Liquid-liquid phase separation(LLPS)is a reversible process,during which biological macromolecules,including proteins and nucleic acids,condense into liquid membraneless organelles under the influence of weak multivalent interactions.Currently,fluorescence recovery after photobleaching is the primary method used to detect the phase separation of biological macromolecules.Recent studies have revealed the link between abnormal LLPS and the pathogenesis and development of various human cancers.Through phase separation or abnormal phase separation,tumor-related biological macromolecules,such as mRNA,long noncoding RNAs(lncRNAs),and tumor-related proteins,can affect transcriptional translation and DNA damage repair,regulate the autophagy and ferroptosis functions of cells,and thus regulate the development of various tumors.In this review,we summarized the latest research findings on the mechanism of LLPS in the pathogenesis and progression of tumors and elaborated on the promotion or inhibition of autophagy,tumor immunity,DNA damage repair,and cell ferroptosis after abnormal phase separation of biomolecules,including mRNA,lncRNA,and proteins,which subsequently affects the pathogenesis and progression of tumors.According to published findings,many biological macromolecules can regulate transcriptional translation,expression,post-transcriptional modification,cell signal transduction,and other biological processes through phase separation.Therefore,further expansion of the research field of phase separation and in-depth investigation of its molecular mechanisms and regulatory processes hold extensive research potential.

Objective:To analyze the association between exposure to ambient PM 2.5 and its components [sulfate (SO 42-), nitrate (NO 3-), ammonium (NH 4+), organic matter (OM), and black carbon (BC)] and psychological distress among school children and adolescents aged 9 to 18 years in China. Methods:Based on data from the 2019 Chinese National Survey on Students' Constitution and Health, 130 808 children and adolescents aged 9 to 18 years were included. Scoring and determination of higher psychological distress were based on the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10), and annual average exposure data for air pollution were matched by survey location and time. We used a restricted cubic spline approach based on logistic regression to fit the associations between PM 2.5, SO 42-, NO 3-, NH 4+, organic matter, black carbon concentrations, and psychological distress. Logistic regression models were used to analyse different age, gender, BMI and physical activity subgroups to estimate the association between exposure to high levels of pollution and high levels of psychological distress in different subgroups. Results:The proportion of children and adolescents with high levels of psychological distress in China was 30.4%, with girls being higher than boys at 31.6% and 29.1%, respectively ( P<0.05). A non-linear positive association existed between exposure to PM 2.5, SO 42-, NO 3- and organic matter concentrations and higher psychological distress. As PM 2.5, NO 3-, NH 4+, organic matter, and black carbon concentrations continued to rise, the increase in the risk of higher psychological distress slowed, while SO 42- showed little change in the OR of psychological distress at lower concentrations but continued to rise at higher concentrations. PM 2.5 and its components were statistically associated with psychological distress in the physically inactive group but not in the physically active group. The association between high levels of pollutants and high psychological distress was stronger among students aged 9 to 12 years compared with students aged 13 to 15 years and 16 to 18 years. Conclusions:The ambient pollutant PM 2.5 and its components are associated with psychological distress in children and adolescents aged 9 to 18 years in China. High pollutant exposure is a risk factor for high psychological distress among physically inactive children and adolescents, and there are age differences in the association between PM 2.5 and components and psychological distress.