1
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Ranganath VA, Maity I. Artificial Homeostasis Systems Based on Feedback Reaction Networks: Design Principles and Future Promises. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2024; 63:e202318134. [PMID: 38226567 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202318134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2023] [Revised: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 01/17/2024]
Abstract
Feedback-controlled chemical reaction networks (FCRNs) are indispensable for various biological processes, such as cellular mechanisms, patterns, and signaling pathways. Through the intricate interplay of many feedback loops (FLs), FCRNs maintain a stable internal cellular environment. Currently, creating minimalistic synthetic cells is the long-term objective of systems chemistry, which is motivated by such natural integrity. The design, kinetic optimization, and analysis of FCRNs to exhibit functions akin to those of a cell still pose significant challenges. Indeed, reaching synthetic homeostasis is essential for engineering synthetic cell components. However, maintaining homeostasis in artificial systems against various agitations is a difficult task. Several biological events can provide us with guidelines for a conceptual understanding of homeostasis, which can be further applicable in designing artificial synthetic systems. In this regard, we organize our review with artificial homeostasis systems driven by FCRNs at different length scales, including homogeneous, compartmentalized, and soft material systems. First, we stretch a quick overview of FCRNs in different molecular and supramolecular systems, which are the essential toolbox for engineering different nonlinear functions and homeostatic systems. Moreover, the existing history of synthetic homeostasis in chemical and material systems and their advanced functions with self-correcting, and regulating properties are also emphasized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vinay Ambekar Ranganath
- Centre for Nano and Material Sciences, Jain (Deemed-to-be University), Jain Global Campus, Bangalore, 562112, Karnataka, India
| | - Indrajit Maity
- Centre for Nano and Material Sciences, Jain (Deemed-to-be University), Jain Global Campus, Bangalore, 562112, Karnataka, India
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2
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Vela-Gallego S, Lewandowski B, Möhler J, Puente A, Gil-Cantero D, Wennemers H, de la Escosura A. Modifying the Catalytic Activity of Lipopeptide Assemblies with Nucleobases. Chemistry 2024; 30:e202303395. [PMID: 37877614 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202303395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2023] [Revised: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/26/2023]
Abstract
Biohybrid catalysts that operate in aqueous media are intriguing for systems chemistry. In this paper, we investigate whether control over the self-assembly of biohybrid catalysts can tune their properties. As a model, we use the catalytic activity of functional hybrid molecules consisting of a catalytic H-dPro-Pro-Glu tripeptide, derivatized with fatty acid and nucleobase moieties. This combination of simple biological components merged the catalytic properties of the peptide with the self-assembly of the lipid, and the structural ordering of the nucleobases. The biomolecule hybrids self-assemble in aqueous media into fibrillar assemblies and catalyze the reaction between butanal and nitrostyrene. The interactions between the nucleobases enhanced the order of the supramolecular structures and affected their catalytic activity and stereoselectivity. The results point to the significant control and ordering that nucleobases can provide in the self-assembly of biologically inspired supramolecular catalysts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonia Vela-Gallego
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Campus Cantoblanco, 28049, Madrid, Spain
| | - Bartosz Lewandowski
- Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, D-CHAB, ETH Zürich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 3, 8093, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Jasper Möhler
- Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, D-CHAB, ETH Zürich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 3, 8093, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Alonso Puente
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Campus Cantoblanco, 28049, Madrid, Spain
| | - David Gil-Cantero
- Department of Structure of Macromolecules, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología / CSIC, Campus de Cantoblanco, 28049, Madrid, Spain
| | - Helma Wennemers
- Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, D-CHAB, ETH Zürich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 3, 8093, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Andrés de la Escosura
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Campus Cantoblanco, 28049, Madrid, Spain
- Institute for Advanced Research in Chemistry (IAdChem), Campus de Cantoblanco, 28049, Madrid, Spain
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3
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Liu K, Blokhuis A, van Ewijk C, Kiani A, Wu J, Roos WH, Otto S. Light-driven eco-evolutionary dynamics in a synthetic replicator system. Nat Chem 2024; 16:79-88. [PMID: 37653230 DOI: 10.1038/s41557-023-01301-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
Darwinian evolution involves the inheritance and selection of variations in reproducing entities. Selection can be based on, among others, interactions with the environment. Conversely, the replicating entities can also affect their environment generating a reciprocal feedback on evolutionary dynamics. The onset of such eco-evolutionary dynamics marks a stepping stone in the transition from chemistry to biology. Yet the bottom-up creation of a molecular system that exhibits eco-evolutionary dynamics has remained elusive. Here we describe the onset of such dynamics in a minimal system containing two synthetic self-replicators. The replicators are capable of binding and activating a co-factor, enabling them to change the oxidation state of their environment through photoredox catalysis. The replicator distribution adapts to this change and, depending on light intensity, one or the other replicator becomes dominant. This study shows how behaviour analogous to eco-evolutionary dynamics-which until now has been restricted to biology-can be created using an artificial minimal replicator system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Liu
- Centre for Systems Chemistry, Stratingh Institute, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Alex Blokhuis
- Centre for Systems Chemistry, Stratingh Institute, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Chris van Ewijk
- Molecular Biophysics, Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Armin Kiani
- Centre for Systems Chemistry, Stratingh Institute, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Juntian Wu
- Centre for Systems Chemistry, Stratingh Institute, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Wouter H Roos
- Molecular Biophysics, Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Sijbren Otto
- Centre for Systems Chemistry, Stratingh Institute, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.
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4
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Nogal N, Sanz-Sánchez M, Vela-Gallego S, Ruiz-Mirazo K, de la Escosura A. The protometabolic nature of prebiotic chemistry. Chem Soc Rev 2023; 52:7359-7388. [PMID: 37855729 PMCID: PMC10614573 DOI: 10.1039/d3cs00594a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023]
Abstract
The field of prebiotic chemistry has been dedicated over decades to finding abiotic routes towards the molecular components of life. There is nowadays a handful of prebiotically plausible scenarios that enable the laboratory synthesis of most amino acids, fatty acids, simple sugars, nucleotides and core metabolites of extant living organisms. The major bottleneck then seems to be the self-organization of those building blocks into systems that can self-sustain. The purpose of this tutorial review is having a close look, guided by experimental research, into the main synthetic pathways of prebiotic chemistry, suggesting how they could be wired through common intermediates and catalytic cycles, as well as how recursively changing conditions could help them engage in self-organized and dissipative networks/assemblies (i.e., systems that consume chemical or physical energy from their environment to maintain their internal organization in a dynamic steady state out of equilibrium). In the article we also pay attention to the implications of this view for the emergence of homochirality. The revealed connectivity between those prebiotic routes should constitute the basis for a robust research program towards the bottom-up implementation of protometabolic systems, taken as a central part of the origins-of-life problem. In addition, this approach should foster further exploration of control mechanisms to tame the combinatorial explosion that typically occurs in mixtures of various reactive precursors, thus regulating the functional integration of their respective chemistries into self-sustaining protocellular assemblies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noemí Nogal
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Campus Cantoblanco, 28049, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Marcos Sanz-Sánchez
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Campus Cantoblanco, 28049, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Sonia Vela-Gallego
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Campus Cantoblanco, 28049, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Kepa Ruiz-Mirazo
- Biofisika Institute (CSIC, UPV/EHU), University of the Basque Country, Leioa, Spain
- Department of Philosophy, University of the Basque Country, Leioa, Spain
| | - Andrés de la Escosura
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Campus Cantoblanco, 28049, Madrid, Spain.
- Institute for Advanced Research in Chemistry (IAdChem), Campus de Cantoblanco, 28049, Madrid, Spain
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5
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Sadihov-Hanoch H, Bandela AK, Chotera-Ouda A, Ben David O, Cohen-Luria R, Lynn DG, Ashkenasy G. Dynamic exchange controls the assembly structure of nucleic-acid-peptide chimeras. SOFT MATTER 2023; 19:3940-3945. [PMID: 37211859 DOI: 10.1039/d2sm01528e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Recent attempts to develop the next generation of functional biomaterials focus on systems chemistry approaches exploiting dynamic networks of hybrid molecules. This task is often found challenging, but we herein present ways for profiting from the multiple interaction interfaces forming Nucleic-acid-Peptide assemblies and tuning their formation. We demonstrate that the formation of well-defined structures by double-stranded DNA-peptide conjugates (dsCon) is restricted to a specific range of environmental conditions and that precise DNA hybridization, satisfying the interaction interfaces, is a crucial factor in this process. We further reveal the impact of external stimuli, such as competing free DNA elements or salt additives, which initiate dynamic interconversions, resulting in hybrid structures exhibiting spherical and fibrillar domains or a mixture of spherical and fibrillar particles. This extensive analysis of the co-assembly systems chemistry offers new insights into prebiotic hybrid assemblies that may now facilitate the design of new functional materials. We discuss the implications of these findings for the emergence of function in synthetic materials and during early chemical evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hava Sadihov-Hanoch
- Department of Chemistry, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel.
| | - Anil Kumar Bandela
- Department of Chemistry, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel.
| | - Agata Chotera-Ouda
- Department of Chemistry, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel.
| | - Oshrat Ben David
- Department of Chemistry, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel.
| | - Rivka Cohen-Luria
- Department of Chemistry, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel.
| | - David G Lynn
- Departments of Chemistry and Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Gonen Ashkenasy
- Department of Chemistry, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel.
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6
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Lupu A, Gradinaru LM, Gradinaru VR, Bercea M. Diversity of Bioinspired Hydrogels: From Structure to Applications. Gels 2023; 9:gels9050376. [PMID: 37232968 DOI: 10.3390/gels9050376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2023] [Revised: 04/26/2023] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Hydrogels are three-dimensional networks with a variety of structures and functions that have a remarkable ability to absorb huge amounts of water or biological fluids. They can incorporate active compounds and release them in a controlled manner. Hydrogels can also be designed to be sensitive to external stimuli: temperature, pH, ionic strength, electrical or magnetic stimuli, specific molecules, etc. Alternative methods for the development of various hydrogels have been outlined in the literature over time. Some hydrogels are toxic and therefore are avoided when obtaining biomaterials, pharmaceuticals, or therapeutic products. Nature is a permanent source of inspiration for new structures and new functionalities of more and more competitive materials. Natural compounds present a series of physico-chemical and biological characteristics suitable for biomaterials, such as biocompatibility, antimicrobial properties, biodegradability, and nontoxicity. Thus, they can generate microenvironments comparable to the intracellular or extracellular matrices in the human body. This paper discusses the main advantages of the presence of biomolecules (polysaccharides, proteins, and polypeptides) in hydrogels. Structural aspects induced by natural compounds and their specific properties are emphasized. The most suitable applications will be highlighted, including drug delivery, self-healing materials for regenerative medicine, cell culture, wound dressings, 3D bioprinting, foods, etc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Lupu
- "Petru Poni" Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, 41-A Grigore Ghica Voda Alley, 700487 Iasi, Romania
| | - Luiza Madalina Gradinaru
- "Petru Poni" Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, 41-A Grigore Ghica Voda Alley, 700487 Iasi, Romania
| | - Vasile Robert Gradinaru
- Faculty of Chemistry, "Alexandru Ioan Cuza" University, 11 Carol I Bd., 700506 Iasi, Romania
| | - Maria Bercea
- "Petru Poni" Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, 41-A Grigore Ghica Voda Alley, 700487 Iasi, Romania
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7
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Pavlinova P, Lambert CN, Malaterre C, Nghe P. Abiogenesis through gradual evolution of autocatalysis into template-based replication. FEBS Lett 2023; 597:344-379. [PMID: 36203246 DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.14507] [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: 07/15/2022] [Revised: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
How life emerged from inanimate matter is one of the most intriguing questions posed to modern science. Central to this research are experimental attempts to build systems capable of Darwinian evolution. RNA catalysts (ribozymes) are a promising avenue, in line with the RNA world hypothesis whereby RNA pre-dated DNA and proteins. Since evolution in living organisms relies on template-based replication, the identification of a ribozyme capable of replicating itself (an RNA self-replicase) has been a major objective. However, no self-replicase has been identified to date. Alternatively, autocatalytic systems involving multiple RNA species capable of ligation and recombination may enable self-reproduction. However, it remains unclear how evolution could emerge in autocatalytic systems. In this review, we examine how experimentally feasible RNA reactions catalysed by ribozymes could implement the evolutionary properties of variation, heredity and reproduction, and ultimately allow for Darwinian evolution. We propose a gradual path for the emergence of evolution, initially supported by autocatalytic systems leading to the later appearance of RNA replicases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Polina Pavlinova
- Laboratoire de Biophysique et Evolution, UMR CNRS-ESPCI 8231 Chimie Biologie Innovation, PSL University, Paris, France
| | - Camille N Lambert
- Laboratoire de Biophysique et Evolution, UMR CNRS-ESPCI 8231 Chimie Biologie Innovation, PSL University, Paris, France
| | - Christophe Malaterre
- Laboratory of Philosophy of Science (LAPS) and Centre Interuniversitaire de Recherche sur la Science et la Technologie (CIRST), Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), Canada
| | - Philippe Nghe
- Laboratoire de Biophysique et Evolution, UMR CNRS-ESPCI 8231 Chimie Biologie Innovation, PSL University, Paris, France
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8
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Gagnon LG, Czaikowski ME, Peacock-López E. Dynamic properties of a self-replicating peptide network with inhibition. J Chem Phys 2022; 157:225101. [PMID: 36546800 DOI: 10.1063/5.0119945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
In this paper, we report an open system consisting of three self-replicating peptides, in which peptide 1 inhibits the duplex template of peptide 2, peptide 2 inhibits duplex 3, and peptide 3 inhibits duplex 1 to complete the negative feedback loop. This interacting chemical network yields oscillations in the concentrations of all species over time and establishes a possible mechanism for pre-biotic chemical systems organization. The first focus of our analysis is the effect of altering rates of duplex formation and inhibition on oscillations. We then examine the autocatalytic rate constant in the symmetric and asymmetric cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucille G Gagnon
- Department of Chemistry, Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusetts 01267, USA
| | - Maia E Czaikowski
- Department of Chemistry, Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusetts 01267, USA
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9
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Vela-Gallego S, Pardo-Botero Z, Moya C, de la Escosura A. Collective adaptability in a replication network of minimal nucleobase sequences. Chem Sci 2022; 13:10715-10724. [PMID: 36320689 PMCID: PMC9491195 DOI: 10.1039/d2sc02419e] [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: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 08/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
A major challenge for understanding the origins of life is to explore how replication networks can engage in an evolutionary process. Herein, we shed light on this problem by implementing a network constituted by two different types of extremely simple biological components: the amino acid cysteine and the canonical nucleobases adenine and thymine, connected through amide bonds to the cysteine amino group and oxidation of its thiol into three possible disulfides. Supramolecular and kinetic analyses revealed that both self- and mutual interactions between such dinucleobase compounds drive their assembly and replication pathways. Those pathways involving sequence complementarity led to enhanced replication rates, suggesting a potential bias for selection. The interplay of synergistic dynamics and competition between replicators was then simulated, under conditions that are not easily accessible with experiments, in an open reactor parametrized and constrained with the unprecedentedly complete experimental kinetic data obtained for our replicative network. Interestingly, the simulations show bistability, as a selective amplification of different species depending on the initial mixture composition. Overall, this network configuration can favor a collective adaptability to changes in the availability of feedstock molecules, with disulfide exchange reactions serving as 'wires' that connect the different individual auto- and cross-catalytic pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonia Vela-Gallego
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid Campus de Cantoblanco 28049 Madrid Spain
| | | | - Cristian Moya
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid Campus de Cantoblanco 28049 Madrid Spain
| | - Andrés de la Escosura
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid Campus de Cantoblanco 28049 Madrid Spain
- Institute for Advanced Research in Chemistry (IAdChem) Cantoblanco 28049 Madrid Spain
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10
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Kumar Bandela A, Sadihov‐Hanoch H, Cohen‐Luria R, Gordon C, Blake A, Poppitz G, Lynn DG, Ashkenasy G. The Systems Chemistry of Nucleic‐acid‐Peptide Networks. Isr J Chem 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ijch.202200030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Anil Kumar Bandela
- Department of Chemistry Ben-Gurion University of the Negev Beer-Sheva 84105 Israel
| | - Hava Sadihov‐Hanoch
- Department of Chemistry Ben-Gurion University of the Negev Beer-Sheva 84105 Israel
| | - Rivka Cohen‐Luria
- Department of Chemistry Ben-Gurion University of the Negev Beer-Sheva 84105 Israel
| | - Christella Gordon
- Chemistry and Biology Emory University 1521 Dickey Drive NE Atlanta GA 30322 USA
| | - Alexis Blake
- Chemistry and Biology Emory University 1521 Dickey Drive NE Atlanta GA 30322 USA
| | - George Poppitz
- Chemistry and Biology Emory University 1521 Dickey Drive NE Atlanta GA 30322 USA
| | - David G. Lynn
- Chemistry and Biology Emory University 1521 Dickey Drive NE Atlanta GA 30322 USA
| | - Gonen Ashkenasy
- Department of Chemistry Ben-Gurion University of the Negev Beer-Sheva 84105 Israel
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11
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Chatterjee A, Ghosh S, Ghosh C, Das D. Fluorescent Microswimmers Based on Cross-β Amyloid Nanotubes and Divergent Cascade Networks. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2022; 61:e202201547. [PMID: 35578748 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202201547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Shaped through millions of years of evolution, the spatial localization of multiple enzymes in living cells employs extensive cascade reactions to enable highly coordinated multimodal functions. Herein, by utilizing a complex divergent cascade, we exploit the catalytic potential as well as templating abilities of streamlined cross-β amyloid nanotubes to yield two orthogonal roles simultaneously. The short peptide based paracrystalline nanotube surfaces demonstrated the generation of fluorescence signals within entangled networks loaded with alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH). The nanotubular morphologies were further used to generate cascade-driven microscopic motility through surface entrapment of sarcosine oxidase (SOX) and catalase (Cat). Moreover, a divergent cascade network was initiated by upstream catalysis of the substrate molecules through the surface mutation of catalytic moieties. Notably, the resultant downstream products led to the generation of motile fluorescent microswimmers by utilizing the two sets of orthogonal properties and, thus, mimicked the complex cascade-mediated functionalities of extant biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayan Chatterjee
- Department of Chemical Sciences & Centre for Advanced Functional Materials, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Kolkata, Mohanpur, West Bengal, 741246, India
| | - Souvik Ghosh
- Department of Chemical Sciences & Centre for Advanced Functional Materials, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Kolkata, Mohanpur, West Bengal, 741246, India
| | - Chandranath Ghosh
- Department of Chemical Sciences & Centre for Advanced Functional Materials, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Kolkata, Mohanpur, West Bengal, 741246, India
| | - Dibyendu Das
- Department of Chemical Sciences & Centre for Advanced Functional Materials, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Kolkata, Mohanpur, West Bengal, 741246, India
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12
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Immel JR, Bloom S. carba-Nucleopeptides (cNPs): A Biopharmaceutical Modality Formed through Aqueous Rhodamine B Photoredox Catalysis. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2022; 61:e202205606. [PMID: 35507689 PMCID: PMC9256812 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202205606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Exchanging the ribose backbone of an oligonucleotide for a peptide can enhance its physiologic stability and nucleic acid binding affinity. Ordinarily, the eneamino nitrogen atom of a nucleobase is fused to the side chain of a polypeptide through a new C-N bond. The discovery of C-C linked nucleobases in the human transcriptome reveals new opportunities for engineering nucleopeptides that replace the traditional C-N bond with a non-classical C-C bond, liberating a captive nitrogen atom and promoting new hydrogen bonding and π-stacking interactions. We report the first late-stage synthesis of C-C linked carba-nucleopeptides (cNPs) using aqueous Rhodamine B photoredox catalysis. We prepare brand-new cNPs in batch, in parallel, and in flow using three long-wavelength photochemical setups. We detail the mechanism of our reaction by experimental and computational studies and highlight the essential role of diisopropylethylamine as a bifurcated two-electron reductant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob R Immel
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA
| | - Steven Bloom
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA
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13
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Fluorescent Microswimmers Based on Cross‐β Amyloid Nanotubes and Divergent Cascade Networks. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.202201547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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14
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Immel JR, Bloom S. carba
‐Nucleopeptides (
c
NPs): A Biopharmaceutical Modality Formed through Aqueous Rhodamine B Photoredox Catalysis. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.202205606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jacob R. Immel
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry University of Kansas Lawrence KS 66045 USA
| | - Steven Bloom
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry University of Kansas Lawrence KS 66045 USA
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15
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Liu B, Wu J, Geerts M, Markovitch O, Pappas CG, Liu K, Otto S. Out-of-Equilibrium Self-Replication Allows Selection for Dynamic Kinetic Stability in a System of Competing Replicators. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2022; 61:e202117605. [PMID: 35179808 PMCID: PMC9314957 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202117605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Among the key characteristics of living systems are their ability to self-replicate and the fact that they exist in an open system away from equilibrium. Herein, we show how the outcome of the competition between two self-replicators, differing in size and building block composition, is different depending on whether the experiments are conducted in a closed vial or in an open and out-of-equilibrium replication-destruction regime. In the closed system, the slower replicator eventually prevails over the faster competitor. In a replication-destruction regime, implemented through a flow system, the outcome of the competition is reversed and the faster replicator dominates. The interpretation of the experimental observations is supported by a mass-action-kinetics model. These results represent one of the few experimental manifestations of selection among competing self-replicators based on dynamic kinetic stability and pave the way towards Darwinian evolution of abiotic systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Liu
- Centre for Systems ChemistryStratingh InstituteUniversity of GroningenNijenborgh 49747 AGGroningenThe Netherlands
| | - Juntian Wu
- Centre for Systems ChemistryStratingh InstituteUniversity of GroningenNijenborgh 49747 AGGroningenThe Netherlands
| | - Marc Geerts
- Centre for Systems ChemistryStratingh InstituteUniversity of GroningenNijenborgh 49747 AGGroningenThe Netherlands
| | - Omer Markovitch
- Centre for Systems ChemistryStratingh InstituteUniversity of GroningenNijenborgh 49747 AGGroningenThe Netherlands
- Origins CenterUniversity of GroningenNijenborgh 79747 AGGroningenThe Netherlands
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life SciencesUniversity of Groningen9747 AGGroningenThe Netherlands
| | - Charalampos G. Pappas
- Centre for Systems ChemistryStratingh InstituteUniversity of GroningenNijenborgh 49747 AGGroningenThe Netherlands
| | - Kai Liu
- Centre for Systems ChemistryStratingh InstituteUniversity of GroningenNijenborgh 49747 AGGroningenThe Netherlands
| | - Sijbren Otto
- Centre for Systems ChemistryStratingh InstituteUniversity of GroningenNijenborgh 49747 AGGroningenThe Netherlands
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16
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Giraud T, Hoschtettler P, Pickaert G, Averlant-Petit MC, Stefan L. Emerging low-molecular weight nucleopeptide-based hydrogels: state of the art, applications, challenges and perspectives. NANOSCALE 2022; 14:4908-4921. [PMID: 35319034 DOI: 10.1039/d1nr06131c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Over the last twenty years, low-molecular weight gelators and, in particular, peptide-based hydrogels, have drawn great attention from scientists thanks to both their inherent advantages in terms of properties and their high modularity (e.g., number and nature of the amino acids). These supramolecular hydrogels originate from specific peptide self-assembly processes that can be driven, modulated and optimized via specific chemical modifications brought to the peptide sequence. Among them, the incorporation of nucleobases, another class of biomolecules well-known for their abilities to self-assemble, has recently appeared as a new promising and burgeoning approach to finely design supramolecular hydrogels. In this minireview, we would like to highlight the interest, high potential, applications and perspectives of these innovative and emerging low-molecular weight nucleopeptide-based hydrogels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tristan Giraud
- Université de Lorraine, CNRS, LCPM, F-54000 Nancy, France.
| | | | | | | | - Loic Stefan
- Université de Lorraine, CNRS, LCPM, F-54000 Nancy, France.
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17
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Hatai J, Altay Y, Sood A, Kiani A, Eleveld MJ, Motiei L, Margulies D, Otto S. An Optical Probe for Real-Time Monitoring of Self-Replicator Emergence and Distinguishing between Replicators. J Am Chem Soc 2022; 144:3074-3082. [PMID: 35139307 PMCID: PMC8874894 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.1c11594] [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: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Self-replicating systems play an important role in research on the synthesis and origin of life. Monitoring of these systems has mostly relied on techniques such as NMR or chromatography, which are limited in throughput and demanding when monitoring replication in real time. To circumvent these problems, we now developed a pattern-generating fluorescent molecular probe (an ID-probe) capable of discriminating replicators of different chemical composition and monitoring the process of replicator formation in real time, giving distinct signatures for starting materials, intermediates, and final products. Optical monitoring of replicators dramatically reduces the analysis time and sample quantities compared to most currently used methods and opens the door for future high-throughput experimentation in protocell environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joydev Hatai
- Centre
for Systems Chemistry, Stratingh Institute, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Yigit Altay
- Centre
for Systems Chemistry, Stratingh Institute, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Ankush Sood
- Centre
for Systems Chemistry, Stratingh Institute, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Armin Kiani
- Centre
for Systems Chemistry, Stratingh Institute, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Marcel J. Eleveld
- Centre
for Systems Chemistry, Stratingh Institute, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Leila Motiei
- Department
of Chemical and Structural Biology, Weizmann
Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - David Margulies
- Department
of Chemical and Structural Biology, Weizmann
Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Sijbren Otto
- Centre
for Systems Chemistry, Stratingh Institute, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
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18
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Liu B, Wu J, Geerts M, Markovitch O, Pappas CG, Liu K, Otto S. Out‐of‐equilibrium self‐replication allows selection for dynamic kinetic stability in a system of competing replicators. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.202117605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Bin Liu
- University of Groningen: Rijksuniversiteit Groningen Stratingh Institute for Chemistry NETHERLANDS
| | - Juntian Wu
- University of Groningen: Rijksuniversiteit Groningen Stratingh Institute for Chemistry NETHERLANDS
| | - Marc Geerts
- University of Groningen: Rijksuniversiteit Groningen Stratingh Institute for Chemistry NETHERLANDS
| | - Omer Markovitch
- University of Groningen: Rijksuniversiteit Groningen Stratingh Institute for Chemistry NETHERLANDS
| | - Charalampos G. Pappas
- University of Groningen: Rijksuniversiteit Groningen Stratingh Institute for Chemistry NETHERLANDS
| | - Kai Liu
- University of Groningen: Rijksuniversiteit Groningen Stratingh Institute for Chemistry NETHERLANDS
| | - Sijbren Otto
- Stratingh Institute University of Groningen Centre for Systems Chemistry Nijenborgh 4 9747AG Groningen NETHERLANDS
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19
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Abstract
As the remit of chemistry expands beyond molecules to systems, new synthetic targets appear on the horizon. Among these, life represents perhaps the ultimate synthetic challenge. Building on an increasingly detailed understanding of the inner workings of living systems and advances in organic synthesis and supramolecular chemistry, the de novo synthesis of life (i.e., the construction of a new form of life based on completely synthetic components) is coming within reach. This Account presents our first steps in the journey toward this long-term goal. The synthesis of life requires the functional integration of different subsystems that harbor the different characteristics that are deemed essential to life. The most important of these are self-replication, metabolism, and compartmentalization. Integrating these features into a single system, maintaining this system out of equilibrium, and allowing it to undergo Darwinian evolution should ideally result in the emergence of life. Our journey toward de novo life started with the serendipitous discovery of a new mechanism of self-replication. We found that self-assembly in a mixture of interconverting oligomers is a general way of achieving self-replication, where the assembly process drives the synthesis of the very molecules that assemble. Mechanically induced breakage of the growing replicating assemblies resulted in their exponential growth, which is an important enabler for achieving Darwinian evolution. Through this mechanism, the self-replication of compounds containing peptides, nucleobases, and fully synthetic molecules was achieved. Several examples of evolutionary dynamics have been observed in these systems, including the spontaneous diversification of replicators allowing them to specialize on different food sets, history dependence of replicator composition, and the spontaneous emergence of parasitic behavior. Peptide-based replicator assemblies were found to organize their peptide units in space in a manner that, inadvertently, gives rise to microenvironments that are capable of catalysis of chemical reactions or binding-induced activation of cofactors. Among the reactions that can be catalyzed by the replicators are ones that produce the precursors from which these replicators grow, amounting to the first examples of the assimilation of a proto-metabolism. Operating these replicators in a chemically fueled out-of-equilibrium replication-destruction regime was found to promote an increase in their molecular complexity. Fueling counteracts the inherent tendency of replicators to evolve toward lower complexity (caused by the fact that smaller replicators tend to replicate faster). Among the remaining steps on the road to de novo life are now to assimilate compartmentalization and achieve open-ended evolution of the resulting system. Success in the synthesis of de novo life, once obtained, will have far-reaching implications for our understanding of what life is, for the search for extraterrestrial life, for how life may have originated on earth, and for every-day life by opening up new vistas in the form living technology and materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sijbren Otto
- Centre for Systems Chemistry, Stratingh
Institute for Chemistry, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
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20
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Rout SK, Rhyner D, Riek R, Greenwald J. Prebiotically Plausible Autocatalytic Peptide Amyloids. Chemistry 2022; 28:e202103841. [PMID: 34812556 PMCID: PMC9299922 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202103841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The prebiotic emergence of molecules capable both of self-replication and of storing information was a defining event at the dawn of life. Still, no plausible prebiotic self-replication of biologically relevant molecules has been demonstrated. Building upon the known templating nature of amyloids, we present two systems in which the products of a peptide-bond-forming reaction act as self-replicators to enhance the yield and stereoselectivity of their formation. This first report of an amino acid condensation that can undergo autocatalysis further supports the potential role of amyloids in prebiotic molecular evolution as an environment-responsive and information-coding system capable of self-replication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saroj K. Rout
- Laboratory of Physical ChemistrySwiss Federal Institute of TechnologyETH HönggerbergVladimir-Prelog-Weg 28093ZürichSwitzerland
| | - David Rhyner
- Laboratory of Physical ChemistrySwiss Federal Institute of TechnologyETH HönggerbergVladimir-Prelog-Weg 28093ZürichSwitzerland
| | - Roland Riek
- Laboratory of Physical ChemistrySwiss Federal Institute of TechnologyETH HönggerbergVladimir-Prelog-Weg 28093ZürichSwitzerland
| | - Jason Greenwald
- Laboratory of Physical ChemistrySwiss Federal Institute of TechnologyETH HönggerbergVladimir-Prelog-Weg 28093ZürichSwitzerland
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21
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Howlett M, Scanes RJH, Fletcher SP. Selection between Competing Self-Reproducing Lipids: Succession and Dynamic Activation. JACS AU 2021; 1:1355-1361. [PMID: 34604845 PMCID: PMC8479773 DOI: 10.1021/jacsau.1c00138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2021] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Models of chemical evolution are central to advancing origins of life research. To design more lifelike systems, we must expand our understanding of molecular selection mechanisms. Here, we show two selection modes that produce evolving populations of self-reproducing species, formed through thiol-disulfide exchange. Competition between thiol precursors can give clear succession patterns based on steric factors, an intrinsic property. A separate, emergent selection mechanism-dynamic activating metathesis-was found when exploring competing disulfide precursors. These experiments reveal that additional species generated in the mixture open up alternative reaction pathways to form self-reproducing products. Thus, increased compositional complexity provides certain species with a unique competitive advantage at the expense of others.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael
G. Howlett
- Department of Chemistry,
Chemistry Research Laboratory, University
of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3TA, United Kingdom
| | - Robert J. H. Scanes
- Department of Chemistry,
Chemistry Research Laboratory, University
of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3TA, United Kingdom
| | - Stephen P. Fletcher
- Department of Chemistry,
Chemistry Research Laboratory, University
of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3TA, United Kingdom
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22
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Scognamiglio PL, Platella C, Napolitano E, Musumeci D, Roviello GN. From Prebiotic Chemistry to Supramolecular Biomedical Materials: Exploring the Properties of Self-Assembling Nucleobase-Containing Peptides. Molecules 2021; 26:3558. [PMID: 34200901 PMCID: PMC8230524 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26123558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2021] [Revised: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 05/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Peptides and their synthetic analogs are a class of molecules with enormous relevance as therapeutics for their ability to interact with biomacromolecules like nucleic acids and proteins, potentially interfering with biological pathways often involved in the onset and progression of pathologies of high social impact. Nucleobase-bearing peptides (nucleopeptides) and pseudopeptides (PNAs) offer further interesting possibilities related to their nucleobase-decorated nature for diagnostic and therapeutic applications, thanks to their reported ability to target complementary DNA and RNA strands. In addition, these chimeric compounds are endowed with intriguing self-assembling properties, which are at the heart of their investigation as self-replicating materials in prebiotic chemistry, as well as their application as constituents of innovative drug delivery systems and, more generally, as novel nanomaterials to be employed in biomedicine. Herein we describe the properties of nucleopeptides, PNAs and related supramolecular systems, and summarize some of the most relevant applications of these systems.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Chiara Platella
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, via Cintia 21, I-80126 Naples, Italy; (C.P.); (E.N.); (D.M.)
| | - Ettore Napolitano
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, via Cintia 21, I-80126 Naples, Italy; (C.P.); (E.N.); (D.M.)
| | - Domenica Musumeci
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, via Cintia 21, I-80126 Naples, Italy; (C.P.); (E.N.); (D.M.)
- Istituto di Biostrutture e Bioimmagini IBB-CNR, via Tommaso De Amicis 95, I-80145 Naples, Italy
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23
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Toparlak Ö, Wang A, Mansy SS. Population-Level Membrane Diversity Triggers Growth and Division of Protocells. JACS AU 2021; 1:560-568. [PMID: 34467319 PMCID: PMC8395648 DOI: 10.1021/jacsau.0c00079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
To date, multiple mechanisms have been described for the growth and division of model protocells, all of which exploit the lipid dynamics of fatty acids. In some examples, the more heterogeneous aggregate consisting of fatty acid and diacyl phospholipid or fatty acid and peptide grows at the expense of the more homogeneous aggregate containing a restricted set of lipids with similar dynamics. Imbalances between surface area and volume during growth can generate filamentous vesicles, which are typically divided by shear forces. Here, we describe another pathway for growth and division that depends simply on differences in the compositions of fatty acid membranes without additional components. Growth is driven by the thermodynamically favorable mixing of lipids between two populations, i.e., the system as a whole proceeds toward equilibrium. Division is the result of growth-induced curvature. Importantly, growth and division do not require a specific composition of lipids. For example, vesicles made from one type of lipid, e.g., short-chain fatty acids, grow and divide when fed with vesicles consisting of another type of lipid, e.g., long-chain fatty acids, and vice versa. After equilibration, additional rounds of growth and division could potentially proceed by the introduction of compositionally distinct aggregates. Since prebiotic synthesis likely gave rise to mixtures of lipids, the data are consistent with the presence of growing and dividing protocells on the prebiotic Earth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ö.
Duhan Toparlak
- Department
of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology (D-CIBIO), University of Trento, Via Sommarive 9, 38123 Povo, TN, Italy
| | - Anna Wang
- School
of Chemistry and Australian Centre for Astrobiology, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Sheref S. Mansy
- Department
of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology (D-CIBIO), University of Trento, Via Sommarive 9, 38123 Povo, TN, Italy
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Alberta, 11227 Saskatchewan Drive, Edmonton, AB T6G
2G2, Canada
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