Multistimuli Sensing Adhesion Unit for the Self‐Positioning of Minimal Synthetic Cells

• Published in: Small (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany) Germany), 2020-09, Vol.16 (35), p.e2002440-n/a
• Main Authors: Xu, Dongdong, Kleineberg, Christin, Vidaković‐Koch, Tanja, Wegner, Seraphine V.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adhesion; ATP synthesis; bottom‐up synthetic biology; Energy conversion; Light; Metal ions; Modules; multistimuli sensing; Nanotechnology; Nickel; Parameter sensitivity; photoswitchable proteins; Proteins; self‐positioning cells; Substrates
• ISSN: 1613-6810; 1613-6829
• DOI: 10.1002/smll.202002440

Cells have the ability to sense different environmental signals and position themselves accordingly in order to support their survival. Introducing analogous capabilities to the bottom‐up assembled minimal synthetic cells is an important step for their autonomy. Here, a minimal synthetic cell which combines a multistimuli sensitive adhesion unit with an energy conversion module is reported, such that it can adhere to places that have the right environmental parameters for ATP production. The multistimuli sensitive adhesion unit senses light, pH, oxidative stress, and the presence of metal ions and can regulate the adhesion of synthetic cells to substrates in response to these stimuli following a chemically coded logic. The adhesion unit is composed of the light and redox responsive protein interaction of iLID and Nano and the pH sensitive and metal ion mediated binding of protein His‐tags to Ni2+‐NTA complexes. Integration of the adhesion unit with a light to ATP conversion module into one synthetic cell allows it to adhere to places under blue light illumination, non‐oxidative conditions, at neutral pH and in the presence of metal ions, which are the right conditions to synthesize ATP. Thus, the multistimuli responsive adhesion unit allows synthetic cells to self‐position and execute their functions. A minimal synthetic cell, which combines a multistimuli sensitive adhesion unit with an energy conversion module, is able to adhere to places with the right environmental parameters to support its ATP production. This adhesion unit senses environmental stimuli including light, pH, oxidative stress, and the presence of metal ions and regulates the adhesion of cells following a chemically coded logic.