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Related Concept Videos

Polymer Classification: Crystallinity01:21

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For any given polymer, the weight average molecular weight (Mw) is higher than, if not equal to, the number average molecular weight (Mn). The only situation in which the weight average molecular weight and the number average molecular weight are equal is when a polymer consists only of chains with equal molecular weight. However, this never happens in a synthetic polymer, since it is difficult to control the polymerization process up to a molecular level with accuracy to a hundred percent.
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Molecular Entanglement and Electrospinnability of Biopolymers
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Rigidity enhances a magic-number effect in polymer phase separation.

Bin Xu1, Guanhua He2, Benjamin G Weiner1

  • 1Department of Physics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, 08540, USA.

Nature Communications
|March 28, 2020
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Cellular condensates can be suppressed by a "magic-number effect" when polymers have specific binding site ratios. Rigidity in one polymer species significantly enhances this effect, making phase separation more robust across varying concentrations.

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Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Cell Biology
  • Polymer Physics

Background:

  • Cells contain non-membrane-bound bodies, often phase-separated condensates.
  • These condensates can form from two polymer species with specific binding site interactions.
  • A
  • magic-number effect
  • can suppress phase separation if binding site numbers are integer multiples.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate how polymer shape influences the
  • magic-number effect
  • in phase-separated condensates.
  • To determine if polymer rigidity can enhance or alter phase separation dynamics.

Main Methods:

  • Lattice-model simulations were employed to model polymer interactions.
  • Analytical calculations were performed to support simulation findings.
  • The study examined the impact of polymer shape and concentration on condensate formation.

Main Results:

  • A rigid shape in one polymer species greatly enhances the
  • magic-number effect
  • ,
  • significantly suppressing phase separation.
  • The enhancing effect of rigidity is robust across a wider range of relative polymer concentrations.
  • Multiple distinct bonding conformations in rigid polymers amplify the suppression of phase separation.

Conclusions:

  • Polymer rigidity is a critical factor modulating phase separation in cellular condensates.
  • The
  • magic-number effect
  • can be significantly amplified by incorporating rigid polymer components.
  • Understanding these principles is key to comprehending the formation and regulation of intracellular phase-separated bodies.