| 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. |
