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Regensburg 2019 – scientific programme

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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik

BP 27: Biomaterials and biopolymers II (joint session BP/CPP)

BP 27.2: Talk

Thursday, April 4, 2019, 15:15–15:30, H10

Liquid-like protein condensates are glassy — •Louise Jawerth1,2, Elisabeth Fischer-Friedrich3, Suropriya Saha1, Anthony Hyman2, and Frank Jülicher11Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, Dresden, Germany — 2Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany — 3Biotechnology Center, Technische Universitat Dresden

Liquid-like protein condensates (LLPCs) are intracellular compartments that segregate material without the use of a membrane. The liquid-like behavior of the condensates is a defining characteristic and the viscosity, surface tension and other material properties determine how segregated species diffuse into and within condensates; they, thus, critically impact the biological function of the condensates. It has become increasingly clear that some LLPCs do not have time-independent material properties, but can, instead, transition to more solid, gel-like materials. Here, we present our efforts to quantify these new materials as they age in vitro. We measure the visco-elastic material properties of two proteins, PGL-3 and FUS, by means of a combination of active and passive microrheology. At early times, we find that the droplets behave much like simple liquids but gradually become more elastic. Surprisingly, the changing mechanical properties can all be scaled onto a single master curve using one characteristic time scale which grows as the sample ages. This and other features we observe bear a striking resemblance to the behaviors observed in materials with glass-like aging suggesting that LLPCs are in fact not simple liquids but, rather, a type of soft glass.

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