Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39794489›Full record

ArticleNature chemical biology2025

The molecular mechanism of temperature-dependent phase separation of heat shock factor 1.

Qiunan Ren, Linge Li, Lei Liu, Juan Li, Chaowei Shi, Yujie Sun, Xuebiao Yao, Zhonghuai Hou, ShengQi Xiang

Abstract read
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Nature chemical biology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 13 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
13citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

13 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Aberrant phase separation from a rare ABI3 mutation drives microglial dysfunction and Alzheimer's risk.Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association · 2026
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Qiunan Ren *MOE Key Laboratory for Cellular Dynamics, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0001-9542-7554
Linge Li *Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5414-2539
Lei LiuMOE Key Laboratory for Cellular Dynamics, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China.
Juan LiMOE Key Laboratory for Cellular Dynamics, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0007-5172-5780
Chaowei ShiHefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0024-1096
Yujie SunNational Biomedical Imaging Center, College of Future Technology, Peking University, Beijing, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9489-4820
Xuebiao YaoMOE Key Laboratory for Cellular Dynamics, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China. yaoxb@ustc.edu.cn.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8982-5911
Zhonghuai HouHefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China. hzhlj@ustc.edu.cn.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1241-7041
ShengQi XiangMOE Key Laboratory for Cellular Dynamics, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China. cqxiang@ustc.edu.cn.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6874-4925

Funding

Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) 37040202Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) YSBR-068Ministry of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China (Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology) 2019YFA0508403Ministry of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China (Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology) 2022YFA1303100National Natural Science Foundation of China (National Science Foundation of China) 32090040National Natural Science Foundation of China (National Science Foundation of China) 32090044National Natural Science Foundation of China (National Science Foundation of China) 92254302
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Heat shock factor 1 (HSF1) is the critical orchestrator of cell responses to heat shock, and its dysfunction is linked to various diseases. HSF1 undergoes phase separation upon heat shock, and its activity is regulated by post-translational modifications (PTMs). The molecular details underlying HSF1 phase separation, temperature sensing and PTM regulation remain poorly understood. Here, we discovered that HSF1 exhibits temperature-dependent phase separation with a lower critical solution temperature behavior, providing a new conceptual mechanism accounting for HSF1 activation. We revealed the residue-level molecular details of the interactions driving the phase separation of wild-type HSF1 and its distinct PTM patterns at various temperatures. The mapped interfaces were validated experimentally and accounted for the reported HSF1 functions. Importantly, the molecular grammar of temperature-dependent HSF1 phase separation is species specific and physiologically relevant. These findings delineate a chemical code that integrates accurate phase separation with physiological body temperature control in animals.

Indexed as

Heat Shock Transcription FactorsTemperatureAnimalsHeat-Shock ResponseHumansPhase SeparationProtein Processing, Post-TranslationalHeat Shock Transcription FactorsHSF1 protein, human

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.