P granules phase transition induced by cytoplasmic streaming in Caenorhabditis elegans embryo

Abstract

P granules are germ granules contained in Caenorhabditis elegans germ cells. The first germ cell is specified by the one-cell embryo in which P granules localize to the posterior. Previous studies suggested that the mechanism of the localization phenomena is induced by liquid-liquid phase transition (LLPT), in which the polarity proteins control the saturation point of P granules. In the present study, we propose that the P granules phase transition can be triggered by the cytoplasmic streaming. A two-phase flow model is employed to simulate the localization of P granules, i.e., the cytoplasm is considered as a liquid phase, and the droplet-like P granules are another liquid phase. With the presence of the cytoplasmic streaming, P granules, initially distributing uniformly in the entire one-cell embryo, eventually condense/dissolve in the cytoplasm phase, regulated by difference between the saturation pressure and the hydrodynamic pressure. The numerical results reveal that the cytoplasmic streaming has significant effects on the localization of P granules, as well as the embryo division.