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Sugawara T, Matsuo M, Suzuki K. Construction of Artificial Cell as an Autonomous Supramolecular Machine. J SYN ORG CHEM JPN 2022. [DOI: 10.5059/yukigoseikyokaishi.80.1149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Muneyuki Matsuo
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Integrated Science for Life, Hiroshima University
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Evolution of Proliferative Model Protocells Highly Responsive to the Environment. Life (Basel) 2022; 12:life12101635. [PMID: 36295070 PMCID: PMC9605134 DOI: 10.3390/life12101635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Revised: 10/13/2022] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
In this review, we discuss various methods of reproducing life dynamics using a constructive approach. An increase in the structural complexity of a model protocell is accompanied by an increase in the stage of reproduction of a compartment (giant vesicle; GV) from simple reproduction to linked reproduction with the replication of information molecules (DNA), and eventually to recursive proliferation of a model protocell. An encounter between a plural protic catalyst (C) and DNA within a GV membrane containing a plural cationic lipid (V) spontaneously forms a supramolecular catalyst (C@DNA) that catalyzes the production of cationic membrane lipid V. The local formation of V causes budding deformation of the GV and equivolume divisions. The length of the DNA strand influences the frequency of proliferation, associated with the emergence of a primitive information flow that induces phenotypic plasticity in response to environmental conditions. A predominant protocell appears from the competitive proliferation of protocells containing DNA with different strand lengths, leading to an evolvable model protocell. Recently, peptides of amino acid thioesters have been used to construct peptide droplets through liquid–liquid phase separation. These droplets grew, owing to the supply of nutrients, and were divided repeatedly under a physical stimulus. This proposed chemical system demonstrates a new perspective of the origins of membraneless protocells, i.e., the “droplet world” hypothesis. Proliferative model protocells can be regarded as autonomous supramolecular machines. This concept of this review may open new horizons of “evolution” for intelligent supramolecular machines and robotics.
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Imai M, Sakuma Y, Kurisu M, Walde P. From vesicles toward protocells and minimal cells. SOFT MATTER 2022; 18:4823-4849. [PMID: 35722879 DOI: 10.1039/d1sm01695d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
In contrast to ordinary condensed matter systems, "living systems" are unique. They are based on molecular compartments that reproduce themselves through (i) an uptake of ingredients and energy from the environment, and (ii) spatially and timely coordinated internal chemical transformations. These occur on the basis of instructions encoded in information molecules (DNAs). Life originated on Earth about 4 billion years ago as self-organised systems of inorganic compounds and organic molecules including macromolecules (e.g. nucleic acids and proteins) and low molar mass amphiphiles (lipids). Before the first living systems emerged from non-living forms of matter, functional molecules and dynamic molecular assemblies must have been formed as prebiotic soft matter systems. These hypothetical cell-like compartment systems often are called "protocells". Other systems that are considered as bridging units between non-living and living systems are called "minimal cells". They are synthetic, autonomous and sustainable reproducing compartment systems, but their constituents are not limited to prebiotic substances. In this review, we focus on both membrane-bounded (vesicular) protocells and minimal cells, and provide a membrane physics background which helps to understand how morphological transformations of vesicle systems might have happened and how vesicle reproduction might be coupled with metabolic reactions and information molecules. This research, which bridges matter and life, is a great challenge in which soft matter physics, systems chemistry, and synthetic biology must take joined efforts to better understand how the transformation of protocells into living systems might have occurred at the origin of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masayuki Imai
- Department of Physics, Graduate School of Science, Tohoku University, 6-3 Aoba, Aramaki, Aoba, Sendai 980-8578, Japan.
| | - Yuka Sakuma
- Department of Physics, Graduate School of Science, Tohoku University, 6-3 Aoba, Aramaki, Aoba, Sendai 980-8578, Japan.
| | - Minoru Kurisu
- Department of Physics, Graduate School of Science, Tohoku University, 6-3 Aoba, Aramaki, Aoba, Sendai 980-8578, Japan.
| | - Peter Walde
- Department of Materials, ETH Zürich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 5, CH-8093 Zürich, Switzerland
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Matsuo M, Hirata Y, Kurihara K, Toyota T, Miura T, Suzuki K, Sugawara T. Environment-Sensitive Intelligent Self-Reproducing Artificial Cell with a Modification-Active Lipo-Deoxyribozyme. MICROMACHINES 2020; 11:E606. [PMID: 32580457 PMCID: PMC7344958 DOI: 10.3390/mi11060606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2020] [Revised: 06/09/2020] [Accepted: 06/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
As a supramolecular micromachine with information flow, a giant vesicle (GV)-based artificial cell that exhibits a linked proliferation between GV reproduction and internal DNA amplification has been explored in this study. The linked proliferation is controlled by a complex consisting of GV membrane-intruded DNA with acidic amphiphilic catalysts, working overall as a lipo-deoxyribozyme. Here, we investigated how a GV-based artificial cell containing this lipo-deoxyribozyme responds to diverse external and internal environments, changing its proliferative dynamics. We observed morphological changes (phenotypic expression) in GVs induced by the addition of membrane precursors with different intervals of addition (starvation periods). First, we focused on a new phenotype, the "multiple tubulated" form, which emerged after a long starvation period. Compared to other forms, the multiple tubulated form is characterized by a larger membrane surface with a heavily cationic charge. A second consideration is the effect of the chain length of encapsulated DNA on competitive proliferation. The competitive proliferation among three different species of artificial cells containing different lengths of DNA was investigated. The results clearly showed a distinct intervention in the proliferation dynamics of the artificial cells with each other. In this sense, our GV-based artificial cell can be regarded as an intelligent supramolecular machine responding to external and internal environments, providing a new concept for developing molecular machines and robotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muneyuki Matsuo
- Department of Basic Science, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Komaba, Meguro, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan; (M.M.); (T.T.)
- Department of Creative Research, Exploratory Research Center on Life and Living Systems (ExCELLS), Myodaiji, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8787, Japan;
| | - Yuiko Hirata
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Kanagawa University, Tsuchiya, Hiratsuka, Kanagawa 259-1293, Japan; (Y.H.); (K.S.)
| | - Kensuke Kurihara
- Department of Creative Research, Exploratory Research Center on Life and Living Systems (ExCELLS), Myodaiji, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8787, Japan;
- Department of Life and Coordination-Complex Molecular Science, Biomolecular Functions, Institute for Molecular Science, Myodaiji, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8585, Japan
| | - Taro Toyota
- Department of Basic Science, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Komaba, Meguro, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan; (M.M.); (T.T.)
- Universal Biology Institute, The University of Tokyo, Komaba, Meguro, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan
| | - Toru Miura
- Misaki Marine Biological Station, School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 1024 Koajiro, Misaki, Miura, Kanagawa 238-0225, Japan;
| | - Kentaro Suzuki
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Kanagawa University, Tsuchiya, Hiratsuka, Kanagawa 259-1293, Japan; (Y.H.); (K.S.)
| | - Tadashi Sugawara
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Kanagawa University, Tsuchiya, Hiratsuka, Kanagawa 259-1293, Japan; (Y.H.); (K.S.)
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Ishmukhametov RR, Russell AN, Berry RM. A modular platform for one-step assembly of multi-component membrane systems by fusion of charged proteoliposomes. Nat Commun 2016; 7:13025. [PMID: 27708275 PMCID: PMC5059690 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms13025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2016] [Accepted: 08/25/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
An important goal in synthetic biology is the assembly of biomimetic cell-like structures, which combine multiple biological components in synthetic lipid vesicles. A key limiting assembly step is the incorporation of membrane proteins into the lipid bilayer of the vesicles. Here we present a simple method for delivery of membrane proteins into a lipid bilayer within 5 min. Fusogenic proteoliposomes, containing charged lipids and membrane proteins, fuse with oppositely charged bilayers, with no requirement for detergent or fusion-promoting proteins, and deliver large, fragile membrane protein complexes into the target bilayers. We demonstrate the feasibility of our method by assembling a minimal electron transport chain capable of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) synthesis, combining Escherichia coli F1Fo ATP-synthase and the primary proton pump bo3-oxidase, into synthetic lipid vesicles with sizes ranging from 100 nm to ∼10 μm. This provides a platform for the combination of multiple sets of membrane protein complexes into cell-like artificial structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert R. Ishmukhametov
- Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Clarendon Laboratory, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PU, UK
| | - Aidan N. Russell
- Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Clarendon Laboratory, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PU, UK
| | - Richard M. Berry
- Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Clarendon Laboratory, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PU, UK
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Kurihara K, Okura Y, Matsuo M, Toyota T, Suzuki K, Sugawara T. A recursive vesicle-based model protocell with a primitive model cell cycle. Nat Commun 2015; 6:8352. [PMID: 26418735 PMCID: PMC4598553 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms9352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 129] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2014] [Accepted: 08/13/2015] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Self-organized lipid structures (protocells) have been proposed as an intermediate between nonliving material and cellular life. Synthetic production of model protocells can demonstrate the potential processes by which living cells first arose. While we have previously described a giant vesicle (GV)-based model protocell in which amplification of DNA was linked to self-reproduction, the ability of a protocell to recursively self-proliferate for multiple generations has not been demonstrated. Here we show that newborn daughter GVs can be restored to the status of their parental GVs by pH-induced vesicular fusion of daughter GVs with conveyer GVs filled with depleted substrates. We describe a primitive model cell cycle comprising four discrete phases (ingestion, replication, maturity and division), each of which is selectively activated by a specific external stimulus. The production of recursive self-proliferating model protocells represents a step towards eventual production of model protocells that are able to mimic evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kensuke Kurihara
- Department of Basic Science, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan
- Research Center for Complex Systems Biology, The University of Tokyo, Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan
| | - Yusaku Okura
- Department of Basic Science, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan
| | - Muneyuki Matsuo
- Department of Basic Science, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan
| | - Taro Toyota
- Department of Basic Science, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan
- Research Center for Complex Systems Biology, The University of Tokyo, Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan
| | - Kentaro Suzuki
- Research Center for Complex Systems Biology, The University of Tokyo, Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Kanagawa University, Tsuchiya, Hiratsuka, Kanagawa 259-1293, Japan
| | - Tadashi Sugawara
- Research Center for Complex Systems Biology, The University of Tokyo, Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Kanagawa University, Tsuchiya, Hiratsuka, Kanagawa 259-1293, Japan
- Toyota Physical and Chemical Research Institute, Nagakute, Aichi 480-1192, Japan
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