%0 Journal Article
%A Wang, Huan
%A Hoffmann, Christian
%A Tromm, Johannes V
%A Su, Xiao
%A Elliott, Jordan
%A Wang, Han
%A Deng, Mengying
%A McClenaghan, Conor
%A Baum, Jean
%A Pang, Zhiping P
%A Milovanovic, Dragomir
%A Shi, Zheng
%T Live-cell quantification reveals viscoelastic regulation of synapsin condensates by α-synuclein.
%J Science advances
%V 11
%N 16
%@ 2375-2548
%C Washington, DC [u.a.]
%I Assoc.
%M DZNE-2025-00540
%P eads7627
%D 2025
%X Synapsin and α-synuclein represent a growing list of condensate-forming proteins where the material states of condensates are directly linked to cellular functions (e.g., neurotransmission) and pathology (e.g., neurodegeneration). However, quantifying condensate material properties in living systems has been a substantial challenge. Here, we develop micropipette aspiration and whole-cell patch-clamp (MAPAC), a platform that allows direct material quantification of condensates in live cells. We find 10,000-fold variations in the viscoelasticity of synapsin condensates, regulated by the partitioning of α-synuclein, a marker for synucleinopathies. Through in vitro reconstitutions, we identify multiple molecular factors that distinctly regulate the viscosity, interfacial tension, and maturation of synapsin condensates, confirming the cellular roles of α-synuclein. Overall, our study provides unprecedented quantitative insights into the material properties of neuronal condensates and reveals a crucial role of α-synuclein in regulating condensate viscoelasticity. Furthermore, we envision MAPAC applicable to study a broad range of condensates in vivo.
%K alpha-Synuclein: metabolism
%K alpha-Synuclein: chemistry
%K Viscosity
%K Humans
%K Synapsins: metabolism
%K Synapsins: chemistry
%K Elasticity
%K Animals
%K Biomolecular Condensates: metabolism
%K Biomolecular Condensates: chemistry
%K Patch-Clamp Techniques
%K alpha-Synuclein (NLM Chemicals)
%K Synapsins (NLM Chemicals)
%F PUB:(DE-HGF)16
%9 Journal Article
%$ pmid:40249817
%2 pmc:PMC12007584
%R 10.1126/sciadv.ads7627
%U https://pub.dzne.de/record/278034