Omidvar Ramin, Römer Winfried
Faculty of Biology, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Schänzlestraße 1, 79104 Freiburg, Germany.
Signalling Research Centres BIOSS and CIBSS, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Schänzlestraße 18, 79104 Freiburg, Germany.
Interface Focus. 2019 Apr 6;9(2):20180084. doi: 10.1098/rsfs.2018.0084. Epub 2019 Feb 15.
In synthetic biology approaches, lipid vesicles are widely used as protocell models. While many compounds have been encapsulated in vesicles (e.g. DNA, cytoskeleton and enzymes), the incorporation of glycocalyx components in the lipid bilayer has attracted much less attention so far. In recent years, glycoconjugates have been integrated in the membrane of giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs). These minimal membrane systems have largely contributed to shed light on the molecular mechanisms of cellular processes. In this review, we first introduce several preparation and biophysical characterization methods of GUVs. Then, we highlight specific applications of protocells investigating glycolipid-mediated endocytosis of toxins, viruses and bacteria. In addition, we delineate how prototissues have been assembled from glycan-decorated protocells by using lectin-mediated cross-linking of opposed glycoreceptors (e.g. glycolipids and glycopeptides). In future applications, glycan-decorated protocells might be useful for investigating cell-cell interactions (e.g. adhesion and communication). We also speculate about the implication of lectin-glycoreceptor interactions in membrane fusion processes.
在合成生物学方法中，脂质囊泡被广泛用作原始细胞模型。虽然许多化合物已被包裹在囊泡中（如DNA、细胞骨架和酶），但迄今为止，糖萼成分掺入脂质双层的情况却很少受到关注。近年来，糖缀合物已被整合到巨型单层囊泡（GUVs）的膜中。这些最小的膜系统在很大程度上有助于阐明细胞过程的分子机制。在本综述中，我们首先介绍了几种GUVs的制备方法和生物物理表征方法。然后，我们重点介绍了原始细胞在研究糖脂介导的毒素、病毒和细菌内吞作用方面的具体应用。此外，我们还描述了如何通过使用凝集素介导的相对糖受体（如糖脂和糖肽）交联，从聚糖修饰的原始细胞组装原始组织。在未来的应用中，聚糖修饰的原始细胞可能有助于研究细胞间相互作用（如粘附和通讯）。我们还推测了凝集素-糖受体相互作用在膜融合过程中的意义。
