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Villanueva ME, Bar L, Redondo-Morata L, Namdar P, Ruysschaert JM, Pabst G, Vandier C, María Bouchet A, Losada-Pérez P. Spontaneous nanotube formation of an asymmetric glycolipid. J Colloid Interface Sci 2024; 671:410-422. [PMID: 38815376 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2024.05.132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2024] [Revised: 05/06/2024] [Accepted: 05/18/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024]
Abstract
Over the past decades, advances in lipid nanotechnology have shown that self-assembled lipid structures providing ease of preparation, chemical stability, and biocompatibility represent a landmark on the development of multidisciplinary technologies. Lipid nanotubes (LNTs) are a unique class of lipid self-assembled structures, bearing unique properties such as high-aspect ratio, tunable diameter size, and precise molecular recognition. They can be obtained either by the action of external factors to already formed vesicles or spontaneously, the latter depending strongly on subtle molecular features. Here, we report on the spontaneous formation of supported lipid nanotubes of a particular type of glycolipid, ohmline, whose hydrophobic core displays remarkable asymmetry. The combination of bulk and surface-sensitive techniques indicates that below its main transition, ohmline displays an interdigitated gel phase, likely driven by the unique asymmetry in its hydrophobic core. Enhanced order packing by interdigitation favors the formation of ohmline nanotubes in agreement with chiral-based models of nanotube formation. The findings presented in this work call for additional studies to link lipid molecular structure-assembly relationships, whose understanding is relevant for the controlled design of lipid nanotubes networks in particular and controlled design of soft-matter nanomaterials in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martín E Villanueva
- Experimental Soft Matter and Thermal Physics (EST) Group, Department of Physics, Université libre de Bruxelles, Boulevard du Triomphe CP223, Brussels 1050, Belgium.
| | - Laure Bar
- Experimental Soft Matter and Thermal Physics (EST) Group, Department of Physics, Université libre de Bruxelles, Boulevard du Triomphe CP223, Brussels 1050, Belgium
| | - Lorena Redondo-Morata
- Aix-Marseille University, INSERM, DyNaMo, Turing Centre for Living systems, Marseille 13009, France
| | - Peter Namdar
- Biophysics, Institute of Molecular Biosciences, University of Graz, NAWI Graz, Humboldtstr 50/III, Graz 8010, Austria
| | - Jean-Marie Ruysschaert
- Structure and Functions of Biological Membranes, Université libre de Bruxelles, Boulevard du Triomphe CP223, Brussels 1050, Belgium; Lifesome Therapeutics S. L., Calle Faraday 7, Madrid 28049, Spain
| | - Georg Pabst
- Biophysics, Institute of Molecular Biosciences, University of Graz, NAWI Graz, Humboldtstr 50/III, Graz 8010, Austria
| | - Christophe Vandier
- Niche, Nutrition, Cancer and Oxidative Metabolism (N2Cox) UMR 1069, University of Tours, INSERM, Tours, France; Lifesome Therapeutics S. L., Calle Faraday 7, Madrid 28049, Spain
| | | | - Patricia Losada-Pérez
- Experimental Soft Matter and Thermal Physics (EST) Group, Department of Physics, Université libre de Bruxelles, Boulevard du Triomphe CP223, Brussels 1050, Belgium.
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Omidvar M, Zdarta J, Sigurdardóttir SB, Pinelo M. Mimicking natural strategies to create multi-environment enzymatic reactors: From natural cell compartments to artificial polyelectrolyte reactors. Biotechnol Adv 2021; 54:107798. [PMID: 34265377 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2021.107798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2021] [Revised: 06/09/2021] [Accepted: 07/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Engineering microenvironments for sequential enzymatic reactions has attracted specific interest within different fields of research as an effective strategy to improve the catalytic performance of enzymes. While in industry most enzymatic reactions occur in a single compartment carrier, living cells are however able to conduct multiple reactions simultaneously within confined sub-compartments, or organelles. Engineering multi-compartments with regulated environments and transformation properties enhances enzyme activity and stability and thus increases the overall yield of final products. In this review, we discuss current and potential methods to fabricate artificial cells for sequential enzymatic reactions, which are inspired by mechanisms and metabolic pathways developed by living cells. We aim to advance the understanding of living cell complexity and its compartmentalization and present solutions to mimic these processes in vitro. Particular attention has been given to layer-by-layer assembly of polyelectrolytes for developing multi-compartments. We hope this review paves the way for the next steps toward engineering of smart artificial multi-compartments with adoptive stimuli-responsive properties, mimicking living cells to improve catalytic properties and efficiency of the enzymes and enhance their stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryam Omidvar
- Process and Systems Engineering Centre, Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Building 229, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Jakub Zdarta
- Process and Systems Engineering Centre, Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Building 229, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark; Institute of Chemical Technology and Engineering, Faculty of Chemical Technology, Poznan University of Technology, 60965 Poznan, Poland
| | - Sigyn Björk Sigurdardóttir
- Process and Systems Engineering Centre, Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Building 229, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Manuel Pinelo
- Process and Systems Engineering Centre, Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Building 229, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark.
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Sato Y, Takinoue M. Creation of Artificial Cell-Like Structures Promoted by Microfluidics Technologies. MICROMACHINES 2019; 10:E216. [PMID: 30934758 PMCID: PMC6523379 DOI: 10.3390/mi10040216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2019] [Revised: 03/21/2019] [Accepted: 03/22/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The creation of artificial cells is an immensely challenging task in science. Artificial cells contribute to revealing the mechanisms of biological systems and deepening our understanding of them. The progress of versatile biological research fields has clarified many biological phenomena, and various artificial cell models have been proposed in these fields. Microfluidics provides useful technologies for the study of artificial cells because it allows the fabrication of cell-like compartments, including water-in-oil emulsions and giant unilamellar vesicles. Furthermore, microfluidics also allows the mimicry of cellular functions with chip devices based on sophisticated chamber design. In this review, we describe contributions of microfluidics to the study of artificial cells. Although typical microfluidic methods are useful for the creation of artificial-cell compartments, recent methods provide further benefits, including low-cost fabrication and a reduction of the sample volume. Microfluidics also allows us to create multi-compartments, compartments with artificial organelles, and on-chip artificial cells. We discuss these topics and the future perspective of microfluidics for the study of artificial cells and molecular robotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yusuke Sato
- Department of Computer Science, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Kanagawa 226-8502, Japan
| | - Masahiro Takinoue
- Department of Computer Science, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Kanagawa 226-8502, Japan
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