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Related Concept Videos

Subcellular Fractionation01:32

Subcellular Fractionation

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The homogenate obtained after cell lysis contains various membrane-bound organelles that can be further separated into pure fractions by subcellular fractionation. These isolates are used to study specific cellular components, analyze localized protein activity, and are even employed in diagnostics. Fractionation is typically achieved using centrifugation methods, the most common being density-gradient and differential centrifugation.
Differential Centrifugation
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Entropy within the Cell01:22

Entropy within the Cell

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A living cell's primary tasks of obtaining, transforming, and using energy to do work may seem simple. However, the second law of thermodynamics explains why these tasks are harder than they appear. None of the energy transfers in the universe are completely efficient. In every energy transfer, some amount of energy is lost in a form that is unusable. In most cases, this form is heat energy. Thermodynamically, heat energy is defined as the energy transferred from one system to another that...
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Entropy02:39

Entropy

31.0K
Salt particles that have dissolved in water never spontaneously come back together in solution to reform solid particles. Moreover, a gas that has expanded in a vacuum remains dispersed and never spontaneously reassembles. The unidirectional nature of these phenomena is the result of a thermodynamic state function called entropy (S). Entropy is the measure of the extent to which the energy is dispersed throughout a system, or in other words, it is proportional to the degree of disorder of a...
31.0K
Dynamic Equilibrium02:20

Dynamic Equilibrium

53.2K
A reversible chemical reaction represents a chemical process that proceeds in both forward (left to right) and reverse (right to left) directions. When the rates of the forward and reverse reactions are equal, the concentrations of the reactant and product species remain constant over time and the system is at equilibrium. A special double arrow is used to emphasize the reversible nature of the reaction. The relative concentrations of reactants and products in equilibrium systems vary greatly;...
53.2K
Third Law of Thermodynamics02:38

Third Law of Thermodynamics

19.4K
A pure, perfectly crystalline solid possessing no kinetic energy (that is, at a temperature of absolute zero, 0 K) may be described by a single microstate, as its purity, perfect crystallinity,and complete lack of motion means there is but one possible location for each identical atom or molecule comprising the crystal (W = 1). According to the Boltzmann equation, the entropy of this system is zero.
19.4K
Phase Transitions: Melting and Freezing02:39

Phase Transitions: Melting and Freezing

12.9K
Heating a crystalline solid increases the average energy of its atoms, molecules, or ions, and the solid gets hotter. At some point, the added energy becomes large enough to partially overcome the forces holding the molecules or ions of the solid in their fixed positions, and the solid begins the process of transitioning to the liquid state or melting. At this point, the temperature of the solid stops rising, despite the continual input of heat, and it remains constant until all of the solid is...
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Phase Behavior of Charged Vesicles Under Symmetric and Asymmetric Solution Conditions Monitored with Fluorescence Microscopy
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Phase Behavior of Charged Vesicles Under Symmetric and Asymmetric Solution Conditions Monitored with Fluorescence Microscopy

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Statistical Thermodynamics Approach for Intracellular Phase Separation.

Tomohiro Yamazaki1, Tetsuya Yamamoto2,3

  • 1Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, Suita, Japan. tyamazaki@fbs.osaka-u.ac.jp.

Methods in Molecular Biology (Clifton, N.J.)
|July 7, 2022
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

This study presents a statistical thermodynamics approach to understand how RNA-protein complexes (RNPs) form cellular compartments through phase separation. The theory accounts for both equilibrium and dynamic aspects of RNP self-assembly.

Keywords:
Architectural RNABiomolecular condensatesFlory–Huggins theoryLiquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS)Macroscopic phase separationMicellizationMicrophase separationNEAT1_2 lncRNAPolymer physicsSoft matter physics

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Area of Science:

  • Biophysics
  • Cell Biology
  • Soft Matter Physics

Background:

  • Intracellular phase separation is crucial for cellular compartmentalization.
  • RNA-protein complexes (RNPs) are key scaffolds for biomolecular condensates.
  • Existing theories often focus on equilibrium thermodynamics, neglecting dynamic RNP production.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop a statistical thermodynamics framework for intracellular phase separation.
  • To investigate the self-assembly of RNPs, including dynamic aspects.
  • To explore the analogy between polymer solutions, micelle formation, and nuclear body structures.

Main Methods:

  • Statistical thermodynamics theory for liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) of two molecules and polymer solutions.
  • Scaling theory for micelle formation in block copolymers.
  • Extension of soft matter self-assembly theory to include dynamic RNP production.
  • Analysis of paraspeckle nuclear bodies as a model system.

Main Results:

  • Theories describing LLPS, coarsening, coalescence, and other self-assembly types (microphase separation, micellization, etc.).
  • Structural analogies between block copolymer micelles and RNP-scaffolded paraspeckles.
  • Incorporation of RNP production dynamics into self-assembly theory.
  • Demonstration of the power of combined experimental and theoretical approaches.

Conclusions:

  • A comprehensive theoretical framework for intracellular phase separation, encompassing equilibrium and dynamic processes.
  • Paraspeckles serve as a relevant example for understanding RNP-driven phase separation.
  • Integrating theory and experiment is vital for elucidating the mechanisms of intracellular phase separation.