Liquid-liquid phase separation in Toxicology ～approach from in vitro experiments～

Abstract

As can be imagined from the example of dressing, we often see liquids like water and oil separated in our daily lives. In the mid-to-late 2010s, membrane-less compartmentalization within cells was discovered as "intracellular phase separation" or “liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS)” and it has been attracting attention as a new framework for understanding biological phenomena. Such intracellular phase separation phenomena occur within cells, in which the environment mainly uses water as a medium. The phase separation of the aqueous medium has been known since the 1960s for water-soluble polymer solutions. In this presentation, I would like to outline in vitro experiments of LLPS using solutions of water-soluble polymers and discuss potential connections with toxicology.