Shaping up synthetic cells.
Phys Biol
; 15(4): 041001, 2018 04 30.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-29570090
ABSTRACT
How do the cells in our body reconfigure their shape to achieve complex tasks like migration and mitosis, yet maintain their shape in response to forces exerted by, for instance, blood flow and muscle action? Cell shape control is defined by a delicate mechanical balance between active force generation and passive material properties of the plasma membrane and the cytoskeleton. The cytoskeleton forms a space-spanning fibrous network comprising three subsystems actin, microtubules and intermediate filaments. Bottom-up reconstitution of minimal synthetic cells where these cytoskeletal subsystems are encapsulated inside a lipid vesicle provides a powerful avenue to dissect the force balance that governs cell shape control. Although encapsulation is technically demanding, a steady stream of advances in this technique has made the reconstitution of shape-changing minimal cells increasingly feasible. In this topical review we provide a route-map of the recent advances in cytoskeletal encapsulation techniques and outline recent reports that demonstrate shape change phenomena in simple biomimetic vesicle systems. We end with an outlook toward the next steps required to achieve more complex shape changes with the ultimate aim of building a fully functional synthetic cell with the capability to autonomously grow, divide and move.
Texto completo:
1
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Citoesqueleto
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Vesículas Citoplasmáticas
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Materiais Biomiméticos
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Células Artificiais
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Phys Biol
Assunto da revista:
BIOLOGIA
Ano de publicação:
2018
Tipo de documento:
Article