Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41882384›Full record

ArticleNature chemical biology2026

Biomolecular condensates mediate C-N bond formation.

Xiaowei Song, Yuefeng Ma, Michael W Chen, Wen Yu, Xiao Yan, Jinheng Xu, Lecheng Lyu, Anthony A Hyman, Yifan Dai, Richard N Zare

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 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing 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

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
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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

10 authors.

Xiaowei SongDepartment of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3611-2816
Yuefeng MaDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, Saint Louis, MO, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1546-5172
Michael W ChenDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, Saint Louis, MO, USA.
Wen YuDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, Saint Louis, MO, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4613-4525
Xiao YanMax Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany.
Jinheng XuDepartment of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0007-1187-5389
Lecheng LyuDepartment of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0009-0599-700X
Anthony A HymanMax Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany.
Yifan DaiDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, Saint Louis, MO, USA. dyifan@wustl.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1009-5790
Richard N ZareDepartment of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA. rnz@stanford.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5266-4253

Funding

Alzheimer's Association AARG-25-1486936United States Department of Defense | United States Air Force | AFMC | Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AF Office of Scientific Research) FA9550-21-1-0170
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

We discover that biomolecular condensates, formed by intrinsically disordered proteins without inherent chemical activity, can spontaneously drive nonenzymatic reductive amination. These condensates facilitate reactions between amines and aldehydes or ketones, yielding imines, which are subsequently hydrogenated to form alkylated amines leading to C-N bond formation. Our experiments show that condensates modulate the reductive amination of diverse types of metabolite containing carbonyl groups. Using combinatorial metabolomics, we found that condensates generate previously unknown metabolites through the dimerization of natural amines with ketones and aldehydes. Metabolomics in living cells confirms that the ability of condensates in mediating C-N bond formation enables the synthesis of new metabolites and regulates cellular pathways. These findings uncover a previously unrecognized inherent function of biomolecular condensates, redefining their roles in metabolism. This further highlights the broader influence of condensates on chemical homeostasis and biochemical regulation in biological and prebiotic chemistry.

Indexed as

Biomolecular CondensatesCarbonNitrogenAldehydesAminationAminesIminesKetonesMetabolomicsAldehydesAminesCarbonIminesKetonesNitrogen

Identifiers

PMID41882384

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
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.