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Directing Min protein patterns with advective bulk flow
Sabrina Meindlhumer1, Fridtjof Brauns2,3, Jernej Rudi Finžgar2
1Department of Bionanoscience, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience Delft, Delft University of Technology, Delft, the Netherlands.
Nature Communications
|January 27, 2023
Summary
Hydrodynamic flow controls Min protein pattern direction in vitro. Changing MinE:MinD ratios dictate downstream or upstream wave propagation, revealing insights into cell biology pattern formation.
Area of Science:
- Cell biology
- Biophysics
- Pattern formation
Background:
- The Min protein system is a key model for understanding spatial pattern formation in cell division.
- Previous models did not fully account for the influence of external factors like fluid flow on these patterns.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effect of hydrodynamic flow on the propagation direction of in vitro Min protein patterns.
- To develop and validate models that explain flow-induced pattern control.
Main Methods:
- Theoretical prediction and experimental validation of Min protein pattern dynamics.
- Utilizing in vitro reconstituted Min protein systems subjected to controlled hydrodynamic flow.
- Analysis of MinE:MinD concentration ratios and their impact on wave propagation.
Main Results:
- Hydrodynamic flow can direct the propagation of Min protein waves (e.g., downstream or upstream).
- MinE:MinD concentration ratios determine propagation direction: low ratios favor downstream, high ratios favor upstream.
- A minimal model explains downstream propagation, while a reduced switch model is needed for upstream propagation.
Conclusions:
- Differential flow, affecting bulk but not surface concentrations, effectively controls surface pattern propagation.
- This work demonstrates flow as a tool to probe molecular features and refine mathematical models for pattern-forming systems.
- Findings offer new strategies for controlling biological pattern formation using physical forces.
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