{
  "abstract": "Understanding protein phase separation in cellular environments remains a major challenge, as ex vivo assays often fail to capture the influence of environmental context – such as crowding, multimodal interactions, and the dynamic properties of the cytosol or nucleus. Here, we introduce programmable DNA-based protonuclei (PN) as nucleus-inspired compartments to probe phase separation of the neurodegeneration-linked protein FUS. We show that FUS partitioning and condensate formation are highly sensitive to nucleic acid sequence, spatial confinement, and viscoelastic properties of the PN core. Notably, classical test-tube affinity assays fail to predict protein behavior within the crowded and multivalent PN environment. By tuning DNA crosslinking, we modulate condensate dynamics and suppress liquid-to-solid transitions of FUS – a hallmark of disease. These findings demonstrate that multivalent, confined environments fundamentally reshape protein-nucleic acid interactions and phase behavior. The PN platform complements test-tube assays and complex cellular settings and enables to dissect nuclear condensates under controllable conditions.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 9,
  "authors": [
    {
      "name": "Johann Fritzen",
      "orcid": "0009-0001-0726-1807"
    },
    {
      "name": "Avik Samanta",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-5279-834X"
    },
    {
      "name": "Nele S. Kuhr"
    },
    {
      "name": "Antonia Preuß"
    },
    {
      "name": "Erin L. Sternburg"
    },
    {
      "name": "Lukas S. Stelzl",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-5348-0277"
    },
    {
      "name": "Jasper J. Michels",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-1591-4449"
    },
    {
      "name": "Dorothee Dormann",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-9260-2775"
    },
    {
      "name": "Andreas Walther",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-2170-3306"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/6hvxsmy2za8yx.bib",
  "cited_by": 1,
  "doi": "10.1038/s41467-026-78144-1",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "6hvxsmy2za8yx",
  "issns": [
    "2041-1723"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-78144-1",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "1312|RNA Research and Splicing"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7214935185",
  "pdf_url": "https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-78144-1.pdf",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-09-30",
  "publisher": "Springer Science and Business Media LLC",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/6hvxsmy2za8yx.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:17:38Z",
      "native_id": "10.1038/s41467-026-78144-1",
      "source": "crossref",
      "url": "https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-78144-1"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biochemistry",
      "origin": "openalex:1312|RNA Research and Splicing",
      "subfield": "molecular-biology"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Programmable DNA protonuclei reveal environmental context on protein phase separation",
  "title_text": "Programmable DNA protonuclei reveal environmental context on protein phase separation",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:17:38Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/6hvxsmy2za8yx",
  "venue": "Nature Communications",
  "versions": []
}