Press release (link)
… about membrane shape changes induced by condensate droplets.
Article: Mangiarotti et al. Nature Commun 16, 2756 (2025) Lipid packing and cholesterol content regulate membrane wetting and remodeling by biomolecular condensates.
Check the Bluesky thread for more images and explanations.
We explored how biomolecular condensates “decide” which membrane they like to stick to. It turns out that cholesterol and membrane packing—not just the membrane phase—determines this affinity. Our study shows that tightly packed membranes repel condensates, while loosely packed ones attract them. We also see that condensates don’t just bind-they also make membranes tubulate. We knew that already (see Zhao et al. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 121, e2321579121, 2024), but now we also see that protein binding transforms tubes into double-membrane sheets at the vesicle surface. These findings are crucial for understanding cellular functions, including protein synthesis and disease mechanisms.
