Sequence-Specific Polyampholyte Phase Separation in Membraneless Organelles

Phys Rev Lett. 2016 Oct 21;117(17):178101. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.117.178101. Epub 2016 Oct 17.

Abstract

Liquid-liquid phase separation of charge- and/or aromatic-enriched intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) is critical in the biological function of membraneless organelles. Much of the physics of this recent discovery remains to be elucidated. Here, we present a theory in the random phase approximation to account for electrostatic effects in polyampholyte phase separations, yielding predictions consistent with recent experiments on the IDP Ddx4. The theory is applicable to any charge pattern and thus provides a general analytical framework for studying sequence dependence of IDP phase separation.

MeSH terms

  • Models, Molecular*
  • Organelles*
  • Static Electricity*