Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science & Technology, Yokosuka, Japan
J Bacteriol. 2018 Apr 9;200(9). doi: 10.1128/JB.00630-17. Print 2018 May 1.
Recently, artificial life has been created with artificial materials and methods. Life can be created when genomic DNA molecules are integrated in liposomes containing biochemical reactions for biogenic needs. However, it is not yet known whether the integration of these parts will be able to occur in nature and constitute a living system. I planned to regenerate bacteria from biologically active liposomes by inserting genomic DNA using only natural materials and methods. Minicells of , containing plasmids and activated SOS proteins, act as protocells. Four new strains were regenerated from minicells by inserting the genomes by using the system for conjugation between F and Hfr strains. Cells of the four regenerated strains showed the same genetic markers as the two genome donors. Pulse-field gel electrophoresis of their genomes showed admixing of those of both donors. In addition, the genomes of the four regenerated strains had chimeric genome of the two donors. These results show that synthesis of life can occur in nature without artificial arrangement. What is the difference between inanimate objects and organisms? Organisms always have genomic DNA. When organisms lose their genomes, they can neither grow nor reproduce. As the result, organisms turn into inanimate objects without their genomes. In this study, I regenerated microbes from cells that had lost their genomes (cell corpses) by inserting another genome. All steps of regeneration used the natural behavior of microbes. The same regeneration of microbes could happen in nature. These primitive lives have plasticity, which accelerates evolution and provides various kinds of life in the world.
最近，已经使用人工材料和方法创造出了人工生命。当基因组 DNA 分子整合到含有生物发生所需生化反应的脂质体中时，可以创造生命。然而，目前尚不清楚这些部分的整合是否能够在自然界中发生，并构成一个生命系统。我计划仅使用天然材料和方法，通过插入基因组 DNA 从具有生物活性的脂质体中再生细菌。含有质粒和激活 SOS 蛋白的 minicells 充当原细胞。通过使用 F 和 Hfr 菌株之间的接合系统，从 minicells 中插入基因组，再生了四个新的 菌株。四个再生菌株的细胞显示出与两个基因组供体相同的遗传标记。它们的基因组的脉冲场凝胶电泳显示出两个供体的基因组的混合。此外，四个再生菌株的基因组具有两个供体的嵌合基因组。这些结果表明，生命的合成可以在自然界中发生，而无需人工安排。无生命物体和生物体有什么区别？生物体总是有基因组 DNA。当生物体失去它们的基因组时，它们既不能生长也不能繁殖。因此，生物体在没有基因组的情况下变成无生命物体。在这项研究中，我通过插入另一个基因组，从失去基因组的细胞（细胞尸体）中再生微生物。再生的所有步骤都利用了微生物的自然行为。这种微生物的再生也可能在自然界中发生。这些原始生命具有可塑性，加速了进化，并为世界提供了各种生命。
