title: Interfacial assembly of protein-polymer nano-conjugates into stimulus-responsive biomimetic protocells.
abstract: The mechanism of spontaneous assembly of microscale compartments is a central question for the origin of life, and has technological repercussions in diverse areas such as materials science, catalysis, biotechnology and biomedicine. Such compartments need to be semi-permeable, structurally robust and capable of housing assemblages of functional components for internalized chemical transformations. In principle, proteins should be ideal building blocks for the construction of membrane-bound compartments but protein vesicles with cell-like properties are extremely rare. Here we present an approach to the interfacial assembly of protein-based micro-compartments (proteinosomes) that are delineated by a semi-permeable, stimulus-responsive, enzymatically active, elastic membrane consisting of a closely packed monolayer of conjugated protein-polymer building blocks. The proteinosomes can be dispersed in oil or water, thermally cycled to temperatures of 70 °C, and partially dried and re-inflated without loss of structural integrity. As a consequence, they exhibit protocellular properties such as guest molecule encapsulation, selective permeability, gene-directed protein synthesis and membrane-gated internalized enzyme catalysis.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Organized Matter Chemistry, School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TS, UK.
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Mei
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: David C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Green
authors.forename: David S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: Avinash J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Patil
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mann
mesh_terms: D000180:Acrylic Resins / Q000737:chemistry*; D058045:Artificial Cells / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D040761:Biomimetic Materials / Q000737:chemistry*; D002384:Catalysis; D002474:Cell-Free System / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D004339:Drug Compounding; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000737:chemistry; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D010539:Permeability; D012710:Serum Albumin, Bovine / Q000737:chemistry*; D013499:Surface Properties; D014867:Water / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000180:Acrylic Resins; D014867:Water; C052970:poly-N-isopropylacrylamide; D012710:Serum Albumin, Bovine