Transient domain formation in membrane-bound organelles undergoing maturation

TL;DR

This paper investigates how enzymatic maturation influences transient domain formation in membrane-bound organelles, revealing that maturation rate controls domain size and dynamics, which may impact intra-organelle processes.

Contribution

It introduces a model showing how irreversible enzymatic reactions regulate transient membrane domain sizes during organelle maturation.

Findings

Domain size depends on maturation rate via a power-law.

Transient domains form due to phase separation influenced by enzymatic activity.

Maturation controls intra-organelle membrane organization.

Abstract

The membrane components of cellular organelles have been shown to segregate into domains as the result of biochemical maturation. We propose that the dynamical competition between maturation and lateral segregation of membrane components regulates domain formation. We study a two- component fluid membrane in which enzymatic reaction irreversibly converts one component into another, and phase separation triggers the formation of transient membrane domains. The maximum domains size is shown to depend on the maturation rate as a power-law similar to the one observed for domain growth with time in the absence of maturation, despite this time dependence not being verified in the case of irreversible maturation. This control of domain size by enzymatic activity could play a critical role in intra-organelle dynamics.