Effect of LLPS on XoPR/membrane interactions

The role of Liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) in biology is increasingly recognised. Actin remodelling has been found to involve LLPS, which likely acts to upregulate critical proteins and adjust their activity. Intrinsically disordered protein XopR, has been found to trigger actin remodelling, and undergoes LLPS under a pH of 7.4. Here, neutron reflectometry will be used to determine the consequences of LLPS induction at SLBs by XopR alone in terms of the changes that may occur in the lipid bilayer (SLB restructuring), as well as the type of LLPS that takes place (2D vs 3D, and eventual correlations between LLPS domains. Also, the link between cell membrane stiffness (i.e., cholesterol content) and LLPS at the membrane will be investigated.