Unlocking the Mystery of Redox Reactions in Biological Condensates

Key Highlights :

1. The human body relies heavily on electrical charges.

2. Researchers at Stanford University discovered that similar imbalanced electrical charges can exist between microdroplets of water and air.

3. Researchers at Duke University have discovered that these types of electric fields also exist within and around another type of cellular structure called biological condensates.

4. The Chilkoti laboratory specializes in creating synthetic versions of naturally occurring biological condensates, and was easily able to create a test bed for their theory.

5. After combining the right formula of building blocks to create minuscule condensates, with help from postdoctoral scholar Marco Messina in Christopher J. Chang's group at the University of California—Berkeley, they added a dye to the system that glows in the presence of reactive oxygen species.

6. Their hunch was right. When the environmental conditions were right, a solid glow started from the edges of the condensates, confirming that a previously unknown phenomenon was at work.

7. Dai next talked with Richard Zare, the Marguerite Blake Wilbur Professor of Chemistry at Stanford, whose group established the electric behavior of water droplets. Zare was excited to hear about the new behavior in biological systems, and started to work with the group on the underlying mechanism.

8. "Inspired by previous work on water droplets, my graduate student, Christian Chamberlayne, and I thought that the same physical principles might apply and promote redox chemistry, such as the formation of hydrogen peroxide molecules," Zare said.

9. Because the Chilkoti laboratory specializes in creating synthetic versions of naturally occurring biological condensates, the researchers were easily able to create a test bed for their theory.

10. Dai next talked with John Sutherland, the Thomas J. Watson Jr. Professor of Chemistry at Brown University, about how this discovery could change the way researchers think about biological chemistry.

     The human body relies heavily on electrical charges to power its biological processes. Recent research from Duke University has uncovered a new phenomenon that could change the way scientists think about these electrical signals and how they are generated. In a recent study, researchers discovered that tiny electrical imbalances can exist between microdroplets of water and air and within biological condensates, providing a potential source of energy that can fuel redox reactions like the ones that power our cells.

     The discovery, published April 28 in the journal Chem, could provide a clue as to how the first life on Earth harnessed the energy needed to arise. The findings suggest that condensates, which are tiny compartments inside the cell, could be a source of energy for prebiotic reactions and could be responsible for the redox reactions that occur in our cells.

     Until recently, researchers believed that the cellular membrane was an essential component to creating an imbalance in electrical charges that powers our cells. But the new research from Duke University suggests that similar imbalanced electrical charges can exist between microdroplets of water and air and within biological condensates.

     The researchers combined the right formula of building blocks to create minuscule condensates and added a dye that glows in the presence of reactive oxygen species. When the environmental conditions were right, a solid glow started from the edges of the condensates, confirming that a previously unknown phenomenon was at work.

     The findings suggest that condensates are not only important for carrying out specific biological functions, but they are also endowed with a critical chemical function that is essential to cells. The research team believes that this redox reaction could provide a source of energy for prebiotic reactions and could help explain how the first life on Earth arose.

     The research team is now working to understand the implications of this ongoing reaction within our cells and how it could be used to create new treatments for diseases. The findings could also have implications for other fields, such as nanotechnology and synthetic biology.

     The human body relies heavily on electrical charges to power its biological processes, and this new research from Duke University provides a glimpse into how these charges are generated and how they could be used to create new treatments for diseases. By understanding the role of condensates in redox reactions, researchers can now explore new sources of energy and new ways to treat diseases.

Continue Reading at Source : phys