Are you new to the condensate lingo? Are some of the terms unclear? Find the definitions of the most commonly used terms in the table below.
| Term | Acronym | Definition | Category | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A body | Nuclear condensate involved in promoting cellular dormancy and control of local protein synthesis under stress conditions. | Condensate type | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33568529/ | |
| Balbiani body | Perinuclear condensate that serves as storage of organelles and RNA in oocytes. | Condensate type | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27471966/ | |
| Biomolecular condensate | BMC | (short: condensate) Membrane-less, reversible, microscopic assemblies of biomolecules on the nanometer to micrometer length scale, characterized by a sharp concentration difference for select components between the inside and outside of the condensate. They form and disassemble dynamically in response to a wide range of environmental changes. Note: This general term does not make assumptions on the mechanism by which these biomolecule-dense assemblies arise, and encompasses terms such as granules, puncta, foci, coacervates, droplets and membrane-less organelles. | Basic concepts | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28225081/ |
| Cajal body | Nuclear condensate involved in mRNA processing. | Condensate type | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37219517/ | |
| Centrosome | The main center for organization of microtubules in animal cells. It is also involved in regulation of mitosis, cellular motility, polarity, and adhesion. | Condensate type | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28575670/ | |
| Cleavage body | Nuclear condensate involved in protein degradation. | Condensate type | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16371507/ | |
| Client molecules | Molecules that partition into condensates but are not required for the condensate formation. | Basic concepts | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28225081/ | |
| Condensate aging | Transition of a condensate from a liquid- or viscoelastic liquid-like material state towards a solid-like state. The biomolecules comprising the condensate become less dynamic and the assembly often loses its ability to disassemble. Also referred to as phase transition and hardening. | Basic concepts | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25288112/ | |
| Condensate hardening | Transition of a condensate from a liquid- or viscoelastic liquid-like material state towards a solid-like state. The biomolecules comprising the condensate become less dynamic and the assembly often loses its ability to disassemble. Also referred to as phase transition and condensate aging. | Basic concepts | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25288112/ | |
| Core fermentation granules | CoFe | Core fermentation factories for glycolytic proteins and glycolytic mRNAs. mRNAs are actively translated in these condensates. | Condensate type | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33554071/ |
| Degrader | A chemical compound that promotes targeted degradation of a biomolecule. | Mechanism of action | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37494935/ | |
| Dissolver | A compound or biomolecule that promotes dissolution of a condensate. | Mechanism of action | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36483537/ | |
| Gem | Nuclear condensate, also known as Gemini of Cajal bodies, involved in snRNP maturation. | Condensate type | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16371507/ | |
| Germ granule | Perinuclear ribonucleoprotein-granules found in C. elegans germ line cells. They are also known as Nuage bodies and germ granules. | Condensate type | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19460965/ | |
| Glycolytic bodies | G bodies | Cytoplasmic granules, the assembly site of glycolityc enzymes. Their formation in yeast correlates with increased glucose consumption and cell survival. | Condensate type | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32298230/ |
| Heterochromatin | Nuclear condensate that controls gene silencing and chromatin compaction. | Condensate type | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29644850/ | |
| Histone locus body | Nuclear condensate with function in transcriptional regulation and processing of histone mRNA. | Condensate type | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28059623/ | |
| Inducer | A compound or biomolecule that promotes formation of a condensate. | Mechanism of action | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36483537/ | |
| Kremer body | Nuclear condensates involved in regulation of transcription, apoptotic signaling and antiviral response. They have also been referred to as PML body and nuclear domain 10. | Condensate type | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17928811/ | |
| Liquid-liquid phase separation | LLPS | A physical phenomenon where one or more types of molecules desolvate from a homogenous solution to form two new liquid phases: one that is enriched and one that is depleted into the type(s) of molecules that desolvated. | Basic concepts | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25288112/ |
| Localization body | L-body | Cytoplasmic ribonucleoprotein granules involved in spatial regulation of RNA in developing Xenopus oocytes. | Condensate type | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34613784/ |
| Localizer | A compound or biomolecule that promotes relocalization of a biomolecule from or to a condensate. | Mechanism of action | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36483537/ | |
| Molecular glue | A bivalent chemical compound that promote interactions between two biomolecules. | Mechanism of action | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35856839/ | |
| Morpher | A compound or biomolecule that promotes changes in the morphology of a biomolecular condensate. | Mechanism of action | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36483537/ | |
| Multivalency | The presence of repeated, identical, or similar interaction sites or domains on the same molecule. The term originates from polymer physics. | Basic concepts | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22398450/ | |
| Nuage body | Perinuclear ribonucleoprotein-granules found in C. elegans germ line cells. They are also known as germ granules and P-granules. | Condensate type | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19460965/ | |
| Nuclear pore complex | NPC | Located on the nuclear envelope, they regulate nucleo-cytoplasmic traffic by providing a selectivity barrier between the nuclear and cytoplasmic components. | Condensate type | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25562883/ |
| Nuclear speckles | Nuclear condensates, also referred to as interchromatin granule clusters, regulate gene splicing and genome organization. | Condensate type | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32048997/ | |
| Nuclear stress body | Nuclear condensates that transiently sequester proteins to protect them from aggregation during stress. | Condensate type | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32015439/ | |
| Nucleolus | Nuclear ribonucleoprotein condensate that functions as the site of ribosome biogenesis, in stress sensing, and protein quality control. | Condensate type | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21368180/ | |
| p62 body | Cytoplasmic condensates enriched in p62/SQSTM1 protein, involved in autophagy and SUMOylation. | Condensate type | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29507397/ | |
| Paraspeckles | Nuclear condensates with roles in transcriptional regulation. | Condensate type | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29932899/ | |
| Partition coefficient | Kp | The ratio between the concentration of a component inside versus outside the condensate. | Basic concepts | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27374333/ |
| P-body | Cytoplasmic condensates involved in RNA processing. | Condensate type | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28965817/ | |
| P-granule | Perinuclear ribonucleoprotein-granules found in C. elegans germ line cells. They are also known as Nuage bodies and germ granules. | Condensate type | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19460965/ | |
| Phase transition | Transition of a condensate from a liquid- or viscoelastic liquid-like material state towards a solid-like state. The biomolecules comprising the condensate become less dynamic and the assembly often loses its ability to disassemble. Also referred to as condensate aging and hardening. | Basic concepts | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25288112/ | |
| PML body | Nuclear condensates involved in regulation of transcription, apoptotic signaling and antiviral response. They have also been referred to as Kremer body and nuclear domain 10. | Condensate type | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17928811/ | |
| Proteasome storage granule | PSG granule | Cytoplasmic condensates with roles in protecting proteasomes from degradation. | Condensate type | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32025036/ |
| Saturation concentration | Csat | The critical concentration above which condensates form. | Basic concepts | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22398450/ |
| Scaffold molecules | Molecules necessary and sufficient for condensate formation. | Basic concepts | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28225081/ | |
| Signaling cluster | Located on the plasma membrane, locally concentrates signaling molecules to control signal transduction. | Condensate type | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27056844/ | |
| Stress Granule | Cytoplasmic condensates consisting of RNA and proteins that form upon stress. They serve as protective depots for RNA-binding proteins and translationally arrested mRNA. | Condensate type | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26406374/; https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26317470/ | |
| Synaptic density | Located on the plasma membrane, regulate neuronal communication. | Condensate type | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27565345/ | |
| TIS granule | Associated with the endoplasmic reticulum, function in regulation of translation. | Condensate type | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30449617/ | |
| Transcriptional condensate | Chromatin-associated nuclear condensates that recruit the transcriptional machinery to control active transcription. They have also been referred to as transcriptional foci and super-enhancers. | Condensate type | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29930091/ | |
| U-body | Cytoplasmic condensates associated with P-bodies, involved in assembly and storage of U snRNPs. | Condensate type | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17595295/ | |
| Condensatopathy | An aberration of a condensate that drives a specific disease phenotype. | Basic concepts | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35974095/ | |
| BR-body | Bacterial ribonucleoprotein bacterial bodies (BR-bodies) are biomolecular condensates that form through phase separation of RNA degradosomes and are involved in bacterial mRNA decay. | Condensate type | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32445438/ | |
| Carboxysome | Prokaryotic enzymatic biomolecular condensate involved in carboxylation. | Condensate type | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32966943/ | |
| DNA damage foci | Nuclear condensates that form in response to DNA double strand breaks to concentrate repair proteins at the damaged DNA sites. | Condensate type | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36292731/ | |
| Intrinsically disordered protein | IDR, IDRs, IDP, IDPs | Protein that lacks a well-defined and stable secondary and tertiary structure. | Basic concepts | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36430530/ |
| Low complexity sequence domain | LCDs,LCD, LCRs, LCR, LCD | Protein sequence where the same aminoacid is frequently repeated | Basic concepts | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36098382/ |
| Mitochondrial RNA granule | Biomolecular condensate located in the mitochondrial matrix enriched in dsRNA, nascent mRNA and proteins involved in RNA processing and maturation. They play roles in RNA regulation in mitochondria. | Condensate type | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34502411/ | |
| Neuronal granule | Biomolecular condensate found in neurons, involved in packaging of mRNA and its transport to dendritic synapses. | Condensate type | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16520386/ | |
| Perinucleolar compartment | Nuclear biomolecular condensate enriched in RNA-binding proteins and RNA polymerase III, located at the perifery of the nucleolus. | Condensate type | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20182614/ | |
| Polycomb body | PcG bodies | Nuclear biomolecular condensate, enriched in polycomb group proteins, involved in gene silencing. | Condensate type | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33582138/ |
| Prion/Prion-like domain | Pr/PrLD | Proteins/protein domains with aminoacid sequence that promotes self-templating, high order aggregation. | Basic concepts | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24825614/ |
| Pyrenoid | Eukaryotic enzymatic biomolecular condensate involved in carboxylation. | Condensate type | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32966943/ | |
| Sam68 nuclear body | SNB | Prinucleolar biomolecular condensate enriched in Sam68 protein and is scaffolded by architectural RNAs (arcRNAs). | Condensate type | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27377249/ |
| C-mod | Condensate modifying compound, also referred to as condensate modulator or condensate modulating drug, is a molecule that modifies the properties of a biomolecular condensate. | Basic concepts | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35974095/ | |
| Assemblysome | Cytoplasmic condensates composed of ribosome‐nascent protein chain complexes | Condensate type | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30692646/ | |
| Perineuronal Nets | PNNs | Specialized, reticular structures of the extracellular matrix that ensheathe certain neurons, providing structural support and regulating neural plasticity. Nets are built upon a backbone of hyaluronan, onto which chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans (CSPGs) are assembled. Tenascins crosslink the CSPGs, while link proteins anchor them to the hyaluronan scaffold, stabilizing the overall matrix. | Condensate type | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8167657/ |