Advances in production and application technologies of minicells: A review

Minicells are anucleate cells formed through asymmetric division at the poles of most rod-shaped bacteria. They lack chromosomes and are incapable of reproduction. This confers on minicells unique biological advantages, such as a higher content of cardiolipin in the cell membrane, retention of metabolic activity from the parent cells, and a reduced nucleocytoplasmic ratio, making minicells promising for applications in synthetic biology, agriculture, and medicine. This review first outlines the formation mechanisms of minicells in various rod-shaped bacteria, along with their isolation methods and current production status. It then comprehensively summarizes the latest and powerful applications of minicells that do not focus solely on traditional drug delivery. Based on the biological characteristics of minicells, the review highlights their four major functions, including detoxification and tolerance, enrichment and microreactor, molecular encapsulation and delivery, and native structural characterization. Finally, the challenges and future prospects of minicells in biotechnological applications are discussed.