The New Year's Eve fireworks in Naples 🎇🎆

We find that with the charged patch, RNA bridges form between the chromosomes, generating attractive force. But in the uniform charge case, little to no bridging is observed. Redistributing the charge significantly changes the exerted force! 🔋➡️💪 5/8

Clustering is due to the condensation of RNA and Ki-67, a charged protein that coats chromosomes as a brush. Interestingly, Ki-67 has an evolutionarily conserved charged patch at one end: if the patch is removed (ΔCP below), clustering is suppressed. But why? 3/8

Biomolecular condensates are everywhere in cells, but there is still much to learn on how they exert forces on cellular structures. Recently, Sara Cuylen-Haering and @aharmendariz.bsky.social showed that condensation drives chromosome clustering during eukaryotic mitosis. tinyurl.com/y9zkwwch 2/8

How does protein charge distribution influence the force exerted by biomolecular condensates? We tried to answer this question in our first Bluesky 🦋 #preprint! tinyurl.com/3fzuufy3 1/8