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Proteins can form homomeric complexes with another unit of the same protein or heteromeric complexes with different types.  Most protein complexes self-assemble spontaneously via ordered pathways, while some proteins need assembly factors that guide their proper assembly. Despite the crowded intracellular environment, proteins usually interact with their correct partners and form functional complexes.
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Microtubules are hollow cylindrical filaments having a diameter of approximately 25 nm and a length that varies from 200 nm to 25 μm. GTP-bound tubulin subunits form αβ-heterodimers for microtubule assembly. These core building blocks interact longitudinally, polymerizing into protofilaments. The protofilaments then interact with one another through lateral bonding forces to form stable cylindrical microtubules. These cylindrical filaments are dynamic as they undergo repeated...
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In the quest to identify a property that may reliably predict the spontaneity of a process, a promising candidate has been identified: entropy. Processes that involve an increase in entropy of the system (ΔS > 0) are very often spontaneous; however, examples to the contrary are plentiful. By expanding consideration of entropy changes to include the surroundings, a significant conclusion regarding the relation between this property and spontaneity may be reached. In thermodynamic...
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An important concept in studying metabolism and energy is that of chemical equilibrium. Most chemical reactions are reversible. They can proceed in both directions, releasing energy into their environment in one direction, and absorbing it from the environment in the other direction. The same is true for the chemical reactions involved in cell metabolism, such as the breaking down and building up of proteins into and from individual amino acids, respectively. Reactants within a closed system...
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Detecting and Characterizing Protein Self-Assembly In Vivo by Flow Cytometry
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Self-assembly at a nonequilibrium critical point.

Stephen Whitelam1, Lester O Hedges1, Jeremy D Schmit2

  • 1Molecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, California 94720, USA.

Physical Review Letters
|May 3, 2014
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Scientists studied two-component assembly patterns using theory and simulation. They discovered a nonequilibrium phase transition controlling mixed or separated component arrangements, enabling prediction and control of self-assembly outcomes.

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Area of Science:

  • Physics
  • Materials Science
  • Statistical Mechanics

Background:

  • Understanding multicomponent self-assembly is crucial for designing novel materials.
  • Predicting the final arrangement of components in self-assembling systems remains a challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate pattern formation in two-component assemblies.
  • To identify the conditions governing the transition between mixed and demixed states.
  • To explore the application of nonequilibrium statistical mechanics to self-assembly.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized analytic theory to model assembly processes.
  • Employed computer simulations to study pattern evolution in 2D and 3D.
  • Analyzed the influence of growth rate on assembly outcomes.

Main Results:

  • Identified a nonequilibrium phase transition in component arrangement.
  • Demonstrated that the transition occurs at a specific growth rate.
  • Observed distinct mixed and demixed patterns based on growth conditions.

Conclusions:

  • Nonequilibrium statistical mechanics principles can predict multicomponent self-assembly outcomes.
  • The findings offer a pathway for experimentally controlling the self-assembly of defined multicomponent structures.