Biomolecular Condensates as Protein Degradation Tools for Intracellular Targets

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Authors: Y Li, Zhicheng Jin, Sharif U. Ahmed, Jagotamoy Das, Reiner Bleher, Dingran Chang, Xiaozhou Yu, Connor D. Flynn, Jiajing Zhou, Xiaobing Hu, Kangfu Chen, Kimberly T. Riordan
+4 more Ranjit Atwal, Julia M. Mayes, Zongjie Wang, Shana O. Kelley
Cited by: 6
References: 59

Abstract

Targeted protein degradation harnesses endogenous cellular machinery to eliminate disease-causing proteins, yet achieving phenotype-specific degradation across diverse cell types remains challenging. Here we show that antibody-enriched biomolecular condensates formed by liquid–liquid phase separation function as intracellular protein degradation tools, combining cytosolic trafficking with direct proteasome recruitment for targeted substrate clearance. These nanoscale condensates incorporate a short proteasome-targeting motif into phase-separation precursors, preserve antibody activity, enable direct proteasome recruitment, and improve delivery uniformity. When loaded with a mutation-specific antibody, these condensates selectively degrade oncogenic KRAS G12V without affecting wild-type KRAS in heterozygous cells, and suppress tumor growth in a KRAS G12V xenograft model. This strategy provides a modular platform for intracellular protein degradation that can be readily adapted by exchanging antibodies, without requiring genetic modification of cellular system. Targeted protein degradation has huge potential, but phenotype-specific degradation remains a difficulty. Here, a phase-separation biomolecular condensates as an intracellular degradation agent is developed, combining antibody-guided recognition with direct proteasome recruitment to enable phenotype-selective protein clearance.

Fields of Study & Subjects

Protein Degradation and Inhibitors Click Chemistry and Applications Ubiquitin and proteasome pathways

Publication details

Journal / source
Nature Communications
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Volume
17
Issue
1
Publication date
13 May 2026
Language
EN