Institute for Molecules and Materials, Radboud University Nijmegen, 6525 AJ Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Bioessays. 2009 Dec;31(12):1299-308. doi: 10.1002/bies.200900106.
The recent development of RNA replicating protocells and capsules that enclose complex biosynthetic cascade reactions are encouraging signs that we are gradually getting better at mastering the complexity of biological systems. The road to truly cellular compartments is still very long, but concrete progress is being made. Compartmentalization is a crucial natural methodology to enable control over biological processes occurring within the living cell. In fact, compartmentalization has been considered by some theories to be instrumental in the creation of life. With the advancement of chemical biology, artificial compartments that can mimic the cell as a whole, or that can be regarded as cell organelles, have recently received much attention. The membrane between the inner and outer environment of the compartment has to meet specific requirements, such as semi-permeability, to allow communication and molecular transport over the border. The membrane can either be built from natural constituents or from synthetic polymers, introducing robustness to the capsule.
近年来，能够复制 RNA 并包裹复杂生物合成级联反应的原细胞和胶囊的发展，是我们逐渐掌握生物系统复杂性的令人鼓舞的迹象。通往真正细胞区室的道路还很漫长，但正在取得具体进展。区隔化是一种控制活细胞内生物过程的关键自然方法。事实上，一些理论认为，区隔化在生命的创造中起到了重要作用。随着化学生物学的进步，能够模拟整个细胞或可视为细胞细胞器的人工区室最近受到了广泛关注。区室内外环境之间的膜必须满足特定要求，例如半透性，以允许边界处的通信和分子运输。该膜可以由天然成分或合成聚合物构建，从而使胶囊具有更强的稳定性。
