Stress granule formation via ATP depletion-triggered phase separation

Abstract

Stress granules (SG) are droplets of proteins and RNA that form in the cell cytoplasm during stress conditions. We consider minimal models of stress granule formation based on the mechanism of phase separation regulated by ATP-driven chemical reactions. Motivated by experimental observations, we identify a minimal model of SG formation triggered by ATP depletion. Our analysis indicates that ATP is continuously hydrolysed to deter SG formation under normal conditions, and we provide specific predictions that can be tested experimentally.

28 pages, 9 figures

References in corpus (3)

• Phase transitions in biological systems with many components
• Chemical reaction-controlled phase separated drops: Formation, size selection, and coarsening
• Droplet Ripening in Concentration Gradients

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