptide repeats [96]. Translation of ALS-causing GGGGCC repeat expansions,
for example, produces different dipeptide repeats [97–99]. Two of them, namely glycine–
arginine and proline–arginine dipeptide repeats, localize to different membraneless organelles,
including SGs [9,12,13,57,100]. SGs positive for these pathogenic peptides were less
dynamic, and moreover, recruited aggregation-prone proteins such as TDP-43 [9,13].

SGsrequireautophagyforclearance[101].Interestingly,mutationsinautophagygenesarethecause
of various diseases, including ALS [102] and the efficacy of autophagy is also known to decrease with
age [103]. Besides autophagy, chaperones are also involved in both maintaining SG fluidity and their
clearance [104,105]. These observations suggest that the inability of the cell to tightly control these
assemblies may lead to pathological aggregation. Nuclear transport is also known to deteriorate with
aging [106] and is being increasingly implicated in protein aggregation diseases [69,107–112].

Mitochondrial dysfunction is a cornerstone of aging and neurodegeneration [113], potentially

causing a reduction in ATP levels that could affect the regulation of membraneless organelles.
Numerous SG proteins contain ATPase domains, and lowering cellular ATP levels decreases
the dynamic character of these organelles [23]. Additionally, there is evidence that cellular ATP
can act as a chemical hydrotrope, directly preventing phase separation and aggregation. This
feature of ATP is independent of its role in providing energy for active cellular processes [114].
Hence, defects in mitochondrial respiration may promote protein aggregation in aging and
disease, either through an overall reduction in cellular ATP levels, or by the impairment of ATP-
dependent processes that maintain the liquidity of membraneless organelles.

Given the importance of PTMs in the regulation of phase separation, it is interesting to note that
several pathological protein aggregates show specific PTM signatures. For example, Tau phos-
phorylation is a hallmark of pathology in Alzheimer’s disease [115], and interestingly, tau phos-
phorylation promotes aggregation and phase separation in vitro [116].

Trends in Cell Biology, June 2018, Vol. 28, No. 6 429

Although protein aggregation and phase transitions are mostly studied in the context of
neurodegenerative disorders, they are implicated in a wide variety of pathological conditions,
including viral infections and cancer. Several of the key proteins associated with neurodegen-
eration are also implicated in different types of cancer [117]. For example, the LCD of FUS,
which is involved in SG targeting and aggregation in ALS, has been shown to undergo
oncogenic fusion events in liposarcomas [118]. Indeed, cancer-related fusion proteins are
often enriched in disordered low-complexity domains, indicating this may be a common
mechanism [119,120]. The transcriptional activation potential of FUS LCD, as well as its human
homologs EWSR1 and TAF15, implicated together in a family of cancers, is highly correlated
with their in vitro hydrogel binding capability and ability to recruit the C-terminal domain of
polymerase II to such hydrogels [90]. The mechanism through which FUS LCD and its
homologs mediate transcriptional activation remains unclear, but is thought to involve phase
separation [5,10,121,122]. Additionally, increased SG and paraspeckle formation have been
linked to a poor prognosis for cancer survival [123–125]. Lastly, aggregation of the tumor
suppressor p53, resulting in its loss of function, is a major mechanism in cancer [126], and
compounds preventing its aggregation have been successful in preclinical animal models [127].

SGs have also been implicated in the antiviral stress response [128] and viruses have evolved
numerous ways of interfering with SG assembly. Moreover, some viruses, such as flaviviruses,
including Zika, even hijack SG proteins to aid in their replication [128,129]. Although still in its
infancy, we would argue that since protein aggregation and phase separation are implicated in
numerous human pathological conditions, a better understanding of these processes will help
us develop novel therapeutic strategies in the wider field of human medicine.

Road Toward Novel Therapy?

As outlined in the foregoing discussion, protein phase separation is suspected to be intimately
linked to pathological protein aggregation and disease. The ultimate vindication of our under-
standing of its pathological importance would be a demonstrated ability to harness this
information and devise new ways of treatment. Cellular phase transitions can be targeted
by different chemicals interfering with hydrophobic [7,57,130] or polar [65] interactions.
However, such general approaches would be expected to target a wide range of membrane-
less organelles in the cell [7,57,65] and may therefore be poorly situated as therapeutic options.

Antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) offer a likely suitable selective approach to specifically

knockdown (KD) key players in these aberrant phase transitions. Although ASOs targeting
pathological proteins were successful in different mouse models [131], their application is
limited to nonessential proteins. In case of essential proteins, ASOs could target nonessential
functional partners, which regulate phase transition. The feasibility of this approach was
illustrated in the case of the essential protein TDP-43 in ALS models. Ataxin-2 was previously
identified as an ALS disease modifier in animal models and in humans [132]. Subsequently, it
has been shown that Ataxin-2 directly recruits TDP-43 to SGs, providing a putative mechanism
for how it may promote TDP-43 aggregation [133]. Unlike TDP-43 KD, Ataxin-2 KD is well
tolerated in mice. Compellingly, KD of Ataxin-2 in an ALS mouse model reduced the number of
TDP-43 aggregates in the spinal cord of the affected mice and dramatically extended survival
[133]. Similarly, KD of SG protein Tia-1, which is known to interact with Tau, was also shown to
prevent Tau pathology and toxicity in neuronal culture and rodent models [134,135]. These
observations convincingly demonstrate that targeting phase transitions through ASO technol-
ogy could be a viable strategy to halt pathological aggregation in TDP-43 and Tau proteino-
pathies, and possibly in other protein aggregation diseases.

430 Trends in Cell Biology, June 2018, Vol. 28, No. 6

Lastly, given that protein aggregation and phase separation are tightly controlled by the cell’s Outstanding Questions
protein degradation and chaperone machinery [101,104,105,136], ongoing efforts are focused What are the exact biological functions
on finding drugs that upregulate these pathways [137], or on the generation of potent of phase separation? Why did cells
evolve membraneless organelles?
engineered disaggregases which could antagonize pathological phase transitions What makes liquid/gel assemblies
[138,139]. Unraveling the complex regulation of protein phase separation will be key in functionally different from canonical
identifying new pathways, which could be targeted to correct pathological phase transitions. protein complexes?

We have a basic understanding of the

Concluding Remarks
physical force(s) driving phase separa-
In recent years it has become clear that numerous cellular organelles are formed through the tion, yet deeper insights into the inter-
process of phase separation. Although these organelles have been studied for decades (or in actions at the atomic level will be pivotal
the case of the nucleolus over a century) their dynamic nature and its relevance to their in better understanding these phases.
formation, function, and physiopathology has only recently come to light. Leveraging prior
What are the essential and nonessential
insights from polymer chemistry has dramatically advanced our understanding of membrane-
components of different membraneless
less organelles in this rapidly progressing field of cell biology, and inspired new approaches to organelles, and what are their sequence
further explore their underlying biophysics. Compellingly, these recent findings are already and structural properties?
opening novel avenues to target aberrant protein phase transitions in human disease. Addi-
tionally, understanding the relationship between sequence and the resulting material state may Despite a few examples, we know sur-
prisingly little about how cells spatio-
also lead to novel synthetic biomaterials [140,141].
temporally regulate phase separation.
This will be key in understanding how
We must be fully aware, though, that we are far from completely understanding the complex biology regulates physics. Which reg-
biology behind membraneless organelles and their functional roles (Box 4). To this end, we have ulatory pathways are involved?

compiled a list of, in our opinion, the key outstanding questions that remain unanswered (see
A predictive framework on how specific-
Outstanding Questions). Addressing these questions will be of pivotal importance for gaining ity of membraneless organelle composi-
tion is generated is currently completely
lacking. Which principles target proteins
Box 4. What Is the Function of Membraneless Organelles? and RNAs to specific phases and what
prevents the coalescence of distinct
Numerous proteins have seemingly evolved the ability to drive the formation of or be recruited to membraneless
membraneless organelles?
organelles. Yet why do cells need such compartments? What is their biochemical function? Surprisingly, these
questions remain largely unanswered.
While progress is being made in deter-
mining the internal structure of test
Compartmentalization in different forms and scales is widely used by organisms. Our stomach is a well-defined organ,
tube granules, we mostly lack the tools
which serves one main purpose (i.e., digesting food through acid hydrolysis). Obviously, such a chemical reaction is best
to pursue this question in living cells.
carried out if the body has a means to concentrate both food and the acid into one singular compartment. Additionally,
How can we investigate the internal
this compartmentalization protects other organs from exposure to acid. Similarly, our cells have evolved a strikingly
organization of membraneless organ-
similar mechanism. Lysosomes create an acidic compartment to degrade cellular waste. Through their membrane-
elles in living systems?
barrier lysosomes can both concentrate the reaction components and at the same time protect the rest of the cell from
its harmful effects. Another example of organ–organelle parallels includes fat tissue and lipid droplets, which store
energy under the form of lipids for later use. Additionally, bodies and cells can amplify signals from the environment by What are the differences between
compartmentalizing signal reception: our eyes focus incoming light onto our retina, which concentrates the light physiological and pathological assem-
receptors. On the subcellular level, neurons also concentrate their receptors in distinct substructures, namely the blies? Which factors drive this conver-
synapses. sion in disease?

From these analogies four main functions arise for compartmentalization, being: (i) concentration of (bio)chemical How do disease mutations and aging
reactions, (ii) sequestering harmful components, (iii) storage of biomolecules, and (iv) signal amplification. Interestingly, specifically affect phase separation of
all these functions exist in the realm of membraneless organelles. First, concentration of cytoskeleton components membraneless organelle compo-
through phase separation promotes their nucleation into filaments [66,147], and similarly, splicing is controlled by nents? What are the associated
multivalent assembly of splicing factors on mRNA [148]. Second, although protein aggregates in disease are considered molecular events?
harmful, accumulating evidence suggests that they could be an initial rescue mechanism of the cell to sequester the
more toxic protein oligomers [149,150]. Third, numerous assemblies function as storage granules, as they sequester Why do diseases associated with pro-
proteins and other biomolecules under times of stress or quiescence for later reuse [64,151]. Fourth, by concentrating tein aggregation display such pro-
receptors and signaling molecules, a cell can amplify certain signaling pathways. In light of this, different membrane found cell type specificity? What
receptors achieve exactly this through protein phase separation [6,8]. makes (specific) neurons especially
sensitive to perturbations in
Although we have not fully unraveled the complex function of phase separation in the cell, these examples give us a proteostasis?
glimpse into why cells could clearly benefit from the formation of membraneless organelles.

Trends in Cell Biology, June 2018, Vol. 28, No. 6 431

 Can we harness our growing under-
further insight into protein phase separation. Developing novel molecular biological and cell
standing of biological phase separa-
biological tools will be essential for this endeavor. At the moment, purification and high- tion to develop novel therapeutic
resolution structural studies of membraneless organelles present a bottleneck, especially in treatment options? Can we devise
a cellular context. Only by generating tools that can specifically target individual granules we will ways to specifically target membrane-
less organelles or interactions within
be able to repurpose them for new disease treatments, and translate our basic biological them?
knowledge to the bedside. Protein phase separation has not yet given us all its secrets, and an
exciting future lies ahead of us.

Acknowledgments
This manuscript is based on discussions held at the Phase Transitions in Biology and Disease meeting held in Leuven, May
2nd–3th, 2017, and the seminal discoveries of Dr Anthony A. Hyman, Dr Michael K. Rosen, and others. The authors would
like to thank Dr Roy Parker, Dr J. Paul Taylor, Dr Clifford Brangwynne, and Dr Steve McKnight for helpful discussions during
the preparation of this manuscript. The authors would like to thank Dr Alex Holehouse and Dr Rohit V. Pappu for
contributing text and providing helpful comments. The two anonymous reviewers are gratefully acknowledged for their
thorough review and critique of the manuscript. M.F. acknowledges financial support of GINOP-2.3.2-15-2016-00044,
and the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. S.B and L.V.D.B are supported by KU Leuven (‘Opening the future’ and C1), the
Fund for Scientific Research Flanders (FWO-Vlaanderen), the ‘Agency for Innovation by Science and Technology in
Flanders’ (IWT-Vlaanderen) and the ALS Liga (Belgium). S.B. acknowledges a long-term fellowship from EMBO. P.T. is
supported by Odysseus grant G.0029.12 from FWO-Vlaanderen. J.S. is supported by a grant from the European
Research Council under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Framework Programme ERC Grant agreement 647458
(MANGO). N.L.F. acknowledges support by NIGMS R01GM118530.

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