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An Introduction to the Stickers-and-Spacers Framework as Applied to Biomolecular Condensates

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Phase-Separated Biomolecular Condensates

Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology ((MIMB,volume 2563))

Abstract

Cellular organization is determined by a combination of membrane-bound and membrane-less biomolecular assemblies that range from clusters of tens of molecules to micrometer-sized cellular bodies. Over the last decade, membrane-less assemblies have come to be referred to as biomolecular condensates, reflecting their ability to condense specific molecules with respect to the remainder of the cell. In many cases, the physics of phase transitions provides a conceptual framework and a mathematical toolkit to describe the assembly, maintenance, and dissolution of biomolecular condensates. Among the various quantitative and qualitative models applied to understand intracellular phase transitions, the stickers-and-spacers framework offers an intuitive yet rigorous means to map biomolecular sequences and structure to the driving forces needed for higher-order assembly. This chapter introduces the fundamental concepts behind the stickers-and-spacers model, considers its application to different biological systems, and discusses limitations and misconceptions around the model.

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Acknowledgments

We thank all current and past members of the Pappu, Hyman, Alberti, and Mittag groups for valuable insight in the development and application of the stickers and spacers model over the last 5 years. In particular, we thank Jeong-Mo Choi, Jie Wang, Tyler Harmon, Kiersten Ruff, Ammon Posey, Furqan Dar, Mina Farag, Erik Martin, Ivan Peran, Anne Bremer, and Rohit Pappu, Tanja Mittag, Anthony Hyman, and Simon Alberti.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA

    Garrett M. Ginell & Alex S. Holehouse

  2. Center for Science & Engineering of Living Systems (CSELS), Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA

    Garrett M. Ginell & Alex S. Holehouse

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  1. Garrett M. Ginell
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  2. Alex S. Holehouse
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Correspondence to Alex S. Holehouse .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA

    Huan-**ang Zhou

  2. Department of Physics, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA

    Jan-Hendrik Spille

  3. Department of Physics, University at Buffalo, State University, Buffalo, NY, USA

    Priya R. Banerjee

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Ginell, G.M., Holehouse, A.S. (2023). An Introduction to the Stickers-and-Spacers Framework as Applied to Biomolecular Condensates. In: Zhou, HX., Spille, JH., Banerjee, P.R. (eds) Phase-Separated Biomolecular Condensates. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 2563. Humana, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-2663-4_4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-2663-4_4

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