Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40494974›Full record

ArticleNature chemical biology2026

Phase separation instead of binding strength determines target specificities of MAGUKs.

Yan Chen, Chenxue Ma, Zeyu Shen, Shiwen Chen, Shihan Zhu, Bowen Jia, Shangyu Dang, Mingjie Zhang

Abstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in Nature chemical biology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing 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

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Munc13 serves as a molecular filter for SNARE sorting and assembly in active zone condensates.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2026
    Article
  2. Article
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

8 authors.

Yan Chen *School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China.ORCID 0000-0001-9206-587X
Chenxue Ma *Division of Life Science, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China.
Zeyu ShenSchool of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China.ORCID 0000-0002-1057-7191
Shiwen ChenSchool of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China.ORCID 0000-0002-7701-1889
Shihan ZhuSchool of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China.ORCID 0000-0002-1343-7135
Bowen JiaSchool of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China.ORCID 0000-0002-2862-6625
Shangyu DangDivision of Life Science, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China.ORCID 0000-0001-9141-1865
Mingjie ZhangSchool of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China. zhangmj@sustech.edu.cn.ORCID 0000-0001-9404-0190

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China (National Science Foundation of China) 82188101
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Homologous proteins often have distinct functions, even if they share overlapping binding targets. PSD-95 and MAGI-2, two membrane-associated guanylate kinase (MAGUK)-family scaffolds in neuronal synapses, exemplify this. With unknown mechanisms, the two MAGUKs are localized at distinct subsynaptic compartments with PSD-95 inside the postsynaptic density (PSD) and MAGI-2 outside. Here we demonstrate that MAGI-2 forms condensates through phase separation. When coexisting with PSD proteins, the MAGI-2 condensate can enrich the extrasynaptic N-cadherin-β-catenin adhesion complex and the MAGI-2 condensates are immiscible with the PSD-95 condensates. Surprisingly, phosphorylated SAPAP is selectively enriched in the PSD-95 condensate, even though it binds to MAGI-2 with a higher affinity. The specific localization of SAPAP is because of the higher network complexities of the PSD-95-containing condensate than the MAGI-2 condensate. Thus, phase-separation-mediated molecular condensate formation can generate a previously unrecognized mode of molecular interaction and subcellular localization specificities that do not occur in dilute solutions.

Indexed as

Guanylate KinasesMembrane ProteinsAdaptor Proteins, Signal TransducingAnimalsbeta CateninCadherinsDisks Large Homolog 4 ProteinHumansPhase SeparationPhosphorylationProtein BindingAdaptor Proteins, Signal Transducingbeta CateninCadherinsDisks Large Homolog 4 ProteinGuanylate KinasesMembrane Proteins

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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.