Splicing regulation through biomolecular condensates and membraneless organelles

Abstract

Biomolecular condensates, sometimes also known as membraneless organelles (MLOs), can form through weak multivalent intermolecular interactions of proteins and nucleic acids, a process often associated with liquid–liquid phase separation. Biomolecular condensates are emerging as sites and regulatory platforms of vital cellular functions, including transcription and RNA processing. In the first part of this Review, we comprehensively discuss how alternative splicing regulates the formation and properties of condensates, and conversely the roles of biomolecular condensates in splicing regulation. In the second part, we focus on the spatial connection between splicing regulation and nuclear MLOs such as transcriptional condensates, splicing condensates and nuclear speckles. We then discuss key studies showing how splicing regulation through biomolecular condensates is implicated in human pathologies such as neurodegenerative diseases, different types of cancer, developmental disorders and cardiomyopathies, and conclude with a discussion of outstanding questions pertaining to the roles of condensates and MLOs in splicing regulation and how to experimentally study them. Biomolecular condensates are emerging as hubs of splicing regulation. This Review discusses the modulation of condensate functions through alternative splicing, regulation of (co-transcriptional) splicing at condensates and the involvement of these condensates in human diseases.