Self-immobilization of coacervate droplets by enzyme-mediated hydrogelation
Yufeng Chen1, Yanwen Zhang1, Mei Li2
1State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Key Laboratory for Bio-Nanotechnology and Molecular Engineering of Hunan Province, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, P. R. China. liujianbo@hnu.edu.cn.
Chemical Communications (Cambridge, England)
|May 5, 2021
Abstract:
An artificial protocell model mimicking stimuli-triggered extracellular matrix formation is demonstrated based on the self-immobilization of coacervate microdroplets. Endogenous enzyme activity within the microdroplets results in the release of Ca2+ ions that trigger hydrogelation throughout the external environment, which in turn mechanically supports and chemically stabilizes the protocells.
