Mechanisms and Regulation of RNA Condensation in RNP Granule Formation

Ribonucleoprotein (RNP) granules are RNA–protein assemblies that are involved in multiple aspects of RNA metabolism and are linked to memory, development, and disease. Some RNP granules form, in part, through the formation of intermolecular RNA–RNA interactions. In vitro, such trans RNA condensation occurs readily, suggesting that cells require mechanisms to modulate RNA-based condensation. We assess the mechanisms of RNA condensation and how cells modulate this phenomenon. We propose that cells control RNA condensation through ATP-dependent processes, static RNA buffering, and dynamic post-translational mechanisms. Moreover, perturbations in these mechanisms can be involved in disease. This reveals multiple cellular mechanisms of kinetic and thermodynamic control that maintain the proper distribution of RNA molecules between dispersed and condensed forms.