a study from researchers at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital has determined that the protein nucleophosmin (NPM1) serves as glue that holds proteins and RNA together in the nucleolus, showing how NPM1's structure makes it ideal for the job. The team states that their findings come amid intense scientific interest in the role liquid-liquid phase separation plays in promoting membrane-less organelle assembly as well as in performing the molecular processes that occur within them.

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Protein ‘glue’ which holds biomolecules within the nucleolus, identified.

The nucleolus is a crucial membrane-less structure or organelle that takes up about 25% of the nucleus of a mammalian cell. The largest membrane-less organelle, the nucleolus has been compared to a manufacturing hub, since one of its main functions is to assemble the ribosomes that produce all of the proteins required by cells. The nucleolus is home to a vast array of proteins, RNA, … Continue reading Protein ‘glue’ which holds biomolecules within the nucleolus, identified.