Work

Repulsive Particle Interactions Enable Selective Information Processing at Cellular Interfaces

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Living systems relay information across membrane interfaces to coordinate compartment functions. We identify a physical mechanism for selective information transmission that arises from the sigmoidal response of surface-bound particle densities to spatial features in adjacent external structures through a nonuniform binding energy. This mechanism implements a form of spatial thresholding, enabling the binary classification of external cues. Expansion microscopy measurements of nuclear pore complex distributions in S. arctica show signatures of such physical thresholding.

Source: Physical Review Letters

DOI: 10.1103/ywr6-mzz5

Authors: J. Elliott, H. Shah, R. Belousov, G. Dey, A. Erzberger

Institutions: Heidelberg University, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Molecular Biology Laboratory

Language: English

Topic: Gene Regulatory Network Analysis

Subfield: Molecular Biology

Field: Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Domain: Life Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,750

Funders: European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Commission, European Research Council, HORIZON EUROPE Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions