Lysine/RNA-interactions drive and regulate biomolecular condensation

Abstract

Processing bodies (P-bodies) are non-membrane-bound protein/RNA granules in the cytosol. Here the authors combine bioinformatics, NMR and cell based assays and find that lysine is enriched in the disordered regions of P-body-associated proteins and show that lysine-rich polypeptides form highly dynamic lysine/RNA-coacervates and lysine acetylation reverses liquid-liquid phase separation.