42 research outputs found
DNA-based communication in populations of synthetic protocells
Developing molecular communication platforms based on orthogonal communication channels is a crucial step towards engineering artificial multicellular systems. Here, we present a general and scalable platform entitled ‘biomolecular implementation of protocellular communication’ (BIO-PC) to engineer distributed multichannel molecular communication between populations of non-lipid semipermeable microcapsules. Our method leverages the modularity and scalability of enzyme-free DNA strand-displacement circuits to develop protocellular consortia that can sense, process and respond to DNA-based messages. We engineer a rich variety of biochemical communication devices capable of cascaded amplification, bidirectional communication and distributed computational operations. Encapsulating DNA strand-displacement circuits further allows their use in concentrated serum where non-compartmentalized DNA circuits cannot operate. BIO-PC enables reliable execution of distributed DNA-based molecular programs in biologically relevant environments and opens new directions in DNA computing and minimal cell technology
Mitochondrial-Nuclear DNA Interactions Contribute to the Regulation of Nuclear Transcript Levels as Part of the Inter-Organelle Communication System
Nuclear and mitochondrial organelles must maintain a communication system. Loci on the mitochondrial genome were recently reported to interact with nuclear loci. To determine whether this is part of a DNA based communication system we used genome conformation capture to map the global network of DNA-DNA interactions between the mitochondrial and nuclear genomes (Mito-nDNA) in Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells grown under three different metabolic conditions. The interactions that form between mitochondrial and nuclear loci are dependent on the metabolic state of the yeast. Moreover, the frequency of specific mitochondrial - nuclear interactions (i.e. COX1-MSY1 and Q0182-RSM7) showed significant reductions in the absence of mitochondrial encoded reverse transcriptase machinery. Furthermore, these reductions correlated with increases in the transcript levels of the nuclear loci (MSY1 and RSM7). We propose that these interactions represent an inter-organelle DNA mediated communication system and that reverse transcription of mitochondrial RNA plays a role in this process
Orthogonal Light-Dependent Membrane Adhesion Induces Social Self-Sorting and Member-Specific DNA Communication in Synthetic Cell Communities
Developing orthogonal chemical communication pathways in diverse synthetic cell communities is a considerable challenge due to the increased crosstalk and interference associated with large numbers of different types of sender-receiver pairs. Herein, the authors control which sender-receiver pairs communicate in a three-membered community of synthetic cells through red and blue light illumination. Semipermeable protein-polymer-based synthetic cells (proteinosomes) with complementary membrane-attached protein adhesion communicate through single-stranded DNA oligomers and synergistically process biochemical information within a community consisting of one sender and two different receiver populations. Different pairs of red and blue light-responsive protein-protein interactions act as membrane adhesion mediators between the sender and receivers such that they self-assemble and socially self-sort into different multicellular structures under red and blue light. Consequently, distinct sender-receiver pairs come into the signaling range depending on the light illumination and are able to communicate specifically without activation of the other receiver population. Overall, this work shows how photoswitchable membrane adhesion gives rise to different self-sorting protocell patterns that mediate member-specific DNA-based communication in ternary populations of synthetic cells and provides a step towards the design of orthogonal chemical communication networks in diverse communities of synthetic cells
Programmable interactions with biomimetic DNA linkers at fluid membranes and interfaces
At the heart of the structured architecture and complex dynamics of
biological systems are specific and timely interactions operated by
biomolecules. In many instances, biomolecular agents are spatially confined to
flexible lipid membranes where, among other functions, they control cell
adhesion, motility and tissue formation. Besides being central to several
biological processes, \emph{multivalent interactions} mediated by reactive
linkers confined to deformable substrates underpin the design of
synthetic-biological platforms and advanced biomimetic materials. Here we
review recent advances on the experimental study and theoretical modelling of a
heterogeneous class of biomimetic systems in which synthetic linkers mediate
multivalent interactions between fluid and deformable colloidal units,
including lipid vesicles and emulsion droplets. Linkers are often prepared from
synthetic DNA nanostructures, enabling full programmability of the
thermodynamic and kinetic properties of their mutual interactions. The coupling
of the statistical effects of multivalent interactions with substrate fluidity
and deformability gives rise to a rich emerging phenomenology that, in the
context of self-assembled soft materials, has been shown to produce exotic
phase behaviour, stimuli-responsiveness, and kinetic programmability of the
self-assembly process. Applications to (synthetic) biology will also be
reviewed.Comment: 63 pages, revie
Non-natural protein-protein communication mediated by a DNA-based, antibody-responsive device
We report here the rational design and optimization of an antibody responsive,
DNA-based device that enables communication between pairs of otherwise non-interacting
proteins. The device is designed to recognize and bind a specific antibody and, in response,
undergo a conformational change that leads to the release of a DNA strand, termed the
“translator,” that regulates the activity of a downstream target protein. As proof of principle,
we demonstrate antibody-induced control of the proteins thrombin and Taq DNA polymerase.
The resulting strategy is versatile and, in principle, can be easily adapted to control artificial
protein-protein communication in artificial regulatory networks
Nanoprogrammed Cross-Kingdom Communication Between Living Microorganisms
[EN] The engineering of chemical communication at the micro/nanoscale is a key emergent topic in micro/nanotechnology, synthetic biology, and related areas. However, the field is still in its infancy; previous advances, although scarce, have mainly focused on communication between abiotic micro/nanosystems or between microvesicles and living cells. Here, we have implemented a nanoprogrammed cross-kingdom communication involving two different microorganisms and tailor-made nanodevices acting as "nanotranslators". Information flows from the sender cells (bacteria) to the nanodevice and from the nanodevice to receiver cells (yeasts) in a hierarchical way, allowing communication between two microorganisms that otherwise would not interact.B.d.L. is grateful to the Spanish Government for her FPU Ph.D. fellowship. The authors wish to thank the Spanish Government (projects RTI2018-100910-B-C41 and RTI2018101599-B-C22 (MCUI/FEDER, EU)) and the Generalitat Valenciana (project PROMETEO 2018/024) for support. Part of this work was included in the Ph.D. thesis of B.d.L.De Luis-Fernández, B.; Morella-Aucejo, Á.; Llopis-Lorente, A.; Martínez-Latorre, J.; Sancenón Galarza, F.; López Del Rincón, C.; Murguía, JR.... (2022). Nanoprogrammed Cross-Kingdom Communication Between Living Microorganisms. Nano Letters. 22(5):1836-1844. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.nanolett.1c024351836184422
A Tutorial on Coding Methods for DNA-based Molecular Communications and Storage
Exponential increase of data has motivated advances of data storage
technologies. As a promising storage media, DeoxyriboNucleic Acid (DNA) storage
provides a much higher data density and superior durability, compared with
state-of-the-art media. In this paper, we provide a tutorial on DNA storage and
its role in molecular communications. Firstly, we introduce fundamentals of
DNA-based molecular communications and storage (MCS), discussing the basic
process of performing DNA storage in MCS. Furthermore, we provide tutorials on
how conventional coding schemes that are used in wireless communications can be
applied to DNA-based MCS, along with numerical results. Finally, promising
research directions on DNA-based data storage in molecular communications are
introduced and discussed in this paper