Discover how simple vesicles—powered by chemical energy—can mimic protocell division processes, offering insights into the origins of life and advancements in synthetic biology.
Life, in its most fundamental form, requires the ability to divide and replicate. The origin of the first cells is one of the biggest unsolved mysteries in science. Even the oldest fossils we can find—cyanobacteria going back 3.5 billion years—show cells that had already evolved the intricate networks of proteins and enzymes that modern cells rely on to function and divide. So how did the earliest forms of life manage to carry on without the sophisticated machinery of modern cells? A recent study published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society sheds light on this phenomenon, exploring how simple vesicular structures, similar to the earliest protocells, can divide using chemical energy.
The researchers, working out of the Technical University of Munich, Germany, focused on fatty acid-based vesicles, which are thought to resemble early protocells. They created the vesicles using a succinic acid derivative, which forms vesicles at a pH above 4.5, and then initiated a reaction cycle by adding carbodiimide. The reaction cycle partially converted the amphiphilic molecules in the vesicles into oily anhydride molecules, which then rapidly hydrolyzed back to the original form. This dynamic process led to the local production of excess amphiphilic molecules, causing the vesicles to form buds and create smaller "daughter" vesicles—and the team caught it all on video! Check out the Headline Science short below for a glimpse into this fascinating process:
The team found that by adjusting the concentration of the chemical fuel, they could finely control the division of the vesicles. This process was robust across different types of fatty acids, suggesting that such mechanisms could have been widespread in early protocells. Importantly, the vesicles retained their encapsulated materials during division, mimicking the behavior of living cells. The authors note that their results have profound implications for better understanding the origins of life. Additionally, these findings have great potential in the field of synthetic biology, offering a foundation for one day developing synthetic cells capable of autonomous division.
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Video credits:
Written and produced by Anne Hylden
Edited by Darren Weaver and Vangie Koonce
Animation by Darren Weaver
Narrated by Emily Schneider
Produced by Vangie Koonce and Andrew Sobey
Executive produced by Matthew Radcliff
Research videos from Pablo Zambrano, Ph.D.
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