Biomimetic Cell Structures: Probing Induced pH-Feedback Loops and pH Self-Monitoring in Cytosol Using Binary Enzyme-Loaded Polymersomes in Proteinosome

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

Abstract

Structures and functions of eukaryotic cells with an outer permeable membrane, a cytoskeleton, functional organelles, and motility can be mimicked by giant multicompartment protocells containing various synthetic organelles. Herein, two kinds of artificial organelles with stimuli-triggered regulation ability, glucose oxidase-(GOx)-loaded pH-responsive polymersomes A (GOx-Psomes A) and urease-loaded pH-responsive polymersomes B (Urease-Psomes B), and a pH-sensor (Dextran-FITC) are encapsulated into proteinosomes via the Pickering emulsion method. Thus, a polymersomes-in-proteinosome system is constructed which is able to probe biomimetic pH homeostasis. Alternating fuels (glucose or urea) introduced from outside the protocell penetrate the membrane of proteinosomes and enter into GOx-Psomes A and Urease-Psomes B to produce chemical signals (gluconic acid or ammonia) resulting in pH-feedback loops (pH jump and pH drop). This will counteract the catalytic “switch on” or “switch off” of enzyme-loaded Psomes A and B owing to their different pH-responsive membranes. Dextran-FITC in the proteinosome allows self-monitoring of slight pH fluctuations in the lumen of protocells. Overall, this approach shows heterogeneous polymersome-in-proteinosome architectures with sophisticated features such as input-regulated pH changes mediated by negative and positive feedback in loops and cytosolic pH self-monitoring, features that are imperative for advanced protocell design.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)2489-2500
Number of pages12
JournalBiomacromolecules
Volume24
Issue number6
Publication statusPublished - 30 May 2023
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

unpaywall 10.1021/acs.biomac.3c00010
WOS 001005198300001
Scopus 85163253234
ORCID /0000-0003-2772-8504/work/142251002
ORCID /0000-0002-4531-691X/work/148607624