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Tror S, Jeon S, Nguyen HT, Huh E, Shin K. A Self-Regenerating Artificial Cell, that is One Step Closer to Living Cells: Challenges and Perspectives. Small Methods 2023; 7:e2300182. [PMID: 37246263 DOI: 10.1002/smtd.202300182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2023] [Revised: 04/29/2023] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Controllable, self-regenerating artificial cells (SRACs) can be a vital advancement in the field of synthetic biology, which seeks to create living cells by recombining various biological molecules in the lab. This represents, more importantly, the first step on a long journey toward creating reproductive cells from rather fragmentary biochemical mimics. However, it is still a difficult task to replicate the complex processes involved in cell regeneration, such as genetic material replication and cell membrane division, in artificially created spaces. This review highlights recent advances in the field of controllable, SRACs and the strategies to achieve the goal of creating such cells. Self-regenerating cells start by replicating DNA and transferring it to a location where proteins can be synthesized. Functional but essential proteins must be synthesized for sustained energy generation and survival needs and function in the same liposomal space. Finally, self-division and repeated cycling lead to autonomous, self-regenerating cells. The pursuit of controllable, SRACs will enable authors to make bold advances in understanding life at the cellular level, ultimately providing an opportunity to use this knowledge to understand the nature of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seangly Tror
- Department of Chemistry and Institute of Biological Interfaces, Sogang University, Seoul, 04107, Republic of Korea
| | - SeonMin Jeon
- Department of Chemistry and Institute of Biological Interfaces, Sogang University, Seoul, 04107, Republic of Korea
| | - Huong Thanh Nguyen
- Department of Chemistry and Institute of Biological Interfaces, Sogang University, Seoul, 04107, Republic of Korea
| | - Eunjin Huh
- Department of Chemistry and Institute of Biological Interfaces, Sogang University, Seoul, 04107, Republic of Korea
| | - Kwanwoo Shin
- Department of Chemistry and Institute of Biological Interfaces, Sogang University, Seoul, 04107, Republic of Korea
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Yi Q, Dai X, Park BM, Gu J, Luo J, Wang R, Yu C, Kou S, Huang J, Lakerveld R, Sun F. Directed assembly of genetically engineered eukaryotic cells into living functional materials via ultrahigh-affinity protein interactions. Sci Adv 2022; 8:eade0073. [PMID: 36332017 PMCID: PMC9635822 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.ade0073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 09/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Engineered living materials (ELMs) are gaining traction among synthetic biologists, as their emergent properties and nonequilibrium thermodynamics make them markedly different from traditional materials. However, the aspiration to directly use living cells as building blocks to create higher-order structures or materials, with no need for chemical modification, remains elusive to synthetic biologists. Here, we report a strategy that enables the assembly of engineered Saccharomyces cerevisiae into self-propagating ELMs via ultrahigh-affinity protein/protein interactions. These yeast cells have been genetically engineered to display the protein pairs SpyTag/SpyCatcher or CL7/Im7 on their surfaces, which enable their assembly into multicellular structures capable of further growth and proliferation. The assembly process can be controlled precisely via optical tweezers or microfluidics. Moreover, incorporation of functional motifs such as super uranyl-binding protein and mussel foot proteins via genetic programming rendered these materials suitable for uranium extraction from seawater and bioadhesion, respectively, pointing to their potential in chemical separation and biomedical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qikun Yi
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Greater Bay Biomedical InnoCenter, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen 518036, China
- Biomedical Research Institute, Shenzhen Peking University–The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Medical Center, Shenzhen 518036, China
| | - Xin Dai
- Department of Chemistry, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Laboratory for Synthetic Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Health@InnoHK, Hong Kong Science Park, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Byung Min Park
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Junhao Gu
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Jiren Luo
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Ri Wang
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Cong Yu
- Department of Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology of China, Shenzhen 518036, China
| | - Songzi Kou
- Greater Bay Biomedical InnoCenter, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen 518036, China
- Biomedical Research Institute, Shenzhen Peking University–The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Medical Center, Shenzhen 518036, China
- Department of Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology of China, Shenzhen 518036, China
| | - Jinqing Huang
- Department of Chemistry, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Richard Lakerveld
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Fei Sun
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Greater Bay Biomedical InnoCenter, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen 518036, China
- Biomedical Research Institute, Shenzhen Peking University–The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Medical Center, Shenzhen 518036, China
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