A modular platform for one-step assembly of multi-component membrane systems by fusion of charged proteoliposomes.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 27708275.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/ncomms13025 and PMC identifier 5059690.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
An important goal in synthetic biology is the assembly of biomimetic cell-like structures, which combine multiple biological components in synthetic lipid vesicles. A key limiting assembly step is the incorporation of membrane proteins into the lipid bilayer of the vesicles. Here we present a simple method for delivery of membrane proteins into a lipid bilayer within 5 min. Fusogenic proteoliposomes, containing charged lipids and membrane proteins, fuse with oppositely charged bilayers, with no requirement for detergent or fusion-promoting proteins, and deliver large, fragile membrane protein complexes into the target bilayers. We demonstrate the feasibility of our method by assembling a minimal electron transport chain capable of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) synthesis, combining Escherichia coli F<sub>1</sub>F<sub>o</sub> ATP-synthase and the primary proton pump bo<sub>3</sub>-oxidase, into synthetic lipid vesicles with sizes ranging from 100 nm to ∼10 μm. This provides a platform for the combination of multiple sets of membrane protein complexes into cell-like artificial structures.
Medical subject headings
- Adenosine Triphosphate
- Escherichia coli
- Liposomes
- Proteolipids
- Proton-Translocating ATPases