Higher‐Order Behaviours in Bio‐Inspired Materials DOI Creative Commons
Aina Rebasa‐Vallverdu, Manuel Antuch, Beatrice Rosetti

et al.

ChemSystemsChem, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 6(4)

Published: April 16, 2024

Abstract Bio‐inspired approaches in materials science and systems chemistry are yielding a variety of stimuli‐responsive dynamic that gradually changing our everyday life. However, the ability to chemically program these exhibit macroscopic higher‐order behaviours such as self‐assembly, contractility, swarming, taxis, chemical communication, or predator‐prey dynamics remains an ongoing challenge. While still its infancy, successful fabrication bio‐inspired displaying not only will help bridging gap between living non‐living matter, but it also contribute development advanced for potential applications ranging from tissue engineering biotechnology, soft robotics regenerative medicine. Our Mini‐Review systematically discuss developed thus far systems, namely (i) polymer networks (ii) microbots, (iii) protocells, (iv) prototissues. For each system provide key examples highlight how emergent behaviour could be programmed.

Language: Английский

Coacervate Droplets for Synthetic Cells DOI Creative Commons

Zi Lin,

Thomas Beneyton, Jean‐Christophe Baret

et al.

Small Methods, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 7(12)

Published: July 18, 2023

Abstract The design and construction of synthetic cells – human‐made microcompartments that mimic features living have experienced a real boom in the past decade. While many efforts been geared toward assembling membrane‐bounded compartments, coacervate droplets produced by liquid–liquid phase separation emerged as an alternative membrane‐free compartmentalization paradigm. Here, dual role cell research is discussed: encapsulated within membrane‐enclosed coacervates act surrogates membraneless organelles ubiquitously found cells; alternatively, they can be viewed crowded cytosol‐like chassis for constructing integrated cells. After introducing key concepts coacervation illustrating chemical diversity systems, their physicochemical properties resulting bioinspired functions are emphasized. Moving from suspensions free floating coacervates, two nascent roles these highlighted: organelle‐like modules templates. Building discussion on recent studies literature, potential to assemble capable multiple life‐inspired showcased. Future challenges still tackled field finally discussed.

Language: Английский

Citations

49
Dipeptide coacervates as artificial membraneless organelles for bioorthogonal catalysis DOI Creative Commons
Shoupeng Cao, Tsvetomir Ivanov,

Julian Heuer

et al.

Nature Communications, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 15(1)

Published: Jan. 2, 2024

Abstract Artificial organelles can manipulate cellular functions and introduce non-biological processes into cells. Coacervate droplets have emerged as a close analog of membraneless organelles. Their biomimetic properties, such molecular crowding selective partitioning, make them promising components for designing cell-like materials. However, their use artificial has been limited by complex structure, control over internal microenvironment inherent colloidal instability. Here we report the design dipeptide coacervates that exhibit enhanced stability, biocompatibility, hydrophobic microenvironment. The character facilitates encapsulation species, including transition metal-based catalysts, enhancing efficiency in aqueous environments. Dipeptide carrying catalyst are incorporated active cells trigger an chemical reaction. development with opens alternative avenue field materials applications catalysis synthetic biology.

Language: Английский

Citations

47
Self-assembly of stabilized droplets from liquid–liquid phase separation for higher-order structures and functions DOI Creative Commons
Mehwish Naz,

Lin Zhang,

Chong Chen

et al.

Communications Chemistry, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 7(1)

Published: April 9, 2024

Dynamic microscale droplets produced by liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) have emerged as appealing biomaterials due to their remarkable features. However, the instability of limits construction population-level structures with collective behaviors. Here we first provide a brief background in context materials properties. Subsequently, discuss current strategies for stabilizing including physical and chemical modulation. We also recent development LLPS various applications such synthetic cells biomedical materials. Finally, give insights on how stabilized can self-assemble into higher-order displaying coordinated functions fully exploit potentials bottom-up biology applications.

Language: Английский

Citations

17
Helical protein nanotubules assembled from sacrificial supramolecular polymers DOI

Linfei Ye,

Xiaoduo Dong, Chong Wang

et al.

Nature Synthesis, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: Jan. 16, 2025

Language: Английский

Citations

2
Hydrophilic polymers: Current trends and visions for the future DOI Creative Commons

Niamh Bayliss,

Bernhard V. K. J. Schmidt

Progress in Polymer Science, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 147, P. 101753 - 101753

Published: Oct. 18, 2023

Hydrophilic polymers are a major class of in polymer science. They found broad range applications from superabsorbers to drug-delivery. In recent years, plethora impactful developments hydrophilic have been reported. The present review gives an overview over these with focus on frequently studied types, aqueous multi-phase systems, block copolymer self-assembly and particles. We cover fundamental work concepts but also high relevance for application. Finally, we give outlook towards current challenges future the field. further development is great importance will significant impact biomedicine every-day life.

Language: Английский

Citations

37
Interfacing Coacervates with Membranes: From Artificial Organelles and Hybrid Protocells to Intracellular Delivery DOI Creative Commons
Tiemei Lu, Sadaf Javed, Claudia Bonfio

et al.

Small Methods, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 7(12)

Published: June 24, 2023

Abstract Compartmentalization is crucial for the functioning of cells. Membranes enclose and protect cell, regulate transport molecules entering exiting organize cellular machinery in subcompartments. In addition, membraneless condensates, or coacervates, offer dynamic compartments that act as biomolecular storage centers, organizational hubs, reaction crucibles. Emerging evidence shows phase‐separated bodies cell are involved a wide range functional interactions with membranes, leading to transmembrane signaling, membrane remodeling, intracellular transport, vesicle formation. Such interplay between droplets membranes also offers many potential benefits artificial cells, shown by recent studies involving coacervates liposomes. Depending on relative sizes interaction strength can serve organelles inside liposomes, templates assembly hybrid formation, remodelers tubulation possibly division, finally, cargo containers delivery biomolecules across endocytosis direct crossing. Here, experimental examples each these functions reviewed underlying physicochemical principles possible future applications discussed.

Language: Английский

Citations

27
Peptide-Based Coacervate Protocells with Cytoprotective Metal–Phenolic Network Membranes DOI
Linli Jiang, Yiwei Zeng, Hui Li

et al.

Journal of the American Chemical Society, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 145(44), P. 24108 - 24115

Published: Oct. 3, 2023

Protocells have garnered considerable attention from cell biologists, materials scientists, and synthetic biologists. Phase-separating coacervate microdroplets emerged as a promising cytomimetic model because they can internalize concentrate components dilute surrounding environments. However, the membrane-free nature of such coacervates leads to coalescence into bulk phase, phenomenon that is not representative cells are designed mimic. Herein, we develop membranized peptide (PC) with oppositely charged oligopeptides molecularly crowded cytosol metal–phenolic network (MPN) coating membrane. The hybrid protocell efficiently internalizes various bioactive macromolecules (e.g., bovine serum albumin immunoglobulin G) (>90%) while also resisting radicals due semipermeable cytoprotective Notably, resultant PC@MPNs capable anabolic cascade reactions remain in discrete protocellular populations without coalescence. Finally, demonstrate MPN membrane be postfunctionalized functional molecules folic acid fluorescence dye) more closely resemble actual complex membranes, recognition molecules, which allows for drug delivery. This membrane-bound cytosolic structure paves way innovative structural complexity.

Language: Английский

Citations

24
Probing the surface charge of condensates using microelectrophoresis DOI Creative Commons
Merlijn H. I. van Haren, Brent S. Visser, Evan Spruijt

et al.

Nature Communications, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 15(1)

Published: April 26, 2024

Abstract Biomolecular condensates play an important role in cellular organization. Coacervates are commonly used models that mimic the physicochemical properties of biomolecular condensates. The surface plays a key governing molecular exchange between condensates, accumulation species at interface, and stability against coalescence. However, most properties, including charge zeta potential, remain poorly characterized understood. potential coacervates is often measured using laser doppler electrophoresis, which assumes size-independent electrophoretic mobility. Here, we show this assumption incorrect for liquid-like present alternative method to study mobility vitro condensate by microelectrophoresis single-particle tracking. have size-dependent mobility, originating from their fluid nature, well-defined calculated. Interestingly, measurements reveal polylysine chains enriched polylysine/polyaspartic acid complex coacervates, causes negatively charged protein ɑ-synuclein adsorb accumulate interface. Addition ATP inverts charge, displaces may help suppress its interface-catalyzed aggregation. Together, these findings how can be altered, making platform combined with automated tracking promising characterization technique both coacervate protocells.

Language: Английский

Citations

13
Spatially Localized Entropy-Driven Evolution of Nucleic Acid-Based Constitutional Dynamic Networks for Intracellular Imaging and Spatiotemporal Programmable Gene Therapy DOI Creative Commons
Nina Lin, Yu Ouyang,

Yunlong Qin

et al.

Journal of the American Chemical Society, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 146(30), P. 20685 - 20699

Published: July 16, 2024

The primer-guided entropy-driven high-throughput evolution of the DNA-based constitutional dynamic network, CDN, is introduced. entropy gain associated with process provides a catalytic principle for amplified emergence CDN. concept applied to develop programmable, spatially localized DNA circuit effective in vitro and vivo theranostic, gene-regulated treatment cancer cells. consists tetrahedron core modified at its corners four tethers that include encoded base sequences exhibiting capacity emerge assemble into [2 × 2] Two are caged by pair siRNA subunits, blocking mute, dynamically inactive configuration. In presence miRNA-21 as primer, subunits displaced, resulting release siRNAs silencing HIF-1α mRNA fast reconfiguration CDN is, however, engineered be reconfigured miRNA-155 an equilibrated mixture enriched DNAzyme component, catalyzing cleavage EGR-1 mRNA. nanostructure stimulates enhanced permeation miRNA-triggered leads cooperative bis-gene-silencing mRNAs, selective apoptosis breast cells inhibition tumors tumor bearing mice.

Language: Английский

Citations

13
Multicompartmental coacervate-based protocell by spontaneous droplet evaporation DOI Creative Commons
Qi Cheng, Xudong Ma, Qi Zeng

et al.

Nature Communications, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 15(1)

Published: Feb. 6, 2024

Abstract Hierarchical compartmentalization, a hallmark of both primitive and modern cells, enables the concentration isolation biomolecules, facilitates spatial organization biochemical reactions. Coacervate-based compartments can sequester recruit large variety molecules, making it an attractive protocell model. In this work, we report spontaneous formation core-shell cell-sized coacervate-based driven by evaporation sessile droplet on thin-oil-coated substrate. Our analysis reveals that such far-from-equilibrium architectures arise from multiple, coupled segregative associative liquid-liquid phase separation, are stabilized stagnation points within evaporating droplet. The results convective capillary flows induced maximum rate at liquid-liquid-air contact line. This work provides valuable insights into maintenance hierarchical under non-equilibrium conditions, offering glimpse real-life scenario.

Language: Английский

Citations

12