868-pH-Dependent Condensates Calibrate Inflammatory Response

Paper Talk · Apr 28, 2026 · 21m

This research investigates how macrophages utilize intracellular pH as a critical sensory mechanism to calibrate inflammatory responses. Researchers identified that acidic environments, commonly found in inflamed tissues, disrupt transcriptional condensates formed by the proteins BRD4 and MED1. This disruption occurs because BRD4 acts as a molecular sensor through a histidine-rich region that reacts to protonation, functioning as a negative feedback loop to prevent excessive inflammation. While initial defense genes remain unaffected by pH changes, later enhancer-dependent genes are…