Binding and dimerization control phase separation in a compartment

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Rossetto, Riccardo, Wellecke, Gerrit, Zwicker, David
Format: Preprint
Published: 2024
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author Rossetto, Riccardo
Wellecke, Gerrit
Zwicker, David
author_facet Rossetto, Riccardo
Wellecke, Gerrit
Zwicker, David
contents Biological cells exhibit a hierarchical spatial organization, where various compartments harbor condensates that form by phase separation. Cells can control the emergence of these condensates by affecting compartment size, the amount of the involved molecules, and their physical interactions. While physical interactions directly affect compartment binding and phase separation, they can also cause oligomerization, which has been suggested as a control mechanism. Analyzing an equilibrium model, we illustrate that oligomerization amplifies compartment binding and phase separation, which reinforce each other. This nonlinear interplay can also induce multistability, which provides additional potential for control. Our work forms the basis for deriving thermodynamically consistent kinetic models to understand how biological cells can regulate phase separation in their compartments.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2407_15179
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Binding and dimerization control phase separation in a compartment
Rossetto, Riccardo
Wellecke, Gerrit
Zwicker, David
Biological Physics
Soft Condensed Matter
Statistical Mechanics
Biological cells exhibit a hierarchical spatial organization, where various compartments harbor condensates that form by phase separation. Cells can control the emergence of these condensates by affecting compartment size, the amount of the involved molecules, and their physical interactions. While physical interactions directly affect compartment binding and phase separation, they can also cause oligomerization, which has been suggested as a control mechanism. Analyzing an equilibrium model, we illustrate that oligomerization amplifies compartment binding and phase separation, which reinforce each other. This nonlinear interplay can also induce multistability, which provides additional potential for control. Our work forms the basis for deriving thermodynamically consistent kinetic models to understand how biological cells can regulate phase separation in their compartments.
title Binding and dimerization control phase separation in a compartment
topic Biological Physics
Soft Condensed Matter
Statistical Mechanics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2407.15179