Thermodynamics of wetting, prewetting and surface phase transitions with surface binding
Publikation: Beitrag in Fachzeitschrift › Forschungsartikel › Beigetragen › Begutachtung
Beitragende
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
| Originalsprache | Englisch |
|---|---|
| Aufsatznummer | 123003 |
| Fachzeitschrift | New journal of physics |
| Jahrgang | 23 |
| Ausgabenummer | 12 |
| Publikationsstatus | Veröffentlicht - Dez. 2021 |
| Peer-Review-Status | Ja |
Externe IDs
| ORCID | /0000-0003-0475-3790/work/161889534 |
|---|
Schlagworte
ASJC Scopus Sachgebiete
Schlagwörter
- surface binding, surface phase transitions, thermodynamics of wetting and prewetting