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    Salt-Dependent Rheology and Surface Tension of Protein Condensates Using Optical Traps

    Louise M. Jawerth1,2,3, Mahdiye Ijavi1, Martine Ruer1, Shambaditya Saha1, Marcus Jahnel1,4, Anthony A. Hyman1,3, Frank Jülicher2,3,*, and Elisabeth Fischer-Friedrich1,2,4,†

    • 1Max-Planck-Institut für Zellbiologie und Genetik, Pfotenhauerstraße 108, 01307 Dresden, Germany
    • 2Max-Planck-Institut für Physik komplexer Systeme, Nöthnitzerstraße 38, 01187 Dresden, Germany
    • 3Center for Systems Biology Dresden, Pfotenhauerstraße 108, 01307 Dresden, Germany
    • 4Biotechnology Center, Technische Universität Dresden, Tatzberg 47-49, 01307 Dresden, Germany

    • *Corresponding author. julicher@pks.mpg.de
    • †Corresponding author. elisabeth.fischer-friedrich@tu-dresden.de
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    Phys. Rev. Lett. 121, 258101 – Published 18 December, 2018Erratum Phys. Rev. Lett. 125, 229901 (2020)

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.121.258101

    Abstract

    An increasing number of proteins with intrinsically disordered domains have been shown to phase separate in buffer to form liquidlike phases. These protein condensates serve as simple models for the investigation of the more complex membraneless organelles in cells. To understand the function of such proteins in cells, the material properties of the condensates they form are important. However, these material properties are not well understood. Here, we develop a novel method based on optical traps to study the frequency-dependent rheology and the surface tension of P-granule protein PGL-3 condensates as a function of salt concentration. We find that PGL-3 droplets are predominantly viscous but also exhibit elastic properties. As the salt concentration is reduced, their elastic modulus, viscosity, and surface tension increase. Our findings show that salt concentration has a strong influence on the rheology and dynamics of protein condensates suggesting an important role of electrostatic interactions for their material properties.

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    Erratum

    Erratum: Salt-Dependent Rheology and Surface Tension of Protein Condensates Using Optical Traps [Phys. Rev. Lett. 121, 258101 (2018)]

    Louise M. Jawerth, Mahdiye Ijavi, Martine Ruer, Shambaditya Saha, Marcus Jahnel, Anthony A. Hyman, Frank Jülicher, and Elisabeth Fischer-Friedrich
    Phys. Rev. Lett. 125, 229901 (2020)

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    Phys. Rev. Lett. 121, 258101– Published 18 December, 2018
    • Received 2 July 2018
    • Revised 22 September 2018
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