2026-08-19 バッファロー大学（UB）
A University at Buffalo-led study is shedding light on why RNA has a tendancy to assmebly together into liquid-like droplets, a trait that may have allowed RNA to help kickstart life on Earth.
＜関連情報＞
- https://www.buffalo.edu/news/releases/2026/08/rna-droplets-study.html
- https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-75961-2
RNAの相分離およびパーコレーション遷移における2′-OH基の役割 The role of the 2’-OH group in phase separation and percolation transitions of RNA
Gable M. Wadsworth,Dilimulati Aierken,George M. Thurston,Jerelle A. Joseph & Priya R. Banerjee
Nature Communications Published:31 July 2026
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-75961-2 Early provide
Abstract
Mg2+ ion-dependent RNA liquid–liquid phase separation with lower critical solution temperatures is driven by the phosphate backbone and modulated by the solvation property of nucleobases. Here, we report a key role of the 2’-OH group of the ribose sugar in RNA condensation in the presence of divalent cations. We show that 2’-deoxyribose inhibits nucleic acid phase separation and suppresses the intra-condensate networking transition, known as percolation, that underlies condensate dynamical arrest. All-atom simulations reveal increased solvation and compaction of single-stranded DNA compared to RNA, suggesting an unintuitive role of chain flexibility in modulating heat-induced nucleic acid phase separation and percolation transitions. Further, 2’-O-methylation (2’-O-Me) of RNA, a common sugar modification, lowers the driving force of RNA phase transitions. These results highlight the diverse physicochemical parameters governing nucleic acid phase behavior and suggest how sugar modifications may have evolved to robustly tune the formation and dynamical arrest of RNA condensates.
