Figure 1.

Molecular determinants of phase separation underlying the formation of biomolecular condensates. (Left) Cartoon representation of a dense droplet phase in co-existence with a dilute phase of proteins and nucleic acids. (Middle) The condensed phase can be stabilized by interactions between different protein domains [intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) or folded domains] and interactions with nucleic acids (DNA/RNA). (Right) The strength of multivalent interactions between IDRs is determined by standard atomic interaction modes and their patterning, and it is tunable via post-translational modifications to regulate phase separation in cells.