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Bolmatov D, Collier CP, Katsaras J, Lavrentovich MO. Physical insights into biological memory using phospholipid membranes. THE EUROPEAN PHYSICAL JOURNAL. E, SOFT MATTER 2024; 47:2. [PMID: 38206535 DOI: 10.1140/epje/s10189-023-00391-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
Electrical signals may propagate along neuronal membranes in the brain, thus enabling communication between nerve cells. In doing so, lipid bilayers, fundamental scaffolds of all cell membranes, deform and restructure in response to such electrical activity. These changes impact the electromechanical properties of the membrane, which then physically store biological memory. This memory can exist either over a short or long period of time. Traditionally, biological memory is defined by the strengthening or weakening of transmissions between individual neurons. Here, we show that electrical stimulation may also alter the properties of the lipid membrane, thus pointing toward a novel mechanism for memory storage. Furthermore, based on the analysis of existing electrophysiological data, we study molecular mechanisms underlying the long-term potentiation in phospholipid membranes. Finally, we examine possible relationships between the memory capacitive properties of lipid membranes, neuronal learning, and memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dima Bolmatov
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA.
- Shull Wollan Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 37831, USA.
| | - C Patrick Collier
- Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 37831, USA.
| | - John Katsaras
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA.
- Shull Wollan Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 37831, USA.
- Neutron Scattering Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 37831, USA.
| | - Maxim O Lavrentovich
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA.
- Department of Earth, Environment, and Physics, Worcester State University, Worcester, MA, 01602, USA.
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2
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Govey-Scotland J, Johnstone L, Myant C, Friddin MS. Towards skin-on-a-chip for screening the dermal absorption of cosmetics. LAB ON A CHIP 2023; 23:5068-5080. [PMID: 37938128 DOI: 10.1039/d3lc00691c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2023]
Abstract
Over the past few decades, there have been increasing global efforts to limit or ban the use of animals for testing cosmetic products. This ambition has been at the heart of international endeavours to develop new in vitro and animal-free approaches for assessing the safety of cosmetics. While several of these new approach methodologies (NAMs) have been approved for assessing different toxicological endpoints in the UK and across the EU, there remains an absence of animal-free methods for screening for dermal absorption; a measure that assesses the degree to which chemical substances can become systemically available through contact with human skin. Here, we identify some of the major technical barriers that have impacted regulatory recognition of an in vitro skin model for this purpose and propose how these could be overcome on-chip using artificial cells engineered from the bottom-up. As part of our future perspective, we suggest how this could be realised using a digital biomanufacturing pipeline that connects the design, microfluidic generation and 3D printing of artificial cells into user-crafted synthetic tissues. We highlight milestone achievements towards this goal, identify future challenges, and suggest how the ability to engineer animal-free skin models could have significant long-term consequences for dermal absorption screening, as well as for other applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Govey-Scotland
- Dyson School of Design Engineering, Imperial College London, Exhibition Road, South Kensington, SW7 2AZ, London, UK.
- Institute for Molecular Sciences and Engineering, Imperial College London, Exhibition Road, South Kensington, SW7 2AZ, London, UK
| | - Liam Johnstone
- Office for Product Safety and Standards, 1 Victoria Street, SW1H 0ET, London, UK
| | - Connor Myant
- Dyson School of Design Engineering, Imperial College London, Exhibition Road, South Kensington, SW7 2AZ, London, UK.
| | - Mark S Friddin
- Dyson School of Design Engineering, Imperial College London, Exhibition Road, South Kensington, SW7 2AZ, London, UK.
- Institute for Molecular Sciences and Engineering, Imperial College London, Exhibition Road, South Kensington, SW7 2AZ, London, UK
- fabriCELL, Imperial College London and Kings College London, London, UK
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Karoui H, Patwal PS, Pavan Kumar BVVS, Martin N. Chemical Communication in Artificial Cells: Basic Concepts, Design and Challenges. Front Mol Biosci 2022; 9:880525. [PMID: 35720123 PMCID: PMC9199989 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2022.880525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In the past decade, the focus of bottom-up synthetic biology has shifted from the design of complex artificial cell architectures to the design of interactions between artificial cells mediated by physical and chemical cues. Engineering communication between artificial cells is crucial for the realization of coordinated dynamic behaviours in artificial cell populations, which would have implications for biotechnology, advanced colloidal materials and regenerative medicine. In this review, we focus our discussion on molecular communication between artificial cells. We cover basic concepts such as the importance of compartmentalization, the metabolic machinery driving signaling across cell boundaries and the different modes of communication used. The various studies in artificial cell signaling have been classified based on the distance between sender and receiver cells, just like in biology into autocrine, juxtacrine, paracrine and endocrine signaling. Emerging tools available for the design of dynamic and adaptive signaling are highlighted and some recent advances of signaling-enabled collective behaviours, such as quorum sensing, travelling pulses and predator-prey behaviour, are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hedi Karoui
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, Centre de Recherche Paul Pascal, UMR 5031, Pessac, France
| | - Pankaj Singh Patwal
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee, India
| | - B. V. V. S. Pavan Kumar
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee, India
- *Correspondence: B. V. V. S. Pavan Kumar, ; Nicolas Martin,
| | - Nicolas Martin
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, Centre de Recherche Paul Pascal, UMR 5031, Pessac, France
- *Correspondence: B. V. V. S. Pavan Kumar, ; Nicolas Martin,
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Cazimoglu I, Booth MJ, Bayley H. A Lipid-Based Droplet Processor for Parallel Chemical Signals. ACS NANO 2021; 15:20214-20224. [PMID: 34788543 PMCID: PMC8717631 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.1c08217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 10/08/2021] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
A key goal of bottom-up synthetic biology is to construct cell- and tissue-like structures. Underpinning cellular life is the ability to process several external chemical signals, often in parallel. Until now, cell- and tissue-like structures have been constructed with no more than one signaling pathway. Many pathways rely on signal transport across membranes using protein nanopores. However, such systems currently suffer from the slow transport of molecules. We have optimized the application of these nanopores to permit fast molecular transport, which has allowed us to construct a processor for parallel chemical signals from the bottom up in a modular fashion. The processor comprises three aqueous droplet compartments connected by lipid bilayers and operates in an aqueous environment. It can receive two chemical signals from the external environment, process them orthogonally, and then produce a distinct output for each signal. It is suitable for both sensing and enzymatic processing of environmental signals, with fluorescence and molecular outputs. In the future, such processors could serve as smart drug delivery vehicles or as modules within synthetic tissues to control their behavior in response to external chemical signals.
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Chen C, Wang X, Wang Y, Tian L, Cao J. Construction of protocell-based artificial signal transduction pathways. Chem Commun (Camb) 2021; 57:12754-12763. [PMID: 34755716 DOI: 10.1039/d1cc03775g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The maintenance of an orderly and controllable multicellular society depends on the communication and signal regulation between various types of biological cells. How to replicate complicated signal transduction pathways in synthetic protocellular communities remains a key challenge in bottom-up synthetic biology. Herein, we review recent advances in the design and construction of interactive protocell communities, or protocell communities and biological communities, and explore the ways of designing and constructing artificial paracrine-like signaling pathways and juxtacrine-like signaling pathways. Key molecules involved in the signaling pathways that can be used to connect two or more spatially separated communities, and diverse signal outputs generated by the communication are summarized. We also propose the limitations, challenges and opportunities in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chong Chen
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315211, China. .,Key Laboratory of Animal Protein Food Processing Technology of Zhejiang Province, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315211, China
| | - Xuejing Wang
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering of Ministry of Education, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Cardio-Cerebral Vascular Detection Technology and Medicinal Effectiveness Appraisal, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China.
| | - Ying Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315211, China. .,Key Laboratory of Animal Protein Food Processing Technology of Zhejiang Province, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315211, China
| | - Liangfei Tian
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering of Ministry of Education, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Cardio-Cerebral Vascular Detection Technology and Medicinal Effectiveness Appraisal, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China. .,Department of Ultrasound, Women's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.,Binjiang Institute of Zhejiang University, 66 Dongxin Road, Hangzhou, 310053, China
| | - Jinxuan Cao
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315211, China. .,Key Laboratory of Animal Protein Food Processing Technology of Zhejiang Province, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315211, China
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Sharma B, Moghimianavval H, Hwang SW, Liu AP. Synthetic Cell as a Platform for Understanding Membrane-Membrane Interactions. MEMBRANES 2021; 11:912. [PMID: 34940413 PMCID: PMC8706075 DOI: 10.3390/membranes11120912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2021] [Revised: 11/10/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
In the pursuit of understanding life, model membranes made of phospholipids were envisaged decades ago as a platform for the bottom-up study of biological processes. Micron-sized lipid vesicles have gained great acceptance as their bilayer membrane resembles the natural cell membrane. Important biological events involving membranes, such as membrane protein insertion, membrane fusion, and intercellular communication, will be highlighted in this review with recent research updates. We will first review different lipid bilayer platforms used for incorporation of integral membrane proteins and challenges associated with their functional reconstitution. We next discuss different methods for reconstitution of membrane fusion and compare their fusion efficiency. Lastly, we will highlight the importance and challenges of intercellular communication between synthetic cells and synthetic cells-to-natural cells. We will summarize the review by highlighting the challenges and opportunities associated with studying membrane-membrane interactions and possible future research directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bineet Sharma
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; (B.S.); (H.M.)
| | - Hossein Moghimianavval
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; (B.S.); (H.M.)
| | - Sung-Won Hwang
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA;
| | - Allen P. Liu
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; (B.S.); (H.M.)
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- Cellular and Molecular Biology Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48105, USA
- Department of Biophysics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48105, USA
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Makhoul-Mansour MM, Freeman EC. Droplet-Based Membranous Soft Materials. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2021; 37:3231-3247. [PMID: 33686860 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.0c03289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Inspired by the structure and functionality of natural cellular tissues, droplet interface bilayer (DIB)-based materials strategically combine model membrane assembly techniques and droplet microfluidics. These structures have shown promising results in applications ranging from biological computing to chemical microrobots. This Feature Article briefly explores recent advances in the areas of construction, manipulation, and functionalization of DIB networks; discusses their unique mechanics; and focuses on the contributions of our lab in the advancement of this platform. We also reflect on some of the limitations facing DIB-based materials and how they might be addressed, highlighting promising applications made possible through the refinement of the material concept.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle M Makhoul-Mansour
- School of Environmental, Civil, Agricultural and Mechanical Engineering, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, United States
| | - Eric C Freeman
- School of Environmental, Civil, Agricultural and Mechanical Engineering, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, United States
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Strutt R, Hindley JW, Gregg J, Booth PJ, Harling JD, Law RV, Friddin MS, Ces O. Activating mechanosensitive channels embedded in droplet interface bilayers using membrane asymmetry. Chem Sci 2021; 12:2138-2145. [PMID: 34163978 PMCID: PMC8179348 DOI: 10.1039/d0sc03889j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2020] [Accepted: 12/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Droplet microcompartments linked by lipid bilayers show great promise in the construction of synthetic minimal tissues. Central to controlling the flow of information in these systems are membrane proteins, which can gate in response to specific stimuli in order to control the molecular flux between membrane separated compartments. This has been demonstrated with droplet interface bilayers (DIBs) using several different membrane proteins combined with electrical, mechanical, and/or chemical activators. Here we report the activation of the bacterial mechanosensitive channel of large conductance (MscL) in a dioleoylphosphatidylcholine:dioleoylphosphatidylglycerol DIB by controlling membrane asymmetry. We show using electrical measurements that the incorporation of lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) into one of the bilayer leaflets triggers MscL gating in a concentration-dependent manner, with partial and full activation observed at 10 and 15 mol% LPC respectively. Our findings could inspire the design of new minimal tissues where flux pathways are dynamically defined by lipid composition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Strutt
- Department of Chemistry, Imperial College London, Molecular Sciences Research Hub Shepherd's Bush London W12 0BZ UK
- Institute of Chemical Biology, Imperial College London, Molecular Sciences Research Hub Shepherd's Bush London W12 0BZ UK
| | - James W Hindley
- Department of Chemistry, Imperial College London, Molecular Sciences Research Hub Shepherd's Bush London W12 0BZ UK
- Institute of Chemical Biology, Imperial College London, Molecular Sciences Research Hub Shepherd's Bush London W12 0BZ UK
- FabriCELL, Imperial College London, Molecular Sciences Research Hub Shepherd's Bush London W12 0BZ UK
| | - Jordan Gregg
- Department of Chemistry, Imperial College London, Molecular Sciences Research Hub Shepherd's Bush London W12 0BZ UK
| | - Paula J Booth
- FabriCELL, Imperial College London, Molecular Sciences Research Hub Shepherd's Bush London W12 0BZ UK
- Department of Chemistry, King's College London SE1 1DB London UK
| | - John D Harling
- Medicinal Chemistry, GSK Gunnels Wood Road, Stevenage SG1 2NY UK
| | - Robert V Law
- Department of Chemistry, Imperial College London, Molecular Sciences Research Hub Shepherd's Bush London W12 0BZ UK
- Institute of Chemical Biology, Imperial College London, Molecular Sciences Research Hub Shepherd's Bush London W12 0BZ UK
- FabriCELL, Imperial College London, Molecular Sciences Research Hub Shepherd's Bush London W12 0BZ UK
| | - Mark S Friddin
- Department of Chemistry, Imperial College London, Molecular Sciences Research Hub Shepherd's Bush London W12 0BZ UK
- Dyson School of Design Engineering, Imperial College London Imperial College Road SW7 2AZ UK
| | - Oscar Ces
- Department of Chemistry, Imperial College London, Molecular Sciences Research Hub Shepherd's Bush London W12 0BZ UK
- Institute of Chemical Biology, Imperial College London, Molecular Sciences Research Hub Shepherd's Bush London W12 0BZ UK
- FabriCELL, Imperial College London, Molecular Sciences Research Hub Shepherd's Bush London W12 0BZ UK
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9
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Findlay HE, Harris NJ, Booth PJ. Integrating Membrane Transporter Proteins into Droplet Interface Bilayers. Methods Mol Biol 2021; 2315:31-41. [PMID: 34302668 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1468-6_2] [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: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Droplet interface bilayers (DIBs) are an emerging tool within synthetic biology that aims to recreate biological processes in artificial cells. A critical component for the utility of these bilayers is controlled flow between compartments and, notably, uphill transport against a substrate concentration gradient. A versatile method to achieve the desired flow is to exploit the specificity of membrane proteins that regulate the movement of ions and transport of specific metabolic compounds. Methods have been in existence for some time to synthesize proteins within a droplet as well as incorporate membrane proteins into DIBS; however, there have been few reports combining synthesis and DIB incorporation for membrane transporters that demonstrate specific, uphill transport. This chapter presents two methods for the incorporation of a membrane transporter into a simple two-droplet DIB system, with the downhill and uphill transport reaction readily monitored by fluorescence microscopy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Paula J Booth
- Department of Chemistry, Kings College London, London, UK.
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