Size Sensitivity of Metabolite Diffusion in Macromolecular Crowds

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Metabolites play crucial roles in cellular processes, yet their diffusion in the densely packed interiors of cells remains poorly understood, compounded by conflicting reports in existing studies. Here, we employ pulsed-gradient stimulated-echo NMR and Brownian/Stokesian dynamics simulations to elucidate the behavior of nano and subnanometer-sized tracers in crowded environments. Using Ficoll as a crowder, we observe a linear decrease in tracer diffusivity with increasing occupied volume fraction, persisting – somewhat surprisingly – up to volume fractions of 30-40%. While simulations suggest a linear correlation between diffusivity slowdown and particle size, experimental findings hint at a more intricate relationship, possibly influenced by Ficoll’s porosity. Simulations and numerical calculations of tracer diffusivity in the E. coli cytoplasm show a non-linear yet monotonic diffusion slowdown with particle size. We discuss our results in the context of nanoviscosity and discrepancies with existing studies.