Learning from Embryo Development to Engineer Self‐organizing Materials

Senoussi, Anis; Vyborna, Yuliia; Berthoumieux, Hélène; Galas, Jean-Christophe; Estévez-Torres, André

doi:10.1002/9783527821990.ch2

Cited by 6 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 165 publications

(197 reference statements)

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“…The timing of internalization can be set either externally by adding a reagent or internally by tuning the initial composition of the medium and taking advantage of a clock reaction. In addition, we have demonstrated that reactive extracellular media may create concentration patterns that spatially control the internalization of DNA by cells, mimicking the transfer of positional information at play during early embryo development. ,, Importantly, these patterns were generated autonomously by nonequilibrium chemical reactions without hydrodynamic flow, in contrast with standard methods relying on microfluidics, where flow introduces shear stress and washes out nutrients and signaling molecules.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatiotemporal Patterning of Living Cells with Extracellular DNA Programs

2020

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Reactive extracellular media focus on engineering reaction networks outside the cell to control intracellular chemical composition across time and space. However, current implementations lack the feedback loops and out-of-equilibrium molecular dynamics for encoding spatio-temporal control. Here, we demonstrate that enzyme-DNA molecular programs combining these qualities are functional in an extracellular medium where human cells can grow. With this approach, we construct an internalization program that delivers fluorescent DNA inside living cells and remains functional for at least 48 h. Its non-equilibrium dynamics allows us to control both the time and position of cell internalization. In particular, a spatially inhomogeneous version of this program generates a tunable reaction-diffusion two-band pattern of cell internalization. This demonstrates that a synthetic extracellular program can provide temporal and positional information to living cells, emulating archetypal mechanisms observed during embryo development.We foresee that non-equilibrium reactive extracellular media could be advantageously applied to in vitro biomolecular tracking, tissue engineering or smart bandages.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatiotemporal Patterning of Living Cells with Extracellular DNA Programs

2020

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“…To the best of our knowledge, couplings between RD and AM have not yet been engineered in vitro. However, recent experimental developments suggest that mechano-chemical self-organization could be investigated in well-controlled in vitro experiments in the near future [27]. Such in vitro systems, which we will call reactiondiffusion active matter (RDAM) systems, would be particularly interesting for quantitatively testing theoretical predictions concerning the propagation of a reacting and diffusing activity regulator -a situation that is likely to be ubiquitous in in vivo settings.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although a wide array of AM experimental systems exist, we will restrain ourselves to molecular active matter because we believe that it has the highest chance to be combined with molecular RD systems. In this category, extracts of cytoskeletal filaments and motors, either actomyosin or kinesin/microtubule gels [27,28], are particularly suitable. Depending on the situation, these gels are locally contractile or extensile and are composed of polar, nematic or isotropic particles [29].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Front speed and pattern selection of a propagating chemical front in an active fluid

del Junco,

Estevez-Torres,

Maitra

2021

Preprint

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Spontaneous pattern formation in living systems is driven by reaction-diffusion chemistry and active mechanics. The feedback between chemical and mechanical forces is often essential to robust pattern formation, yet it remains poorly understood in general. In this analytical and numerical paper, we study an experimentally-motivated minimal model of coupling between reaction-diffusion and active matter: a propagating front of an autocatalytic and stress-generating species. In the absence of activity, the front is described by the the well-studied KPP equation. We find that front propagation is maintained even in active systems, with crucial differences: an extensile stress increases the front speed beyond a critical magnitude of the stress, while a contractile stress has no effect on the front speed but can generate a periodic instability in the high-concentration region behind the front. We expect our results to be useful in interpreting pattern formation in active systems with mechano-chemical coupling in vivo and in vitro.

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“…This is performed by chemical reactions that link the concentration of a trigger to the force exerted by the active gel . Despite its importance in the development of life-like synthetic materials, , engineering such a chemomechanical trigger remains challenging. An important body of work has developed methods to chemically actuate hydrogels; , however, the current approaches either pattern passive hydrogels − or trigger deformations in active gels with chemical reactions that are difficult to design. , …”

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confidence: 99%

DNA-Controlled Spatiotemporal Patterning of a Cytoskeletal Active Gel

2021

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Living cells move and change their shape because signaling chemical reactions modify the state of their cytoskeleton, an active gel that converts chemical energy into mechanical forces. To create life-like materials, it is thus key to engineer chemical pathways that drive active gels. Here we describe the preparation of DNA-responsive surfaces that control the activity of a cytoskeletal active gel composed of microtubules: A DNA signal triggers the release of molecular motors from the surface into the gel bulk, generating forces that structure the gel. Depending on the DNA sequence and concentration, the gel forms a periodic band pattern or contracts globally. Finally, we show that the structuration of the active gel can be spatially controlled in the presence of a gradient of DNA concentration. We anticipate that such DNA-controlled active matter will contribute to the development of life-like materials with self-shaping properties.

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Learning from Embryo Development to Engineer Self‐organizing Materials

Cited by 6 publications

References 165 publications

Spatiotemporal Patterning of Living Cells with Extracellular DNA Programs

Spatiotemporal Patterning of Living Cells with Extracellular DNA Programs

Front speed and pattern selection of a propagating chemical front in an active fluid

DNA-Controlled Spatiotemporal Patterning of a Cytoskeletal Active Gel

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