En route to dynamic life processes by SNARE-mediated fusion of polymer and hybrid membranes

Lado Otrin (), Agata Witkowska, Nika Marušič, Ziliang Zhao, Rafael B. Lira, Fotis L. Kyrilis, Farzad Hamdi, Ivan Ivanov, Reinhard Lipowsky, Panagiotis L. Kastritis, Rumiana Dimova, Kai Sundmacher, Reinhard Jahn and Tanja Vidaković-Koch
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Lado Otrin: Max Planck Institute for Dynamics of Complex Technical Systems
Agata Witkowska: Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry
Nika Marušič: Max Planck Institute for Dynamics of Complex Technical Systems
Ziliang Zhao: Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces
Rafael B. Lira: Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces
Fotis L. Kyrilis: Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Biozentrum
Farzad Hamdi: Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Biozentrum
Ivan Ivanov: Max Planck Institute for Dynamics of Complex Technical Systems
Reinhard Lipowsky: Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces
Panagiotis L. Kastritis: Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Biozentrum
Rumiana Dimova: Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces
Kai Sundmacher: Max Planck Institute for Dynamics of Complex Technical Systems
Reinhard Jahn: Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry
Tanja Vidaković-Koch: Max Planck Institute for Dynamics of Complex Technical Systems

Nature Communications, 2021, vol. 12, issue 1, 1-12

Abstract: Abstract A variety of artificial cells springs from the functionalization of liposomes with proteins. However, these models suffer from low durability without repair and replenishment mechanisms, which can be partly addressed by replacing the lipids with polymers. Yet natural membranes are also dynamically remodeled in multiple cellular processes. Here, we show that synthetic amphiphile membranes also undergo fusion, mediated by the protein machinery for synaptic secretion. We integrated fusogenic SNAREs in polymer and hybrid vesicles and observed efficient membrane and content mixing. We determined bending rigidity and pore edge tension as key parameters for fusion and described its plausible progression through cryo-EM snapshots. These findings demonstrate that dynamic membrane phenomena can be reconstituted in synthetic materials, thereby providing new tools for the assembly of synthetic protocells.

Date: 2021
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-25294-z

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