State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Biology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Key Laboratory for Bio-Nanotechnology and Molecular Engineering of Hunan Province, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, P. R. China.
Small Methods. 2023 Dec;7(12):e2300042. doi: 10.1002/smtd.202300042. Epub 2023 Mar 12.
Synthetic protocells are minimal systems that mimic certain properties of natural cells and are used to research the emergence of life from a nonliving chemical network. Currently, coacervate microdroplets, which are formed via liquid-liquid phase separation, are receiving wide attention in the context of cell biology and protocell research; these microdroplets are notable because they can provide liquid-like compartment structures for biochemical reactions by creating highly macromolecular crowded local environments. In this review, an overview of recent research on the formation of coacervate microdroplets through phase separation; the design of coacervate-based stimuli-responsive protocells, multichamber protocells, and membranized protocells; and their cell mimic behaviors, is provided. The simplified protocell models with precisely defined and tunable compositions advance the understanding of the requirements for cellular structure and function. Efforts are then discussed to establish signal communication systems in protocell and protocell consortia, as communication is a fundamental feature of life that coordinates matter exchanges and energy fluxes dynamically in space and time. Finally, some perspectives on the challenges and future developments of synthetic protocell research in biomimetic science and biomedical applications are provided.
合成原细胞是模拟自然细胞某些特性的最小系统，用于研究非生命化学网络中生命的出现。目前，凝聚相微滴通过液-液相分离形成，在细胞生物学和原细胞研究中受到广泛关注；这些微滴之所以引人注目，是因为它们可以通过创建高度高分子拥挤的局部环境，为生化反应提供类似液体的隔室结构。在这篇综述中，概述了通过相分离形成凝聚相微滴的最新研究进展；基于凝聚相的刺激响应原细胞、多腔原细胞和膜原细胞的设计；以及它们的细胞模拟行为。具有精确定义和可调组成的简化原细胞模型推进了对细胞结构和功能要求的理解。然后讨论了在原细胞和原细胞联合体中建立信号通讯系统的努力，因为通讯是生命的一个基本特征，它在时间和空间上动态协调物质交换和能量流动。最后，对仿生科学和生物医学应用中合成原细胞研究的挑战和未来发展提供了一些观点。
