Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40830100›Full record

ArticleNature communications2025

Quantifying collective interactions in biomolecular phase separation.

Hannes Ausserwöger, Ella de Csilléry, Daoyuan Qian, Georg Krainer, Timothy J Welsh, Tomas Sneideris, Titus M Franzmann, Seema Qamar, Nadia A Erkamp, Jonathon Nixon-Abell and 6 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nature communications, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing 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

8 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Review
  3. Review
  4. Reversibility and β-sheet formation are decoupled in tau condensate aging.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2026
    Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Condenzymes: Biomolecular condensates with inherent catalytic activities.bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2025
    Article
  8. 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

16 authors.

Hannes Ausserwöger *Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0762-8872
Ella de Csilléry *Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5917-9349
Daoyuan Qian *Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8539-3346
Georg Krainer *Institute of Molecular Biosciences (IMB), University of Graz, Graz, Austria.
Timothy J WelshCentre for Misfolding Diseases, Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7817-5722
Tomas SneiderisCentre for Misfolding Diseases, Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5285-871X
Titus M FranzmannBiotechnology Center (BIOTEC), Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering (CMCB), Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4281-7209
Seema QamarCambridge Institute for Medical Research, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Clinical School, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
Nadia A ErkampCentre for Misfolding Diseases, Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4095-2105
Jonathon Nixon-AbellCambridge Institute for Medical Research, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Clinical School, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4169-0012
Mrityunjoy KarMax Planck Institute of Cell Biology and Genetics (MPI-CBG), Dresden, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7910-9580
Peter St George-HyslopDepartment of Medicine (Division of Neurology), Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University Health Network, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Anthony A HymanMax Planck Institute of Cell Biology and Genetics (MPI-CBG), Dresden, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0851-704X
Simon AlbertiBiotechnology Center (BIOTEC), Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering (CMCB), Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4017-6505
Rohit V PappuDepartment of Biomedical Engineering and Center for Biomolecular Condensates, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2568-1378
Tuomas P J KnowlesCentre for Misfolding Diseases, Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK. tpjk2@cam.ac.uk.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7879-0140

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Biomolecular phase separation is an emerging theme for protein assembly and cellular organisation. The collective forces driving such condensation, however, remain challenging to characterise. Here we show that tracking the dilute phase concentration of only one component suffices to quantify composition and energetics of multicomponent condensates. Applying this assay to several disease- and stress-related proteins, we find that monovalent ions can either deplete from or enrich within the dense phase in a context-dependent manner. By analysing the effect of the widely used modulator 1,6-hexanediol, we find that the compound inhibits phase separation by acting as a solvation agent that expands polypeptide chains. Extending the strategy to in cellulo data, we even quantify the relative energetic contributions of individual proteins within complex condensates. Together, our approach provides a generic and broadly applicable tool for dissecting the forces governing biomolecular condensation and guiding the rational modulation of condensate behaviour.

Indexed as

Biomolecular CondensatesProteinsHumansPhase SeparationPhase TransitionProteins

Identifiers

PMID40830100
PMCPMC12365266

What OpenQuestion holds

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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.