The effects of pH on cortex and condensate formation.

Lower pH enhances cortexillin I-mediated actin crosslinking and bundling in Dictyostelium discoideum, influencing cortex assembly and condensate formation.

• Why it matters: Understanding how intracellular pH gradients regulate phase separation and cortex assembly is crucial for revealing mechanisms of cell shape changes and responses to mechanical and chemical cues.
• What they did: The study examined the effects of extracellular pH alterations on actin-associated protein localization and used reconstitution assays to assess pH-dependent interactions, focusing on cortexillin I and discoidin I.
• The result: Findings suggest that the slightly more acidic cortical region supports pH-dependent regulation of actin crosslinking, which may control the balance between condensate formation and cortex assembly.