{
  "abstract": "Intracellular diffusion is inherently heterogeneous, yet single-particle tracking (SPT) analyses are often summarized using cell-wide average parameters that can obscure localized effects. Here, we tracked 40-nm genetically encoded multimeric (GEM) nanoparticles during stress granule (SG) formation and developed SPaCe-MC (Spatially Constrained Monte Carlo permutation test), a statistical framework that generates cytoplasm-specific null models to test whether diffusion associated with a specific cellular structure differs from that expected in the surrounding heterogeneous cytoplasm. Across three SG-inducing conditions, including oxidative stress, DDX3 inhibition, and combined treatment, bulk cytoplasmic analyses revealed distinct responses ranging from increased nanoparticle mobility to increased subdiffusive behavior. In contrast, SPaCe-MC consistently detected a local diffusion constraint in SG-associated regions relative to their treatment-matched cytoplasmic background, revealing a conserved local diffusion effect despite divergent global cytoplasmic responses. Together, our findings establish SPaCe-MC as a framework for identifying compartment-specific diffusion changes in heterogeneous cellular environments.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "University of South Carolina"
  ],
  "article_type": "New results",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 5,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "E. Korunova"
    },
    {
      "name": "V. Sikirzhytski"
    },
    {
      "name": "J. L. Twiss"
    },
    {
      "name": "M. Shtutman"
    },
    {
      "name": "P. Vasquez"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/2veey4w44nh1f.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.64898/2026.09.17.752460",
  "fulltext_url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.17.752460v1.full",
  "id": "2veey4w44nh1f",
  "issns": [],
  "landing_url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.17.752460v1",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "PDM-1.0",
  "licence_label": "Public domain",
  "licence_source": "journal",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "biorxiv",
      "cell biology"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "1304|Advanced Fluorescence Microscopy Techniques"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7213596969",
  "pdf_url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.17.752460v1.full.pdf",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-09-17",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/2veey4w44nh1f.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:23:07Z",
      "native_id": "10.64898/2026.09.17.752460",
      "source": "biorxiv",
      "url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.17.752460v2"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biology",
      "origin": "biorxiv:cell biology",
      "subfield": "cell-biology"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Spatially Constrained Monte Carlo Permutation Test Reveals Diffusion Changes Near Stress Granules",
  "title_text": "Spatially Constrained Monte Carlo Permutation Test Reveals Diffusion Changes Near Stress Granules",
  "type": "preprint",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:26:18Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/2veey4w44nh1f",
  "venue": "bioRxiv",
  "versions": []
}