Cell-sized asymmetric phospholipid-amphiphilic protein vesicles with growth, fission, and molecule transportation

Masato Suzuki; Koki Kamiya

doi:10.1016/j.isci.2023.106086

Cell-sized asymmetric phospholipid-amphiphilic protein vesicles with growth, fission, and molecule transportation

iScience. 2023 Jan 31;26(3):106086. doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106086. eCollection 2023 Mar 17.

Authors

Masato Suzuki¹, Koki Kamiya¹

Affiliation

¹ Division of Molecular Science, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Gunma University, 1-5-1 Tenjin-Cho, Kiryu, Gunma 376-8515, Japan.

Abstract

Lipid vesicles, which mimic cell membranes in structure and components, have been used to study the origin of life and artificial cell construction. A different approach to developing cell-mimicking systems focuses on the formation of protein- or polypeptide-based vesicles. However, micro-sized protein vesicles that are similar in membrane dynamics to the cell and that reconstitute membrane proteins are difficult to form. In this study, we generated cell-sized asymmetric phospholipid-amphiphilic protein (oleosin) vesicles that allow the reconstitution of membrane proteins and the growth and fission of vesicles. These vesicles are composed of a lipid membrane on the outer leaflet and an oleosin membrane on the inner leaflet. Further, we elucidated a mechanism for the growth and fission of cell-sized asymmetric phospholipid-oleosin vesicles by feeding phospholipid micelles. Our asymmetric phospholipid-oleosin vesicles with the advantages of the lipid leaflet and the protein leaflet will potentially promote understanding of biochemistry and synthetic biology.

Keywords: Biochemistry; Cell biology; Membranes; Synthetic biology.