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Formation of Biomolecular Condensates: Regulation of Embryogenesis at the Cellular Level

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Abstract

Many morphogenetic processes during ontogenesis are determined by changes in the structure and functions of embryonic cells. The greatest plasticity of the cellular organization is given by membrane-less organelles or biomolecular condensates, which can be formed in the nucleus or cytoplasm by the mechanism of liquid–liquid phase separation. The flexibility of biogenesis of biomolecular condensates and the high dynamics of their components make it possible to change the cellular organization quickly, which leads to changes in the fate of cells, and, as a result, in the course of embryogenesis. In this review, using the example of germ granules, one of the types of membrane-less structures, the relationship between the plasticity of cellular organization and the implementation of early embryogenesis processes is discussed.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We thank S.E. Dmitriev and Yu.V. Khramova for their discussion and valuable comments.

Funding

The work was performed with the financial support of the Russian Science Foundation (grant no. 18-14-00195 for E.V.S.) and the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (grant for Ph.D. Students no. 20-34-90156 for M.A.T.).

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  1. Faculty of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics, Moscow State University, 119991, Moscow, Russia

    M. A. Tikhomirova

  2. Koltsov Institute of Developmental Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119334, Moscow, Russia

    M. A. Tikhomirova

  3. Belozersky Institute of Physicochemical Biology, Moscow State University, 119991, Moscow, Russia

    M. A. Tikhomirova & E. V. Sheval

  4. Biological Faculty, Moscow State University, 119991, Moscow, Russia

    E. V. Sheval

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The authors made the same contribution to the preparation and writing of this review.

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Correspondence to M. A. Tikhomirova.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interests.

This review does not contain any studies involving human participants or laboratory animals as experimental models performed by the authors.

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Translated by A. Ermakov

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Tikhomirova, M.A., Sheval, E.V. Formation of Biomolecular Condensates: Regulation of Embryogenesis at the Cellular Level. Russ J Dev Biol 52, 65–74 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1134/S1062360421020077

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S1062360421020077

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