soluorganelle

Soluorganelle is a proposed cellular compartment that would specialize in the storage, regulation, and processing of soluble metabolites and solutes. The term appears in speculative or theoretical discussions about subcellular organization and is not universally recognized in standard cell biology references.

In speculative models, soluorganelles could be membrane-bound vesicles enriched with solute transporters and binding proteins, or they could form as membraneless condensates through phase separation. Proposed components include soluble-binding proteins, metabolite transporters, and scaffolding peptides with intrinsically disordered regions. The exact biogenesis and morphology of a soluorganelle remain subjects of debate.

Proposed functions of a soluorganelle include buffering cytosolic solute concentrations, temporarily storing metabolites, detoxifying or sequestering reactive compounds, and enabling rapid release of solutes during metabolic demand or stress. Some models suggest they could act as reservoirs that modulate osmotic balance or metabolite flux within the cytoplasm.

Evidence for soluorganelles is not established. Imaging studies in certain organisms have described granule-like structures rich in soluble components that could be consistent with soluorganelle-like condensates, but there is no universally accepted set of markers or criteria to confirm their existence.

If real, soluorganelles would be distinct from known organelles such as vacuoles, lysosomes, peroxisomes, and plastids, though they might interact with these compartments to regulate solute flux and storage. Current understanding treats the soluorganelle as a hypothesis requiring further validation and standardization of definitions.