Liquid demixing in elastic networks: Cavitation, permeation, or size selection?. (1st March 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ronceray, Pierre; Mao, Sheng; Košmrlj, Andrej; Haataja, Mikko P.
• Is Part Of: Europhysics letters. Volume 137:Number 6(2022)
• Publication Date: 2022-03-01
• Subjects: Physics -- Periodicals; Electronic journals; 530.05
• DOI: 10.1209/0295-5075/ac56ac
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0295-5075

Abstract

Abstract: In cells, phase-separated liquid condensates interact mechanically with surrounding elastic networks such as chromatin and cytoskeleton. By considering the trade-offs between elastic, wetting, and interfacial energies, we theoretically show that three droplet phases can be thermodynamically stable: macroscopic droplets that either cavitate or permeate the network, and mesh-size–limited microdroplets. We show that network strain stiffening further enhances this latter size-limitation effect. Our theory predicts the possibility of yet-unobserved droplet phases in the cytoplasm and nucleoplasm.