Dynamic assembly of DNA and polylysine mediated by electric energy

Niu, Lin; Yang, Xuyan; Zhu, Xiaocui; Yin, Yudan; Qu, Wei; Zhou, Jihan; Zhao, Meiping; Liang, Dehai

doi:10.1039/c4cc07537d

Cited by 9 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 25 publications

(28 reference statements)

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“…As the electric field strength was high enough, the biphasic coacervate droplet was polarized, in which the negatively charged ss-oligo and positively charged Q-dextran in the outer phase migrated toward opposite directions (Figure 9C). 51,52 The moving direction of PLL/ss-oligo subcompartments was determined by their charge. For the droplet with excess negative charges (PLL:ss-oligo:Q-dextran = 0.25:2.0:0.75), the PLL/ss-oligo subcompartments were driven downward against the electric field, leaving the upper Q-dextran/ss-oligo phase with superfluous ss-oligo (Figure 9E).…”

Section: ■ Results and Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fission and Internal Fusion of Protocell with Membraneless “Organelles” Formed by Liquid–Liquid Phase Separation

et al. 2020

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Construction of protocells with hierarchical structures and living functions is still a great challenge. Growing evidence demonstrates that the membraneless organelles, which facilitate many essential cellular processes, are formed by RNA, protein, and other biopolymers via liquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS). The formation of the protocell in the early days of Earth could follow the same principle. In this work, we develop a novel coacervate-based protocell containing membraneless subcompartments via spontaneous liquid–liquid phase separation by simply mixing single-stranded oligonucleotides (ss-oligo), quaternized dextran (Q-dextran), and poly(l-lysine) (PLL) together. The resulting biphasic droplet, with PLL/ss-oligo phase being the internal subcompartments and Q-dextran/ss-oligo phase as the surrounding medium, is capable of sequestering and partitioning biomolecules into distinct regions. When the droplet is exposed to salt or Dextranase, the surrounding Q-dextran/ss-oligo phase will be gradually dissociated, resulting in the chaotic movement and fusion of internal subcompartments. Besides, the external electric field at a lower strength can drive the biphasic droplet to undergo a deviated circulation concomitant with the fusion of localized subcompartments, while a high-strength electric field can polarize the whole droplet, resulting in the release of daughter droplets in a controllable manner. Our study highlights that liquid–liquid phase separation of biopolymers is a powerful strategy to construct hierarchically structured protocells resembling the morphology and functions of living cells and provides a step toward a better understanding of the transition mechanism from nonliving to living matter under prebiotic conditions.

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Section: ■ Results and Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fission and Internal Fusion of Protocell with Membraneless “Organelles” Formed by Liquid–Liquid Phase Separation

et al. 2020

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“…Our results suggest that loosely associated polyelectrolytes are particularly sensitive to the electric field, and that the composition and structural heterogeneity of the coacervate matrix are important criteria in determining their non-equilibrium behaviour. As coacervate microdroplets can be prepared across a range of polyelectrolyte charge ratios 24 , and kinetically trapped structural states 29 35 , changes in experimental methodology (non-stoichiometric mixtures, ageing times) need to be considered in detail when investigating their dynamical properties.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These protocell models are established under equilibrium conditions, and therefore exhibit no complex dynamical properties. However, as charged macromolecular complexes are sensitive to electrohydrodynamic forces 25 26 , coacervates can be globally excited by exposure to an applied electric field 27 28 29 , suggesting that it should be possible to use electric fields to sustain and control the activation of coacervate-based protocells under non-equilibrium conditions. Previous studies on the induced mobility of coacervate microdroplets prepared from high–molecular-weight (2,000 bp) double-stranded DNA have been reported 29 , although no complex internalized behaviour was observed.…”

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confidence: 99%

Non-equilibrium behaviour in coacervate-based protocells under electric-field-induced excitation

et al. 2016

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Although numerous strategies are now available to generate rudimentary forms of synthetic cell-like entities, minimal progress has been made in the sustained excitation of artificial protocells under non-equilibrium conditions. Here we demonstrate that the electric field energization of coacervate microdroplets comprising polylysine and short single strands of DNA generates membrane-free protocells with complex, dynamical behaviours. By confining the droplets within a microfluidic channel and applying a range of electric field strengths, we produce protocells that exhibit repetitive cycles of vacuolarization, dynamical fluctuations in size and shape, chaotic growth and fusion, spontaneous ejection and sequestration of matter, directional capture of solute molecules, and pulsed enhancement of enzyme cascade reactions. Our results highlight new opportunities for the study of non-equilibrium phenomena in synthetic protocells, provide a strategy for inducing complex behaviour in electrostatically assembled soft matter microsystems and illustrate how dynamical properties can be activated and sustained in microcompartmentalized media.

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“…良好载体. Niu等人 [45] 以DNA和PLys形成的凝聚体液滴为原始细胞模型, 研究了该模型在电场下的动态行为. 在电场诱导下, 凝聚体中的复合物会发生极化, 从而发生吸附、融合以及释放小粒子的行为.…”

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Research progress in stimulus-responsive behaviors of artificial cells

Wang¹,

Xiao²,

Liu³

2022

Sci. Sin.-Chim

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Artificial cells with cell-like characteristics can be used as biomimetic systems to simulate the function and structure of real cells for further investigating the operation mechanism of cells in life. Cells can respond corresponding behaviors by sensing the signal stimulation from the external minimal interference, and then carry out various reactions related to biological activities. Thus, to study the stimulus-responsive behaviors of artificial cells not only provides an important theoretical significance to explore and understand properties of biological cells, but also demonstrates important potential applications in biosensors, disease diagnosis, drug delivery and so on. In this review, the recent research progress of stimuli-responsive behaviors of artificial cells, including the construction of stimuli-responsive artificial cells, the research on stimuli-responsive behaviors in regulating enzymatic reactions, material transport, communication and adhesion, is briefly introduced. Finally, current challenges and future perspectives for controlling artificial cells are discussed.

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Dynamic assembly of DNA and polylysine mediated by electric energy

Cited by 9 publications

References 25 publications

Fission and Internal Fusion of Protocell with Membraneless “Organelles” Formed by Liquid–Liquid Phase Separation

Fission and Internal Fusion of Protocell with Membraneless “Organelles” Formed by Liquid–Liquid Phase Separation

Non-equilibrium behaviour in coacervate-based protocells under electric-field-induced excitation

Research progress in stimulus-responsive behaviors of artificial cells

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