Fig. 4: Schematic depicting how to interpret tie lines for a system of two components that undergo co-phase separation from the solvent to form precisely two coexisting phases. | Nature Communications

Fig. 4: Schematic depicting how to interpret tie lines for a system of two components that undergo co-phase separation from the solvent to form precisely two coexisting phases.

From: Phase separation of protein mixtures is driven by the interplay of homotypic and heterotypic interactions

Fig. 4

Concentrations of the two components, A and B, are titrated along the abscissa and ordinate, respectively. The A-B mixture undergoes phase separation to form two coexisting phases. If homotypic, A-A interactions are the most dominant, then the slope of the tie line that connects the concentrations of the two coexisting phases will be less than unity (green line). Likewise, if homotypic B-B interactions are most dominant, then the slope of the tie line that connects the concentrations of the two coexisting phases will be greater than unity (blue line). If heterotypic A-B interactions and homotypic A-A as well as B-B interactions make equivalent contributions to phase separation, then the slope of the tie line will be ≈ 1 (red line).

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