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Demonstrates how SAM8 senses water availability in cells, linking it to gene regulation.
How cells sense fluctuations in the availability of water has long been unclear. The protein SAM8 is now shown to undergo a process called phase separation in a way that depends on its hydration, thereby sensing cellular water availability and linking changes in water status to the regulation of gene expression. The protein SAM8 undergoes a process called phase separation when water potential is low.
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