Proximity to criticality predicts surface properties of biomolecular condensates.

ABSTRACT: It has recently become appreciated that cells self-organize their interiors through the formation of biomolecular condensates. These condensates, typically formed through liquid-liquid phase separation of proteins, nucleic acids, and other biopolymers, exhibit reversible assembly/disassembly in response to changing conditions. Condensates play many functional roles, aiding in biochemical reactions, signal transduction, and sequestration of certain components. Ultimately, these functions depend on the physical properties of condensates, which are encoded in the microscopic features of the constituent biomolecules. In general, the mapping from microscopic features to macroscopic properties is complex, but it is known that near a critical point, macroscopic properties follow power laws with o

SUBMITTER: Pyo AGT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10266063 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature