How Phase Separation and Material Properties Affect the Behavior of Cellular Cleaning Structures in Mammals

Biomolecular phase separation is a key organizing principle in autophagy.

• Phase-separated condensates act as substrates for selective degradation and dynamic platforms for various cellular processes.
• The state of these condensates influences the autophagic fate, varying from liquid-like to solid assemblies.
• Progressive maturation of condensates can impact their accessibility to autophagic machinery.
• Scaffold proteins and selective autophagy receptors organize these condensates into functional fields for cargo recognition and phagophore formation.
• Dysregulation in the phase separation-autophagy relationship is linked to neurodegeneration, cancer, aging, and other degenerative diseases.

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