Thermodynamics of wetting, prewetting and surface phase transitions with surface binding

Publikation: Beitrag in FachzeitschriftForschungsartikelBeigetragenBegutachtung

Beitragende

  • Xueping Zhao - , Max-Planck-Institut für Physik komplexer Systeme, Zentrum für Systembiologie Dresden (CSBD) (Autor:in)
  • Giacomo Bartolucci - , Max-Planck-Institut für Physik komplexer Systeme, Zentrum für Systembiologie Dresden (CSBD) (Autor:in)
  • Alf Honigmann - , Exzellenzcluster PoL: Physik des Lebens, Zentrum für Systembiologie Dresden (CSBD), Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics (Autor:in)
  • Frank Jülicher - , Max-Planck-Institut für Physik komplexer Systeme, Zentrum für Systembiologie Dresden (CSBD), Technische Universität Dresden, Exzellenzcluster PoL: Physik des Lebens (Autor:in)
  • Christoph A. Weber - , Max-Planck-Institut für Physik komplexer Systeme, Zentrum für Systembiologie Dresden (CSBD) (Autor:in)

Abstract

In living cells, protein-rich condensates can wet the cell membrane and surfaces of membrane-bound organelles. Interestingly, many phase-separating proteins also bind to membranes leading to a molecular layer of bound molecules. Here we investigate how binding to membranes affects wetting, prewetting and surface phase transitions. We derive a thermodynamic theory for a three-dimensional bulk in the presence of a two-dimensional, flat membrane. At phase coexistence, we find that membrane binding facilitates complete wetting and thus lowers the wetting angle. Moreover, below the saturation concentration, binding facilitates the formation of a thick layer at the membrane and thereby shifts the prewetting phase transition far below the saturation concentration. The distinction between bound and unbound molecules near the surface leads to a large variety of surface states and complex surface phase diagrams with a rich topology of phase transitions. Our work suggests that surface phase transitions combined with molecular binding represent a versatile mechanism to control the formation of protein-rich domains at intra-cellular surfaces.

Details

OriginalspracheEnglisch
Aufsatznummer123003
FachzeitschriftNew journal of physics
Jahrgang23
Ausgabenummer12
PublikationsstatusVeröffentlicht - Dez. 2021
Peer-Review-StatusJa

Externe IDs

ORCID /0000-0003-0475-3790/work/161889534

Schlagworte

ASJC Scopus Sachgebiete

Schlagwörter

  • surface binding, surface phase transitions, thermodynamics of wetting and prewetting