RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Mechanical frustration of phase separation in the cell nucleus by chromatin
JF bioRxiv
FD Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
SP 2020.12.24.424222
DO 10.1101/2020.12.24.424222
A1 Yaojun Zhang
A1 Daniel S.W. Lee
A1 Yigal Meir
A1 Clifford P. Brangwynne
A1 Ned S. Wingreen
YR 2020
UL http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2020/12/24/2020.12.24.424222.abstract
AB Liquid-liquid phase separation is a fundamental mechanism underlying subcellular organization. Motivated by the striking observation that optogenetically-generated droplets in the nucleus display suppressed coarsening dynamics, we study the impact of chromatin mechanics on droplet phase separation. We combine theory and simulation to show that crosslinked chromatin can mechanically suppress droplets’ coalescence and ripening, as well as quantitatively control their number, size, and placement. Our results highlight the role of the subcellular mechanical environment on condensate regulation.Competing Interest StatementThe authors have declared no competing interest.