From Vesicles to Protocells: The Roles of Amphiphilic Molecules

Sakuma, Yuka; Imai, Masayuki

doi:10.3390/life5010651

Cited by 50 publications

(56 citation statements)

References 76 publications

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“…Since lipids are incorporated into the external layer, we assume that rapid transbilayer lipid exchange distributes amphiphiles across the membrane and relax the bending energy [30], and further that amphiphile species determines the preferred spontaneous curvature [31]. We account for the vesicle permeability, with changes in the vesicle volume produced by transmembrane fluid flux according toV…”

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confidence: 99%

Dynamics of Growth and Form in Prebiotic Vesicles

2019

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The growth, form, and division of prebiotic vesicles, membraneous bags of fluid of varying components and shapes is hypothesized to have served as the substrate for the origin of life. The dynamics of these out-of-equilibrium structures is controlled by physicochemical processes that include the intercalation of amphiphiles into the membrane, fluid flow across the membrane, and elastic deformations of the membrane. To understand prebiotic vesicular forms and their dynamics, we construct a minimal model that couples membrane growth, deformation, and fluid permeation, ultimately couched in terms of two dimensionless parameters that characterize the relative rate of membrane growth and the membrane permeability. Numerical simulations show that our model captures the morphological diversity seen in extant precursor mimics of cellular life, and might provide simple guidelines for the synthesis of these complex shapes from simple ingredients. arXiv:1901.04406v2 [cond-mat.soft]

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confidence: 99%

Dynamics of Growth and Form in Prebiotic Vesicles

2019

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“…where 2πr 0 is the initial length of the pore (perimeter) in which the initial radius r 0 can be estimated from Eq. (5). Note that both Onsager coefficients are well defined for all values of the radii.…”

Section: Dynamic Equations and Onsager Coefficientsmentioning

confidence: 82%

“…Equations (17) and (18) constitute a coupled set of two ordinary non-linear differential equations that have to be solved numerically along with (5) and (20). The results of the numerical integration of the radii rptq and Rptq (solid lines) are shown in Figures 2-4 together with experimental data (symbols) taken from [17,18,21].…”

Section: Dynamic Equations and Onsager Coefficientsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Onsager’s irreversible thermodynamics of the dynamics of transient pores in spherical lipid vesicles

2015

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Onsager's irreversible thermodynamics is used to perform a systematic deduction of the kinetic equations governing the opening and collapse of transient pores in spherical vesicles. We show that the edge tension has to be determined from the initial stage of the pore relaxation and that in the final state the vesicle membrane is not completely relaxed, since the surface tension and the pressure difference are about 25% of its initial value. We also show that the pore life-time is controlled by the solution viscosity and its opening is driven by the solution leak-out and the surface tension drop. The final collapse is due to a non-linear interplay between the edge and the surface tensions together with the pressure difference. Also, we discuss the connection with previous models.

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“…Although great progress has been made during the last century, learning how the above properties might have come together at the origin of life on our planet still remains a conundrum, as is the ex novo synthesis of living systems.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although great progress has been made during the last century, [4][5][6][7] learning how the above properties might have come thought of as forms of "artificial biology." These efforts aim to produce human-made chemical systems capable of mimicking all the basic properties (as listed at the beginning of this introduction) of natural living systems without using biochemistry: hence the use of the name "artificial biology.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Polymerization‐Induced Self‐Assembly for Artificial Biology: Opportunities and Challenges

Cheng

Pérez–Mercader

2018

Macromol. Rapid Commun.

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The study of the origin of life and current undergoing efforts to produce artificial chemical systems mimicking the behavior of natural living systems have emerged as a hot topic at the interfaces among disciplines. In these two problems, the spontaneous generation of free-energy gradients by means of material interfaces plays a central role and, until recently, hindered progress. Polymerization-induced self-assembly (PISA) is a promising strategy for the formation of polymeric vesicles from a homogeneous mixture which, in the form of artificial biology, may reflect and inform the generation of vesicular structures in primitive Earth. In the past few years, PISA has been used for the construction of biomimetic vesicles or artificial protocells in artificial biology. These not only give inspiration for decoding some aspects of the origin of life in arbitrary environments but also offer potential for building innovative functional systems with a wide variety of applications. In this review, a brief summary of some of the unique possibilities offered by PISA and the development of PISA in exploration of artificial biology is provided, while some of the allied current challenges, limitations, and opportunities in this exciting field are highlighted.

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From Vesicles to Protocells: The Roles of Amphiphilic Molecules

Cited by 50 publications

References 76 publications

Dynamics of Growth and Form in Prebiotic Vesicles

Dynamics of Growth and Form in Prebiotic Vesicles

Onsager’s irreversible thermodynamics of the dynamics of transient pores in spherical lipid vesicles

Polymerization‐Induced Self‐Assembly for Artificial Biology: Opportunities and Challenges

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