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A Biomimetic Approach for Spatially Controlled Cell Membrane Engineering Using Fusogenic Spherical Nucleic Acid
Minjie Lin1, Yuanyuan Chen1, Sisi Zhao2
1Institute of Chemical Biology and Nanomedicine, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, China.
Researchers developed a novel liposome fusion-based transport (LiFT) strategy to engineer both the external and internal cell surfaces with functional DNA. This breakthrough enables precise control over cellular behaviors and opens new avenues for cell-based applications.
Area of Science:
- Synthetic biology
- Biotechnology
- Cellular engineering
Background:
- Engineering cell plasma membranes with DNA is crucial for understanding and controlling cellular functions.
- Current methods are limited to the cell's external surface, hindering intracellular applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a method for robust DNA functionalization on both external and internal cell surfaces.
- To enable new applications in cell biology through advanced membrane engineering.
Main Methods:
- Development of a fusogenic spherical nucleic acid construct.
- Utilizing a liposome fusion-based transport (LiFT) strategy for DNA delivery.
- Engineering cell membranes with high efficiency and spatial control.
Main Results:
- Achieved robust DNA functionalization on both external and internal cell surfaces.
- Demonstrated applications in constructing heterotypic cell assemblies for programmed signaling.
- Enabled detection of intracellular metabolites using engineered cells.
Conclusions:
- The LiFT strategy offers a powerful tool for comprehensive cell membrane engineering.
- This method allows for the creation of anisotropic membrane structures with orthogonal DNA functionalities.
- The approach significantly expands the possibilities for DNA-based cell control and applications.
