Biology

Par complex cluster formation mediated by phase separation

Z. Liu, Y. Yang, et al.

Discover how the Par3/Par6/aPKC complex plays a crucial role in the cell polarity establishment of *Drosophila* neuroblasts through liquid-liquid phase separation. This groundbreaking research was conducted by Ziheng Liu and colleagues, revealing that perturbations in this process affect lineage development and polarity. Dive into the fascinating world of cellular mechanics with this study!

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Abstract

The evolutionarily conserved Par3/Par6/aPKC complex regulates the polarity establishment of diverse cell types. This study shows that the Par complex exhibits cell cycle-dependent condensation in *Drosophila* neuroblasts, driven by liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS). Par3's open conformation undergoes autonomous phase separation due to NTD-mediated oligomerization. Par6 enhances Par3 phase separation, and aPKC is concentrated in the condensates but can disperse them upon activation via Par3 phosphorylation. Perturbations of Par3/Par6 phase separation impair apical-basal polarity and lineage development, suggesting LLPS as a common mechanism for cortical condensation of cell polarity complexes.

Publisher

Nature Communications

Published On

May 08, 2020

Authors

Ziheng Liu, Ying Yang, Aihong Gu, Jiawen Xu, Ying Mao, Haojie Lu, Weiguo Hu, Qun-Ying Lei, Zhouhua Li, Mingjie Zhang, Yu Cai, Wenyu Wen