Multifaceted Cargo Recruitment and Release from Artificial Membraneless Organelles

Liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) drives membraneless organelles (MLOs) formation for organizing biomolecules. Artificial MLOs (AMLOs) have been constructed mostly via the LLPS of engineered proteins capable of regulating limited types of biomolecules. Here, leveraging a minimalist AMLO, driven by LLPS of polymer-oligopeptide hybrids, enrichment, recruitment, and release of multifaceted cargoes are quantitatively shown, including small fluorescent molecules, fluorophore-containing macromolecules, proteins, DNAs, and RNAs. Cargoes show up to 10(5)-fold enrichment, whilst recruitment and release are triggered by variations of temperature, pH, and/or ionic strength. Also, the first efficacious, rapid, and reversible control of aggregation-induced emission with over 30 folds of modulation of overall fluorescence intensity is achieved, by intensifying the aggregation of luminogens in AMLO. The AMLO is a simple yet versatile platform for potential drug delivery and biosensor applications.

Automated summary

This study demonstrates the enrichment, recruitment, and release of multifaceted cargoes using a minimalist artificial membraneless organelle (AMLO) driven by liquid-liquid phase separation. The AMLO shows up to 10(5)-fold enrichment of cargoes, and recruitment and release can be triggered by variations in temperature, pH, and ionic strength. Additionally, the study achieves effective and reversible control of aggregation-induced emission, making the AMLO a versatile platform for potential drug delivery and biosensor applications.