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Recent research news on Artificial Biology


Distinct Network Morphologies from In Situ Polymerization of Microtubules in Giant Polymer-Lipid Hybrid Vesicles

Creating artificial cells with a dynamic cytoskeleton, akin to those in living cells, is a major goal in bottom-up synthetic biology. In this study, we demonstrate the in situ polymerization of microtubules encapsulated in giant polymer-lipid hybrid vesicles (GHVs) composed of 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine and an amphiphilic block copolymer. The block copolymer is comprised of poly(cholesteryl methacrylate-co-butyl methacrylate) as the hydrophobic block and either poly(6-O-methacryloyl-D-galactopyranose) or poly(carboxyethyl acrylate) as the hydrophilic extension. Depending on the concentrations of guanosine triphosphate (GTP) or its slowly hydrolyzable analog, guanosine-5′-[(α,β)-methyleno]triphosphate (GMPCPP), different microtubule morphologies are observed, including encapsulated microtubule networks, spike protrusions, as well as membrane-associated or aggregated microtubules. Overall, this work represents a step forward in mimicking the cellular cytoskeletons and uncovering the influence of membrane composition on microtubule morphologies.

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Kirkegaard, K., Yan, Y., Sørensen, B. S., Hardason, T., Hanson, C., Ingerslev, H. J., Knudsen, U. B., Kjems, J., Lundin, K. & Ahlström, A. (2020). Comprehensive analysis of soluble RNAs in human embryo culture media and blastocoel fluid. Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics, 37(9), 2199–2209. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10815-020-01891-7
Chen, C., Zhu, X., Wen, X., Zhou, Y., Zhou, L., Tao, L., Li, Q., Du, S., Liu, T., Yan, D., Xie, C., Zou, Y., Wang, Y., Chen, R., Huo, J., Li, Y., Cheng, J., Su, H., Zhao, X. ... Wang, S. (2020). Coupling N-2 and CO2 in H2O to synthesize urea under ambient conditions. Nature Chemistry, 12(8), 717-724. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41557-020-0481-9
Wang, Z. & Dong, M. (2020). Cutting Edge Materials of Two-Dimensional Platinum Diselenide. In L. Singh & D. M. Mahapatra (Eds.), Adapting 2D Nanomaterials for Advanced Applications (pp. 317-345). ACS (American Chemical Society). https://doi.org/10.1021/bk-2020-1353.ch013
Hetland, P., Kasperowski, D. & Nielsen, K. H. (2020). Denmark, Norway, and Sweden: Share, make useful and critically discuss science communication. In T. Gascoigne, B. Schiele, J. Leach, M. Riedlinger, B. V. Lewenstein, L. Massarani & P. Broks (Eds.), Communicating science: a global perspective (pp. 253-278). ANU Press. https://doi.org/10.22459/CS.2020
Adão, R., Cruz, P. F., Vaz, D. C., Fonseca, F., Pedersen, J. N., Ferreira-da-Silva, F., Brito, R. M. M., Ramos, C. H. I., Otzen, D., Keller, S. & Bastos, M. (2020). DIBMA nanodiscs keep α-synuclein folded. Biochimica et biophysica acta - Biomembranes, 1862(9), Article 183314. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbamem.2020.183314
Jiang, A., Zhang, W., Wang, Z., Nidamanuri, N. P., Li, Q., Zeng, X. C. & Dong, M. (2020). Direct synthesis of bifunctional nanorods from a Co-adenine-MoO3 hybrid for overall water splitting. Materials Chemistry Frontiers, 4(2), 546-554. https://doi.org/10.1039/c9qm00626e