Phase separation in amino acid mixtures is governed by composition

Abstract

Macromolecular phase separation has recently come to immense prominence as it is central to the formation of membraneless organelles, leading to a new paradigm of cellular organization. This type of phase transition, often termed liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS), is mediated by molecular interactions between biomolecules, including nucleic acids and both ordered and disordered proteins. In the latter case, the separation between protein-dense and -dilute phases is often interpreted using models adapted from polymer theory. Specifically, the “stickers and spacers” model proposes that the formation of condensate-spanning networks in protein solutions originates from the interplay between two classes of residues and that the main determinants for phase separation are multivalency and sequence patterning. The duality of roles of stickers (aromatics like Phe and Tyr) and spacers (Gly and polar residues) may apply more broadly in protein-like mixtures, and the presence of these two types of components alone may suffice for LLPS to take place. In order to explore this hypothesis, we use atomistic molecular dynamics simulations of capped amino acid residues as a minimal model system. We study the behavior of pure amino acids in water for three types of residues corresponding to the spacer and sticker categories and of their multicomponent mixtures. In agreement with previous observations, we find that the spacer-type amino acids fail to phase separate on their own, while the sticker is prone to aggregation. However, ternary amino acid mixtures involving both types of amino acids phase separate into two phases that retain intermediate degrees of compaction and greater fluidity than sticker-only condensates. Our results suggest that LLPS is an emergent property of amino acid mixtures determined by composition.