Issue 18, 2014

An intercompartmental enzymatic cascade reaction in channel-equipped polymersome-in-polymersome architectures

Abstract

Compartmentalization, as a design principle, is a prerequisite for the functioning of eukaryotic cells. Although cell mimics in the form of single vesicular compartments such as liposomes or polymersomes have been tremendously successful, investigations of the corresponding higher-order architectures, in particular bilayer-based multicompartment vesicles, have only recently gained attention. We hereby demonstrate a multicompartment cell-mimetic nanocontainer, built-up from fully synthetic membranes, which features an inner compartment equipped with a channel protein and a semi-permeable outer compartment that allows passive diffusion of small molecules. The functionality of this multicompartment architecture is demonstrated by a cascade reaction between enzymes that are segregated in separate compartments. The unique architecture of polymersomes, which combines stability with a cell-membrane-mimetic environment, and their assembly into higher-order architectures could serve as a design principle for new generation drug-delivery vehicles, biosensors, and protocell models.

Graphical abstract: An intercompartmental enzymatic cascade reaction in channel-equipped polymersome-in-polymersome architectures

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
27 Dec 2013
Accepted
27 Feb 2014
First published
27 Feb 2014

J. Mater. Chem. B, 2014,2, 2733-2737

Author version available

An intercompartmental enzymatic cascade reaction in channel-equipped polymersome-in-polymersome architectures

W. Siti, H. M. de Hoog, O. Fischer, W. Y. Shan, N. Tomczak, M. Nallani and B. Liedberg, J. Mater. Chem. B, 2014, 2, 2733 DOI: 10.1039/C3TB21849J

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