Diffusiophoresis in Cells: a General Non-Equilibrium, Non-Motor Mechanism for the Metabolism-Dependent Transport of Particles in Cells

Abstract

The more we learn about the cytoplasm of cells, the more we realise that the cytoplasm is not uniform but instead is highly inhomogeneous. In any inhomogeneous solution, there are concentration gradients, and particles move either up or down these gradients due to a mechanism called diffusiophoresis. I estimate that inside metabolically active cells, the dynamics of particles can be strongly accelerated by diffusiophoresis, provided that they are at least tens of nanometres across. The dynamics of smaller objects, such as single proteins are largely unaffected.