Liquid-liquid phase separation rescues the conformational stability of a DNA hairpin from pressure-stress.

Published in: Chemical communications (Cambridge, England) (2019)

We used single-molecule FRET experiments to monitor the conformational equilibrium of a DNA hairpin under pressure-stress in the presence of an aqueous two-phase system mimicking intracellular liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS). Our data demonstrate the important role of LLPS with its immanent strong excluded volume effect in rescuing biological function under harsh environmental conditions.

Keyphrases

single molecule
atomic force microscopy
living cells
molecular dynamics
stress induced
electronic health record
mouse model
ionic liquid
big data
reactive oxygen species
life cycle