Emerging roles of liquid-liquid phase separation in liver innate immunity

Abstract

Abstract Biomolecular condensates formed by liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) have become an extensive mechanism of macromolecular metabolism and biochemical reactions in cells. Large molecules like proteins and nucleic acids will spontaneously aggregate and assemble into droplet-like structures driven by LLPS when the physical and chemical properties of cells are altered. LLPS provides a mature molecular platform for innate immune response, which tightly regulates key signaling in liver immune response spatially and physically, including DNA and RNA sensing pathways, inflammasome activation, and autophagy. Take this, LLPS plays a promoting or protecting role in a range of liver diseases, such as viral hepatitis, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, liver fibrosis, hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury, autoimmune liver disease, and liver cancer. This review systematically describes the whole landscape of LLPS in liver innate immunity. It will help us to guide a better-personalized approach to LLPS-targeted immunotherapy for liver diseases.

Keywords

• Liquid-liquid phase separation
• Biomolecular condensates
• Liver innate immunity
• Liver disease