Repulsive particle interactions enable selective information processing at cellular interfaces
arXiv:2506.14739 · doi:10.1103/ywr6-mzz5
Abstract
Living systems relay information across membrane interfaces to coordinate compartment functions. We identify a physical mechanism for selective information transmission that arises from the sigmoidal response of surface-bound particle densities to spatial features in adjacent external structures through a non-uniform binding energy. This mechanism implements a form of spatial thresholding, enabling the binary classification of external cues. Expansion microscopy measurements of nuclear pore complex distributions in S. arctica show signatures of such physical thresholding.
23 pages, 6 figures
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