Living material assembly of bacteriogenic protocells

Can Xu, Nicolas Martin, Mei Li () and Stephen Mann ()
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Can Xu: University of Bristol
Nicolas Martin: Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, Centre de Recherche Paul Pascal, UMR5031
Mei Li: University of Bristol
Stephen Mann: University of Bristol

Nature, 2022, vol. 609, issue 7929, 1029-1037

Abstract: Abstract Advancing the spontaneous bottom-up construction of artificial cells with high organizational complexity and diverse functionality remains an unresolved issue at the interface between living and non-living matter1–4. Here, to address this challenge, we developed a living material assembly process based on the capture and on-site processing of spatially segregated bacterial colonies within individual coacervate microdroplets for the endogenous construction of membrane-bounded, molecularly crowded, and compositionally, structurally and morphologically complex synthetic cells. The bacteriogenic protocells inherit diverse biological components, exhibit multifunctional cytomimetic properties and can be endogenously remodelled to include a spatially partitioned DNA–histone nucleus-like condensate, membranized water vacuoles and a three-dimensional network of F-actin proto-cytoskeletal filaments. The ensemble is biochemically energized by ATP production derived from implanted live Escherichia coli cells to produce a cellular bionic system with amoeba-like external morphology and integrated life-like properties. Our results demonstrate a bacteriogenic strategy for the bottom-up construction of functional protoliving microdevices and provide opportunities for the fabrication of new synthetic cell modules and augmented living/synthetic cell constructs with potential applications in engineered synthetic biology and biotechnology.

Date: 2022
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DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-05223-w

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