Encapsulated bacteria deform lipid vesicles into flagellated swimmers.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 35969733.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1073/pnas.2206096119 and PMC identifier 9407364.
- 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
We study a synthetic system of motile <i>Escherichia coli</i> bacteria encapsulated inside giant lipid vesicles. Forces exerted by the bacteria on the inner side of the membrane are sufficient to extrude membrane tubes filled with one or several bacteria. We show that a physical coupling between the membrane tube and the flagella of the enclosed cells transforms the tube into an effective helical flagellum propelling the vesicle. We develop a simple theoretical model to estimate the propulsive force from the speed of the vesicles and demonstrate the good efficiency of this coupling mechanism. Together, these results point to design principles for conferring motility to synthetic cells.
Medical subject headings
- Artificial Cells
- Escherichia coli