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

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

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

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

Original languageEnglish
Article number123003
JournalNew journal of physics
Volume23
Issue number12
Publication statusPublished - Dec 2021
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

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

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Keywords

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