Directing Min protein patterns with advective bulk flow

Directing Min protein patterns with advective bulk flow

Meindlhumer, S. (TU Delft BN/Cees Dekker Lab; Kavli institute of nanoscience Delft)
Brauns, Fridtjof (Ludwig Maximilians University)
Finžgar, Jernej Rudi (Ludwig Maximilians University)
Kerssemakers, J.W.J. (TU Delft BN/Cees Dekker Lab; Kavli institute of nanoscience Delft)
Dekker, C. (TU Delft BN/Cees Dekker Lab; Kavli institute of nanoscience Delft)
Frey, Erwin (Ludwig Maximilians University; Max Planck School Matter to Life, Munich)

2023

The Min proteins constitute the best-studied model system for pattern formation in cell biology. We theoretically predict and experimentally show that the propagation direction of in vitro Min protein patterns can be controlled by a hydrodynamic flow of the bulk solution. We find downstream propagation of Min wave patterns for low MinE:MinD concentration ratios, upstream propagation for large ratios, but multistability of both propagation directions in between. Whereas downstream propagation can be described by a minimal model that disregards MinE conformational switching, upstream propagation can be reproduced by a reduced switch model, where increased MinD bulk concentrations on the upstream side promote protein attachment. Our study demonstrates that a differential flow, where bulk flow advects protein concentrations in the bulk, but not on the surface, can control surface-pattern propagation. This suggests that flow can be used to probe molecular features and to constrain mathematical models for pattern-forming systems.

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:37e3d82e-2bc7-4b92-bad0-320d931af6a8

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-35997-0

2041-1723

Nature Communications, 14 (1)

Institutional Repository

journal article

© 2023 S. Meindlhumer, Fridtjof Brauns, Jernej Rudi Finžgar, J.W.J. Kerssemakers, C. Dekker, Erwin Frey