  Biological cells exhibit a hierarchical spatial organization, where various
compartments harbor condensates that form by phase separation. Cells can
control the emergence of these condensates by affecting compartment size, the
amount of the involved molecules, and their physical interactions. While
physical interactions directly affect compartment binding and phase separation,
they can also cause oligomerization, which has been suggested as a control
mechanism. Analyzing an equilibrium model, we illustrate that oligomerization
amplifies compartment binding and phase separation, which reinforce each other.
This nonlinear interplay can also induce multistability, which provides
additional potential for control. Our work forms the basis for deriving
thermodynamically consistent kinetic models to understand how biological cells
can regulate phase separation in their compartments.
