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Directed Signaling Cascades in Monodisperse Artificial Eukaryotic Cells
Sunidhi C Shetty1, Naresh Yandrapalli1, Kerstin Pinkwart1
1Theory and Bio-Systems, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Am Mühlenberg 1, 14476 Potsdam, Germany.
ACS Nano
|September 27, 2021
Summary
Researchers engineered artificial cells using microfluidics to create multivesicular vesicles (MVVs). These synthetic cells direct biochemical reactions spatially, advancing bottom-up synthetic biology and drug delivery systems.
Area of Science:
- Synthetic biology
- Biochemistry
- Microfluidics
Background:
- Engineering multicompartment artificial cells for directed biochemical reactions is challenging.
- Developing synthetic cells requires precise control over spatial organization and reaction pathways.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a microfluidic platform for producing monodisperse multivesicular vesicles (MVVs) as synthetic eukaryotic cells.
- To investigate the effects of enzyme cascade compartmentalization on biochemical reactions.
- To demonstrate directed chemical communication within artificial cells.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a two-inlet polydimethylsiloxane microfluidic channel to co-encapsulate liposomes.
- Produced lipid-based MVVs with three distinct inner compartments containing specific enzymes (α-glucosidase, glucose oxidase, horseradish peroxidase).
- Demonstrated inter-compartmental communication via size-selective membrane pore reconstitution.
Main Results:
- Successfully produced monodisperse MVVs with three separate enzyme-containing compartments at high throughput.
- Showcased directed, spatially organized signal transduction triggered externally.
- Analyzed compartmentalization effects by comparing bulk, one-, two-, and three-compartment systems.
Conclusions:
- The microfluidic strategy enables the construction of complex hierarchical structures for studying compartmentalization.
- This platform is valuable for understanding enzyme cascade effects and developing minimal cells.
- The technology has potential applications in advanced drug delivery systems.
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