On May 21, 2026, Associate Professor Wang Yanning of the Faculty of Synthetic Biology at Shenzhen University of Advanced Technology, together with Professor Fang Xiaofeng of Tsinghua University and Professor Miao Yansong of Nanyang Technological University, published an invited review entitled “A Multidimensional View of Biomolecular Condensates in Plant Biology” in Annual Review of Plant Biology. The review establishes a comprehensive framework for understanding plant biomolecular condensates from functional, spatiotemporal, and physicochemical perspectives, providing a panoramic reference for deciphering the physicochemical mechanisms underlying plant environmental adaptation and developmental regulation.

If a cell is viewed as a highly organized city, traditional membrane-bound organelles resemble permanent buildings with designated functions, whereas biomolecular condensates function more like temporary gathering spaces that assemble dynamically in response to cellular needs. This phenomenon is analogous to the separation of oil and water and is scientifically known as liquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS). In plant cells, these membrane-less dynamic assemblies are increasingly recognized as critical physical regulators that enable plants to respond to environmental fluctuations and reprogram cellular activities.

Moving beyond traditional single-perspective analyses, the review systematically elucidates the complexity of plant condensates through a multidimensional regulatory framework.

Functional Diversity: The review highlights that condensates are far more than passive compartmentalization structures. By locally concentrating key enzymes, condensates can accelerate biochemical reactions—for example, by enriching Rubisco within chloroplast pyrenoid to enhance photosynthetic efficiency. They can also precisely regulate biochemical activities by sequestration-mediated suppression, such as retaining ARF transcription factors in the cytoplasm to suppress auxin signaling, or by phase separation-driven immune activation via TIR-domain proteins. In addition, condensates can remodel membrane architecture and cytoskeletal organization through wetting and can serve as storage hubs for mRNA and other biomolecules in stress granules.

Spatiotemporal Specificity: Owing to the unique combination of rigid cell walls, high turgor pressure, and the intricate membrane–cytoskeleton–cell wall continuum characteristic of plants, plant condensates exhibit distinctive spatial organization patterns. Condensates are found throughout plant cells, ranging from RALF–pectin signaling hubs at the cell wall surface to FREE1 condensates involved in membrane remodeling and condensates associated with chromatin compaction and reorganization. On the temporal scale, condensates participate in processes ranging from millisecond-scale immune responses to transgenerational developmental memory, exemplified by FRI condensate-mediated long-term silencing of FLC during vernalization.

Physical Properties as Determinants of Function: The review emphasizes that the material properties of condensates—ranging from liquid-like and gel-like to solid-like states—largely determine their biological functions. For example, FCA condensates exhibit liquid-like behavior, FRI condensates display relatively stable gel-like properties, whereas MORF8 can transition into a solid-like state under heat stress. Dynamic transitions between these physical states directly influence plant stress tolerance and developmental processes.

At the physiological level, the review summarizes the central roles of condensates in stress responses, immunity, and development.

（1）Rapid Stress Responses: In response to heat stress, cold stress, or salinity stress, plants rapidly form stress granules or nuclear condensates that help them cope with adverse conditions by pausing translation or reprogramming transcription.

（2）Immune Defense and Pathogen Countermeasures: Pathogens attempt to weaken host immunity by manipulating the fluidity of host condensates through effector proteins, whereas plants counteract this strategy by concentrating defense components through TIR-domain-mediated phase separation.

（3）Developmental Programming: From seed germination and flowering-time regulation to auxin-mediated root architecture, condensates precisely coordinate plant growth programs through long-term oscillatory dynamics and homeostatic maintenance.

The authors conclude that a major challenge for the field is to achieve quantitative characterization of condensates throughout their entire life cycle, from nanoscale nucleation to mesoscale assembly, while uncovering links between natural variation in condensates and agronomic traits in crops. Advances in this emerging field will not only deepen our understanding of the fundamental principles of plant life but may also provide novel targets for synthetic biology applications and the development of climate-smart crops.

Professors Fang Xiaofeng (Tsinghua University), Miao Yansong (Nanyang Technological University), and Wang Yanning (Shenzhen University of Advanced Technology) are the corresponding authors of the review. This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Ministry of Science and Technology of China, the Ministry of Education of Singapore Tier 2, and the National Research Foundation of Singapore.

Link:https://www.annualreviews.org/content/journals/10.1146/annurev-arplant-070725-083459