Theory of wetting dynamics with surface binding

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Xueping Zhao - , University of Nottingham Ningbo China (Author)
  • Susanne Liese - , Augsburg University (Author)
  • Alf Honigmann - , Clusters of Excellence PoL: Physics of Life, Chair of Biophysics, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics (Author)
  • Frank Jülicher - , TUD Dresden University of Technology, Max-Planck-Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, Center for Systems Biology Dresden (CSBD), Clusters of Excellence PoL: Physics of Life (Author)
  • Christoph A. Weber - , Augsburg University (Author)

Abstract

Biomolecules, such as proteins and nucleic acids, can phase separate in the cytoplasm of cells to form biomolecular condensates. Such condensates are often liquid-like droplets that can wet biological surfaces such as membranes. Many molecules that participate in phase separation can also reversibly bind to membrane surfaces. When a droplet wets a surface, molecules can diffuse inside and outside of the droplet or in the bound state on the surface. How the interplay between surface binding, diffusion in surface and bulk affects the wetting kinetics is not well understood. Here, we derive the governing equations using non-equilibrium thermodynamics by relating the thermodynamic fluxes and forces at the surface coupled to the bulk. We study the spreading dynamics in the presence of surface binding and find that binding speeds up wetting by nucleating a droplet inside the surface. Our results suggest that the wetting dynamics of droplets can be regulated by two-dimensional surface droplets in the surface-bound layer through changing the binding affinity to the surfaces. These findings are relevant both to engineering life-like systems with condensates and vesicles, and biomolecular condensates in living cells.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Article number103025
Number of pages21
JournalNew journal of physics
Volume26 (2024)
Issue number10
Publication statusPublished - 23 Oct 2024
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

ORCID /0000-0003-0475-3790/work/171554069

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Keywords

  • biomolecular condensates, liquid-liquid phase separation, non-equilibrium thermodynamics, surface binding, wetting