"The Evolutionary Origins of a Nucleolar Component Unveiled by Study"

MIT biologists have discovered that a protein called TCOF1 is responsible for the formation of a condensate within the nucleolus, a cell organelle involved in building ribosomes. The researchers found that TCOF1 is essential for the transition from a bipartite to a tripartite nucleolus, which occurred around 300 million years ago. The study suggests that TCOF1 acts as a scaffold protein, helping to organize the nucleolus and attract other proteins and biomolecules. The findings shed light on the evolution of biomolecular condensates and could have implications for understanding diseases associated with their formation.