Study of the shrinking behaviour of PGL-3 droplets during glass-like ageing

Biomolecular condensates are membrane-less compartments in cells, which are made up of proteins and nucleic acids, that exist through liquid-liquid phase separation. Research has shown that these condensates have time dependent material properties that change in a process called glass-like ageing. Understanding why and how these condensates age could lead to advancements in biochemistry, where non-functioning condensates have already been linked with neurodegenerative diseases. Investigating this ageing behaviour by looking at the changing properties could reveal insights in how these condensates work and why they undergo glass-like ageing. PGL-3 is such a protein that can be present in condensates which show glass-like ageing. However, PGL-3 droplets also shrink over time. In this research code is developed to investigate this shrinking behaviour of PGL-3 droplets and show that, not only do these droplets shrink at slower rates for higher salt concentrations, they also show that...Show moreBiomolecular condensates are membrane-less compartments in cells, which are made up of proteins and nucleic acids, that exist through liquid-liquid phase separation. Research has shown that these condensates have time dependent material properties that change in a process called glass-like ageing. Understanding why and how these condensates age could lead to advancements in biochemistry, where non-functioning condensates have already been linked with neurodegenerative diseases. Investigating this ageing behaviour by looking at the changing properties could reveal insights in how these condensates work and why they undergo glass-like ageing. PGL-3 is such a protein that can be present in condensates which show glass-like ageing. However, PGL-3 droplets also shrink over time. In this research code is developed to investigate this shrinking behaviour of PGL-3 droplets and show that, not only do these droplets shrink at slower rates for higher salt concentrations, they also show that larger droplets shrink slower than smaller droplets.Show less

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Study of the shrinking behaviour of PGL-3 droplets during glass-like ageing