Dissipative self-assembly, competition and inhibition in a self-reproducing protocell model.

Chemical Science
Elias A J Post, Stephen P Fletcher

Abstract

The bottom-up synthesis of artificial, life-like systems promises to enable the study of emergent properties distinctive to life. Here, we report protocell systems generated from phase-separated building blocks. Vesicle protocells self-reproduce through a phase-transfer mechanism, catalysing their own formation. Dissipative self-assembly by the protocells is achieved when a hydrolysis step to destroy the surfactant is introduced. Competition between micelle and vesicle based replicators for a common feedstock shows that environmental conditions can control what species predominates: under basic conditions vesicles predominate, but in a neutral medium micelles are selected for via a mechanism which inhibits vesicle formation. Finally, the protocells enable orthogonal reactivity by catalysing in situ formation of an amphiphilic organocatalyst, which after incorporation into the vesicle bilayer enantioselectively forms a secondary product.

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Citations

Apr 9, 2021·Journal of the American Chemical Society·Yuanning FengJ Fraser Stoddart
Sep 26, 2020·Chemical Communications : Chem Comm·Jordi SolàIgnacio Alfonso
May 21, 2021·Journal of the American Chemical Society·Jacob A Vance, Neal K Devaraj
Jun 25, 2021·Chemical Science·Patrick S SchwarzChristoph A Weber
Aug 25, 2021·BioEssays : News and Reviews in Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology·Nino LauberKepa Ruiz-Mirazo
Nov 19, 2021·The Journal of Physical Chemistry. B·Megan L QuallsMichael D Best
Nov 27, 2021·Nanoscale·Kun DaiJob Boekhoven

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Methods Mentioned

BETA
confocal microscopy

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