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Han X, Xu S, Wang L, Bi Z, Wang D, Bu H, Da J, Liu Y, Tan W. Artificial DNA Framework Channel Modulates Antiapoptotic Behavior in Ischemia-Stressed Cells via Destabilizing Promoter G-Quadruplex. ACS NANO 2024; 18:6147-6161. [PMID: 38372229 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.3c06563] [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: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
Regulating folding/unfolding of gene promoter G-quadruplexes (G4s) is important for understanding the topological changes in genomic DNAs and the biological effects of such changes on important cellular events. Although many G4-stabilizing ligands have been screened out, effective G4-destabilizing ligands are extremely rare, posing a great challenge for illustrating how G4 destabilization affects gene function in living cells under stress, a long-standing question in neuroscience. Herein, we report a distinct methodology able to destabilize gene promoter G4s in ischemia-stressed neural cells by mitigating the ischemia-induced accumulation of intracellular K+ with an artificial membrane-spanning DNA framework channel (DFC). We also show that ischemia-triggered K+ influx is positively correlated to anomalous stabilization of promoter G4s and downregulation of Bcl-2, an antiapoptotic gene with neuroprotective effects against ischemic injury. Intriguingly, the DFC enables rapid transmembrane transport of excessive K+ mediated by the internal G4 filter, leading to the destabilization of endogenous promoter G4 in Bcl-2 and subsequent turnover of gene expression at both transcription and translation levels under ischemia. Consequently, this work enriches our understanding of the biological roles of endogenous G4s and may offer important clues to study the cellular behaviors in response to stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyan Han
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Bio-Sensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Aptamer Engineering Center of Hunan Province, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, China
| | - Shujuan Xu
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Bio-Sensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Aptamer Engineering Center of Hunan Province, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, China
| | - Linlin Wang
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Bio-Sensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Aptamer Engineering Center of Hunan Province, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, China
| | - Zhengyan Bi
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Bio-Sensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Aptamer Engineering Center of Hunan Province, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, China
| | - Dan Wang
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Bio-Sensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Aptamer Engineering Center of Hunan Province, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, China
| | - Huitong Bu
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Bio-Sensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Aptamer Engineering Center of Hunan Province, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, China
| | - Jun Da
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Bio-Sensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Aptamer Engineering Center of Hunan Province, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, China
| | - Yanlan Liu
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Bio-Sensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Aptamer Engineering Center of Hunan Province, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, China
| | - Weihong Tan
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Bio-Sensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Aptamer Engineering Center of Hunan Province, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, China
- The Key Laboratory of Zhejiang Province for Aptamers and Theranostics, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310022, China
- Institute of Molecular Medicine (IMM), Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
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2
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Nair KS, Bajaj H. Advances in giant unilamellar vesicle preparation techniques and applications. Adv Colloid Interface Sci 2023; 318:102935. [PMID: 37320960 DOI: 10.1016/j.cis.2023.102935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2023] [Revised: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) are versatile and promising cell-sized bio-membrane mimetic platforms. Their applications range from understanding and quantifying membrane biophysical processes to acting as elementary blocks in the bottom-up assembly of synthetic cells. Definite properties and requisite goals in GUVs are dictated by the preparation techniques critical to the success of their applications. Here, we review key advances in giant unilamellar vesicle preparation techniques and discuss their formation mechanisms. Developments in lipid hydration and emulsion techniques for GUV preparation are described. Novel microfluidic-based techniques involving lipid or surfactant-stabilized emulsions are outlined. GUV immobilization strategies are summarized, including gravity-based settling, covalent linking, and immobilization by microfluidic, electric, and magnetic barriers. Moreover, some of the key applications of GUVs as biomimetic and synthetic cell platforms during the last decade have been identified. Membrane interface processes like phase separation, membrane protein reconstitution, and membrane bending have been deciphered using GUVs. In addition, vesicles are also employed as building blocks to construct synthetic cells with defined cell-like functions comprising compartments, metabolic reactors, and abilities to grow and divide. We critically discuss the pros and cons of preparation technologies and the properties they confer to the GUVs and identify potential techniques for dedicated applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karthika S Nair
- Microbial Processes and Technology Division, CSIR- National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (NIIST), Trivandrum 695019, Kerala, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), CSIR-Human Resource Development Centre, Ghaziabad 201002, India
| | - Harsha Bajaj
- Microbial Processes and Technology Division, CSIR- National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (NIIST), Trivandrum 695019, Kerala, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), CSIR-Human Resource Development Centre, Ghaziabad 201002, India.
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3
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Godino E, Restrepo Sierra AM, Danelon C. Imaging Flow Cytometry for High-Throughput Phenotyping of Synthetic Cells. ACS Synth Biol 2023. [PMID: 37155828 PMCID: PMC10367129 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.3c00074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
The reconstitution of basic cellular functions in micrometer-sized liposomes has led to a surge of interest in the construction of synthetic cells. Microscopy and flow cytometry are powerful tools for characterizing biological processes in liposomes with fluorescence readouts. However, applying each method separately leads to a compromise between information-rich imaging by microscopy and statistical population analysis by flow cytometry. To address this shortcoming, we here introduce imaging flow cytometry (IFC) for high-throughput, microscopy-based screening of gene-expressing liposomes in laminar flow. We developed a comprehensive pipeline and analysis toolset based on a commercial IFC instrument and software. About 60 thousands of liposome events were collected per run starting from one microliter of the stock liposome solution. Robust population statistics from individual liposome images was performed based on fluorescence and morphological parameters. This allowed us to quantify complex phenotypes covering a wide range of liposomal states that are relevant for building a synthetic cell. The general applicability, current workflow limitations, and future prospects of IFC in synthetic cell research are finally discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Godino
- Department of Bionanoscience, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft University of Technology, 2629HZ Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Ana Maria Restrepo Sierra
- Department of Bionanoscience, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft University of Technology, 2629HZ Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Christophe Danelon
- Department of Bionanoscience, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft University of Technology, 2629HZ Delft, The Netherlands
- Toulouse Biotechnology Institute (TBI), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, INRAE, INSA, 31077 Toulouse, France
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4
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Caliari A, Hanczyc MM, Imai M, Xu J, Yomo T. Quantification of Giant Unilamellar Vesicle Fusion Products by High-Throughput Image Analysis. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24098241. [PMID: 37175944 PMCID: PMC10179211 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24098241] [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: 03/30/2023] [Revised: 04/29/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Artificial cells are based on dynamic compartmentalized systems. Thus, remodeling of membrane-bound systems, such as giant unilamellar vesicles, is finding applications beyond biological studies, to engineer cell-mimicking structures. Giant unilamellar vesicle fusion is rapidly becoming an essential experimental step as artificial cells gain prominence in synthetic biology. Several techniques have been developed to accomplish this step, with varying efficiency and selectivity. To date, characterization of vesicle fusion has relied on small samples of giant vesicles, examined either manually or by fluorometric assays on suspensions of small and large unilamellar vesicles. Automation of the detection and characterization of fusion products is now necessary for the screening and optimization of these fusion protocols. To this end, we implemented a fusion assay based on fluorophore colocalization on the membranes and in the lumen of vesicles. Fluorescence colocalization was evaluated within single compartments by image segmentation with minimal user input, allowing the application of the technique to high-throughput screenings. After detection, statistical information on vesicle fluorescence and morphological properties can be summarized and visualized, assessing lipid and content transfer for each object by the correlation coefficient of different fluorescence channels. Using this tool, we report and characterize the unexpected fusogenic activity of sodium chloride on phosphatidylcholine giant vesicles. Lipid transfer in most of the vesicles could be detected after 20 h of incubation, while content exchange only occurred with additional stimuli in around 8% of vesicles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adriano Caliari
- Laboratory of Biology and Information Science, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China
- Laboratory for Artificial Biology, Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of Trento, Polo Scientifico e Tecnologico Fabio Ferrari, Polo B, Via Sommarive 9, 38123 Povo, Italy
| | - Martin M Hanczyc
- Laboratory for Artificial Biology, Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of Trento, Polo Scientifico e Tecnologico Fabio Ferrari, Polo B, Via Sommarive 9, 38123 Povo, Italy
| | - Masayuki Imai
- Department of Physics, Graduate School of Science, Tohoku University, 6-3 Aramaki, Aoba, Sendai 980-8578, Japan
| | - Jian Xu
- Laboratory of Biology and Information Science, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China
| | - Tetsuya Yomo
- Laboratory of Biology and Information Science, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China
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Zhang Y, Obuchi H, Toyota T. A Practical Guide to Preparation and Applications of Giant Unilamellar Vesicles Formed via Centrifugation of Water-in-Oil Emulsion Droplets. MEMBRANES 2023; 13:440. [PMID: 37103867 PMCID: PMC10144487 DOI: 10.3390/membranes13040440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2023] [Revised: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Giant vesicles (GVs), which are closed lipid bilayer membranes with a diameter of more than 1 μm, have attracted attention not only as model cell membranes but also for the construction of artificial cells. For encapsulating water-soluble materials and/or water-dispersible particles or functionalizing membrane proteins and/or other synthesized amphiphiles, giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) have been applied in various fields, such as supramolecular chemistry, soft matter physics, life sciences, and bioengineering. In this review, we focus on a preparation technique for GUVs that encapsulate water-soluble materials and/or water-dispersible particles. It is based on the centrifugation of a water-in-oil emulsion layered on water and does not require special equipment other than a centrifuge, which makes it the first choice for laboratory use. Furthermore, we review recent studies on GUV-based artificial cells prepared using this technique and discuss their future applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiting Zhang
- Department of Basic Science, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 3-8-1 Komaba, Meguro, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan
| | - Haruto Obuchi
- Department of Basic Science, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 3-8-1 Komaba, Meguro, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan
| | - Taro Toyota
- Department of Basic Science, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 3-8-1 Komaba, Meguro, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan
- Universal Biology Institute, The University of Tokyo, 3-8-1 Komaba, Meguro, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan
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6
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Supramaniam P, Wang Z, Chatzimichail S, Parperis C, Kumar A, Ho V, Ces O, Salehi-Reyhani A. Measuring Encapsulation Efficiency in Cell-Mimicking Giant Unilamellar Vesicles. ACS Synth Biol 2023; 12:1227-1238. [PMID: 36977193 PMCID: PMC10127275 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.2c00684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/30/2023]
Abstract
One of the main drivers within the field of bottom-up synthetic biology is to develop artificial chemical machines, perhaps even living systems, that have programmable functionality. Numerous toolkits exist to generate giant unilamellar vesicle-based artificial cells. However, methods able to quantitatively measure their molecular constituents upon formation is an underdeveloped area. We report an artificial cell quality control (AC/QC) protocol using a microfluidic-based single-molecule approach, enabling the absolute quantification of encapsulated biomolecules. While the measured average encapsulation efficiency was 11.4 ± 6.8%, the AC/QC method allowed us to determine encapsulation efficiencies per vesicle, which varied significantly from 2.4 to 41%. We show that it is possible to achieve a desired concentration of biomolecule within each vesicle by commensurate compensation of its concentration in the seed emulsion. However, the variability in encapsulation efficiency suggests caution is necessary when using such vesicles as simplified biological models or standards.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Zibo Wang
- Department of Surgery & Cancer, Imperial College London, London W12 0HS, U.K
- Department of Chemistry, King's College London, London SE1 1DB, U.K
| | | | - Christopher Parperis
- Department of Chemistry, Imperial College London, London W12 0BZ, U.K
- Department of Chemistry, King's College London, London SE1 1DB, U.K
| | - Aditi Kumar
- Department of Chemistry, Imperial College London, London W12 0BZ, U.K
| | - Vanessa Ho
- Department of Chemistry, Imperial College London, London W12 0BZ, U.K
| | - Oscar Ces
- Department of Chemistry, Imperial College London, London W12 0BZ, U.K
- fabriCELL, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, U.K
| | - Ali Salehi-Reyhani
- Department of Surgery & Cancer, Imperial College London, London W12 0HS, U.K
- fabriCELL, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, U.K
- Institute for Molecular Science and Engineering, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, U.K
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7
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Tian D, Wang C, Liu Y, Zhang Y, Caliari A, Lu H, Xia Y, Xu B, Xu J, Yomo T. Cell Sorting-Directed Selection of Bacterial Cells in Bigger Sizes Analyzed by Imaging Flow Cytometry during Experimental Evolution. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24043243. [PMID: 36834655 PMCID: PMC9966196 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24043243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2022] [Revised: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Cell morphology is an essential and phenotypic trait that can be easily tracked during adaptation and evolution to environmental changes. Thanks to the rapid development of quantitative analytical techniques for large populations of cells based on their optical properties, morphology can be easily determined and tracked during experimental evolution. Furthermore, the directed evolution of new culturable morphological phenotypes can find use in synthetic biology to refine fermentation processes. It remains unknown whether and how fast we can obtain a stable mutant with distinct morphologies using fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS)-directed experimental evolution. Taking advantage of FACS and imaging flow cytometry (IFC), we direct the experimental evolution of the E. coli population undergoing continuous passage of sorted cells with specific optical properties. After ten rounds of sorting and culturing, a lineage with large cells resulting from incomplete closure of the division ring was obtained. Genome sequencing highlighted a stop-gain mutation in amiC, leading to a dysfunctional AmiC division protein. The combination of FACS-based selection with IFC analysis to track the evolution of the bacteria population in real-time holds promise to rapidly select and culture new morphologies and association tendencies with many potential applications.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Jian Xu
- Correspondence: (J.X.); (T.Y.); Tel.: +86-(21)-62233727 (J.X. & T.Y.)
| | - Tetsuya Yomo
- Correspondence: (J.X.); (T.Y.); Tel.: +86-(21)-62233727 (J.X. & T.Y.)
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8
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Dai S, Tang X, Zhang N, Li H, He C, Han Y, Wang Y. Lipid Giant Vesicles Engulf Living Bacteria Triggered by Minor Enhancement in Membrane Fluidity. NANO LETTERS 2023; 23:371-379. [PMID: 36441573 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.2c03475] [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: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Antibacterial amphiphiles normally kill bacteria by destroying the bacterial membrane. Whether and how antibacterial amphiphiles alter normal cell membrane and lead to subsequent effects on pathogen invasion into cells have been scarcely promulgated. Herein, by taking four antibacterial gemini amphiphiles with different spacer groups to modulate cell-mimic phospholipid giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs), bacteria adhesion on the modified GUVs surface and bacteria engulfment process by the GUVs are clearly captured by confocal laser scanning microscopy. Further characterization shows that the enhanced cationic surface charge of GUVs by the amphiphiles determines the bacteria adhesion amount, while the involvement of amphiphile in GUVs results in looser molecular arrangement and concomitant higher fluidity in the bilayer membranes, facilitating the bacteria intruding into GUVs. This study sheds new light on the effect of amphiphiles on membrane bilayer and the concurrent effect on pathogen invasion into cell mimics and broadens the nonprotein-mediated endocytosis pathway for live bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaoying Dai
- CAS Key Laboratory of Colloid, Interface and Chemical Thermodynamics, CAS Research/Education Center for Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xiaoyu Tang
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Na Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Colloid, Interface and Chemical Thermodynamics, CAS Research/Education Center for Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Haofei Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Colloid, Interface and Chemical Thermodynamics, CAS Research/Education Center for Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Chengzhi He
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Yuchun Han
- CAS Key Laboratory of Colloid, Interface and Chemical Thermodynamics, CAS Research/Education Center for Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Yilin Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Colloid, Interface and Chemical Thermodynamics, CAS Research/Education Center for Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
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9
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Han F, Xu B, Lu N, Caliari A, Lu H, Xia Y, Su'etsugu M, Xu J, Yomo T. Optimization and compartmentalization of a cell-free mixture of DNA amplification and protein translation. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2022; 106:8139-8149. [PMID: 36355086 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-022-12278-2] [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: 08/08/2022] [Revised: 10/30/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Recent studies have shown that the reconstituted cell-free DNA replisome and in vitro transcription and translation systems from Escherichia coli are highly important in applied and synthetic biology. To date, no attempt has been made to combine those two systems. Here, we study the performance of the mixed two separately exploited systems commercially available as RCR and PURE systems. Regarding the genetic information flow from DNA to proteins, mixtures with various ratios of RCR/PURE gave low protein expression, possibly due to the well-known conflict between replication and transcription or inappropriate buffer conditions. To further increase the compatibility of the two systems, rationally designed reaction buffers with a lower concentration of nucleoside triphosphates in 50 mM HEPES (pH7.6) were evaluated, showing increased performance from RCR/PURE (85%/15%) in a time-dependent manner. The compatibility was also validated in compartmentalized cell-sized droplets encapsulating the same RCR/PURE soup. Our findings can help to better fine-tune the reaction conditions of RCR-PURE systems and provide new avenues for rewiring the central dogma of molecular biology as self-sustaining systems in synthetic cell models. KEY POINTS: • Commercial reconstituted DNA amplification (RCR) and transcription and translation (PURE) systems hamper each other upon mixing. • A newly optimized buffer with a low bias for PURE was formulated in the RCR-PURE mixture. • The performance and dynamics of RCR-PURE were investigated in either bulk or compartmentalized droplets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fuhai Han
- Laboratory of Biology and Information Science, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, People's Republic of China
| | - Boying Xu
- Laboratory of Biology and Information Science, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, People's Republic of China.,Tongji University Cancer Center, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200072, China
| | - Nan Lu
- Laboratory of Biology and Information Science, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, People's Republic of China
| | - Adriano Caliari
- Laboratory of Biology and Information Science, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, People's Republic of China
| | - Hui Lu
- Laboratory of Biology and Information Science, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, People's Republic of China
| | - Yang Xia
- Laboratory of Biology and Information Science, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, People's Republic of China
| | - Masayuki Su'etsugu
- Department of Life Science, College of Science, Rikkyo University, Tokyo, 171-8501, Japan
| | - Jian Xu
- Laboratory of Biology and Information Science, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, People's Republic of China.
| | - Tetsuya Yomo
- Laboratory of Biology and Information Science, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, People's Republic of China.
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10
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Chiechio RM, Ducarre S, Marets C, Dupont A, Even-Hernandez P, Pinson X, Dutertre S, Artzner F, Musumeci P, Ravel C, Faro MJL, Marchi V. Encapsulation of Luminescent Gold Nanoclusters into Synthetic Vesicles. NANOMATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 12:nano12213875. [PMID: 36364651 PMCID: PMC9655092 DOI: 10.3390/nano12213875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2022] [Revised: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Gold nanoclusters (Au NCs) are attractive luminescent nanoprobes for biomedical applications. In vivo biosensing and bioimaging requires the delivery of the Au NCs into subcellular compartments. In this view, we explore here the possible encapsulation of ultra-small-sized red and blue emitting Au NCs into liposomes of various sizes and chemical compositions. Different methods were investigated to prepare vesicles containing Au NCs in their lumen. The efficiency of the process was correlated to the structural and morphological aspect of the Au NCs' encapsulating vesicles thanks to complementary analyses by SAXS, cryo-TEM, and confocal microscopy techniques. Cell-like-sized vesicles (GUVs) encapsulating red or blue Au NCs were successfully obtained by an innovative method using emulsion phase transfer. Furthermore, exosome-like-sized vesicles (LUVs) containing Au NCs were obtained with an encapsulation yield of 40%, as estimated from ICP-MS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Regina M. Chiechio
- Institut des Sciences Chimiques de Rennes, CNRS UMR 6226, Université Rennes 1, F-35000 Rennes, France
- Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia “Ettore Majorana”, Università Di Catania, Via Santa Sofia 64, 95123 Catania, Italy
- IMM-CNR, Via S. Sofia 64, 95123 Catania, Italy
| | | | - Célia Marets
- Institut des Sciences Chimiques de Rennes, CNRS UMR 6226, Université Rennes 1, F-35000 Rennes, France
| | - Aurélien Dupont
- BIOSIT, Inserm, CNRS UMS 3480, Université Rennes1, US_S 018, F-35000 Rennes, France
| | - Pascale Even-Hernandez
- Institut des Sciences Chimiques de Rennes, CNRS UMR 6226, Université Rennes 1, F-35000 Rennes, France
| | - Xavier Pinson
- Microscopy Rennes Imaging Centre, SFR Biosit, CNRS UMS 3480—US INSERM 018, Université Rennes 1, F-35000 Rennes, France
| | - Stéphanie Dutertre
- Microscopy Rennes Imaging Centre, SFR Biosit, CNRS UMS 3480—US INSERM 018, Université Rennes 1, F-35000 Rennes, France
| | - Franck Artzner
- Institut de Physique, CNRS UMR 6251, Université Rennes 1, F-35000 Rennes, France
| | - Paolo Musumeci
- Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia “Ettore Majorana”, Università Di Catania, Via Santa Sofia 64, 95123 Catania, Italy
| | - Célia Ravel
- Service de Biologie de la Reproduction-CECOS, CHU Rennes, F-35000 Rennes, France
- Irset (Institut de Recherche en Santé, Environnement et Travail), Inserm, EHESP, Université Rennes 1, F-35000 Rennes, France
| | - Maria Jose Lo Faro
- Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia “Ettore Majorana”, Università Di Catania, Via Santa Sofia 64, 95123 Catania, Italy
- IMM-CNR, Via S. Sofia 64, 95123 Catania, Italy
| | - Valérie Marchi
- Institut des Sciences Chimiques de Rennes, CNRS UMR 6226, Université Rennes 1, F-35000 Rennes, France
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11
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Chiechio RM, Ducarre S, Moulin G, Dupont A, Marets C, Even-Hernandez P, Artzner F, Musumeci P, Franzò G, Ravel C, LoFaro MJ, Marchi V. Luminescent Gold Nanoclusters Interacting with Synthetic and Biological Vesicles. J Phys Chem Lett 2022; 13:6935-6943. [PMID: 35876058 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.2c01071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
According to their high electron density and ultrasmall size, gold nanoclusters (AuNCs) have unique luminescence and photoelectrochemical properties that make them very attractive for various biomedical fields. These applications require a clear understanding of their interaction with biological membranes. Here we demonstrate the ability of the AuNCs as markers for lipidic bilayer structures such as synthetic liposomes and biological extracellular vesicles (EVs). The AuNCs can selectively interact with liposomes or EVs through an attractive electrostatic interaction as demonstrated by zetametry and fluorescence microscopy. According to the ratio of nanoclusters to vesicles, the lipidic membranes can be fluorescently labeled without altering their thickness until charge reversion, the AuNCs being located at the level of the phosphate headgroups. In presence of an excess of AuNCs, the vesicles tend to adhere and aggregate. The strong adsorption of AuNCs results in the formation of a lamellar phase as demonstrated by cryo-transmission electron microscopy and small-angle X-ray scattering techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Regina M Chiechio
- Université Rennes 1, CNRS UMR 6226, Institut des Sciences Chimiques de Rennes, Avenue du général Leclerc, 35042 Rennes Cedex, France
- Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia "Ettore Majorana", Università Di Catania, Via Santa Sofia 64, 95123 Catania, Italy
- IMM-CNR, Via S. Sofia 64, 95123 Catania, Italy
| | - Solène Ducarre
- Université Rennes 1, CNRS UMR 6226, Institut des Sciences Chimiques de Rennes, Avenue du général Leclerc, 35042 Rennes Cedex, France
| | - Grégory Moulin
- Université Rennes 1, CNRS UMR 6226, Institut des Sciences Chimiques de Rennes, Avenue du général Leclerc, 35042 Rennes Cedex, France
- CHU Rennes, Service de Biologie de la Reproduction-CECOS, 35000 Rennes, France
| | - Aurélien Dupont
- CNRS, Inserm, BIOSIT - UMS 3480, Univ Rennes, US_S 018, F-35000 Rennes, France
| | - Célia Marets
- Université Rennes 1, CNRS UMR 6226, Institut des Sciences Chimiques de Rennes, Avenue du général Leclerc, 35042 Rennes Cedex, France
| | - Pascale Even-Hernandez
- Université Rennes 1, CNRS UMR 6226, Institut des Sciences Chimiques de Rennes, Avenue du général Leclerc, 35042 Rennes Cedex, France
| | - Franck Artzner
- Université Rennes 1, CNRS UMR 6251, Institut de Physique de Rennes, Avenue du général Leclerc, 35042 Rennes Cedex, France
| | - Paolo Musumeci
- Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia "Ettore Majorana", Università Di Catania, Via Santa Sofia 64, 95123 Catania, Italy
| | | | - Célia Ravel
- CHU Rennes, Service de Biologie de la Reproduction-CECOS, 35000 Rennes, France
- Univ Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de Recherche en Santé, Environnement et Travail), UMR_S 1085, F-35000 Rennes, France
| | - Maria José LoFaro
- Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia "Ettore Majorana", Università Di Catania, Via Santa Sofia 64, 95123 Catania, Italy
- IMM-CNR, Via S. Sofia 64, 95123 Catania, Italy
| | - Valérie Marchi
- Université Rennes 1, CNRS UMR 6226, Institut des Sciences Chimiques de Rennes, Avenue du général Leclerc, 35042 Rennes Cedex, France
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12
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Xu B, Ding J, Caliari A, Lu N, Han F, Xia Y, Xu J, Yomo T. Photoinducible Azobenzene trimethylammonium bromide (AzoTAB)-mediated giant vesicle fusion compatible with synthetic protein translation reactions. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2022; 618:113-118. [PMID: 35717905 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2022.06.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Revised: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 06/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Lipid giant vesicles represent a versatile minimal model system to study the physicochemical basis of lipid membrane fusion. Membrane fusion processes are also of interest in synthetic cell research, where cell-mimicking behavior often requires dynamically interacting compartments. For these applications, triggered fusion compatible with transcription-translation systems is key in achieving complexity. Recently, a photosensitive surfactant, azobenzene trimethylammonium bromide (AzoTAB), has been reported to induce membrane fusion by a photoinduced conformational change. Using imaging flow cytometer (IFC) and confocal microscopy we quantitatively investigated photoinduced AzoTAB-mediated fusion of 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphatidylcholine vesicles. The IFC analysis result showed that the fusion rate could reach about 40% following AzoTAB addition and UV irradiation in optimized conditions. We confirmed the compatibility between AzoTAB-induced vesicle fusion and a synthetic cell-free protein translation system using green fluorescent protein as reporter. With the techniques presented, cell-sized vesicle fusion can be quantitatively analyzed and optimized, paving the way to controllable synthetic cells with fundamental biological functions like the ability to express proteins from encapsulated plasmids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boying Xu
- Laboratory of Biology and Information Science, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, PR China; Tongji University Cancer Center, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200072, PR China
| | - Jinquan Ding
- School of Software Engineering, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, PR China
| | - Adriano Caliari
- Laboratory of Biology and Information Science, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, PR China
| | - Nan Lu
- Laboratory of Biology and Information Science, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, PR China
| | - Fuhai Han
- Laboratory of Biology and Information Science, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, PR China
| | - Yang Xia
- Laboratory of Biology and Information Science, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, PR China
| | - Jian Xu
- Laboratory of Biology and Information Science, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, PR China.
| | - Tetsuya Yomo
- Laboratory of Biology and Information Science, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, PR China.
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13
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Identifying and Manipulating Giant Vesicles: Review of Recent Approaches. MICROMACHINES 2022; 13:mi13050644. [PMID: 35630111 PMCID: PMC9144095 DOI: 10.3390/mi13050644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2022] [Revised: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 04/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Giant vesicles (GVs) are closed bilayer membranes that primarily comprise amphiphiles with diameters of more than 1 μm. Compared with regular vesicles (several tens of nanometers in size), GVs are of greater scientific interest as model cell membranes and protocells because of their structure and size, which are similar to those of biological systems. Biopolymers and nano-/microparticles can be encapsulated in GVs at high concentrations, and their application as artificial cell bodies has piqued interest. It is essential to develop methods for investigating and manipulating the properties of GVs toward engineering applications. In this review, we discuss current improvements in microscopy, micromanipulation, and microfabrication technologies for progress in GV identification and engineering tools. Combined with the advancement of GV preparation technologies, these technological advancements can aid the development of artificial cell systems such as alternative tissues and GV-based chemical signal processing systems.
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14
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Steller LH, Van Kranendonk MJ, Wang A. Dehydration Enhances Prebiotic Lipid Remodeling and Vesicle Formation in Acidic Environments. ACS CENTRAL SCIENCE 2022; 8:132-139. [PMID: 35106379 PMCID: PMC8796310 DOI: 10.1021/acscentsci.1c01365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The encapsulation of genetic polymers inside lipid bilayer compartments (vesicles) is a vital step in the emergence of cell-based life. However, even though acidic conditions promote many reactions required for generating prebiotic building blocks, prebiotically relevant lipids tend to form denser aggregates at acidic pHs rather than prebiotically useful vesicles that exhibit sufficient solute encapsulation. Here, we describe how dehydration/rehydration (DR) events, a prebiotically relevant physicochemical process known to promote polymerization reactions, can remodel dense lipid aggregates into thin-walled vesicles capable of RNA encapsulation even at acidic pHs. Furthermore, DR events appear to favor the encapsulation of RNA within thin-walled vesicles over more lipid-rich vesicles, thus conferring such vesicles a selective advantage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke H. Steller
- School
of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UNSW Sydney, Bedegal
Country, New South Wales 2052, Australia
- Australian
Centre for Astrobiology, UNSW Sydney, Bedegal Country, New South
Wales 2052, Australia
| | - Martin J. Van Kranendonk
- School
of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UNSW Sydney, Bedegal
Country, New South Wales 2052, Australia
- Australian
Centre for Astrobiology, UNSW Sydney, Bedegal Country, New South
Wales 2052, Australia
| | - Anna Wang
- School
of Chemistry, UNSW Sydney, Bedegal Country, New South
Wales 2052, Australia
- Australian
Centre for Astrobiology, UNSW Sydney, Bedegal Country, New South
Wales 2052, Australia
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15
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Lu H, Aida H, Kurokawa M, Chen F, Xia Y, Xu J, Li K, Ying BW, Yomo T. Primordial mimicry induces morphological change in Escherichia coli. Commun Biol 2022; 5:24. [PMID: 35017623 PMCID: PMC8752768 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-02954-w] [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] [Received: 02/15/2021] [Accepted: 12/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The morphology of primitive cells has been the subject of extensive research. A spherical form was commonly presumed in prebiotic studies but lacked experimental evidence in living cells. Whether and how the shape of living cells changed are unclear. Here we exposed the rod-shaped bacterium Escherichia coli to a resource utilization regime mimicking a primordial environment. Oleate was given as an easy-to-use model prebiotic nutrient, as fatty acid vesicles were likely present on the prebiotic Earth and might have been used as an energy resource. Six evolutionary lineages were generated under glucose-free but oleic acid vesicle (OAV)-rich conditions. Intriguingly, fitness increase was commonly associated with the morphological change from rod to sphere and the decreases in both the size and the area-to-volume ratio of the cell. The changed cell shape was conserved in either OAVs or glucose, regardless of the trade-offs in carbon utilization and protein abundance. Highly differentiated mutations present in the genome revealed two distinct strategies of adaption to OAV-rich conditions, i.e., either directly targeting the cell wall or not. The change in cell morphology of Escherichia coli for adapting to fatty acid availability supports the assumption of the primitive spherical form. Lu et al. investigate the evolution of the shape of living cells by generating six experimental lineages of the rod-shaped E. coli under glucose-free conditions in the presence of oleic acid mimicking a primordial environment. The authors show that the morphological changes from rod to sphere accompanied fitness increases and adaptation amongst fatty acid availability supports the assumption of a primitive spherical form.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Lu
- Biomedical Synthetic Biology Research Center, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, 3663 North Zhongshan Road, Shanghai, 200062, PR China
| | - Honoka Aida
- Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennoudai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8572, Japan
| | - Masaomi Kurokawa
- Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennoudai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8572, Japan
| | - Feng Chen
- School of Software Engineering, East China Normal University, 3663 North Zhongshan Road, Shanghai, 200062, PR China
| | - Yang Xia
- Biomedical Synthetic Biology Research Center, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, 3663 North Zhongshan Road, Shanghai, 200062, PR China
| | - Jian Xu
- Biomedical Synthetic Biology Research Center, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, 3663 North Zhongshan Road, Shanghai, 200062, PR China
| | - Kai Li
- Biomedical Synthetic Biology Research Center, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, 3663 North Zhongshan Road, Shanghai, 200062, PR China
| | - Bei-Wen Ying
- Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennoudai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8572, Japan.
| | - Tetsuya Yomo
- Biomedical Synthetic Biology Research Center, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, 3663 North Zhongshan Road, Shanghai, 200062, PR China.
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16
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Boban Z, Mardešić I, Subczynski WK, Raguz M. Giant Unilamellar Vesicle Electroformation: What to Use, What to Avoid, and How to Quantify the Results. MEMBRANES 2021; 11:membranes11110860. [PMID: 34832088 PMCID: PMC8622294 DOI: 10.3390/membranes11110860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2021] [Revised: 11/03/2021] [Accepted: 11/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Since its inception more than thirty years ago, electroformation has become the most commonly used method for growing giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs). Although the method seems quite straightforward at first, researchers must consider the interplay of a large number of parameters, different lipid compositions, and internal solutions in order to avoid artifactual results or reproducibility problems. These issues motivated us to write a short review of the most recent methodological developments and possible pitfalls. Additionally, since traditional manual analysis can lead to biased results, we have included a discussion on methods for automatic analysis of GUVs. Finally, we discuss possible improvements in the preparation of GUVs containing high cholesterol contents in order to avoid the formation of artifactual cholesterol crystals. We intend this review to be a reference for those trying to decide what parameters to use as well as an overview providing insight into problems not yet addressed or solved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zvonimir Boban
- Department of Medical Physics and Biophysics, University of Split School of Medicine, 21000 Split, Croatia; (Z.B.); (I.M.)
- Doctoral Study of Biophysics, Faculty of Science, University of Split, 21000 Split, Croatia
| | - Ivan Mardešić
- Department of Medical Physics and Biophysics, University of Split School of Medicine, 21000 Split, Croatia; (Z.B.); (I.M.)
- Doctoral Study of Biophysics, Faculty of Science, University of Split, 21000 Split, Croatia
| | | | - Marija Raguz
- Department of Medical Physics and Biophysics, University of Split School of Medicine, 21000 Split, Croatia; (Z.B.); (I.M.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +385-98-768-819
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17
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Current problems and future avenues in proteoliposome research. Biochem Soc Trans 2021; 48:1473-1492. [PMID: 32830854 DOI: 10.1042/bst20190966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2020] [Revised: 07/10/2020] [Accepted: 07/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Membrane proteins (MPs) are the gatekeepers between different biological compartments separated by lipid bilayers. Being receptors, channels, transporters, or primary pumps, they fulfill a wide variety of cellular functions and their importance is reflected in the increasing number of drugs that target MPs. Functional studies of MPs within a native cellular context, however, is difficult due to the innate complexity of the densely packed membranes. Over the past decades, detergent-based extraction and purification of MPs and their reconstitution into lipid mimetic systems has been a very powerful tool to simplify the experimental system. In this review, we focus on proteoliposomes that have become an indispensable experimental system for enzymes with a vectorial function, including many of the here described energy transducing MPs. We first address long standing questions on the difficulty of successful reconstitution and controlled orientation of MPs into liposomes. A special emphasis is given on coreconstitution of several MPs into the same bilayer. Second, we discuss recent progress in the development of fluorescent dyes that offer sensitive detection with high temporal resolution. Finally, we briefly cover the use of giant unilamellar vesicles for the investigation of complex enzymatic cascades, a very promising experimental tool considering our increasing knowledge of the interplay of different cellular components.
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18
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Giant Vesicles Produced with Phosphatidylcholines (PCs) and Phosphatidylethanolamines (PEs) by Water-in-Oil Inverted Emulsions. Life (Basel) 2021; 11:life11030223. [PMID: 33801936 PMCID: PMC7998898 DOI: 10.3390/life11030223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Revised: 03/01/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
(1) Background: giant vesicles (GVs) are widely employed as models for studying physicochemical properties of bio-membranes and artificial cell construction due to their similarities to natural cell membranes. Considering the critical roles of GVs, various methods have been developed to prepare them. Notably, the water-in-oil (w/o) inverted emulsion-transfer method is reported to be the most promising, owning to the relatively higher productivity and better encapsulation efficiency of biomolecules. Previously, we successfully established an improved approach to acquire detailed information of 1-Palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (POPC)-derived GVs with imaging flow cytometry (IFC); (2) Methods: we prepared GVs with different lipid compositions, including phosphatidylcholines (PCs), phosphatidylethanolamines (PEs), and PC/PE mixtures by w/o inverted emulsion methods. We comprehensively compared the yield, purity, size, and encapsulation efficiency of the resulting vesicles; (3) Results: the relatively higher productivities of GVs could be obtained from POPC, 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DOPC), 1,2-dilauroyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine (DLPE), DOPC: DLPE (7:3), and POPC: DLPE (6:4) pools. Furthermore, we also demonstrate that these GVs are stable during long term preservation in 4 °C. (4) Conclusions: our results will be useful for the analytical study of GVs and GV-based applications.
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19
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Frank T, Vogele K, Dupin A, Simmel FC, Pirzer T. Growth of Giant Peptide Vesicles Driven by Compartmentalized Transcription-Translation Activity. Chemistry 2020; 26:17356-17360. [PMID: 32777105 PMCID: PMC7839564 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202003366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Compartmentalization and spatial organization of biochemical reactions are essential for the establishment of complex metabolic pathways inside synthetic cells. Phospholipid and fatty acid membranes are the most natural candidates for this purpose, but also polymers have shown great potential as enclosures of artificial cell mimics. Herein, we report on the formation of giant vesicles in a size range of 1 μm-100 μm using amphiphilic elastin-like polypeptides. The peptide vesicles can accommodate cell-free gene expression reactions, which is demonstrated by the transcription of a fluorescent RNA aptamer and the production of a fluorescent protein. Importantly, gene expression inside the vesicles leads to a strong growth of their size-up to an order of magnitude in volume in several cases-which is driven by changes in osmotic pressure, resulting in fusion events and uptake of membrane peptides from the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Frank
- Physics-Department and ZNNTechnical University MunichAm Coulombwall 4a85748GarchingGermany
| | - Kilian Vogele
- Physics-Department and ZNNTechnical University MunichAm Coulombwall 4a85748GarchingGermany
| | - Aurore Dupin
- Physics-Department and ZNNTechnical University MunichAm Coulombwall 4a85748GarchingGermany
| | - Friedrich C. Simmel
- Physics-Department and ZNNTechnical University MunichAm Coulombwall 4a85748GarchingGermany
| | - Tobias Pirzer
- Physics-Department and ZNNTechnical University MunichAm Coulombwall 4a85748GarchingGermany
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20
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Toparlak ÖD, Zasso J, Bridi S, Serra MD, Macchi P, Conti L, Baudet ML, Mansy SS. Artificial cells drive neural differentiation. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2020; 6:eabb4920. [PMID: 32948587 PMCID: PMC7500934 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abb4920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2020] [Accepted: 07/29/2020] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
We report the construction of artificial cells that chemically communicate with mammalian cells under physiological conditions. The artificial cells respond to the presence of a small molecule in the environment by synthesizing and releasing a potent protein signal, brain-derived neurotrophic factor. Genetically controlled artificial cells communicate with engineered human embryonic kidney cells and murine neural stem cells. The data suggest that artificial cells are a versatile chassis for the in situ synthesis and on-demand release of chemical signals that elicit desired phenotypic changes of eukaryotic cells, including neuronal differentiation. In the future, artificial cells could be engineered to go beyond the capabilities of typical smart drug delivery vehicles by synthesizing and delivering specific therapeutic molecules tailored to distinct physiological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ö Duhan Toparlak
- Department CIBIO, University of Trento, via Sommarive 9, 38123 Povo, Italy
| | - Jacopo Zasso
- Department CIBIO, University of Trento, via Sommarive 9, 38123 Povo, Italy
| | - Simone Bridi
- Department CIBIO, University of Trento, via Sommarive 9, 38123 Povo, Italy
| | - Mauro Dalla Serra
- National Research Council-Institute of Biophysics & Bruno Kessler Foundation, via alla Cascata 56/C, 38123 Trento, Italy
| | - Paolo Macchi
- Department CIBIO, University of Trento, via Sommarive 9, 38123 Povo, Italy
| | - Luciano Conti
- Department CIBIO, University of Trento, via Sommarive 9, 38123 Povo, Italy
| | - Marie-Laure Baudet
- Department CIBIO, University of Trento, via Sommarive 9, 38123 Povo, Italy
| | - Sheref S Mansy
- Department CIBIO, University of Trento, via Sommarive 9, 38123 Povo, Italy.
- Department of Chemistry, University of Alberta, 11227 Saskatchewan Drive, Edmonton, AB T6G 2G2, Canada
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21
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Li P, McClements DJ, Decker EA. Application of Flow Cytometry As Novel Technology in Studying the Effect of Droplet Size on Lipid Oxidation in Oil-in-Water Emulsions. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2020; 68:567-573. [PMID: 31860290 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.9b04956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Despite several published studies, the impact of emulsion droplet size on lipid oxidation rates is unclear. This could be because oil-in-water emulsions are typically polydisperse and the oxidation rate of individual droplets is difficult to discern. Flow cytometry is a technique for studying individual cells and their subpopulations using fluorescence technologies, which is possible to be used in studying individual emulsion droplets. Typical emulsion droplets are too small to be visualized by flow cytometer so emulsions were prepared to have droplets >2 μm that were stabilized by weighting agent and xanthan gum to minimize creaming during storage. A radical-sensitive fluorescence probe (BODIPY665/676) was added to the lipid used to prepare the emulsion so that the susceptibility of individual emulsion droplets could be determined. The results showed that in a polydisperse emulsion system, small droplets were oxidized faster than large droplets. A conventional method was also carried out by blending two emulsions with different droplet sizes and oil densities, and results were in agreement with the observation obtained from flow cytometry. As a new approach, flow cytometry could be utilized in emulsion studies to reveal insights of lipid oxidation mechanisms in individual droplets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peilong Li
- Department of Food Science , University of Massachusetts , Amherst , Massachusetts 01003 , United States
| | - D Julian McClements
- Department of Food Science , University of Massachusetts , Amherst , Massachusetts 01003 , United States
| | - Eric A Decker
- Department of Food Science , University of Massachusetts , Amherst , Massachusetts 01003 , United States
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22
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A protocell with fusion and division. Biochem Soc Trans 2019; 47:1909-1919. [PMID: 31819942 DOI: 10.1042/bst20190576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2019] [Revised: 11/12/2019] [Accepted: 11/25/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
A protocell is a synthetic form of cellular life that is constructed from phospholipid vesicles and used to understand the emergence of life from a nonliving chemical network. To be considered 'living', a protocell should be capable of self-proliferation, which includes successive growth and division processes. The growth of protocells can be achieved via vesicle fusion approaches. In this review, we provide a brief overview of recent research on the formation of a protocell, fusion and division processes of the protocell, and encapsulation of a defined chemical network such as the genetic material. We also provide some perspectives on the challenges and future developments of synthetic protocell research.
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23
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Abstract
The behavior of benzoic acid in polyethylene inspired me to reflect on why water is a unique molecule that all living organisms depend upon. From properties of DNA in aqueous solution a seemingly counter-intuitive conjecture emerges: water is needed for the creation of certain dry low-dielectric nm-size environments where hydrogen bonding exerts strong recognition power. Such environments seem to be functionally crucial, and their interactions with other hydrophobic environments, or with hydrophobic agents that modulate the chemical potential of water, can cause structural transformations via ‘hydrophobic catalysis’. Possibly combined with an excluded volume osmosis effect (EVO), hydrophobic catalysis may have important biological roles, e.g., in genetic recombination. Hydrophobic agents are found to strongly accelerate spontaneous DNA strand exchange as well as certain other DNA rearrangement reactions. It is hypothesized that hydrophobic catalysis be involved in gene recognition and gene recombination mediated by bacterial RecA (one of the oldest proteins we know of) as well as in sexual recombination in higher organisms, by Rad51. Hydrophobically catalyzed unstacking fluctuations of DNA bases can favor elongated conformations, such as the recently proposed [Formula: see text]-DNA, with potential regulatory roles. That living cells can survive as dormant spores, with very low water content and in principle as such travel far in space is reflected upon: a random walk model with solar photon pressure as driving force indicates our life on earth could not have originated outside our galaxy but possibly from many solar systems within it — at some place, though, where there was plenty of liquid water.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bengt Nordén
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, SE-412 96 Gothenburg, Sweden
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