Friend or foePost-translational modifications as regulators of phase separation and RNP granule dynamics

Ribonucleoprotein (RNP) granules are membrane-less organelles consisting of RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) and RNA. RNA granules form through liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS), whereby weak promiscuous interactions among RBPs and/or RNAs create a dense network of interacting macromolecules and drive the phase separation. Post-translational modifications (PTMs) of RBPs have emerged as important regulators of LLPS and RNP granule dynamics, as they can directly weaken or enhance the multivalent interactions between phase-separating macromolecules or can recruit or exclude certain macromolecules into or from condensates. Here, we review recent insights into how PTMs regulate phase separation and RNP granule dynamics, in particular arginine (Arg)-methylation and phosphorylation. We discuss how these PTMs regulate the phase behavior of prototypical RBPs and how, as friend or foe, they might influence the assembly, disassembly, or material properties of cellular RNP granules, such as stress granules or amyloid-like condensates. We particularly highlight how PTMs control the phase separation and aggregation behavior of disease-linked RBPs. We also review how disruptions of PTMs might be involved in aberrant phase transitions and the formation of amyloid-like protein aggregates as observed in neurodegenerative diseases.