Synapses are the basic units of neuronal communication. Understanding how synapses assemble and function is therefore essential to understanding nervous systems. Decades of study have identified many molecular components and functional mechanisms of synapses. Recently, an additional level of synaptic protein organization has been identified: phase separation. In the presynapse, components of the central active zone and a synaptic vesicle-clustering factor have been shown to form liquid–liquid phase-separated condensates or hydrogels. New in vivo functional studies have directly tested how phase separation impacts both synapse formation and function. Here, we review this emerging evidence for in vivo functional roles of phase separation at the presynapse and discuss future functional studies necessary to understand its complexity.

突触是神经元通讯的基本单位。因此，了解突触如何组装和发挥作用对于了解神经系统至关重要。数十年的研究已经确定了突触的许多分子成分和功能机制。最近，已经确定了额外的突触蛋白组织水平：相分离。在突触前，中央活性区的成分和突触囊泡聚集因子已被证明可以形成液-液相分离的冷凝物或水凝胶。新的体内功能研究直接测试了相分离如何影响突触形成和功能。在这里，我们回顾了这一新兴的体内证据 相分离在突触前的功能作用，并讨论了解其复杂性所需的未来功能研究。