RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Communication and quorum sensing in non-living mimics of eukaryotic cells
JF bioRxiv
FD Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
SP 352666
DO 10.1101/352666
A1 Henrike Niederholtmeyer
A1 Cynthia Chaggan
A1 Neal K. Devaraj
YR 2018
UL http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2018/08/05/352666.abstract
AB Cells in tissues or biofilms communicate with one another through chemical and mechanical signals to coordinate collective behaviors. Non-living cell mimics provide simplified models of natural systems, however, it has remained challenging to implement communication capabilities comparable to living cells. Here we present a porous artificial cell-mimic containing a nucleus-like DNA-hydrogel compartment that is able to express and display proteins, and communicate with neighboring cell-mimics through diffusive protein signals. We show that communication between cell-mimics allowed distribution of tasks, quorum sensing, and cellular differentiation according to local environment. Cell-mimics could be manufactured in large quantities, easily stored, chemically modified, and spatially organized into diffusively connected tissue-like arrangements, offering a means for studying communication in large ensembles of artificial cells.