Research Advances in Stress Granules and Processing Bodies

SG (stress granule) and PB (processing body) are two highly conserved membrane-less RNP (ribonucleoprotein) granules in eukaryotic cells. Both are dynamically assembled via LLPS (liquid-liquid phase separation). SG and PB are both involved in mRNA metabolism and translational control, and play critical roles in cellular stress responses. SG mainly assemble under stress conditions to store translationally stalled mRNAs and ribosome-associated components, facilitating cellular adaptation to stress and the re-establishment of cellular homeostasis. PB exist constitutively in some cells and show a marked increase in number and size upon stress, participating in mRNA degradation and transient storage. In recent years, with the development of techniques such as super-resolution microscopy and Ribo-seq (ribosome profiling), the assembly mechanisms, dynamic regulatory networks of SG and PB, as well as their associations with diseases, have been gradually elucidated. However, many questions remain regarding the molecular mechanisms underlying their functions and the regulatory details of their crosstalk. This paper systematically reviews the structural composition, core biological functions, and mechanisms of assembly and disassembly of SG and PB, with a focus on their crosstalk, and summarizes the roles and research advances of these granules in the occurrence and progression of diseases.

CSTR: 32200.14.cjcb.2026.09.0010