1
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Bienau A, Jäkel AC, Simmel FC. Cell-Free Gene Expression in Bioprinted Fluidic Networks. ACS Synth Biol 2024; 13:2447-2456. [PMID: 39042670 PMCID: PMC11334185 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.4c00187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2024] [Revised: 07/01/2024] [Accepted: 07/09/2024] [Indexed: 07/25/2024]
Abstract
The realization of soft robotic devices with life-like properties requires the engineering of smart, active materials that can respond to environmental cues in similar ways as living cells or organisms. Cell-free expression systems provide an approach for embedding dynamic molecular control into such materials that avoids many of the complexities associated with genuinely living systems. Here, we present a strategy to integrate cell-free protein synthesis within agarose-based hydrogels that can be spatially organized and supplied by a synthetic vasculature. We first utilize an indirect printing approach with a commercial bioprinter and Pluronic F-127 as a fugitive ink to define fluidic channel structures within the hydrogels. We then investigate the impact of the gel matrix on the expression of proteins in E. coli cell-extract, which is found to depend on the gel density and the dilution of the expression system. When supplying the vascularized hydrogels with reactants, larger components such as DNA plasmids are confined to the channels or immobilized in the gels while nanoscale reaction components can diffusively spread within the gel. Using a single supply channel, we demonstrate different spatial protein concentration profiles emerging from different cell-free gene circuits comprising production, gene activation, and negative feedback. Variation of the channel design allows the creation of specific concentration profiles such as a long-term stable gradient or the homogeneous supply of a hydrogel with proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Bienau
- TU Munich, School of Natural Sciences, Department of Bioscience, 85748 Garching
b. München, Germany
| | - Anna C. Jäkel
- TU Munich, School of Natural Sciences, Department of Bioscience, 85748 Garching
b. München, Germany
| | - Friedrich C. Simmel
- TU Munich, School of Natural Sciences, Department of Bioscience, 85748 Garching
b. München, Germany
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2
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Gentili PL, Stano P. Living cells and biological mechanisms as prototypes for developing chemical artificial intelligence. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2024; 720:150060. [PMID: 38754164 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2024.150060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2023] [Revised: 03/25/2024] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024]
Abstract
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is having a revolutionary impact on our societies. It is helping humans in facing the global challenges of this century. Traditionally, AI is developed in software or through neuromorphic engineering in hardware. More recently, a brand-new strategy has been proposed. It is the so-called Chemical AI (CAI), which exploits molecular, supramolecular, and systems chemistry in wetware to mimic human intelligence. In this work, two promising approaches for boosting CAI are described. One regards designing and implementing neural surrogates that can communicate through optical or chemical signals and give rise to networks for computational purposes and to develop micro/nanorobotics. The other approach concerns "bottom-up synthetic cells" that can be exploited for applications in various scenarios, including future nano-medicine. Both topics are presented at a basic level, mainly to inform the broader audience of non-specialists, and so favour the rise of interest in these frontier subjects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pier Luigi Gentili
- Department of Chemistry, Biology, and Biotechnology, Università degli Studi di Perugia, Perugia, Italy.
| | - Pasquale Stano
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies (DiSTeBA), University of Salento, Lecce, Italy.
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3
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Allen ME, Kamilova E, Monck C, Ceroni F, Hu Y, Yetisen AK, Elani Y. Engineered Bacteria as Living Biosensors in Dermal Tattoos. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024; 11:e2309509. [PMID: 38884139 PMCID: PMC11321667 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202309509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2023] [Revised: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 06/18/2024]
Abstract
Dermal tattoo biosensors are promising platforms for real-time monitoring of biomarkers, with skin used as a diagnostic interface. Traditional tattoo sensors have utilized small molecules as biosensing elements. However, the rise of synthetic biology has enabled the potential employment of engineered bacteria as living analytical tools. Exploiting engineered bacterial sensors will allow for potentially more sensitive detection across a broad biomarker range, with advanced processing and sense/response functionalities using genetic circuits. Here, the interfacing of bacterial biosensors as living analytics in tattoos is shown. Engineered bacteria are encapsulated into micron-scale hydrogel beads prepared through scalable microfluidics. These biosensors can sense both biochemical cues (model biomarkers) and biophysical cues (temperature changes, using RNA thermometers), with fluorescent readouts. By tattooing beads into skin models and confirming sensor activity post-tattooing, our study establishes a foundation for integrating bacteria as living biosensing entities in tattoos.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew E. Allen
- Department of ChemistryImperial College LondonMolecular Sciences Research HubLondonW12 0BZUK
- Institute of Chemical BiologyImperial College LondonMolecular Sciences Research HubLondonW12 0BZUK
- Department of Chemical EngineeringImperial College LondonSouth KensingtonLondonSW7 2AZUK
- fabriCELLImperial College London and King's College LondonLondonW12 0BZUK
| | - Elina Kamilova
- Department of Chemical EngineeringImperial College LondonSouth KensingtonLondonSW7 2AZUK
| | - Carolina Monck
- Department of Chemical EngineeringImperial College LondonSouth KensingtonLondonSW7 2AZUK
| | - Francesca Ceroni
- Department of Chemical EngineeringImperial College LondonSouth KensingtonLondonSW7 2AZUK
| | - Yubing Hu
- Department of Chemical EngineeringImperial College LondonSouth KensingtonLondonSW7 2AZUK
| | - Ali K. Yetisen
- Department of Chemical EngineeringImperial College LondonSouth KensingtonLondonSW7 2AZUK
| | - Yuval Elani
- Institute of Chemical BiologyImperial College LondonMolecular Sciences Research HubLondonW12 0BZUK
- Department of Chemical EngineeringImperial College LondonSouth KensingtonLondonSW7 2AZUK
- fabriCELLImperial College London and King's College LondonLondonW12 0BZUK
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4
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Koball A, Obst F, Gaitzsch J, Voit B, Appelhans D. Boosting Microfluidic Enzymatic Cascade Reactions with pH-Responsive Polymersomes by Spatio-Chemical Activity Control. SMALL METHODS 2024:e2400282. [PMID: 38989686 DOI: 10.1002/smtd.202400282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2024] [Revised: 06/26/2024] [Indexed: 07/12/2024]
Abstract
Microfluidic flow reactors permit the implementation of sensitive biocatalysts in polymeric environments (e.g., hydrogel dots), mimicking nature through the use of diverse microstructures within defined confinements. However, establishing complex hybrid structures to mimic biological processes and functions under continuous flow with optimal utilization of all components involved in the reaction process represents a significant scientific challenge. To achieve spatial, chemical, and temporal control for any microfluidic application, compartmentalization is required, as well as the unification of different sensitive compartments in the reaction chamber for the microfluidic flow design. This study presents a self-regulating microfluidic system fabricated by a sequential photostructuring process with an intermediate chemical process step to realize pH-sensitive hybrid structures for the fabrication of a microfluidic double chamber reactor for controlled enzymatic cascade reaction (ECR). The key point is the adaptation and retention of the function of pH-responsive horseradish peroxidase-loaded polymersomes in a microfluidic chip under continuous flow. ECR is successfully triggered and controlled by an interplay between glucose oxidase-converted glucose, the membrane state of pH-responsive polymersomes, and other parameters (e.g., flow rate and fluid composition). This study establishes a promising noninvasive regulatory platform for extended spatio-chemical control of current and future ECR and other cascade reaction systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Koball
- Leibniz-Institut für Polymerforschung Dresden e.V., Hohe Straße 6, D-01069, Dresden, Germany
- Technische Universität Dresden, Fakultät Chemie und Lebensmittelchemie, Organische Chemie der Polymere, D-01062, Dresden, Germany
| | - Franziska Obst
- Leibniz-Institut für Polymerforschung Dresden e.V., Hohe Straße 6, D-01069, Dresden, Germany
- Technische Universität Dresden, Institut für Halbleiter- und Mikrosystemtechnik, Nöthnitzer Straße 64, D-01187, Dresden, Germany
| | - Jens Gaitzsch
- Leibniz-Institut für Polymerforschung Dresden e.V., Hohe Straße 6, D-01069, Dresden, Germany
| | - Brigitte Voit
- Leibniz-Institut für Polymerforschung Dresden e.V., Hohe Straße 6, D-01069, Dresden, Germany
- Technische Universität Dresden, Fakultät Chemie und Lebensmittelchemie, Organische Chemie der Polymere, D-01062, Dresden, Germany
| | - Dietmar Appelhans
- Leibniz-Institut für Polymerforschung Dresden e.V., Hohe Straße 6, D-01069, Dresden, Germany
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5
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Monck C, Elani Y, Ceroni F. Genetically programmed synthetic cells for thermo-responsive protein synthesis and cargo release. Nat Chem Biol 2024:10.1038/s41589-024-01673-7. [PMID: 38969863 DOI: 10.1038/s41589-024-01673-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2024] [Indexed: 07/07/2024]
Abstract
Synthetic cells containing genetic programs and protein expression machinery are increasingly recognized as powerful counterparts to engineered living cells in the context of biotechnology, therapeutics and cellular modelling. So far, genetic regulation of synthetic cell activity has been largely confined to chemical stimuli; to unlock their potential in applied settings, engineering stimuli-responsive synthetic cells under genetic regulation is imperative. Here we report the development of temperature-sensitive synthetic cells that control protein production by exploiting heat-responsive mRNA elements. This is achieved by combining RNA thermometer technology, cell-free protein expression and vesicle-based synthetic cell design to create cell-sized capsules able to initiate synthesis of both soluble proteins and membrane proteins at defined temperatures. We show that the latter allows for temperature-controlled cargo release phenomena with potential implications for biomedicine. Platforms like the one presented here can pave the way for customizable, genetically programmed synthetic cells under thermal control to be used in biotechnology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina Monck
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Imperial College Centre for Synthetic Biology, London, UK
- fabriCELL, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Yuval Elani
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Imperial College London, London, UK.
- Imperial College Centre for Synthetic Biology, London, UK.
- fabriCELL, Imperial College London, London, UK.
| | - Francesca Ceroni
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Imperial College London, London, UK.
- Imperial College Centre for Synthetic Biology, London, UK.
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6
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Chang L, Cui H, Li F, Job Zhang YHP, Zhang L. ATP regeneration by ATPases for in vitro biotransformation. Biotechnol Adv 2024; 73:108377. [PMID: 38763231 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2024.108377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Revised: 04/10/2024] [Accepted: 05/12/2024] [Indexed: 05/21/2024]
Abstract
Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) regeneration is a significant step in both living cells and in vitro biotransformation (ivBT). Rotary motor ATP synthases (ATPases), which regenerate ATP in living cells, have been widely assembled in biomimetic structures for in vitro ATP synthesis. In this review, we present a comprehensive overview of ATPases, including the working principle, orientation and distribution density properties of ATPases, as well as the assembly strategies and applications of ATPase-based ATP regeneration modules. The original sources of ATPases for in vitro ATP regeneration include chromatophores, chloroplasts, mitochondria, and inverted Escherichia coli (E. coli) vesicles, which are readily accessible but unstable. Although significant advances have been made in the assembly methods for ATPase-artificial membranes in recent decades, it remains challenging to replicate the high density and orientation of ATPases observed in vivo using in vitro assembly methods. The use of bioproton pumps or chemicals for constructing proton motive forces (PMF) enables the versatility and potential of ATPase-based ATP regeneration modules. Additionally, overall robustness can be achieved via membrane component selection, such as polymers offering great mechanical stability, or by constructing a solid supporting matrix through layer-by-layer assembly techniques. Finally, the prospects of ATPase-based ATP regeneration modules can be expected with the technological development of ATPases and artificial membranes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lijing Chang
- Key Laboratory of Engineering Biology for Low-Carbon Manufacturing, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, PR China; In vitro Synthetic Biology Center, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, PR China
| | - Huijuan Cui
- Key Laboratory of Engineering Biology for Low-Carbon Manufacturing, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, PR China; In vitro Synthetic Biology Center, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, PR China
| | - Fei Li
- Key Laboratory of Engineering Biology for Low-Carbon Manufacturing, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, PR China; In vitro Synthetic Biology Center, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, PR China
| | - Yi-Heng P Job Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Engineering Biology for Low-Carbon Manufacturing, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, PR China; In vitro Synthetic Biology Center, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, PR China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, PR China
| | - Lingling Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Engineering Biology for Low-Carbon Manufacturing, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, PR China; In vitro Synthetic Biology Center, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, PR China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, PR China.
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7
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Valente S, Galanti A, Maghin E, Najdi N, Piccoli M, Gobbo P. Matching Together Living Cells and Prototissues: Will There Be Chemistry? Chembiochem 2024:e202400378. [PMID: 39031571 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202400378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2024] [Revised: 06/04/2024] [Accepted: 06/19/2024] [Indexed: 07/22/2024]
Abstract
Scientific advancements in bottom-up synthetic biology have led to the development of numerous models of synthetic cells, or protocells. To date, research has mainly focused on increasing the (bio)chemical complexity of these bioinspired micro-compartmentalized systems, yet the successful integration of protocells with living cells remains one of the major challenges in bottom-up synthetic biology. In this review, we aim to summarize the current state of the art in hybrid protocell/living cell and prototissue/living cell systems. Inspired by recent breakthroughs in tissue engineering, we review the chemical, bio-chemical, and mechano-chemical aspects that hold promise for achieving an effective integration of non-living and living matter. The future production of fully integrated protocell/living cell systems and increasingly complex prototissue/living tissue systems not only has the potential to revolutionize the field of tissue engineering, but also paves the way for new technologies in (bio)sensing, personalized therapy, and drug delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Valente
- Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Trieste, Via L. Giorgieri 1, 34127, Trieste, Italy
| | - Agostino Galanti
- Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Trieste, Via L. Giorgieri 1, 34127, Trieste, Italy
| | - Edoardo Maghin
- Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Trieste, Via L. Giorgieri 1, 34127, Trieste, Italy
- Fondazione Istituto di Ricerca Pediatrica Città della Speranza, Corso Stati Uniti 4, 35127, Padova, Italy
| | - Nahid Najdi
- Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Trieste, Via L. Giorgieri 1, 34127, Trieste, Italy
| | - Martina Piccoli
- Fondazione Istituto di Ricerca Pediatrica Città della Speranza, Corso Stati Uniti 4, 35127, Padova, Italy
| | - Pierangelo Gobbo
- Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Trieste, Via L. Giorgieri 1, 34127, Trieste, Italy
- National Interuniversity Consortium of Materials Science and Technology, Unit of Trieste, Via G. Giusti 9, 50121, Firenze, Italy
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8
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Dimitriou P, Li J, Jamieson WD, Schneider JJ, Castell OK, Barrow DA. Manipulation of encapsulated artificial phospholipid membranes using sub-micellar lysolipid concentrations. Commun Chem 2024; 7:120. [PMID: 38824266 PMCID: PMC11144220 DOI: 10.1038/s42004-024-01209-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2024] [Indexed: 06/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Droplet Interface Bilayers (DIBs) constitute a commonly used model of artificial membranes for synthetic biology research applications. However, their practical use is often limited by their requirement to be surrounded by oil. Here we demonstrate in-situ bilayer manipulation of submillimeter, hydrogel-encapsulated droplet interface bilayers (eDIBs). Monolithic, Cyclic Olefin Copolymer/Nylon 3D-printed microfluidic devices facilitated the eDIB formation through high-order emulsification. By exposing the eDIB capsules to varying lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) concentrations, we investigated the interaction of lysolipids with three-dimensional DIB networks. Micellar LPC concentrations triggered the bursting of encapsulated droplet networks, while at lower concentrations the droplet network endured structural changes, precisely affecting the membrane dimensions. This chemically-mediated manipulation of enclosed, 3D-orchestrated membrane mimics, facilitates the exploration of readily accessible compartmentalized artificial cellular machinery. Collectively, the droplet-based construct can pose as a chemically responsive soft material for studying membrane mechanics, and drug delivery, by controlling the cargo release from artificial cell chassis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pantelitsa Dimitriou
- School of Engineering, Cardiff University, Queen's Buildings, Cardiff, CF24 3AA, UK.
| | - Jin Li
- School of Engineering, Cardiff University, Queen's Buildings, Cardiff, CF24 3AA, UK.
| | - William David Jamieson
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Biomedical and Life Sciences, Cardiff University, Redwood Building, Kind Edward VII Avenue, Cardiff, CF10 3NB, UK
| | - Johannes Josef Schneider
- Institute of Applied Mathematics and Physics, School of Engineering, Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Technikumstr. 9, 8401, Winterthur, Switzerland
| | - Oliver Kieran Castell
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Biomedical and Life Sciences, Cardiff University, Redwood Building, Kind Edward VII Avenue, Cardiff, CF10 3NB, UK
| | - David Anthony Barrow
- School of Engineering, Cardiff University, Queen's Buildings, Cardiff, CF24 3AA, UK
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9
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Westensee IN, Paffen LJMM, Pendlmayr S, De Dios Andres P, Ramos Docampo MA, Städler B. Artificial Cells and HepG2 Cells in 3D-Bioprinted Arrangements. Adv Healthc Mater 2024; 13:e2303699. [PMID: 38277695 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202303699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2023] [Revised: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 01/28/2024]
Abstract
Artificial cells are engineered units with cell-like functions for different purposes including acting as supportive elements for mammalian cells. Artificial cells with minimal liver-like function are made of alginate and equipped with metalloporphyrins that mimic the enzyme activity of a member of the cytochrome P450 family namely CYP1A2. The artificial cells are employed to enhance the dealkylation activity within 3D bioprinted structures composed of HepG2 cells and these artificial cells. This enhancement is monitored through the conversion of resorufin ethyl ether to resorufin. HepG2 cell aggregates are 3D bioprinted using an alginate/gelatin methacryloyl ink, resulting in the successful proliferation of the HepG2 cells. The composite ink made of an alginate/gelatin liquid phase with an increasing amount of artificial cells is characterized. The CYP1A2-like activity of artificial cells is preserved over at least 35 days, where 6 nM resorufin is produced in 8 h. Composite inks made of artificial cells and HepG2 cell aggregates in a liquid phase are used for 3D bioprinting. The HepG2 cells proliferate over 35 days, and the structure has boosted CYP1A2 activity. The integration of artificial cells and their living counterparts into larger 3D semi-synthetic tissues is a step towards exploring bottom-up synthetic biology in tissue engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabella N Westensee
- Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO), Aarhus University, Gustav Wieds Vej 14, Aarhus, 8000, Denmark
| | - Lars J M M Paffen
- Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO), Aarhus University, Gustav Wieds Vej 14, Aarhus, 8000, Denmark
| | - Stefan Pendlmayr
- Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO), Aarhus University, Gustav Wieds Vej 14, Aarhus, 8000, Denmark
- Sino-Danish Center for Education and Research, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Paula De Dios Andres
- Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO), Aarhus University, Gustav Wieds Vej 14, Aarhus, 8000, Denmark
| | - Miguel A Ramos Docampo
- Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO), Aarhus University, Gustav Wieds Vej 14, Aarhus, 8000, Denmark
| | - Brigitte Städler
- Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO), Aarhus University, Gustav Wieds Vej 14, Aarhus, 8000, Denmark
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10
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Belluati A, Jimaja S, Chadwick RJ, Glynn C, Chami M, Happel D, Guo C, Kolmar H, Bruns N. Artificial cell synthesis using biocatalytic polymerization-induced self-assembly. Nat Chem 2024; 16:564-574. [PMID: 38049652 PMCID: PMC10997521 DOI: 10.1038/s41557-023-01391-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/06/2023]
Abstract
Artificial cells are biomimetic microstructures that mimic functions of natural cells, can be applied as building blocks for molecular systems engineering, and host synthetic biology pathways. Here we report enzymatically synthesized polymer-based artificial cells with the ability to express proteins. Artificial cells were synthesized using biocatalytic atom transfer radical polymerization-induced self-assembly, in which myoglobin synthesizes amphiphilic block co-polymers that self-assemble into structures such as micelles, worm-like micelles, polymersomes and giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs). The GUVs encapsulate cargo during the polymerization, including enzymes, nanoparticles, microparticles, plasmids and cell lysate. The resulting artificial cells act as microreactors for enzymatic reactions and for osteoblast-inspired biomineralization. Moreover, they can express proteins such as a fluorescent protein and actin when fed with amino acids. Actin polymerizes in the vesicles and alters the artificial cells' internal structure by creating internal compartments. Thus, biocatalytic atom transfer radical polymerization-induced self-assembly-derived GUVs can mimic bacteria as they are composed of a microscopic reaction compartment that contains genetic information for protein expression upon induction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Belluati
- Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry, University of Strathclyde, Thomas Graham Building, Glasgow, UK.
- Department of Chemistry and Centre for Synthetic Biology, Technical University of Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany.
| | - Sètuhn Jimaja
- Adolphe Merkle Institute, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Robert J Chadwick
- Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry, University of Strathclyde, Thomas Graham Building, Glasgow, UK
| | - Christopher Glynn
- Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry, University of Strathclyde, Thomas Graham Building, Glasgow, UK
| | | | - Dominic Happel
- Department of Chemistry and Centre for Synthetic Biology, Technical University of Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Chao Guo
- Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry, University of Strathclyde, Thomas Graham Building, Glasgow, UK
| | - Harald Kolmar
- Department of Chemistry and Centre for Synthetic Biology, Technical University of Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Nico Bruns
- Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry, University of Strathclyde, Thomas Graham Building, Glasgow, UK.
- Department of Chemistry and Centre for Synthetic Biology, Technical University of Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany.
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11
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Westensee IN, Thomsen KL, Mookerjee RP, Städler B. Antioxidant Microgels Support Peroxide-Challenged Hepatic Cells. Adv Biol (Weinh) 2024; 8:e2300547. [PMID: 38282178 DOI: 10.1002/adbi.202300547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2023] [Revised: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 01/30/2024]
Abstract
Access to therapeutic strategies that counter cellular stress induced by reactive oxygen species (ROS) is an important, long-standing challenge. Here, the assembly of antioxidant artificial cells is based on alginate hydrogels equipped with non-native catalysts, namely platinum nanoparticles and an EUK compound. These artificial cells are able to preserve the viability and lower the intracellular ROS levels of challenged hepatic cells by removing peroxides from the extracellular environment. Conceptually, this strategy illustrates the potential use of artificial cells with a synthetic catalyst toward long-term support of hepatic cells and potentially other mammalian cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabella Nymann Westensee
- Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO), Aarhus University, Gustav Wieds Vej 14, Aarhus, 8000, Denmark
| | - Karen Louise Thomsen
- Department of Hepatology and Gastroenterology, Aarhus University Hospital, Palle Juul-Jensens Boulevard 99, Aarhus N, 8200, Denmark
| | - Rajeshwar Prosad Mookerjee
- Institute for Liver and Digestive Health, University College London, Royal Free Campus, Rowland Hill Street, Hampstead, London, NW3 2PF, UK
| | - Brigitte Städler
- Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO), Aarhus University, Gustav Wieds Vej 14, Aarhus, 8000, Denmark
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12
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Stock M, Gorochowski TE. Open-endedness in synthetic biology: A route to continual innovation for biological design. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadi3621. [PMID: 38241375 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adi3621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/21/2024]
Abstract
Design in synthetic biology is typically goal oriented, aiming to repurpose or optimize existing biological functions, augmenting biology with new-to-nature capabilities, or creating life-like systems from scratch. While the field has seen many advances, bottlenecks in the complexity of the systems built are emerging and designs that function in the lab often fail when used in real-world contexts. Here, we propose an open-ended approach to biological design, with the novelty of designed biology being at least as important as how well it fulfils its goal. Rather than solely focusing on optimization toward a single best design, designing with novelty in mind may allow us to move beyond the diminishing returns we see in performance for most engineered biology. Research from the artificial life community has demonstrated that embracing novelty can automatically generate innovative and unexpected solutions to challenging problems beyond local optima. Synthetic biology offers the ideal playground to explore more creative approaches to biological design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michiel Stock
- KERMIT & Biobix, Department of Data Analysis and Mathematical Modelling, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Thomas E Gorochowski
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Life Sciences Building, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
- BrisEngBio, School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Cantock's Close, Bristol BS8 1TS, UK
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13
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Llopis-Lorente A, Schotman MJG, Humeniuk HV, van Hest JCM, Dankers PYW, Abdelmohsen LKEA. Artificial cells with viscoadaptive behavior based on hydrogel-loaded giant unilamellar vesicles. Chem Sci 2024; 15:629-638. [PMID: 38179539 PMCID: PMC10763548 DOI: 10.1039/d3sc04687g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Viscoadaptation is an essential process in natural cells, where supramolecular interactions between cytosolic components drive adaptation of the cellular mechanical features to regulate metabolic function. This important relationship between mechanical properties and function has until now been underexplored in artificial cell research. Here, we have created an artificial cell platform that exploits internal supramolecular interactions to display viscoadaptive behavior. As supramolecular material to mimic the cytosolic component of these artificial cells, we employed a pH-switchable hydrogelator based on poly(ethylene glycol) coupled to ureido-pyrimidinone units. The hydrogelator was membranized in its sol state in giant unilamellar lipid vesicles to include a cell-membrane mimetic component. The resulting hydrogelator-loaded giant unilamellar vesicles (designated as HL-GUVs) displayed reversible pH-switchable sol-gel behavior through multiple cycles. Furthermore, incorporation of the regulatory enzyme urease enabled us to increase the cytosolic pH upon conversion of its substrate urea. The system was able to switch between a high viscosity (at neutral pH) and a low viscosity (at basic pH) state upon addition of substrate. Finally, viscoadaptation was achieved via the incorporation of a second enzyme of which the activity was governed by the viscosity of the artificial cell. This work represents a new approach to install functional self-regulation in artificial cells, and opens new possibilities for the creation of complex artificial cells that mimic the structural and functional interplay found in biological systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antoni Llopis-Lorente
- Department of Chemical Engineering & Chemistry, Laboratory of Bio-Organic Chemistry, Eindhoven University of Technology Het Kranenveld 14 5600 MB Eindhoven The Netherlands
- Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology Het Kranenveld 14, Eindhoven 5600 MB Eindhoven The Netherlands
- Instituto Interuniversitario de Investigación de Reconocimiento Molecular y Desarrollo Tecnológico, CIBER de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina, Universitat Politècnica de València, Universitat de València Camino de Vera s/n 46022 València Spain
| | - Maaike J G Schotman
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Eindhoven University of Technology Eindhoven, Het Kranenveld 14 5600 MB Eindhoven The Netherlands
- Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology Het Kranenveld 14, Eindhoven 5600 MB Eindhoven The Netherlands
| | - Heorhii V Humeniuk
- Department of Chemical Engineering & Chemistry, Laboratory of Bio-Organic Chemistry, Eindhoven University of Technology Het Kranenveld 14 5600 MB Eindhoven The Netherlands
- Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology Het Kranenveld 14, Eindhoven 5600 MB Eindhoven The Netherlands
| | - Jan C M van Hest
- Department of Chemical Engineering & Chemistry, Laboratory of Bio-Organic Chemistry, Eindhoven University of Technology Het Kranenveld 14 5600 MB Eindhoven The Netherlands
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Eindhoven University of Technology Eindhoven, Het Kranenveld 14 5600 MB Eindhoven The Netherlands
- Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology Het Kranenveld 14, Eindhoven 5600 MB Eindhoven The Netherlands
| | - Patricia Y W Dankers
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Eindhoven University of Technology Eindhoven, Het Kranenveld 14 5600 MB Eindhoven The Netherlands
- Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology Het Kranenveld 14, Eindhoven 5600 MB Eindhoven The Netherlands
| | - Loai K E A Abdelmohsen
- Department of Chemical Engineering & Chemistry, Laboratory of Bio-Organic Chemistry, Eindhoven University of Technology Het Kranenveld 14 5600 MB Eindhoven The Netherlands
- Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology Het Kranenveld 14, Eindhoven 5600 MB Eindhoven The Netherlands
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14
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Cao S, Ivanov T, Heuer J, Ferguson CTJ, Landfester K, Caire da Silva L. Dipeptide coacervates as artificial membraneless organelles for bioorthogonal catalysis. Nat Commun 2024; 15:39. [PMID: 38169470 PMCID: PMC10761997 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44278-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Artificial organelles can manipulate cellular functions and introduce non-biological processes into cells. Coacervate droplets have emerged as a close analog of membraneless cellular organelles. Their biomimetic properties, such as molecular crowding and selective partitioning, make them promising components for designing cell-like materials. However, their use as artificial organelles has been limited by their complex molecular structure, limited control over internal microenvironment properties, and inherent colloidal instability. Here we report the design of dipeptide coacervates that exhibit enhanced stability, biocompatibility, and a hydrophobic microenvironment. The hydrophobic character facilitates the encapsulation of hydrophobic species, including transition metal-based catalysts, enhancing their efficiency in aqueous environments. Dipeptide coacervates carrying a metal-based catalyst are incorporated as active artificial organelles in cells and trigger an internal non-biological chemical reaction. The development of coacervates with a hydrophobic microenvironment opens an alternative avenue in the field of biomimetic materials with applications in catalysis and synthetic biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shoupeng Cao
- Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, 55128, Mainz, Germany
| | - Tsvetomir Ivanov
- Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, 55128, Mainz, Germany
| | - Julian Heuer
- Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, 55128, Mainz, Germany
| | - Calum T J Ferguson
- Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, 55128, Mainz, Germany
- School of Chemistry, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | | | - Lucas Caire da Silva
- Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, 55128, Mainz, Germany.
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, Montreal, H3A 0B8, Canada.
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15
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Qiao X, Wang X, Chen H, Huang Y, Li S, Li L, Sun Y, Liu X, Huang X. Cholesterol-Mediated Anchoring of Phospholipids onto Proteinosomes for Switching Membrane Permeability. Biomacromolecules 2023; 24:5749-5758. [PMID: 37934168 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.3c00711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2023]
Abstract
Modulated membrane functionalization is a necessary and overarching step for hollow microcompartments toward their application as nanoreactors or artificial cells. In this study, we show a way to generate phospholipid hybrid proteinosomes that could show superposed virtues of liposomes and proteinosomes. In comparison to pure proteinosomes, both the membrane fluidity and permeability are improved obviously after forming the phospholipid hybrid proteinosomes. Specifically, the integration of phospholipids also endows the hybrid proteinosomes demonstrating a stepwise release of the encapsulants of FITC-dextran (70 and 150 kDa) triggered sequentially by phospholipase and protease, and then a modulated cascaded enzymatic reaction between two different populations of proteinosomes are achieved. Therefore, it is anticipated that such constructed phospholipid hybrid proteinosomes could be employed as an improved microcompartmental model for further advanced artificial cell design toward achieving logic signal communication within the various artificial cellular populations as well as potential applications in the field of microreactors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Qiao
- MIIT Key Laboratory of Critical Materials Technology for New Energy Conversion and Storage, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150001, China
| | - Xiaoliang Wang
- MIIT Key Laboratory of Critical Materials Technology for New Energy Conversion and Storage, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150001, China
| | - Haixu Chen
- MIIT Key Laboratory of Critical Materials Technology for New Energy Conversion and Storage, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150001, China
| | - Yan Huang
- MIIT Key Laboratory of Critical Materials Technology for New Energy Conversion and Storage, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150001, China
| | - Shangsong Li
- MIIT Key Laboratory of Critical Materials Technology for New Energy Conversion and Storage, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150001, China
| | - Luxuan Li
- MIIT Key Laboratory of Critical Materials Technology for New Energy Conversion and Storage, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150001, China
| | - Yinyong Sun
- MIIT Key Laboratory of Critical Materials Technology for New Energy Conversion and Storage, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150001, China
| | - Xiaoman Liu
- MIIT Key Laboratory of Critical Materials Technology for New Energy Conversion and Storage, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150001, China
| | - Xin Huang
- MIIT Key Laboratory of Critical Materials Technology for New Energy Conversion and Storage, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150001, China
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16
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Tror S, Jeon S, Nguyen HT, Huh E, Shin K. A Self-Regenerating Artificial Cell, that is One Step Closer to Living Cells: Challenges and Perspectives. SMALL METHODS 2023; 7:e2300182. [PMID: 37246263 DOI: 10.1002/smtd.202300182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2023] [Revised: 04/29/2023] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Controllable, self-regenerating artificial cells (SRACs) can be a vital advancement in the field of synthetic biology, which seeks to create living cells by recombining various biological molecules in the lab. This represents, more importantly, the first step on a long journey toward creating reproductive cells from rather fragmentary biochemical mimics. However, it is still a difficult task to replicate the complex processes involved in cell regeneration, such as genetic material replication and cell membrane division, in artificially created spaces. This review highlights recent advances in the field of controllable, SRACs and the strategies to achieve the goal of creating such cells. Self-regenerating cells start by replicating DNA and transferring it to a location where proteins can be synthesized. Functional but essential proteins must be synthesized for sustained energy generation and survival needs and function in the same liposomal space. Finally, self-division and repeated cycling lead to autonomous, self-regenerating cells. The pursuit of controllable, SRACs will enable authors to make bold advances in understanding life at the cellular level, ultimately providing an opportunity to use this knowledge to understand the nature of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seangly Tror
- Department of Chemistry and Institute of Biological Interfaces, Sogang University, Seoul, 04107, Republic of Korea
| | - SeonMin Jeon
- Department of Chemistry and Institute of Biological Interfaces, Sogang University, Seoul, 04107, Republic of Korea
| | - Huong Thanh Nguyen
- Department of Chemistry and Institute of Biological Interfaces, Sogang University, Seoul, 04107, Republic of Korea
| | - Eunjin Huh
- Department of Chemistry and Institute of Biological Interfaces, Sogang University, Seoul, 04107, Republic of Korea
| | - Kwanwoo Shin
- Department of Chemistry and Institute of Biological Interfaces, Sogang University, Seoul, 04107, Republic of Korea
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17
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Lee Y, Kim KM, Nguyen DL, Jannah F, Seong HJ, Kim JM, Kim YP. Cyclized proteins with tags as permeable and stable cargos for delivery into cells and liposomes. Int J Biol Macromol 2023; 252:126520. [PMID: 37625744 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.126520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2023] [Revised: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023]
Abstract
Despite the therapeutic potential of recombinant proteins, their cell permeabilities and stabilities remain significant challenges. Here we demonstrate that cyclized recombinant proteins can be used as universal cargos for permeable and stable delivery into cells and polydiacetylene liposomes. Utilizing a split intein-mediated process, cyclized model fluorescent proteins containing short tetraarginine (R4) and hexahistidine (H6) tags were generated without compromising their native protein functions. Strikingly, as compared to linear R4/H6-tagged proteins, the cyclized counterparts have substantially increased permeabilities in both cancer cells and synthetic liposomes, as well as higher resistances to enzymatic degradation in cancer cells. These properties are likely a consequence of structural constraints imposed on the proteins in the presence of short functional peptides. Additionally, photodynamic therapy by cyclized photoprotein-loaded liposomes in cancer cells was significantly improved in comparison to that by their non-cyclized counterparts. These findings suggest that our strategy will be universally applicable to intercellular delivery of proteins and therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yeonju Lee
- Department of Life Science, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyung-Min Kim
- Department of Life Science, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, Republic of Korea
| | - Duc Long Nguyen
- Department of Life Science, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, Republic of Korea; Research Institute for Convergence of Basic Science, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, Republic of Korea
| | - Fadilatul Jannah
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyun-Jung Seong
- Department of Life Science, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, Republic of Korea
| | - Jong-Man Kim
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, Republic of Korea; Institute of Nano Science and Technology, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, Republic of Korea.
| | - Young-Pil Kim
- Department of Life Science, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, Republic of Korea; Research Institute for Convergence of Basic Science, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, Republic of Korea; Institute of Nano Science and Technology, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, Republic of Korea; Research Institute for Natural Sciences, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, Republic of Korea; Department of HY-KIST Bio-Convergence, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, Republic of Korea; Hanyang Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, Republic of Korea.
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18
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Zhao H, Liu R, Wang L, Tang F, Chen W, Liu YN. Artificial Macrophage with Hierarchical Nanostructure for Biomimetic Reconstruction of Antitumor Immunity. NANO-MICRO LETTERS 2023; 15:216. [PMID: 37737506 PMCID: PMC10516848 DOI: 10.1007/s40820-023-01193-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 08/27/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023]
Abstract
Artificial cells are constructed from synthetic materials to imitate the biological functions of natural cells. By virtue of nanoengineering techniques, artificial cells with designed biomimetic functions provide alternatives to natural cells, showing vast potential for biomedical applications. Especially in cancer treatment, the deficiency of immunoactive macrophages results in tumor progression and immune resistance. To overcome the limitation, a BaSO4@ZIF-8/transferrin (TRF) nanomacrophage (NMΦ) is herein constructed as an alternative to immunoactive macrophages. Alike to natural immunoactive macrophages, NMΦ is stably retained in tumors through the specific affinity of TRF to tumor cells. Zn2+ as an "artificial cytokine" is then released from the ZIF-8 layer of NMΦ under tumor microenvironment. Similar as proinflammatory cytokines, Zn2+ can trigger cell anoikis to expose tumor antigens, which are selectively captured by the BaSO4 cavities. Therefore, the hierarchical nanostructure of NMΦs allows them to mediate immunogenic death of tumor cells and subsequent antigen capture for T cell activation to fabricate long-term antitumor immunity. As a proof-of-concept, the NMΦ mimics the biological functions of macrophage, including tumor residence, cytokine release, antigen capture and immune activation, which is hopeful to provide a paradigm for the design and biomedical applications of artificial cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henan Zhao
- Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Micro & Nano Materials Interface Science, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Central South University, Changsha, 410083, Hunan, People's Republic of China
| | - Renyu Liu
- Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, People's Republic of China
| | - Liqiang Wang
- Henan Province Industrial Technology Research Institute of Resources and Materials, School of Material Science and Engineering, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, Henan, People's Republic of China
| | - Feiying Tang
- College of Chemical Engineering, Xiangtan University, Xiangtan, 411105, Hunan, People's Republic of China
| | - Wansong Chen
- Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Micro & Nano Materials Interface Science, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Central South University, Changsha, 410083, Hunan, People's Republic of China.
| | - You-Nian Liu
- Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Micro & Nano Materials Interface Science, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Central South University, Changsha, 410083, Hunan, People's Republic of China.
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19
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Batsanov SS, Gavrilkin SM, Dan’kin DA, Batsanov AS, Kurakov AV, Shatalova TB, Kulikova IM. Transparent Colloids of Detonation Nanodiamond: Physical, Chemical and Biological Properties. MATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 16:6227. [PMID: 37763505 PMCID: PMC10532683 DOI: 10.3390/ma16186227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Revised: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023]
Abstract
Aqueous suspensions (colloids) containing detonation nano-diamond (DND) feature in most applications of DND and are an indispensable stage of its production; therefore, the interaction of DND with water is actively studied. However, insufficient attention has been paid to the unique physico-chemical and biological properties of transparent colloids with low DND content (≤0.1%), which are the subject of this review. Thus, such colloids possess giant dielectric permittivity which shows peculiar temperature dependence, as well as quasi-periodic fluctuations during slow evaporation or dilution. In these colloids, DND interacts with water and air to form cottonwool-like fibers comprising living micro-organisms (fungi and bacteria) and DND particles, with elevated nitrogen content due to fixation of atmospheric N2. Prolonged contact between these solutions and air lead to the formation of ammonium nitrate, sometimes forming macroscopic crystals. The latter was also formed during prolonged oxidation of fungi in aqueous DND colloids. The possible mechanism of N2 fixation is discussed, which can be attributable to the high reactivity of DND.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stepan S. Batsanov
- National Research Institute for Physical-Technical Measurements, Mendeleevo 141570, Russia;
| | - Sergey M. Gavrilkin
- National Research Institute for Physical-Technical Measurements, Mendeleevo 141570, Russia;
| | - Dmitry A. Dan’kin
- Fritsch Laboratory Instruments, Moscow Branch, Moscow 115093, Russia;
| | | | | | | | - Inna M. Kulikova
- Institute of Mineralogy, Geochemistry and Crystalchemistry of Rare Elements, Moscow 121357, Russia;
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20
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Allen ME, Hindley JW, O’Toole N, Cooke HS, Contini C, Law RV, Ces O, Elani Y. Biomimetic behaviors in hydrogel artificial cells through embedded organelles. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2307772120. [PMID: 37603747 PMCID: PMC10466294 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2307772120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 08/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Artificial cells are biomimetic structures formed from molecular building blocks that replicate biological processes, behaviors, and architectures. Of these building blocks, hydrogels have emerged as ideal, yet underutilized candidates to provide a gel-like chassis in which to incorporate both biological and nonbiological componentry which enables the replication of cellular functionality. Here, we demonstrate a microfluidic strategy to assemble biocompatible cell-sized hydrogel-based artificial cells with a variety of different embedded functional subcompartments, which act as engineered synthetic organelles. The organelles enable the recreation of increasingly biomimetic behaviors, including stimulus-induced motility, content release through activation of membrane-associated proteins, and enzymatic communication with surrounding bioinspired compartments. In this way, we showcase a foundational strategy for the bottom-up construction of hydrogel-based artificial cell microsystems which replicate fundamental cellular behaviors, paving the way for the construction of next-generation biotechnological devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew E. Allen
- Department of Chemistry, Imperial College London, Molecular Sciences Research Hub, LondonW12 0BZ, UK
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Imperial College London, South Kensington, LondonSW7 2AZ, UK
- FabriCELL, Imperial College London, Molecular Sciences Research Hub, LondonW12 0BZ, UK
| | - James W. Hindley
- Department of Chemistry, Imperial College London, Molecular Sciences Research Hub, LondonW12 0BZ, UK
- FabriCELL, Imperial College London, Molecular Sciences Research Hub, LondonW12 0BZ, UK
| | - Nina O’Toole
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Imperial College London, South Kensington, LondonSW7 2AZ, UK
- FabriCELL, Imperial College London, Molecular Sciences Research Hub, LondonW12 0BZ, UK
| | - Hannah S. Cooke
- Department of Chemistry, Imperial College London, Molecular Sciences Research Hub, LondonW12 0BZ, UK
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Imperial College London, South Kensington, LondonSW7 2AZ, UK
- FabriCELL, Imperial College London, Molecular Sciences Research Hub, LondonW12 0BZ, UK
| | - Claudia Contini
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Imperial College London, South Kensington, LondonSW7 2AZ, UK
- FabriCELL, Imperial College London, Molecular Sciences Research Hub, LondonW12 0BZ, UK
| | - Robert V. Law
- Department of Chemistry, Imperial College London, Molecular Sciences Research Hub, LondonW12 0BZ, UK
- FabriCELL, Imperial College London, Molecular Sciences Research Hub, LondonW12 0BZ, UK
| | - Oscar Ces
- Department of Chemistry, Imperial College London, Molecular Sciences Research Hub, LondonW12 0BZ, UK
- FabriCELL, Imperial College London, Molecular Sciences Research Hub, LondonW12 0BZ, UK
| | - Yuval Elani
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Imperial College London, South Kensington, LondonSW7 2AZ, UK
- FabriCELL, Imperial College London, Molecular Sciences Research Hub, LondonW12 0BZ, UK
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21
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Seo K, Ichihashi N. Investigation of Compatibility between DNA Replication, Transcription, and Translation for in Vitro Central Dogma. ACS Synth Biol 2023; 12:1813-1822. [PMID: 37271965 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.3c00130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Recent advances in in vitro synthetic biology have made it possible to reconstitute various cellular functions in a test tube. However, the integration of these functions remains a major challenge. This study aimed to identify a suitable condition to achieve all three reactions that constitute the central dogma: transcription, translation, and DNA replication. Specifically, we investigated the effect of the concentrations of 11 nonprotein factors required for in vitro transcription, translation, and DNA replication on each of these reactions. Our results indicate that certain factors have opposing effects on the three reactions. For example, while dNTP is necessary for DNA replication, it inhibited translation, and both rNTP and tRNA, which are essential for transcription and translation, inhibited DNA replication with several DNA polymerases. We also found that these opposing effects were partially alleviated by optimizing the magnesium concentration. Using this knowledge, we successfully demonstrated transcription/translation-coupled DNA replication with higher levels of transcription and translation while maintaining a certain level of DNA replication. These findings not only provide useful insights for the development of a complex artificial system with the central dogma but also raise the question of how natural cells overcome the incompatibility between the three reactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaito Seo
- Department of Life Science, Graduate School of Arts and Science, The University of Tokyo, Meguro, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan
| | - Norikazu Ichihashi
- Department of Life Science, Graduate School of Arts and Science, The University of Tokyo, Meguro, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan
- Komaba Institute for Science, The University of Tokyo, Meguro, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan
- Universal Biology Institute, The University of Tokyo, Meguro, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan
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22
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Atlante A, Valenti D. Mitochondria Have Made a Long Evolutionary Path from Ancient Bacteria Immigrants within Eukaryotic Cells to Essential Cellular Hosts and Key Players in Human Health and Disease. Curr Issues Mol Biol 2023; 45:4451-4479. [PMID: 37232752 PMCID: PMC10217700 DOI: 10.3390/cimb45050283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Revised: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Mitochondria have made a long evolutionary path from ancient bacteria immigrants within the eukaryotic cell to become key players for the cell, assuming crucial multitasking skills critical for human health and disease. Traditionally identified as the powerhouses of eukaryotic cells due to their central role in energy metabolism, these chemiosmotic machines that synthesize ATP are known as the only maternally inherited organelles with their own genome, where mutations can cause diseases, opening up the field of mitochondrial medicine. More recently, the omics era has highlighted mitochondria as biosynthetic and signaling organelles influencing the behaviors of cells and organisms, making mitochondria the most studied organelles in the biomedical sciences. In this review, we will especially focus on certain 'novelties' in mitochondrial biology "left in the shadows" because, although they have been discovered for some time, they are still not taken with due consideration. We will focus on certain particularities of these organelles, for example, those relating to their metabolism and energy efficiency. In particular, some of their functions that reflect the type of cell in which they reside will be critically discussed, for example, the role of some carriers that are strictly functional to the typical metabolism of the cell or to the tissue specialization. Furthermore, some diseases in whose pathogenesis, surprisingly, mitochondria are involved will be mentioned.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Atlante
- Institute of Biomembranes, Bioenergetics and Molecular Biotechnologies (IBIOM), National Research Council (CNR), Via G. Amendola 122/O, 70126 Bari, Italy
| | - Daniela Valenti
- Institute of Biomembranes, Bioenergetics and Molecular Biotechnologies (IBIOM), National Research Council (CNR), Via G. Amendola 122/O, 70126 Bari, Italy
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23
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Kambouris ME. Global Catastrophic Biological Risks in the Post-COVID-19 World: Time to Act Is Now. OMICS : A JOURNAL OF INTEGRATIVE BIOLOGY 2023; 27:153-170. [PMID: 36946656 DOI: 10.1089/omi.2022.0178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/23/2023]
Abstract
Global Catastrophic Biological Risks (GCBRs) refer to events with biological agents that can result in unprecedented or catastrophic disasters that are beyond the collective response-abilities of nation-states and the existing governance instruments of global governance and international affairs. This article offers a narrative review, with a view to new hypothesis development to rethink GCBRs after coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) so as to better prepare for future pandemics and ecological crises, if not to completely prevent them. To determine GCBRs' spatiotemporal contexts, define causality, impacts, differentiate the risk and the event, would improve theorization of GCBRs compared to the impact-centric current definition. This could in turn lead to improvements in preparedness, response, allocation of resources, and possibly deterrence, while actively discouraging lack of due biosecurity diligence. Critical governance of GCBRs in ways that unpack the political power-related dimensions could be particularly valuable because the future global catastrophic events might be different in quality, scale, and actors. Theorization of GCBRs remains an important task going forward in the 21st century in ways that draw from experiences in the field, while integrating flexibility, versatility, and critically informed responses to GCBRs.
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24
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Gonçalves JP, Promlok D, Ivanov T, Tao S, Rheinberger T, Jo SM, Yu Y, Graf R, Wagner M, Crespy D, Wurm FR, Caire da Silva L, Jiang S, Landfester K. Confining the Sol-Gel Reaction at the Water/Oil Interface: Creating Compartmentalized Enzymatic Nano-Organelles for Artificial Cells. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2023; 62:e202216966. [PMID: 36517933 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202216966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2022] [Revised: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Living organisms compartmentalize their catalytic reactions in membranes for increased efficiency and selectivity. To mimic the organelles of eukaryotic cells, we develop a mild approach for in situ encapsulating enzymes in aqueous-core silica nanocapsules. In order to confine the sol-gel reaction at the water/oil interface of miniemulsion, we introduce an aminosilane to the silica precursors, which serves as both catalyst and an amphiphilic anchor that electrostatically assembles with negatively charged hydrolyzed alkoxysilanes at the interface. The semi-permeable shell protects enzymes from proteolytic attack, and allows the transport of reactants and products. The enzyme-carrying nanocapsules, as synthetic nano-organelles, are able to perform cascade reactions when enveloped in a polymer vesicle, mimicking the hierarchically compartmentalized reactions in eukaryotic cells. This in situ encapsulation approach provides a versatile platform for the delivery of biomacromolecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenifer Pendiuk Gonçalves
- Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Ackermannweg 10, 55128, Mainz, Germany.,Federal University of Paraná, Av. Cel Francisco H dos Santos, s/n, CEP, 81530-980, Curitiba, PR, Brazil
| | - Duangkamol Promlok
- Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Ackermannweg 10, 55128, Mainz, Germany
| | - Tsvetomir Ivanov
- Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Ackermannweg 10, 55128, Mainz, Germany
| | - Shijia Tao
- Key Laboratory of Marine Drugs, Chinese Ministry of Education, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, China
| | - Timo Rheinberger
- Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Ackermannweg 10, 55128, Mainz, Germany
| | - Seong-Min Jo
- Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Ackermannweg 10, 55128, Mainz, Germany
| | - Yingjie Yu
- Key Laboratory of Marine Drugs, Chinese Ministry of Education, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, China
| | - Robert Graf
- Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Ackermannweg 10, 55128, Mainz, Germany
| | - Manfred Wagner
- Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Ackermannweg 10, 55128, Mainz, Germany
| | - Daniel Crespy
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, School of Molecular Science and Engineering, Vidyasirimedhi Institute of Science and Technology (VISTEC), Rayong, 21210, Thailand
| | - Frederik R Wurm
- Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Ackermannweg 10, 55128, Mainz, Germany
| | - Lucas Caire da Silva
- Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Ackermannweg 10, 55128, Mainz, Germany
| | - Shuai Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Marine Drugs, Chinese Ministry of Education, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, China
| | - Katharina Landfester
- Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Ackermannweg 10, 55128, Mainz, Germany
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25
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Kumar S, Karmacharya M, Cho YK. Bridging the Gap between Nonliving Matter and Cellular Life. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2023; 19:e2202962. [PMID: 35988151 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202202962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2022] [Revised: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
A cell, the fundamental unit of life, contains the requisite blueprint information necessary to survive and to build tissues, organs, and systems, eventually forming a fully functional living creature. A slight structural alteration can result in data misprinting, throwing the entire life process off balance. Advances in synthetic biology and cell engineering enable the predictable redesign of biological systems to perform novel functions. Individual functions and fundamental processes at the core of the biology of cells can be investigated by employing a synthetically constrained micro or nanoreactor. However, constructing a life-like structure from nonliving building blocks remains a considerable challenge. Chemical compartments, cascade signaling, energy generation, growth, replication, and adaptation within micro or nanoreactors must be comparable with their biological counterparts. Although these reactors currently lack the power and behavioral sophistication of their biological equivalents, their interface with biological systems enables the development of hybrid solutions for real-world applications, such as therapeutic agents, biosensors, innovative materials, and biochemical microreactors. This review discusses the latest advances in cell membrane-engineered micro or nanoreactors, as well as the limitations associated with high-throughput preparation methods and biological applications for the real-time modulation of complex pathological states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sumit Kumar
- Center for Soft and Living Matter, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), UNIST-gil 50, Ulsan, 44919, Republic of Korea
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), UNIST-gil 50, Ulsan, 44919, Republic of Korea
| | - Mamata Karmacharya
- Center for Soft and Living Matter, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), UNIST-gil 50, Ulsan, 44919, Republic of Korea
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), UNIST-gil 50, Ulsan, 44919, Republic of Korea
| | - Yoon-Kyoung Cho
- Center for Soft and Living Matter, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), UNIST-gil 50, Ulsan, 44919, Republic of Korea
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), UNIST-gil 50, Ulsan, 44919, Republic of Korea
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26
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Liu Q, Yang S, Seitz I, Pistikou AMM, de Greef TFA, Kostiainen MA. A Synthetic Protocell-Based Heparin Scavenger. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2023; 19:e2201790. [PMID: 35570377 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202201790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Revised: 04/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Heparin is a commonly applied blood anticoagulant agent in clinical use. After treatment, excess heparin needs to be removed to circumvent side effects and recover the blood-clotting cascade. Most existing heparin antidotes rely on direct heparin binding and complexation, yet selective compartmentalization and sequestration of heparin would be beneficial for safety and efficiency. However, such systems have remained elusive. Herein, a semipermeable protein-based microcompartment (proteinosome) is loaded with a highly positively charged chitosan derivative, which can induce electrostatics-driven internalization of anionic guest molecules inside the compartment. Chitosan-loaded proteinosomes are subsequently employed to capture heparin, and an excellent heparin-scavenging performance is demonstrated under physiologically relevant conditions. Both the highly positive scavenger and the polyelectrolyte complex are confined and shielded by the protein compartment in a time-dependent manner. Moreover, selective heparin-scavenging behavior over serum albumin is realized through adjusting the localized scavenger or surrounding salt concentrations at application-relevant circumstances. In vitro studies reveal that the cytotoxicity of the cationic scavenger and the produced polyelectrolyte complex is reduced by protocell shielding. Therefore, the proteinosome-based systems may present a novel polyelectrolyte-scavenging method for biomedical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing Liu
- Wenzhou Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (WIUCAS), Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325001, China
- Biohybrid Materials, Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems, Aalto University, Espoo, 02150, Finland
| | - Shuo Yang
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Computational Biology Group, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, MB, 5600, The Netherlands
| | - Iris Seitz
- Biohybrid Materials, Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems, Aalto University, Espoo, 02150, Finland
| | - Anna-Maria Makri Pistikou
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Computational Biology Group, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, MB, 5600, The Netherlands
| | - Tom F A de Greef
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Computational Biology Group, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, MB, 5600, The Netherlands
- Institute for Molecules and Materials, Radboud University, Nijmegen, MB, 6525, The Netherlands
- Center for Living Technologies, Alliance TU/e, WUR, UU, UMC Utrecht, Utrecht, CB 3584, The Netherlands
| | - Mauri A Kostiainen
- Biohybrid Materials, Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems, Aalto University, Espoo, 02150, Finland
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27
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Heidari A, Sentürk OI, Yang S, Joesaar A, Gobbo P, Mann S, de Greef TFA, Wegner SV. Orthogonal Light-Dependent Membrane Adhesion Induces Social Self-Sorting and Member-Specific DNA Communication in Synthetic Cell Communities. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2023; 19:e2206474. [PMID: 36599623 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202206474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Revised: 12/03/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Developing orthogonal chemical communication pathways in diverse synthetic cell communities is a considerable challenge due to the increased crosstalk and interference associated with large numbers of different types of sender-receiver pairs. Herein, the authors control which sender-receiver pairs communicate in a three-membered community of synthetic cells through red and blue light illumination. Semipermeable protein-polymer-based synthetic cells (proteinosomes) with complementary membrane-attached protein adhesion communicate through single-stranded DNA oligomers and synergistically process biochemical information within a community consisting of one sender and two different receiver populations. Different pairs of red and blue light-responsive protein-protein interactions act as membrane adhesion mediators between the sender and receivers such that they self-assemble and socially self-sort into different multicellular structures under red and blue light. Consequently, distinct sender-receiver pairs come into the signaling range depending on the light illumination and are able to communicate specifically without activation of the other receiver population. Overall, this work shows how photoswitchable membrane adhesion gives rise to different self-sorting protocell patterns that mediate member-specific DNA-based communication in ternary populations of synthetic cells and provides a step towards the design of orthogonal chemical communication networks in diverse communities of synthetic cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Heidari
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry and Pathobiochemistry University of Münster, Waldeyerstr. 15, 48149, Münster, Germany
| | - Oya I Sentürk
- Department of Physical Chemistry of Polymers, Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Ackermannweg 10, 55128, Mainz, Germany
| | - Shuo Yang
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, 5612 AZ, The Netherlands
| | - Alex Joesaar
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, 5612 AZ, The Netherlands
| | - Pierangelo Gobbo
- Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, 34127, Italy
| | - Stephen Mann
- Centre for Protolife Research and Centre for Organized Matter Chemistry, Max Planck Bristol Centre for Minimal Biology, School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TS, UK
| | - Tom F A de Greef
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, 5612 AZ, The Netherlands
| | - Seraphine V Wegner
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry and Pathobiochemistry University of Münster, Waldeyerstr. 15, 48149, Münster, Germany
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28
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Cash B, Gaut NJ, Deich C, Johnson LL, Engelhart AE, Adamala KP. Parasites, Infections, and Inoculation in Synthetic Minimal Cells. ACS OMEGA 2023; 8:7045-7056. [PMID: 36844541 PMCID: PMC9948217 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.2c07911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 01/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Synthetic minimal cells provide a controllable and engineerable model for biological processes. While much simpler than any live natural cell, synthetic cells offer a chassis for investigating the chemical foundations of key biological processes. Herein, we show a synthetic cell system with host cells, interacting with parasites and undergoing infections of varying severity. We demonstrate how the host can be engineered to resist infection, we investigate the metabolic cost of carrying resistance, and we show an inoculation that immunizes the host against pathogens. Our work expands the synthetic cell engineering toolbox by demonstrating host-pathogen interactions and mechanisms for acquiring immunity. This brings synthetic cell systems one step closer to providing a comprehensive model of complex, natural life.
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29
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Jobdeedamrong A, Cao S, Harley I, Crespy D, Landfester K, Caire da Silva L. Assembly of biomimetic microreactors using caged-coacervate droplets. NANOSCALE 2023; 15:2561-2566. [PMID: 36601867 DOI: 10.1039/d2nr05101j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Complex coacervates are liquid-like droplets that can be used to create adaptive cell-like compartments. These compartments offer a versatile platform for the construction of bioreactors inspired by living cells. However, the lack of a membrane significantly reduces the colloidal stability of coacervates in terms of fusion and surface wetting, which limits their suitability as compartments. Here, we describe the formation of caged-coacervates surrounded by a semipermeable shell of silica nanocapsules. We demonstrate that the silica nanocapsules create a protective shell that also regulates the molecular transport of water-soluble compounds as a function of nanocapasule size. The adjustable semipermeability and intrinsic affinity of enzymes for the interior of the caged-coacervates allowed us to assemble biomimetic microreactors with enhanced colloidal stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arjaree Jobdeedamrong
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, School of Molecular Science and Engineering, Vidyasirimedhi Institute of Science and Technology (VISTEC), Rayong 21210, Thailand
- Department of Physical Chemistry of Polymers, Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, 55128 Mainz, Germany.
| | - Shoupeng Cao
- Department of Physical Chemistry of Polymers, Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, 55128 Mainz, Germany.
| | - Iain Harley
- Department of Physical Chemistry of Polymers, Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, 55128 Mainz, Germany.
| | - Daniel Crespy
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, School of Molecular Science and Engineering, Vidyasirimedhi Institute of Science and Technology (VISTEC), Rayong 21210, Thailand
| | - Katharina Landfester
- Department of Physical Chemistry of Polymers, Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, 55128 Mainz, Germany.
| | - Lucas Caire da Silva
- Department of Physical Chemistry of Polymers, Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, 55128 Mainz, Germany.
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30
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Llopis-Lorente A, Buddingh' BC, Martínez-Máñez R, van Hest JCM, Abdelmohsen LKE. Quorum sensing communication between lipid-based artificial cells. Chem Commun (Camb) 2023; 59:579-582. [PMID: 36520138 DOI: 10.1039/d2cc05367e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Population behavior based on quorum sensing communication is a key property of living microorganisms. Here, we show quorum sensing behavior in an artificial cell population consisting of giant lipid vesicles loaded with sender-receiver machinery (enzymes and responsive biomolecules). Our system allows the examination of the collective output based on cell density, fuel concentration and proximity, which are important factors controlling natural quorum sensing behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antoni Llopis-Lorente
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Institute for Complex Molecular Systems (ICMS), Eindhoven University of Technology, Het Kranenveld 14, 5600 MB, Eindhoven, The Netherlands. .,Instituto Interuniversitario de Investigación de Reconocimiento Molecular y Desarrollo Tecnológico (IDM), Universitat Politècnica de València, Universitat de València; CIBER de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), Insituto de Salud Carlos III, Spain
| | - Bastiaan C Buddingh'
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Institute for Complex Molecular Systems (ICMS), Eindhoven University of Technology, Het Kranenveld 14, 5600 MB, Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
| | - R Martínez-Máñez
- Instituto Interuniversitario de Investigación de Reconocimiento Molecular y Desarrollo Tecnológico (IDM), Universitat Politècnica de València, Universitat de València; CIBER de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), Insituto de Salud Carlos III, Spain
| | - Jan C M van Hest
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Institute for Complex Molecular Systems (ICMS), Eindhoven University of Technology, Het Kranenveld 14, 5600 MB, Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
| | - Loai K E Abdelmohsen
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Institute for Complex Molecular Systems (ICMS), Eindhoven University of Technology, Het Kranenveld 14, 5600 MB, Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
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31
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Yue K, Li Y, Cao M, Shen L, Gu J, Kai L. Bottom-Up Synthetic Biology Using Cell-Free Protein Synthesis. ADVANCES IN BIOCHEMICAL ENGINEERING/BIOTECHNOLOGY 2023; 185:1-20. [PMID: 37526707 DOI: 10.1007/10_2023_232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/02/2023]
Abstract
Technical advances in biotechnology have greatly accelerated the development of bottom-up synthetic biology. Unlike top-down approaches, bottom-up synthetic biology focuses on the construction of a minimal cell from scratch and the application of these principles to solve challenges. Cell-free protein synthesis (CFPS) systems provide minimal machinery for transcription and translation, from either a fractionated cell lysate or individual purified protein elements, thus speeding up the development of synthetic cell projects. In this review, we trace the history of the cell-free technique back to the first in vitro fermentation experiment using yeast cell lysate. Furthermore, we summarized progresses of individual cell mimicry modules, such as compartmentalization, gene expression regulation, energy regeneration and metabolism, growth and division, communication, and motility. Finally, current challenges and future perspectives on the field are outlined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ke Yue
- School of Life Sciences, Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou, China
| | - Yingqiu Li
- School of Life Sciences, Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou, China
| | - Mengjiao Cao
- School of Life Sciences, Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou, China
| | - Lulu Shen
- School of Life Sciences, Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou, China
| | - Jingsheng Gu
- School of Life Sciences, Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou, China
| | - Lei Kai
- School of Life Sciences, Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou, China.
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32
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Stimuli-responsive vesicles as distributed artificial organelles for bacterial activation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2206563119. [PMID: 36223394 PMCID: PMC9586261 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2206563119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Intercellular communication is a hallmark of living systems. As such, engineering artificial cells that possess this behavior has been at the heart of activities in bottom-up synthetic biology. Communication between artificial and living cells has potential to confer novel capabilities to living organisms that could be exploited in biomedicine and biotechnology. However, most current approaches rely on the exchange of chemical signals that cannot be externally controlled. Here, we report two types of remote-controlled vesicle-based artificial organelles that translate physical inputs into chemical messages that lead to bacterial activation. Upon light or temperature stimulation, artificial cell membranes are activated, releasing signaling molecules that induce protein expression in Escherichia coli. This distributed approach differs from established methods for engineering stimuli-responsive bacteria. Here, artificial cells (as opposed to bacterial cells themselves) are the design unit. Having stimuli-responsive elements compartmentalized in artificial cells has potential applications in therapeutics, tissue engineering, and bioremediation. It will underpin the design of hybrid living/nonliving systems where temporal control over population interactions can be exerted.
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33
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Leathers A, Walczak M, Brady RA, Al Samad A, Kotar J, Booth MJ, Cicuta P, Di Michele L. Reaction–Diffusion Patterning of DNA-Based Artificial Cells. J Am Chem Soc 2022; 144:17468-17476. [PMID: 36103297 PMCID: PMC9523701 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.2c06140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
![]()
Biological cells display complex internal architectures
with distinct
micro environments that establish the chemical heterogeneity needed
to sustain cellular functions. The continued efforts to create advanced
cell mimics, namely, artificial cells, demands strategies for constructing
similarly heterogeneous structures with localized functionalities.
Here, we introduce a platform for constructing membraneless artificial
cells from the self-assembly of synthetic DNA nanostructures in which
internal domains can be established thanks to prescribed reaction–diffusion
waves. The method, rationalized through numerical modeling, enables
the formation of up to five distinct concentric environments in which
functional moieties can be localized. As a proof-of-concept, we apply
this platform to build DNA-based artificial cells in which a prototypical
nucleus synthesizes fluorescent RNA aptamers that then accumulate
in a surrounding storage shell, thus demonstrating the spatial segregation
of functionalities reminiscent of that observed in biological cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrian Leathers
- Biological and Soft Systems, Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0HE, U.K
| | - Michal Walczak
- Biological and Soft Systems, Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0HE, U.K
| | - Ryan A. Brady
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Natural and Mathematical Sciences, King’s College London, London SE1 1DB, U.K
| | - Assala Al Samad
- Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3TA, U.K
- Department of Chemistry, University College London, London WC1H 0AJ, U.K
| | - Jurij Kotar
- Biological and Soft Systems, Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0HE, U.K
| | - Michael J. Booth
- Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3TA, U.K
- Department of Chemistry, University College London, London WC1H 0AJ, U.K
| | - Pietro Cicuta
- Biological and Soft Systems, Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0HE, U.K
| | - Lorenzo Di Michele
- Biological and Soft Systems, Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0HE, U.K
- Department of Chemistry, Imperial College London, Molecular Sciences Research Hub, London W12 0BZ, U.K
- fabriCELL, Imperial College London, Molecular Sciences Research Hub, London W12 0BZ, U.K
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Abstract
Swimming bacterial pathogens can penetrate and shape the membranes of their host cells. We study an artificial model system of this kind comprising Escherichia coli enclosed inside vesicles, which consist of nothing more than a spherical membrane bag. The bacteria push out membrane tubes, and the tubes propel the vesicles. This phenomenon is intriguing because motion cannot be generated by pushing the vesicles from within. We explain the motility of our artificial cell by a shape coupling between the flagella of each bacterium and the enclosing membrane tube. This constitutes a design principle for conferring motility to cell-sized vesicles and demonstrates the universality of lipid membranes as a building block in the development of new biohybrid systems. We study a synthetic system of motile Escherichia coli bacteria encapsulated inside giant lipid vesicles. Forces exerted by the bacteria on the inner side of the membrane are sufficient to extrude membrane tubes filled with one or several bacteria. We show that a physical coupling between the membrane tube and the flagella of the enclosed cells transforms the tube into an effective helical flagellum propelling the vesicle. We develop a simple theoretical model to estimate the propulsive force from the speed of the vesicles and demonstrate the good efficiency of this coupling mechanism. Together, these results point to design principles for conferring motility to synthetic cells.
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35
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Versatile tools of synthetic biology applied to drug discovery and production. Future Med Chem 2022; 14:1325-1340. [PMID: 35975897 DOI: 10.4155/fmc-2022-0063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Although synthetic biology is an emerging research field, which has come to prominence within the last decade, it already has many practical applications. Its applications cover the areas of pharmaceutical biotechnology and drug discovery, bringing essential novel methods and strategies such as metabolic engineering, reprogramming the cell fate, drug production in genetically modified organisms, molecular glues, functional nucleic acids and genome editing. This review discusses the main avenues for synthetic biology application in pharmaceutical biotechnology. The authors believe that synthetic biology will reshape drug development and drug production to a similar extent as the advances in organic chemical synthesis in the 20th century. Therefore, synthetic biology already plays an essential role in pharmaceutical, biotechnology, which is the main focus of this review.
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36
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Delivering microcargo with artificial microtubules. NAT MACH INTELL 2022. [DOI: 10.1038/s42256-022-00521-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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37
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Abstract
Active cytoskeletal materials in vitro demonstrate self-organizing properties similar to those observed in their counterparts in cells. However, the search to emulate phenomena observed in living matter has fallen short of producing a cytoskeletal network that would be structurally stable yet possess adaptive plasticity. Here, we address this challenge by combining cytoskeletal polymers in a composite where self-assembling microtubules and actin filaments collectively self-organize due to the activity of microtubule-percolating molecular motors. We demonstrate that microtubules spatially organize actin filaments that in turn guide microtubules. The two networks align in an ordered fashion using this feedback loop. In this composite, actin filaments can act as structural memory and, depending on the concentration of the components, microtubules either write this memory or get guided by it. The system is sensitive to external stimuli, suggesting possible autoregulatory behavior in changing mechanochemical environments. We thus establish an artificial active actin-microtubule composite as a system demonstrating architectural stability and plasticity.
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38
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Li J, Jamieson WD, Dimitriou P, Xu W, Rohde P, Martinac B, Baker M, Drinkwater BW, Castell OK, Barrow DA. Building programmable multicompartment artificial cells incorporating remotely activated protein channels using microfluidics and acoustic levitation. Nat Commun 2022; 13:4125. [PMID: 35840619 PMCID: PMC9287423 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-31898-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2022] [Accepted: 07/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Intracellular compartments are functional units that support the metabolism within living cells, through spatiotemporal regulation of chemical reactions and biological processes. Consequently, as a step forward in the bottom-up creation of artificial cells, building analogous intracellular architectures is essential for the expansion of cell-mimicking functionality. Herein, we report the development of a droplet laboratory platform to engineer complex emulsion-based, multicompartment artificial cells, using microfluidics and acoustic levitation. Such levitated models provide free-standing, dynamic, definable droplet networks for the compartmentalisation of chemical species. Equally, they can be remotely operated with pneumatic, heating, and magnetic elements for post-processing, including the incorporation of membrane proteins; alpha-hemolysin; and mechanosensitive channel of large-conductance. The assembly of droplet networks is three-dimensionally patterned with fluidic input configurations determining droplet contents and connectivity, whilst acoustic manipulation can be harnessed to reconfigure the droplet network in situ. The mechanosensitive channel can be repeatedly activated and deactivated in the levitated artificial cell by the application of acoustic and magnetic fields to modulate membrane tension on demand. This offers possibilities beyond one-time chemically mediated activation to provide repeated, non-contact, control of membrane protein function. Collectively, this expands our growing capability to program and operate increasingly sophisticated artificial cells as life-like materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Li
- School of Engineering, Cardiff University, The Parade, Cardiff, CF24 3AA, UK.
| | - William D Jamieson
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cardiff University, King Edward VII Ave, Cardiff, CF10 3NB, UK
| | | | - Wen Xu
- Cardiff Business School, Cardiff University, Aberconway Building, Colum Dr, Cardiff, CF10 3EU, UK
| | - Paul Rohde
- Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Lowy Packer Building, 405 Liverpool St, Darlinhurst, NSW, 2010, Australia
| | - Boris Martinac
- Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Lowy Packer Building, 405 Liverpool St, Darlinhurst, NSW, 2010, Australia.,School of Clinical Medicine, UNSW, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Matthew Baker
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Science, UNSW, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Bruce W Drinkwater
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Bristol, University Walk, Bristol, BS8 1TR, UK.
| | - Oliver K Castell
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cardiff University, King Edward VII Ave, Cardiff, CF10 3NB, UK.
| | - David A Barrow
- School of Engineering, Cardiff University, The Parade, Cardiff, CF24 3AA, UK.
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39
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Zubaite G, Hindley JW, Ces O, Elani Y. Dynamic Reconfiguration of Subcompartment Architectures in Artificial Cells. ACS NANO 2022; 16:9389-9400. [PMID: 35695383 PMCID: PMC9245354 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.2c02195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Artificial cells are minimal structures constructed from biomolecular building blocks designed to mimic cellular processes, behaviors, and architectures. One near-ubiquitous feature of cellular life is the spatial organization of internal content. We know from biology that organization of content (including in membrane-bound organelles) is linked to cellular functions and that this feature is dynamic: the presence, location, and degree of compartmentalization changes over time. Vesicle-based artificial cells, however, are not currently able to mimic this fundamental cellular property. Here, we describe an artificial cell design strategy that addresses this technological bottleneck. We create a series of artificial cell architectures which possess multicompartment assemblies localized either on the inner or on the outer surface of the artificial cell membrane. Exploiting liquid-liquid phase separation, we can also engineer spatially segregated regions of condensed subcompartments attached to the cell surface, aligning with coexisting membrane domains. These structures can sense changes in environmental conditions and respond by reversibly transitioning from condensed multicompartment layers on the membrane surface to a dispersed state in the cell lumen, mimicking the dynamic compartmentalization found in biological cells. Likewise, we engineer exosome-like subcompartments that can be released to the environment. We can achieve this by using two types of triggers: chemical (addition of salts) and mechanical (by pulling membrane tethers using optical traps). These approaches allow us to control the compartmentalization state of artificial cells on population and single-cell levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Greta Zubaite
- Department
of Chemistry, Molecular Sciences Research Hub, Imperial College London, 82 Wood Lane, London W12
0BZ, United Kingdom
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, Imperial College
London, Exhibition Road, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
| | - James W. Hindley
- Department
of Chemistry, Molecular Sciences Research Hub, Imperial College London, 82 Wood Lane, London W12
0BZ, United Kingdom
- Institute
of Chemical Biology, Molecular Sciences Research Hub, Imperial College London, 82 Wood Lane, London W12
0BZ, United Kingdom
- fabriCELL,
Molecular Sciences Research Hub, Imperial
College London, 82 Wood Lane, London W12
0BZ, United Kingdom
| | - Oscar Ces
- Department
of Chemistry, Molecular Sciences Research Hub, Imperial College London, 82 Wood Lane, London W12
0BZ, United Kingdom
- Institute
of Chemical Biology, Molecular Sciences Research Hub, Imperial College London, 82 Wood Lane, London W12
0BZ, United Kingdom
- fabriCELL,
Molecular Sciences Research Hub, Imperial
College London, 82 Wood Lane, London W12
0BZ, United Kingdom
| | - Yuval Elani
- fabriCELL,
Molecular Sciences Research Hub, Imperial
College London, 82 Wood Lane, London W12
0BZ, United Kingdom
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, Imperial College
London, Exhibition Road, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
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40
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Li C, Zhang X, Dong M, Han X. Progress on Crowding Effect in Cell-like Structures. MEMBRANES 2022; 12:membranes12060593. [PMID: 35736300 PMCID: PMC9228500 DOI: 10.3390/membranes12060593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2022] [Revised: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 05/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022]
Abstract
Several biological macromolecules, such as proteins, nucleic acids, and polysaccharides, occupy about 30% of the space in cells, resulting in a crowded macromolecule environment. The crowding effect within cells exerts an impact on the functions of biological components, the assembly behavior of biomacromolecules, and the thermodynamics and kinetics of metabolic reactions. Cell-like structures provide confined and independent compartments for studying the working mechanisms of cells, which can be used to study the physiological functions arising from the crowding effect of macromolecules in cells. This article mainly summarizes the progress of research on the macromolecular crowding effects in cell-like structures. It includes the effects of this crowding on actin assembly behavior, tubulin aggregation behavior, and gene expression. The challenges and future trends in this field are presented at the end of the paper.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Li
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, 92 West Da-Zhi Street, Harbin 150001, China; (C.L.); (X.Z.)
| | - Xiangxiang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, 92 West Da-Zhi Street, Harbin 150001, China; (C.L.); (X.Z.)
| | - Mingdong Dong
- Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO), Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
- Correspondence: (M.D.); (X.H.)
| | - Xiaojun Han
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, 92 West Da-Zhi Street, Harbin 150001, China; (C.L.); (X.Z.)
- Correspondence: (M.D.); (X.H.)
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41
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Shang L, Ye F, Li M, Zhao Y. Spatial confinement toward creating artificial living systems. Chem Soc Rev 2022; 51:4075-4093. [PMID: 35502858 DOI: 10.1039/d1cs01025e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Lifeforms are regulated by many physicochemical factors, and these factors could be controlled to play a role in the construction of artificial living systems. Among these factors, spatial confinement is an important one, which mediates biological behaviors at multiscale levels and participates in the biomanufacturing processes accordingly. This review describes how spatial confinement, as a fundamental biological phenomenon, provides cues for the construction of artificial living systems. Current knowledge about the role of spatial confinement in mediating individual cell behavior, collective cellular behavior, and tissue-level behavior are categorized. Endeavors on the synthesis of biomacromolecules, artificial cells, engineered tissues, and organoids in spatially confined bioreactors are then emphasized. After that, we discuss the cutting-edge applications of spatially confined artificial living systems in biomedical fields. Finally, we conclude by assessing the remaining challenges and future trends in the context of fundamental science, technical improvement, and practical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luoran Shang
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Institute of Translational Medicine, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, 210008, China. .,Shanghai Xuhui Central Hospital, Zhongshan-Xuhui Hospital, and the Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, International Co-laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism (Ministry of Science and Technology), Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Fangfu Ye
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China. .,Oujiang Laboratory (Zhejiang Lab for Regenerative Medicine, Vision and Brain Health); Wenzhou Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325001, China.
| | - Ming Li
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China.
| | - Yuanjin Zhao
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Institute of Translational Medicine, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, 210008, China. .,Oujiang Laboratory (Zhejiang Lab for Regenerative Medicine, Vision and Brain Health); Wenzhou Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325001, China.
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42
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Catania R, Machin J, Rappolt M, Muench SP, Beales PA, Jeuken LJC. Detergent-Free Functionalization of Hybrid Vesicles with Membrane Proteins Using SMALPs. Macromolecules 2022; 55:3415-3422. [PMID: 35571225 PMCID: PMC9097535 DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.2c00326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Revised: 04/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
![]()
Hybrid
vesicles (HVs) that consist of mixtures of block copolymers
and lipids are robust biomimetics of liposomes, providing a valuable
building block in bionanotechnology, catalysis, and synthetic biology.
However, functionalization of HVs with membrane proteins remains laborious
and expensive, creating a significant current challenge in the field.
Here, using a new approach of extraction with styrene-maleic acid
(SMA), we show that a membrane protein (cytochrome bo3) directly transfers into HVs with an efficiency of 73.9
± 13.5% without the requirement of detergent, long incubation
times, or mechanical disruption. Direct transfer of membrane proteins
using this approach was not possible into liposomes, suggesting that
HVs are more amenable than liposomes to membrane protein incorporation
from a SMA lipid particle system. Finally, we show that this transfer
method is not limited to cytochrome bo3 and can also be performed with complex membrane protein mixtures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosa Catania
- Astbury Centre of Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, U.K
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, U.K
| | - Jonathan Machin
- Astbury Centre of Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, U.K
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, U.K
| | - Michael Rappolt
- School of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, U.K
| | - Stephen P. Muench
- Astbury Centre of Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, U.K
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, U.K
| | - Paul A. Beales
- Astbury Centre of Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, U.K
- School of Chemistry, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, U.K
| | - Lars J. C. Jeuken
- Astbury Centre of Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, U.K
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, U.K
- Leiden Institute of Chemistry, University Leiden, Leiden 2300RA, The Netherlands
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43
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Di Iorio D, Wegner SV. Towards applications of synthetic cells in nanotechnology. Curr Opin Chem Biol 2022; 68:102145. [PMID: 35461027 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2022.102145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2022] [Revised: 03/11/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Synthetic cells, which are assembled anew from well-defined molecular parts, open-up new possibilities for nanotechnological applications due to their reduced complexity and high functionality. In this review, we discuss how synthetic cells are being implemented in different fields ranging from biomedicine to material science. On one hand, synthetic cells can serve as microreactors that house metabolic networks and as therapeutic carriers that directly communicate with living cells. On the other hand, synthetic cells can become active components in a new-generation of materials that process inputs and result in autonomous and adaptive behavior. These early examples highlight the potential impact that synthetic cells will have in future applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniele Di Iorio
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry and Pathobiochemistry, University of Münster, Germany
| | - Seraphine V Wegner
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry and Pathobiochemistry, University of Münster, Germany.
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44
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Hernandez Bücher JE, Staufer O, Ostertag L, Mersdorf U, Platzman I, Spatz JP. Bottom-up assembly of target-specific cytotoxic synthetic cells. Biomaterials 2022; 285:121522. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2022.121522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2021] [Revised: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 04/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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45
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Stengelin E, Thiele J, Seiffert S. Multiparametric Material Functionality of Microtissue-Based In Vitro Models as Alternatives to Animal Testing. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2022; 9:e2105319. [PMID: 35043598 PMCID: PMC8981905 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202105319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
With the definition of the 3R principle by Russel and Burch in 1959, the search for an adequate substitute for animal testing has become one of the most important tasks and challenges of this time, not only from an ethical, but also from a scientific, economic, and legal point of view. Microtissue-based in vitro model systems offer a valuable approach to address this issue by accounting for the complexity of natural tissues in a simplified manner. To increase the functionality of these model systems and thus make their use as a substitute for animal testing more likely in the future, the fundamentals need to be continuously improved. Corresponding requirements exist in the development of multifunctional, hydrogel-based materials, whose properties are considered in this review under the aspects of processability, adaptivity, biocompatibility, and stability/degradability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Stengelin
- Department of ChemistryJohannes Gutenberg‐University MainzD‐55128MainzGermany
| | - Julian Thiele
- Leibniz‐Institut für Polymerforschung Dresden e.V.Hohe Straße 6D‐01069DresdenGermany
| | - Sebastian Seiffert
- Department of ChemistryJohannes Gutenberg‐University MainzD‐55128MainzGermany
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46
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Guindani C, Silva LC, Cao S, Ivanov T, Landfester K. Synthetic Cells: From Simple Bio‐Inspired Modules to Sophisticated Integrated Systems. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.202110855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Camila Guindani
- Chemical Engineering Program COPPE Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, PEQ/COPPE/UFRJ, CEP 21941-972 Rio de Janeiro RJ Brazil
| | - Lucas Caire Silva
- Department of Physical Chemistry of Polymers Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research Ackermannweg 10 55128 Mainz Germany
| | - Shoupeng Cao
- Department of Physical Chemistry of Polymers Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research Ackermannweg 10 55128 Mainz Germany
| | - Tsvetomir Ivanov
- Department of Physical Chemistry of Polymers Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research Ackermannweg 10 55128 Mainz Germany
| | - Katharina Landfester
- Department of Physical Chemistry of Polymers Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research Ackermannweg 10 55128 Mainz Germany
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47
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Laos R, Benner S. Fluorinated oil-surfactant mixtures with the density of water: Artificial cells for synthetic biology. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0252361. [PMID: 35051170 PMCID: PMC8775225 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0252361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
There is a rising interest in biotechnology for the compartmentalization of biochemical reactions in water droplets. Several applications, such as the widely used digital PCR, seek to encapsulate a single molecule in a droplet to be amplified. Directed evolution, another technology with growing popularity, seeks to replicate what happens in nature by encapsulating a single gene and the protein encoded by this gene, linking genotype with phenotype. Compartmentalizing reactions in droplets also allows the experimentalist to run millions of different reactions in parallel. Compartmentalization requires a fluid that is immiscible with water and a surfactant to stabilize the droplets. While there are fluids and surfactants on the market that have been used to accomplish encapsulation, there are reported concerns with these. Span® 80, for example, a commonly used surfactant, has contaminants that interfere with various biochemical reactions. Similarly, synthetic fluids distributed by the cosmetic industry allow some researchers to produce experimental results that can be published, but then other researchers fail to reproduce some of these protocols due to the unreliable nature of these products, which are not manufactured with the intent of being used in biotechnology. The most reliable fluids, immiscible with water and suitable for biochemical reactions, are fluorinated fluids. Fluorinated compounds have the peculiar characteristic of being immiscible with water while at the same time not mixing with hydrophobic molecules. This peculiar characteristic has made fluorinated fluids attractive because it seems to be the basis of their being biologically inert. However, commercially available fluorinated fluids have densities between 1.4 to 1.6 g/mL. The higher-than-water density of fluorinated oils complicates handling of the droplets since these would float on the fluid since the water droplets would be less dense. This can cause aggregation and coalescence of the droplets. Here, we report the synthesis, characterization, and use of fluorinated polysiloxane oils that have densities similar to the one of water at room temperature, and when mixed with non-ionic fluorinated surfactants, can produce droplets encapsulating biochemical reactions. We show how droplets in these emulsions can host many biological processes, including PCR, DNA origami, rolling circle amplification (RCA), and Taqman® assays. Some of these use unnatural DNA built from an Artificially Expanded Genetic Information System (AEGIS) with six nucleotide "letters".
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Laos
- Foundation for Applied Molecular Evolution, Alachua, Florida, United States of America
- Panamerican Biolabs LLC, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - Steven Benner
- Foundation for Applied Molecular Evolution, Alachua, Florida, United States of America
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48
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Ade C, Qian X, Brodszkij E, De Dios Andres P, Spanjers J, Westensee IN, Städler B. Polymer Micelles vs Polymer-Lipid Hybrid Vesicles: A Comparison Using RAW 264.7 Cells. Biomacromolecules 2022; 23:1052-1064. [PMID: 35020375 PMCID: PMC8924860 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.1c01403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Bottom-up synthetic biology aims to integrate artificial moieties with living cells and tissues. Here, two types of structural scaffolds for artificial organelles were compared in terms of their ability to interact with macrophage-like murine RAW 264.7 cells. The amphiphilic block copolymer poly(cholesteryl methacrylate)-block-poly(2-carboxyethyl acrylate) was used to assemble micelles and polymer-lipid hybrid vesicles together with 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine or 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine (DOPE) lipids in the latter case. In addition, the pH-sensitive fusogenic peptide GALA was conjugated to the carriers to improve their lysosomal escape ability. All assemblies had low short-term toxicity toward macrophage-like murine RAW 264.7 cells, and the cells internalized both the micelles and hybrid vesicles within 24 h. Assemblies containing DOPE lipids or GALA in their building blocks could escape the lysosomes. However, the intracellular retention of the building blocks was only a few hours in all the cases. Taken together, the provided comparison between two types of potential scaffolds for artificial organelles lays out the fundamental understanding required to advance soft material-based assemblies as intracellular nanoreactors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carina Ade
- Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO), Aarhus University, Gustav Wieds Vej 14, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Xiaomin Qian
- Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO), Aarhus University, Gustav Wieds Vej 14, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Edit Brodszkij
- Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO), Aarhus University, Gustav Wieds Vej 14, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Paula De Dios Andres
- Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO), Aarhus University, Gustav Wieds Vej 14, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Järvi Spanjers
- Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO), Aarhus University, Gustav Wieds Vej 14, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Isabella N Westensee
- Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO), Aarhus University, Gustav Wieds Vej 14, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Brigitte Städler
- Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO), Aarhus University, Gustav Wieds Vej 14, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
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49
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Wang C, Yang J, Lu Y. Modularize and Unite: Toward Creating a Functional Artificial Cell. Front Mol Biosci 2021; 8:781986. [PMID: 34912849 PMCID: PMC8667554 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2021.781986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Accepted: 11/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
An artificial cell is a simplified model of a living system, bringing breakthroughs into both basic life science and applied research. The bottom-up strategy instructs the construction of an artificial cell from nonliving materials, which could be complicated and interdisciplinary considering the inherent complexity of living cells. Although significant progress has been achieved in the past 2 decades, the area is still facing some problems, such as poor compatibility with complex bio-systems, instability, and low standardization of the construction method. In this review, we propose creating artificial cells through the integration of different functional modules. Furthermore, we divide the function requirements of an artificial cell into four essential parts (metabolism, energy supplement, proliferation, and communication) and discuss the present researches. Then we propose that the compartment and the reestablishment of the communication system would be essential for the reasonable integration of functional modules. Although enormous challenges remain, the modular construction would facilitate the simplification and standardization of an artificial cell toward a natural living system. This function-based strategy would also broaden the application of artificial cells and represent the steps of imitating and surpassing nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Wang
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biocatalysis, Department of Chemical Engineering, Ministry of Education, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Junzhu Yang
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biocatalysis, Department of Chemical Engineering, Ministry of Education, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Yuan Lu
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biocatalysis, Department of Chemical Engineering, Ministry of Education, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
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50
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Zhang L, Wu T, Shan Y, Li G, Ni X, Chen X, Hu X, Lin L, Li Y, Guan Y, Gao J, Chen D, Zhang Y, Pei Z, Chen X. Therapeutic reversal of Huntington's disease by in vivo self-assembled siRNAs. Brain 2021; 144:3421-3435. [PMID: 34918046 PMCID: PMC8677541 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awab354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2021] [Revised: 08/05/2021] [Accepted: 08/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington’s disease is an autosomal-dominant neurodegenerative disease caused by CAG expansion in exon 1 of the huntingtin (HTT) gene. Since mutant huntingtin (mHTT) protein is the root cause of Huntington’s disease, oligonucleotide-based therapeutic approaches using small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) and antisense oligonucleotides designed to specifically silence mHTT may be novel therapeutic strategies for Huntington’s disease. Unfortunately, the lack of an effective in vivo delivery system remains a major obstacle to realizing the full potential of oligonucleotide therapeutics, especially regarding the delivery of oligonucleotides to the cortex and striatum, the most severely affected brain regions in Huntington’s disease. In this study, we present a synthetic biology strategy that integrates the naturally existing exosome-circulating system with artificial genetic circuits for self-assembly and delivery of mHTT-silencing siRNA to the cortex and striatum. We designed a cytomegalovirus promoter-directed genetic circuit encoding both a neuron-targeting rabies virus glycoprotein tag and an mHTT siRNA. After being taken up by mouse livers after intravenous injection, this circuit was able to reprogramme hepatocytes to transcribe and self-assemble mHTT siRNA into rabies virus glycoprotein-tagged exosomes. The mHTT siRNA was further delivered through the exosome-circulating system and guided by a rabies virus glycoprotein tag to the cortex and striatum. Consequently, in three mouse models of Huntington’s disease treated with this circuit, the levels of mHTT protein and toxic aggregates were successfully reduced in the cortex and striatum, therefore ameliorating behavioural deficits and striatal and cortical neuropathologies. Overall, our findings establish a convenient, effective and safe strategy for self-assembly of siRNAs in vivo that may provide a significant therapeutic benefit for Huntington’s disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Zhang
- Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Center of Molecular Diagnostic and Therapy, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Research Unit of Extracellular RNA, State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Jiangsu Engineering Research Center for MicroRNA Biology and Biotechnology, NJU Advanced Institute of Life Sciences (NAILS), School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210023, China
| | - Tengteng Wu
- Department of Neurology, National Key Clinical Department and Key Discipline of Neurology, Guangdong Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Major Neurological Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, China.,Department of Neurology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Yangyang Shan
- Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Center of Molecular Diagnostic and Therapy, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Research Unit of Extracellular RNA, State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Jiangsu Engineering Research Center for MicroRNA Biology and Biotechnology, NJU Advanced Institute of Life Sciences (NAILS), School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210023, China
| | - Ge Li
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Laboratory Animals, Guangdong Laboratory Animals Monitoring Institute, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510663, China
| | - Xue Ni
- Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Center of Molecular Diagnostic and Therapy, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Research Unit of Extracellular RNA, State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Jiangsu Engineering Research Center for MicroRNA Biology and Biotechnology, NJU Advanced Institute of Life Sciences (NAILS), School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210023, China
| | - Xiaorui Chen
- Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Center of Molecular Diagnostic and Therapy, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Research Unit of Extracellular RNA, State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Jiangsu Engineering Research Center for MicroRNA Biology and Biotechnology, NJU Advanced Institute of Life Sciences (NAILS), School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210023, China
| | - Xiuting Hu
- Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Center of Molecular Diagnostic and Therapy, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Research Unit of Extracellular RNA, State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Jiangsu Engineering Research Center for MicroRNA Biology and Biotechnology, NJU Advanced Institute of Life Sciences (NAILS), School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210023, China
| | - Lishan Lin
- Department of Neurology, National Key Clinical Department and Key Discipline of Neurology, Guangdong Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Major Neurological Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, China
| | - Yongchao Li
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Laboratory Animals, Guangdong Laboratory Animals Monitoring Institute, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510663, China
| | - Yalun Guan
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Laboratory Animals, Guangdong Laboratory Animals Monitoring Institute, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510663, China
| | - Jinfeng Gao
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Laboratory Animals, Guangdong Laboratory Animals Monitoring Institute, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510663, China.,School of Pharmacy, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510006, China
| | - Dingbang Chen
- Department of Neurology, National Key Clinical Department and Key Discipline of Neurology, Guangdong Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Major Neurological Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, China
| | - Yu Zhang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Laboratory Animals, Guangdong Laboratory Animals Monitoring Institute, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510663, China
| | - Zhong Pei
- Department of Neurology, National Key Clinical Department and Key Discipline of Neurology, Guangdong Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Major Neurological Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, China
| | - Xi Chen
- Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Center of Molecular Diagnostic and Therapy, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Research Unit of Extracellular RNA, State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Jiangsu Engineering Research Center for MicroRNA Biology and Biotechnology, NJU Advanced Institute of Life Sciences (NAILS), School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210023, China
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