Percolation Theory Used to Design Biomolecular Condensates
Weiwei Fan · bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) · 2023
ABSTRACT Biomolecular condensates formed by liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) are crucial for various life activities. Critical phenomena are observed during LLPS in cells and in vitro , but few studies provide quantitative theoretical explanations for them. In this study, we set up a Bethe network model to simulate percolation, which explains LLPS quantitatively and semi-quantitatively. We designed a condensate system to determine the peptide’s affinity to its target protein. Finally, we found that the artificial condensate can modify the catalytic reaction’s efficiency. Thus, we provide a new perspective on understanding biomolecular condensate assembly and lay the foundation for artificially designing biomolecular condensates.