西班牙巴塞罗那科技学院Michael Krieg和Xavier Salvatella团队合作提出，MEC-2/stomatin凝析液液相到固相转变控制着触摸感应过程中的神经元机械转导。相关论文于2023年10月19日发表于国际顶尖学术期刊《自然—细胞生物学》杂志上。

以秀丽隐杆线虫为模型，研究人员发现MEC-2/stomatin经历了从流体状凝析物到固体状凝析物的刚性相变，分别促进了运输和机械转导。这种开关由UNC-89的SH3结构域(titin/obscurin)和MEC-2之间的相互作用触发。他们认为，在体壁接触过程中，这种刚性相变在机械敏感神经元的频率依赖性力传递中具有生理作用。

他们的数据证明了MEC-2/stomatin凝聚物的液相和固相在促进运输或机械转导方面的功能，以及titin同源物在神经元中的先前未被发现的作用。

据悉，越来越多的研究表明，液-液相分离后的生物分子凝聚物的材料性质随时间而变化。如何控制这一老化过程，以及具有不同材料特性的冷凝物是否具有不同的生物学功能，目前尚不清楚。

附：英文原文

Title: A MEC-2/stomatin condensate liquid-to-solid phase transition controls neuronal mechanotransduction during touch sensing

Author: Sanfeliu-Cerdn, Neus, Catal-Castro, Frederic, Mateos, Borja, Garcia-Cabau, Carla, Ribera, Maria, Ruider, Iris, Porta-de-la-Riva, Montserrat, Canals-Caldern, Adri, Wieser, Stefan, Salvatella, Xavier, Krieg, Michael

Issue&Volume: 2023-10-19

Abstract: A growing body of work suggests that the material properties of biomolecular condensates ensuing from liquid–liquid phase separation change with time. How this aging process is controlled and whether the condensates with distinct material properties can have different biological functions is currently unknown. Using Caenorhabditis elegans as a model, we show that MEC-2/stomatin undergoes a rigidity phase transition from fluid-like to solid-like condensates that facilitate transport and mechanotransduction, respectively. This switch is triggered by the interaction between the SH3 domain of UNC-89 (titin/obscurin) and MEC-2. We suggest that this rigidity phase transition has a physiological role in frequency-dependent force transmission in mechanosensitive neurons during body wall touch. Our data demonstrate a function for the liquid and solid phases of MEC-2/stomatin condensates in facilitating transport or mechanotransduction, and a previously unidentified role for titin homologues in neurons.

DOI: 10.1038/s41556-023-01247-0

Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41556-023-01247-0