Just like all matter,
proteins can also switch between gas, liquid and solid phases.
Protein phase transition has claimed the spotlight in recent years as a novel way of how cells compartmentalize and regulate biochemical reactions. Moreover, this discovery has provided a new framework for the study of membrane-less organelle biogenesis and
protein aggregation in
neurodegenerative disorders. We now argue that this framework could be useful in the study of cell cycle regulation and
cancer. Based on our work on phase transitions of
arginine-rich
proteins in neurodegeneration, via combining mass spectroscopy with bioinformatics analyses, we found that also numerous
proteins involved in the regulation of the cell cycle can undergo
protein phase separation. Indeed, several
proteins whose function affects the cell cycle or are associated with
cancer, have been recently found to phase separate from the test tube to cells. Investigating the role of this process for
cell cycle proteins and understanding its molecular underpinnings will provide pivotal insights into the biology of cell cycle progression and
cancer.