Fully synthetic cell
Scientists have created the simplest photosynthetic cell for the first time
Sergey Kolenov, Hi-tech+
To provide herself with energy, she needs only two proteins and sunlight. Perhaps this is how the first autotrophic cells on Earth were arranged.
Scientists often use artificial cells as models to study the early stages of the evolution of life. However, unlike real cells, such cells are not able to use the energy of the surrounding world to synthesize their own components.
To create a fundamentally new type of artificial cells , researchers from Tokyo Institute of Technology. According to a press release from Earth-Life Science Institute ELSI Scientist Constructs Artificial Photosynthetic Cells, scientists have enclosed a protein synthesis system and small protein-lipid vesicles-proteoliposomes containing proteins ATP synthase and bacteriorhodopsin under one membrane.
ATP synthase uses the potential difference between the extracellular and intracellular environment to produce an ATP molecule - the main energy "currency" of the cell. In turn, bacteriorhodopsin transfers ions through the membrane due to solar energy and creates this potential.
In theory, these two proteins are enough to provide the cell with the energy necessary for the operation of all its internal systems, including protein synthesis.
As scientists had hoped, ATP synthesized by proteoliposomes was used as fuel for the production of matrix RNA and protein. In addition to other proteins, the cell synthesized an additional amount of ATP synthase and bacteriorhodopsin, which increased the efficiency of the process.
The most significant moment of this work is the creation of an artificial cell that is able to independently produce the energy necessary for itself. In the future, the technology can be used to construct synthetic cells that, like the present ones, will be energetically independent. In addition, the study will help to learn more about the evolution of early autotrophic cells.
Article by Berhanu et al. Artificial photosynthetic cell producing energy for protein synthesis is published in the journal Nature Communications.
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