This perspective article highlights recent progress and emerging challenges in understanding the formation and function of membraneless organelles (MLOs). A long-term goal in the MLO field is to identify the sequence-encoded rules that dictate the formation of compositionally controlled biomolecular condensates, which cells utilize to perform a wide variety of functions. The molecular organization of the different components within a condensate can vary significantly, ranging from a homogeneous mixture to core–shell droplet structures. We provide many examples to highlight the richness of the observed behavior and potential research directions for improving our mechanistic understanding. The tunable environment within condensates can, in principle, alter enzymatic activity significantly. We examine recent examples where this was demonstrated, including applications in synthetic biology. An important question about MLOs is the role of liquid-like material properties in biological function. We discuss the need for improved quantitative characterization tools and the development of sequence–structure–dynamics relationships.

中文翻译：

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生物分子缩合物：相分离、微结构组织、酶活性和材料性质的序列决定因素

这篇观点文章重点介绍了在理解无膜细胞器 (MLO) 的形成和功能方面的最新进展和新出现的挑战。MLO 领域的一个长期目标是确定序列编码规则，这些规则决定了组成受控的生物分子凝聚物的形成，细胞利用这些凝聚物来执行各种功能。冷凝物中不同组分的分子组织可能有很大差异，从均匀混合物到核壳液滴结构。我们提供了许多例子来强调观察到的行为的丰富性和潜在的研究方向，以提高我们的机械理解。原则上，冷凝物中的可调环境可以显着改变酶活性。我们研究了最近证明这一点的例子，包括在合成生物学中的应用。关于 MLO 的一个重要问题是类液体材料特性在生物功能中的作用。我们讨论了改进定量表征工具的需求以及序列-结构-动力学关系的发展。