1
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Batistatou N, Kritzer JA. Recent advances in methods for quantifying the cell penetration of macromolecules. Curr Opin Chem Biol 2024; 81:102501. [PMID: 39024686 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2024.102501] [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: 03/15/2024] [Revised: 06/17/2024] [Accepted: 06/24/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
As the landscape of macromolecule therapeutics advances, drug developers are continuing to aim at intracellular targets. To activate, inhibit, or degrade these targets, the macromolecule must be delivered efficiently to intracellular compartments. Quite often, there is a discrepancy between binding affinity in biochemical assays and activity in cell-based assays. Identifying the bottleneck for cell-based activity requires robust assays that quantify total cellular uptake and/or cytosolic delivery. Recognizing this need, chemical biologists have designed a plethora of assays to make this measurement, each with distinct advantages and disadvantages. In this review, we describe the latest and most promising developments in the last 3 to 4 years.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Joshua A Kritzer
- Department of Chemistry, Tufts University, Medford MA 02155, USA.
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2
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Cao J, Tao S. Liquid-liquid reactions performed by cellular reactors. Nat Commun 2024; 15:5579. [PMID: 38961117 PMCID: PMC11222485 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49953-z] [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: 08/17/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2024] [Indexed: 07/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Liquid-liquid reactions play a significant role in organic synthesis. However, control of the phase interface between incompatible two-phase liquids remains challenging. Moreover, separating liquid acid, base and oxidants from the reactor takes a long time and high cost. To address these issues, we draw inspiration from the structure and function of cells in living organisms and develop a biomimetic 3D-printed cellular reactor. The cellular reactor houses an aqueous phase containing the catalyst or oxidant while immersed in the organic phase reactant. This setup controls the distribution of the phase interface within the organic phase and increases the interface area by 2.3 times. Notably, the cellular reactor and the aqueous phase are removed from the organic phase upon completing the reaction, eliminating additional separation steps and preventing direct contact between the reactor and acidic, alkaline, or oxidizing substances. Furthermore, the cellular reactor offers the advantages of digital design feasibility and cost-effective manufacturing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinzhe Cao
- School of Chemistry, Dalian University of Technology, 116024, Dalian, Liaoning, China
| | - Shengyang Tao
- School of Chemistry, Dalian University of Technology, 116024, Dalian, Liaoning, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, Dalian University of Technology, 116024, Dalian, Liaoning, China.
- Frontier Science Center for Smart Materials, Dalian University of Technology, 116024, Dalian, Liaoning, China.
- Dalian Key Laboratory of Intelligent Chemistry, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, Liaoning, China.
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3
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Zhou T, Liu Z, Ma X, Cen C, Huang Z, Lu Y, Kong T, Qi C. Thermally-resilient, phase-invertible, ultra-stable all-aqueous compartments by pH-modulated protein colloidal particles. J Colloid Interface Sci 2024; 665:413-421. [PMID: 38537589 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2024.03.155] [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: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 03/23/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024]
Abstract
The essence of compartmentalization in cells is the inspiration behind the engineering of synthetic counterparts, which has emerged as a significant engineering theme. Here, we report the formation of ultra-stable water-in-water (W/W) emulsion droplets. These W/W droplets demonstrate previously unattained stability across a broad pH spectrum and exhibit resilience at temperatures up to 80℃, overcoming the challenge of insufficient robustness in dispersed droplets of aqueous two-phase systems (ATPS). The exceptional robustness is attributed to the strong anchoring of micelle-like casein colloidal particles at the PEO/DEX interface, which maintains stability under varying environmental conditions. The increased surface hydrophobicity of these particles at high temperatures contributes to the formation of thermally-stable droplets, enduring temperatures as high as 80℃. Furthermore, our study illustrates the adaptable affinity of micelle-like casein colloidal particles towards the PEO/DEX-rich phase, enabling the formation of stable DEX-in-PEO emulsions at lower pH levels, and PEO-in-DEX emulsions as the pH rises above the isoelectric point. The robust nature of these W/W emulsions unlocks new possibilities for exploring various biochemical reactions within synthetic subcellular modules and lays a solid foundation for the development of novel biomimetic materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Zhou
- College of Mechatronics and Control Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen Guangdong 518000, China
| | - Zhou Liu
- College of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518000, China
| | - Xudong Ma
- College of Mechatronics and Control Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen Guangdong 518000, China
| | - Chaofeng Cen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518000, China
| | - Zhangwei Huang
- College of Mechatronics and Control Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen Guangdong 518000, China
| | - Yi Lu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518000, China
| | - Tiantian Kong
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518000, China; Department of Urology, Shenzhen Institute of Translational Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518000, China.
| | - Cheng Qi
- College of Mechatronics and Control Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen Guangdong 518000, China.
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4
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Zhang LL, Zhong CB, Huang TJ, Zhang LM, Yan F, Ying YL. High-throughput single biomarker identification using droplet nanopore. Chem Sci 2024; 15:8355-8362. [PMID: 38846401 PMCID: PMC11151865 DOI: 10.1039/d3sc06795e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Biomarkers are present in various metabolism processes, demanding precise and meticulous analysis at the single-molecule level for accurate clinical diagnosis. Given the need for high sensitivity, biological nanopore have been applied for single biomarker sensing. However, the detection of low-volume biomarkers poses challenges due to their low concentrations in dilute buffer solutions, as well as difficulty in parallel detection. Here, a droplet nanopore technique is developed for low-volume and high-throughput single biomarker detection at the sub-microliter scale, which shows a 2000-fold volume reduction compared to conventional setups. To prove the concept, this nanopore sensing platform not only enables multichannel recording but also significantly lowers the detection limit for various types of biomarkers such as angiotensin II, to 42 pg. This advancement enables direct biomarker detection at the picogram level. Such a leap forward in detection capability positions this nanopore sensing platform as a promising candidate for point-of-care testing of biomarker at single-molecule level, while substantially minimizing the need for sample dilution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin-Lin Zhang
- Molecular Sensing and Imaging Center, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University Nanjing 210023 P. R. China
| | - Cheng-Bing Zhong
- Molecular Sensing and Imaging Center, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University Nanjing 210023 P. R. China
| | - Ting-Jing Huang
- Molecular Sensing and Imaging Center, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University Nanjing 210023 P. R. China
| | - Li-Min Zhang
- School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Nanjing University Nanjing 210023 P. R. China
| | - Feng Yan
- School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Nanjing University Nanjing 210023 P. R. China
| | - Yi-Lun Ying
- Molecular Sensing and Imaging Center, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University Nanjing 210023 P. R. China
- State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, Nanjing University Nanjing 210023 P. R. China
- Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Center, Nanjing University Nanjing 210023 P. R. China
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5
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Gudyka J, Ceja-Vega J, Krmic M, Porteus R, Lee S. The Role of Lipid Intrinsic Curvature in the Droplet Interface Bilayer. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2024; 40:11428-11435. [PMID: 38764431 PMCID: PMC11155247 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.4c00270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2024] [Revised: 05/13/2024] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 05/21/2024]
Abstract
Model bilayers are constructed from lipids having different intrinsic curvatures using the droplet interface bilayer (DIB) method, and their static physicochemical properties are determined. Geometrical and tensiometric measurements are used to derive the free energy of formation (ΔF) of a two-droplet DIB relative to a pair of isolated aqueous droplets, each decorated with a phospholipid monolayer. The lipid molecules employed have different headgroup sizes but identical hydrophobic tail structure, and each is characterized by an intrinsic curvature value (c0) that increases in absolute value with decreasing size of headgroup. Mixtures of lipids at different ratios were also investigated. The role of curvature stress on the values of ΔF of the respective lipid bilayers in these model membranes is discussed and is illuminated by the observation of a decrement in ΔF that scales as a near linear function of c02. Overall, the results reveal an association that should prove useful in studies of ion channels and other membrane proteins embedded in model droplet bilayer systems that will impact the understanding of protein function in cellular membranes composed of lipids of high and low curvature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamie Gudyka
- Department of Chemistry and
Biochemistry, Iona University, New Rochelle, New York 10801, United States
| | - Jasmin Ceja-Vega
- Department of Chemistry and
Biochemistry, Iona University, New Rochelle, New York 10801, United States
| | - Michael Krmic
- Department of Chemistry and
Biochemistry, Iona University, New Rochelle, New York 10801, United States
| | - Riley Porteus
- Department of Chemistry and
Biochemistry, Iona University, New Rochelle, New York 10801, United States
| | - Sunghee Lee
- Department of Chemistry and
Biochemistry, Iona University, New Rochelle, New York 10801, United States
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6
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Schafer EA, Maraj JJ, Kenney C, Sarles SA, Rivnay J. Droplet Polymer Bilayers for Bioelectronic Membrane Interfacing. J Am Chem Soc 2024; 146:14391-14396. [PMID: 38748513 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.4c01591] [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: 05/18/2024]
Abstract
Model membranes interfaced with bioelectronics allow for the exploration of fundamental cell processes and the design of biomimetic sensors. Organic conducting polymers are an attractive surface on which to study the electrical properties of membranes because of their low impedance, high biocompatibility, and hygroscopic nature. However, establishing supported lipid bilayers (SLBs) on conducting polymers has lagged significantly behind other substrate materials, namely, for challenges in membrane electrical sealing and stability. Unlike SLBs that are highly dependent on surface interactions, droplet interface bilayers (DIBs) and droplet hydrogel bilayers (DHBs) leverage the energetically favorable organization of phospholipids at atomically smooth liquid interfaces to build high-integrity membranes. For the first time, we report the formation of droplet polymer bilayers (DPBs) between a lipid-coated aqueous droplet and the high-performing conducting polymer poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrenesulfonate (PEDOT:PSS). The resulting bilayers can be produced from a range of lipid compositions and demonstrate strong electrical sealing that outcompetes SLBs. DPBs are subsequently translated to patterned and planar microelectrode arrays to ease barriers to implementation and improve the reliability of membrane formation. This platform enables more reproducible and robust membranes on conducting polymers to further the mission of merging bioelectronics and synthetic, natural, or hybrid bilayer membranes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily A Schafer
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Joshua J Maraj
- Department of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Biomedical Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37916, United States
| | - Camryn Kenney
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Stephen A Sarles
- Department of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Biomedical Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37916, United States
| | - Jonathan Rivnay
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
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7
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Li G, Xu X, Zuo YY. Phase transitions of the pulmonary surfactant film at the perfluorocarbon-water interface. Biophys J 2023; 122:1772-1780. [PMID: 37041745 PMCID: PMC10209028 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2023.04.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2022] [Revised: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 04/07/2023] [Indexed: 04/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Pulmonary surfactant is a lipid-protein complex that forms a thin film at the air-water surface of the lungs. This surfactant film defines the elastic recoil and respiratory mechanics of the lungs. One generally accepted rationale of using oxygenated perfluorocarbon (PFC) as a respiratory medium in liquid ventilation is to take advantage of its low surface tensions (14-18 mN/m), which was believed to make PFC an ideal replacement of the exogenous surfactant. Compared with the extensive studies of the phospholipid phase behavior of the pulmonary surfactant film at the air-water surface, its phase behavior at the PFC-water interface is essentially unknown. Here, we reported the first detailed biophysical study of phospholipid phase transitions in two animal-derived natural pulmonary surfactant films, Infasurf and Survanta, at the PFC-water interface using constrained drop surfactometry. Constrained drop surfactometry allows in situ Langmuir-Blodgett transfer from the PFC-water interface, thus permitting direct visualization of lipid polymorphism in pulmonary surfactant films using atomic force microscopy. Our data suggested that regardless of its low surface tension, the PFC cannot be used as a replacement of pulmonary surfactant in liquid ventilation where the air-water surface of the lungs is replaced with the PFC-water interface that features an intrinsically high interfacial tension. The pulmonary surfactant film at the PFC-water interface undergoes continuous phase transitions at surface pressures less than the equilibrium spreading pressure of 50 mN/m and a monolayer-to-multilayer transition above this critical pressure. These results provided not only novel biophysical insight into the phase behavior of natural pulmonary surfactant at the oil-water interface but also translational implications into the further development of liquid ventilation and liquid breathing techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guangle Li
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii
| | - Xiaojie Xu
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii
| | - Yi Y Zuo
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii; Department of Pediatrics, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii.
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8
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Tapie P, Prevost AM, Montel L, Pontani LL, Wandersman E. A simple method to make, trap and deform a vesicle in a gel. Sci Rep 2023; 13:5375. [PMID: 37009808 PMCID: PMC10068607 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-31996-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 04/04/2023] Open
Abstract
We present a simple method to produce giant lipid pseudo-vesicles (vesicles with an oily cap on the top), trapped in an agarose gel. The method can be implemented using only a regular micropipette and relies on the formation of a water/oil/water double droplet in liquid agarose. We characterize the produced vesicle with fluorescence imaging and establish the presence and integrity of the lipid bilayer by the successful insertion of [Formula: see text]-Hemolysin transmembrane proteins. Finally, we show that the vesicle can be easily mechanically deformed, non-intrusively, by indenting the surface of the gel.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre Tapie
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine (IBPS), Laboratoire Jean Perrin (LJP), 4 place Jussieu, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Alexis M Prevost
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine (IBPS), Laboratoire Jean Perrin (LJP), 4 place Jussieu, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Lorraine Montel
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine (IBPS), Laboratoire Jean Perrin (LJP), 4 place Jussieu, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Léa-Laetitia Pontani
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine (IBPS), Laboratoire Jean Perrin (LJP), 4 place Jussieu, 75005, Paris, France.
| | - Elie Wandersman
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine (IBPS), Laboratoire Jean Perrin (LJP), 4 place Jussieu, 75005, Paris, France.
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9
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Li G, Zuo YY. Molecular and colloidal self-assembly at the oil–water interface. Curr Opin Colloid Interface Sci 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cocis.2022.101639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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10
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Stephenson EB, García Ramírez R, Farley S, Adolph-Hammond K, Lee G, Frostad JM, Elvira KS. Investigating the effect of phospholipids on droplet formation and surface property evolution in microfluidic devices for droplet interface bilayer (DIB) formation. BIOMICROFLUIDICS 2022; 16:044112. [PMID: 36035888 PMCID: PMC9402269 DOI: 10.1063/5.0096193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Despite growing interest in droplet microfluidic methods for droplet interface bilayer (DIB) formation, there is a dearth of information regarding how phospholipids impact device function. Limited characterization has been carried out for phospholipids, either computationally (in silico) or experimentally (in situ) in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microfluidic devices, despite recent work providing a better understanding of how other surfactants behave in microfluidic systems. Hence, microfluidic device design for DIB applications relies heavily on trial and error, with many assumptions made about the impact of phospholipids on droplet formation and surface properties. Here, we examine the effects of phospholipids on interfacial tension, droplet formation, wetting, and hence device longevity, using DPhPC as the most widely used lipid for DIB formation. We use a customized COMSOL in silico model in comparison with in situ experimental data to establish that the stabilization of droplet formation seen when the lipid is dosed in the aqueous phase (lipid-in) or in the oil phase (lipid-out) is directly dependent on the effects of lipids on the device surface properties, rather than on how fast they coat the droplet. Furthermore, we establish a means to visually characterize surface property evolution in the presence of lipids and explore rates of device failure in the absence of lipid, lipid-out, and lipid-in. This first exploration of the effects of lipids on device function may serve to inform the design of microfluidic devices for DIB formation as well as to troubleshoot causes of device failure during microfluidic DIB experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ricardo García Ramírez
- School of Engineering and Sciences, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Monterrey, Nuevo León, 64849, Mexico
| | | | | | - Gihyun Lee
- Department of Chemistry, University of Victoria, Victoria BC V8P 5C2, Canada
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