Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41581150›Full record

ArticleCell reports2026

Dimerization-dependent gel-like condensation with dsDNA underpins the activation of human cGAS.

Jacob Lueck, Alexander Strom, Stephanie Martinez Torres, Shuai Wu, Jasper Moh, Hannah Wendorff, Brendan Antiochos, Jungsan Sohn

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Cell reports, 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. Review
  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.

Jacob LueckDepartment of Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Alexander StromDepartment of Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Stephanie Martinez TorresDepartment of Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Shuai WuDepartment of Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Jasper MohDepartment of Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Hannah WendorffDepartment of Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Brendan AntiochosDivision of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Jungsan SohnDepartment of Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA. Electronic address: jsohn@jhmi.edu.

Funding

Mechanistic Studies of cytosolic double-stranded DNA sensing pathways.R35GM145363 · NIGMS · JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY · PI JUNGSAN SOHN · 2022 to 2026
$2.3M
Delineating the interplay between nucleic-acid-dependent phase separation and immune responses against cGAS in SLER21AR085266 · NIAMS · JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY · PI ANTIOCHOS, BRENDAN, SOHN, JUNGSAN · 2024 to 2024
$375k
NIAMS NIH HHS R21 AR085266NIGMS NIH HHS R35 GM145363
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Cyclic G/AMP (cGAMP) synthase (cGAS) initiates inflammatory responses against pathogenic double-stranded (ds)DNA. Although it is well established that cGAS forms phase-separated condensates with dsDNA, its function remains poorly defined. We report here that the dimerization of cGAS on dsDNA creates a mesh-like network, leading to hydrogel-like condensate formation. While cGAS binds to and forms condensates with various nucleic acids, only dsDNA permits the dimerization necessary for activation and gelation. cGAS co-condenses dsDNA and other nucleic acids but retains a distinct dsDNA-mediated gel-like substate that can be dissolved by single-stranded RNA or short dsDNA. Moreover, compared with liquid-like condensates, we find that gel-like condensates are more effective not only in protecting bound dsDNA from exonucleases but also in limiting the mobility of nucleoside triphosphates and the dinucleotide intermediate for cGAMP synthesis. Together, our results show that enzymes can fine-tune surrounding microenvironments to regulate their signaling activities.

Indexed as

DNANucleotidyltransferasesProtein MultimerizationcGAS-STING Signaling PathwayCyclic Guanosine Monophosphate-Adenosine Monophosphate SynthaseDimerizationEnzyme ActivationHumanscGAS protein, humanCyclic Guanosine Monophosphate-Adenosine Monophosphate SynthaseDNANucleotidyltransferasescGAScondensatesCP: cell biologyCP: immunologygelationinnate immunityphase separationphase transition

Identifiers

PMID41581150
PMCPMC13180252

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.