Viscosity Regulation\nof Chemically Simple Condensates

This study investigates the viscosity and liquid–solid\ntransition\nbehavior of biomolecular condensates formed by polyarginine chains\n(R<sub><i>x</i></sub>) of varying lengths and citric acid\n(CA) derivatives. By condensing R<sub><i>x</i></sub> chains\nof various lengths with CA derivatives, we showed that the shorter\nR<sub><i>x</i></sub> chains attenuate the high aggregation\ntendency of the longer chains when condensed with CA. A mixture of\ndifferent R<sub><i>x</i></sub> lengths exhibited uniform\nintracondensate distribution, while its mobility largely depended\non the ratio of the longer R<sub><i>x</i></sub> chain. Our\nfindings demonstrate a simple method to modulate condensate properties\nby adjusting the composition of scaffold molecules, shedding light\non the role of molecular composition in controlling condensate viscosity\nand transition dynamics. This research contributes to a deeper understanding\nof biomolecular condensation processes and offers insights into potential\nstrategies for manipulating condensate properties for various applications,\nincluding in the fields of synthetic biology and disease therapeutics\nin the future.