biomolecular-condensates
Biomolecular condensates are membrane-less compartments that form within cells through the dynamic clustering of proteins and nucleic acids, allowing specific biochemical processes to be concentrated in one place without a surrounding membrane. In plant science, these structures are increasingly recognized as key players in stress sensing, signaling, and metabolic regulation, offering a way for cells to rapidly reorganize their internal chemistry in response to environmental changes like heat, light, or nutrient shifts. Understanding condensate formation could reveal new strategies for engineering stress-resilient crops and photosynthetic organisms.
open_in_new WikipediaPubMed · 2026-07-11
Scientists reviewed how algae build tiny internal compartments called pyrenoids that concentrate CO2 around a key enzyme, making photosynthesis far more efficient. Understanding this natural trick could help engineers boost crop photosynthesis and food production.
Phylogenetically distant algae species independently evolved similar linker proteins that use Rubisco-binding motifs to concentrate the enzyme into a phase-separated droplet.
Starch sheaths and protein shells have evolved around pyrenoids in various algal lineages specifically to prevent CO2 from leaking out.
Pyrenoids represent convergent evolution of a biomolecular condensate that has arisen independently multiple times over billions of years.
