Liquid-liquid phase separation-boosted transmembrane delivery in interactive protocell communities
Abstract Stress stimulation-mediated liquid-liquid phase separation is a key activity in living organisms, but its biophysical characteristics are poorly understood. Here, we report a UV-light stress stimulation behaviour in a binary community of synthetic protocells of condensates and proteinosomes...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Nature Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-60541-7 |
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| author | Yan Huang Haixu Chen Xin Qiao Shangsong Li Xiaoliang Wang Xiaoman Liu Xin Huang |
| author_facet | Yan Huang Haixu Chen Xin Qiao Shangsong Li Xiaoliang Wang Xiaoman Liu Xin Huang |
| author_sort | Yan Huang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Stress stimulation-mediated liquid-liquid phase separation is a key activity in living organisms, but its biophysical characteristics are poorly understood. Here, we report a UV-light stress stimulation behaviour in a binary community of synthetic protocells of condensates and proteinosomes, showing that condensates could behave like Condensate Pumps to enable a stepwise controlled transmembrane mass transfer regardless of the permeability barrier of proteinosomes. The stimulation mechanism of interfacial tension-induced proteinosome deformation and transient high osmotic pressure arisen by the dissociation of condensate is proposed. Accordingly, under UV-light stress stimulation, unexpected characteristics could be triggered by transmembrane pumping oversized biomacromolecules into proteinosomes including liquid-liquid reentrant phase separation, DNA unwinding, and protein synthesis. Therefore, our results not only reveal unique physical principles and potential characteristics of macromolecular assemblies at droplet-membrane interface but also highlight a pathway for transmembrane transport of biomacromolecules which is anticipated to serve as a powerful technique to inducing higher-order behaviour in synthetic protocells community. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-bd75756a4e58473ba70dd549c58e7bfc |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2041-1723 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nature Communications |
| spelling | doaj-art-bd75756a4e58473ba70dd549c58e7bfc2025-08-20T03:10:34ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-06-0116111410.1038/s41467-025-60541-7Liquid-liquid phase separation-boosted transmembrane delivery in interactive protocell communitiesYan Huang0Haixu Chen1Xin Qiao2Shangsong Li3Xiaoliang Wang4Xiaoman Liu5Xin Huang6State Key Laboratory of Advanced Inorganic Fibers and Composites, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Institute of TechnologyState Key Laboratory of Advanced Inorganic Fibers and Composites, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Institute of TechnologyState Key Laboratory of Advanced Inorganic Fibers and Composites, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Institute of TechnologyState Key Laboratory of Advanced Inorganic Fibers and Composites, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Institute of TechnologyState Key Laboratory of Advanced Inorganic Fibers and Composites, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Institute of TechnologyState Key Laboratory of Advanced Inorganic Fibers and Composites, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Institute of TechnologyState Key Laboratory of Advanced Inorganic Fibers and Composites, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Institute of TechnologyAbstract Stress stimulation-mediated liquid-liquid phase separation is a key activity in living organisms, but its biophysical characteristics are poorly understood. Here, we report a UV-light stress stimulation behaviour in a binary community of synthetic protocells of condensates and proteinosomes, showing that condensates could behave like Condensate Pumps to enable a stepwise controlled transmembrane mass transfer regardless of the permeability barrier of proteinosomes. The stimulation mechanism of interfacial tension-induced proteinosome deformation and transient high osmotic pressure arisen by the dissociation of condensate is proposed. Accordingly, under UV-light stress stimulation, unexpected characteristics could be triggered by transmembrane pumping oversized biomacromolecules into proteinosomes including liquid-liquid reentrant phase separation, DNA unwinding, and protein synthesis. Therefore, our results not only reveal unique physical principles and potential characteristics of macromolecular assemblies at droplet-membrane interface but also highlight a pathway for transmembrane transport of biomacromolecules which is anticipated to serve as a powerful technique to inducing higher-order behaviour in synthetic protocells community.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-60541-7 |
| spellingShingle | Yan Huang Haixu Chen Xin Qiao Shangsong Li Xiaoliang Wang Xiaoman Liu Xin Huang Liquid-liquid phase separation-boosted transmembrane delivery in interactive protocell communities Nature Communications |
| title | Liquid-liquid phase separation-boosted transmembrane delivery in interactive protocell communities |
| title_full | Liquid-liquid phase separation-boosted transmembrane delivery in interactive protocell communities |
| title_fullStr | Liquid-liquid phase separation-boosted transmembrane delivery in interactive protocell communities |
| title_full_unstemmed | Liquid-liquid phase separation-boosted transmembrane delivery in interactive protocell communities |
| title_short | Liquid-liquid phase separation-boosted transmembrane delivery in interactive protocell communities |
| title_sort | liquid liquid phase separation boosted transmembrane delivery in interactive protocell communities |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-60541-7 |
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