The Use Of Min Waves To Understand Intrinsically Disordered Regions Involved In Phase Separation
Liquid liquid phase separation (LLPS) is a biological phenomenon whereby proteins separate out from the liquid cytoplasm into a phase separated compartment or “droplet”. These droplets are highly concentrated in protein and represent a dynamic environment in which proteins can easily flow in and out of. However, what causes a protein to phase separate? One of the comparable characteristics amongst proteins that undergo LLPS is that they contain stretches of amino acids that are intrinsically disordered. These intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) take part in specific protein-protein interactions that drive proteins to phase separate. This project aims to further understand these interactions through the use of a reaction-diffusion system called Min waves. Min waves are formed through the attachment and detachment of two proteins on the bacteria cell membrane – MinD and MinE. These proteins produce visible wave patterns which can be reproduced on artificial lipid bilayers. By attaching IDRs relevant for phase separation onto MinD, the resulting IDR interactions can be studied by assessing the resulting wave patterns. Stronger and weaker IDR interactions result in different wave patterns. These waves can be mathematically modelled using coding software, giving an insight to the interactions in IDRs.