Equilibrium

Description:

Equilibrium

I depicted here an artistic rendition of a regulatory mechanism that controls the Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER) biogenesis in budding yeast, the opposite process to ER autophagic degradation (“Micro-ER-phagy 1 and “Micro-ER-phagy 2”). ER exists in two different topologies, sheets and tubules. The ER protein Ice2 modulates the fraction of each of these ER architectures. In this painting, the left side of the main cell represents the ER sheet topology (as produced by ICE2 overexpression), while the right side depicts the ER tubular form (as observed upon ICE2 depletion). A huge amount of lipid droplets (pale areas) can be appreciated when the fraction of ER tubules increases, as lipid droplets are formed at the expense of ER sheets. The scene tries to convey the struggle between these two opposite scenarios and the fragile equilibrium that define one or the other. I used a 3D collage technique to emphasize the ER in its different topologies. In the background, a whole field of yeast cells in different focal planes is depicted. The ER of these background cells was represented in dark green and red.

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Author:

Ayelen, Valko

Year:

2021

Technique:

Watercolor, acrylic, Indian ink, and 3D collage on canvas