Enzyme-enriched condensates show self-propulsion, positioning, and coexistence

TL;DR

This paper explores how enzyme-enriched condensates can self-propel, position themselves, and coexist through catalytic reactions and substrate interactions, revealing complex dynamic behaviors like oscillations and division.

Contribution

It introduces a model showing how enzyme activity and substrate feedback induce self-propulsion, positioning, and division of condensates, advancing understanding of cellular organization mechanisms.

Findings

Condensates move to the domain center with weak feedback.

Self-propulsion occurs above a feedback threshold.

Catalysis-driven fluxes lead to condensate positioning and division.

Abstract

Enzyme-enriched condensates can organize the spatial distribution of their substrates by catalyzing non-equilibrium reactions. Conversely, an inhomogeneous substrate distribution induces enzyme fluxes through substrate-enzyme interactions. We find that condensates move towards the center of a confining domain when this feedback is weak. Above a feedback threshold, they exhibit self-propulsion, leading to oscillatory dynamics. Moreover, catalysis-driven enzyme fluxes can lead to interrupted coarsening, resulting in equidistant condensate positioning, and to condensate division.