Review: Organization out of disorder – liquid-liquid phase separation in plants (COPB)

Within cells there are vast numbers of different activities and processes occurring simultaneously. In eukaryotic cells, some of these processes are segregated into distinct membrane-bound compartments. Cuevas-Velazquez and Dinneny review how membraneless compartments also contribute to subcellular organization, with a focus on those predominantly found in the green lineage including pyrenoids and photobodies. The authors describes current understanding of how these membraneless compartments organize, their physical properties, and their molecular components. They also summarize the contribution of low complexity sequence domains (LCDs), features of intrinsically disordered proteins such as the LEA hydrophilins, in the formation and functioning of membraneless compartments and their potential role in stress responses. (Summary by Mary Williams) Curr. Opin. Plant Biol. 10.1016/j.pbi.2018.05.005