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Qi C, Ma X, Zeng Q, Huang Z, Zhang S, Deng X, Kong T, Liu Z. Multicompartmental coacervate-based protocell by spontaneous droplet evaporation. Nat Commun 2024; 15:1107. [PMID: 38321061 PMCID: PMC10847435 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45411-y] [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: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Hierarchical compartmentalization, a hallmark of both primitive and modern cells, enables the concentration and isolation of biomolecules, and facilitates spatial organization of biochemical reactions. Coacervate-based compartments can sequester and recruit a large variety of molecules, making it an attractive protocell model. In this work, we report the spontaneous formation of core-shell cell-sized coacervate-based compartments driven by spontaneous evaporation of a sessile droplet on a thin-oil-coated substrate. Our analysis reveals that such far-from-equilibrium architectures arise from multiple, coupled segregative and associative liquid-liquid phase separation, and are stabilized by stagnation points within the evaporating droplet. The formation of stagnation points results from convective capillary flows induced by the maximum evaporation rate at the liquid-liquid-air contact line. This work provides valuable insights into the spontaneous formation and maintenance of hierarchical compartments under non-equilibrium conditions, offering a glimpse into the real-life scenario.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng Qi
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Micro/Nano Optomechatronics Engineering, College of Mechatronics and Control Engineering, Shenzhen University, 518060, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Xudong Ma
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Micro/Nano Optomechatronics Engineering, College of Mechatronics and Control Engineering, Shenzhen University, 518060, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Qi Zeng
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Micro/Nano Optomechatronics Engineering, College of Mechatronics and Control Engineering, Shenzhen University, 518060, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Zhangwei Huang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Micro/Nano Optomechatronics Engineering, College of Mechatronics and Control Engineering, Shenzhen University, 518060, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Shanshan Zhang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine, Shenzhen University, 518000, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Xiaokang Deng
- College of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Shenzhen University, 518000, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Tiantian Kong
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine, Shenzhen University, 518000, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.
- Department of Urology, Inst Translat Med, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital, Shenzhen, China.
| | - Zhou Liu
- College of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Shenzhen University, 518000, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.
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