Self-growing protocell models in aqueous two-phase system induced by internal DNA replication reaction

Area of Science:

• Synthetic biology
• Origin of life studies
• Biophysics

Background:

• Achieving autonomous and evolvable artificial cells is a key goal in synthetic biology.
• Current artificial cell models struggle to achieve self-growth coupled with internal DNA replication.

Purpose of the Study:

• To engineer self-growing artificial cell models.
• To investigate the potential of dextran-rich droplets as a platform for protocell engineering.
• To explore implications for the emergence of protocells under prebiotic conditions.

Main Methods:

• Utilized dextran-rich droplets in a poly(ethylene glycol)/dextran aqueous two-phase system.
• Integrated DNA amplification systems with dextran-rich droplets.
• Incorporated cell-free transcription-translation systems with DNA amplification/replication.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated active self-growth in artificial cell models based on dextran droplets.
• Showcased self-growth coupled with DNA amplification and replication within protocells.
• Highlighted the simplicity and potential of dextran droplets for protocell engineering.

Conclusions:

• Dextran-rich droplets serve as a promising foundational platform for engineering self-growing protocells.
• The developed system offers a simplified approach to artificial cell construction.
• Findings provide insights into potential mechanisms for protocell emergence in early Earth conditions.