Filament assembly confers the mechanical resilience of the IFI16 restrictosome

PYD-driven filament assembly makes IFI16 condensates mechanically stable by compacting DNA into ultra-stable tangles that withstand forces sufficient to deform duplex DNA.

• Why it matters: It remains unclear how IFI16’s reported liquid-liquid phase separation translates into the mechanical behaviors needed for its roles in sensing and restricting nucleic acids.
• What they did: The study compares PYD-driven filament condensates versus HIN200-dsDNA complexes, testing sensitivity to ionic perturbation, DNA pretension, and mechanical interference.
• The result: Filament assembly yields a mechano-sensitive restrictor, while HIN200-dsDNA complexes are more sensitive, implying mechanical resilience depends on filament formation.

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