Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 16, 2026
11:55
Reconstitution of Membrane-Tethered Minimal Actin Cortices on Supported Lipid Bilayers
Published on: July 12, 2022
Membrane-Anchored Mobile Tethers Modulate Condensate Wetting, Localization, and Migration
Qiwei Yu1, Trevor GrandPre1,2,3, Andrew G T Pyo2,4
1Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, USA.
PRX Life
|June 15, 2026
Summary
Mobile tethers, membrane-anchored molecules, dynamically alter biomolecular condensate wetting properties. These tethers influence condensate localization and behavior on complex membrane structures, impacting cellular organization.
Area of Science:
- Biophysics
- Cell Biology
- Soft Matter Physics
Background:
- Biomolecular condensates often interact with cellular membranes for localization and function.
- Membrane-anchored molecules, termed mobile tethers, mediate these interactions through diffusion within the membrane.
- Traditional wetting theories often overlook the dynamic and inhomogeneous surface properties introduced by mobile tethers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a theoretical framework for understanding the impact of mobile tethers on condensate wetting.
- To investigate how mobile tethers influence both equilibrium and dynamic properties of condensate-membrane interactions.
- To explore the role of tethers in condensate localization to complex membrane geometries.
Main Methods:
- Development of a general theoretical framework to model mobile tether effects.
- Analysis of equilibrium surface tension and contact angle modifications.
- Investigation of dynamic wetting properties and condensate behavior on curved membranes.
Main Results:
- Favorable tether-condensate interactions lead to tether enrichment at the interface, altering surface tension and contact angle.
- Modest tether abundance and binding energy are sufficient to induce significant changes in wetting regimes.
- Mobile tethers facilitate condensate coating of membranes and localization to complex geometries like the pyrenoid.
Conclusions:
- Mobile tethers introduce dynamic wetting properties crucial for condensate-membrane interactions.
- Tether properties (abundance, mobility) dictate condensate behavior on diverse membrane structures.
- This framework elucidates the role of tether-mediated interactions in cellular organization and function.
More Related Videos
10:58SNARE-mediated Fusion of Single Proteoliposomes with Tethered Supported Bilayers in a Microfluidic Flow Cell Monitored by Polarized TIRF Microscopy
Published on: August 24, 2016
10:49Method to Visualize and Analyze Membrane Interacting Proteins by Transmission Electron Microscopy
Published on: March 5, 2017
Related Concept Videos
00:59Mechanisms of Membrane Domain Formation
Different physical properties of lipids and proteins allow them to localize and form distinct islands or domains in the membrane. Some membrane domains are formed due to protein-protein interactions, whereas others are formed due to the presence of specific lipids such as sphingolipids and sterols—for example, large proteins, such as bacteriorhodopsin, aggregate and create distinct domains.
Another mechanism for membrane domain formation involves membrane proteins interacting with cytoskeletal...
Another mechanism for membrane domain formation involves membrane proteins interacting with cytoskeletal...
01:26Membrane Fluidity
Membrane fluidity is explained by the fluid mosaic model of the cell membrane, which describes the plasma membrane structure as a mosaic of components—including phospholipids, cholesterol, proteins, and carbohydrates—that gives the membrane a fluid character.
Mosaic nature of the membrane
The mosaic characteristic of the membrane helps the plasma membrane remain fluid. The integral proteins and lipids exist as separate but loosely-attached molecules in the membrane. The membrane is a relatively...
Mosaic nature of the membrane
The mosaic characteristic of the membrane helps the plasma membrane remain fluid. The integral proteins and lipids exist as separate but loosely-attached molecules in the membrane. The membrane is a relatively...
01:23Membrane Fluidity
Cell membranes are composed of phospholipids, proteins, and carbohydrates loosely attached to one another through chemical interactions. Molecules are generally able to move about in the plane of the membrane, giving the membrane its flexible nature called fluidity. Two other features of the membrane contribute to membrane fluidity: the chemical structure of the phospholipids and the presence of cholesterol in the membrane.Fatty acids tails of phospholipids can be either saturated or...
01:15Mechanisms of Membrane-bending
The living membranes are flexible due to their fluid mosaic nature; however, their bending into different shapes is an active process regulated by specific lipids and proteins. The membrane bending can be transient as seen in vesicles or stable for a long time as in microvilli. Cells regulate the size, location, and duration of the membrane curvature.
Membrane bending can happen due to intrinsic changes in lipid composition or extrinsic association with different proteins. The proteins involved...
Membrane bending can happen due to intrinsic changes in lipid composition or extrinsic association with different proteins. The proteins involved...
01:19Fluid Mosaic Model
Scientists identified the plasma membrane in the 1890s and its principal chemical components (lipids and proteins) by 1915. The model for plasma membrane structure, proposed in 1935 by Hugh Davson and James Danielli, was the first model to be widely accepted in the scientific community. The model was based on the plasma membrane's "railroad track" appearance in early electron micrographs. Davson and Danielli theorized that the plasma membrane's structure resembled a sandwich with the analogy of...
01:17Intracellular Signaling Affects Focal Adhesions
Integrins act both as extracellular input receivers and as intracellular processing activators. As their name suggests, integrins are entirely integrated into the membrane structure. Their hydrophobic membrane-spanning regions interact with the phospholipid bilayer's hydrophobic region. These membrane receptors provide extracellular attachment sites for effectors like hormones and growth factors. They activate intracellular response cascades when their effectors are bound and active.
Some...
Some...