2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report
Construction of artificial cells that can replicate membrane and DNA cooperatively
| Project/Area Number |
15KT0153
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Multi-year Fund |
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| Section | 特設分野 |
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| Research Field |
Constructive Systems Biology
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| Research Institution | Chuo University |
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Principal Investigator |
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| Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha) |
OKANO Taiji 中央大学, 理工学部, 助教 (60622082)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2015-07-10 – 2018-03-31
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| Keywords | 人工細胞 / DNA / リポソーム / 複製 |
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| Outline of Final Research Achievements |
In order to proliferate primitive cells in the early era of life, replication of information molecules (nucleic acids) and membranes need to proceed simultaneously based on the primitive principle. In this study, we aimed to demonstrate experimentally that a simple cell model consisting only of membrane and nucleic acid can proliferate. First, we examined the extent of excluded volume effect of encapsulated biopolymer (PEG, protein, and DNA) on the division-like deformation of membrane. We found that genomic DNA, which is a huge macromolecule, significantly increases the membrane curvature even at low concentrations, and that division-like deformation occurs even in liposomes that have undergone DNA amplification reaction. Finally, we discovered a phenomenon that giant DNA spontaneously was wrapped by the lipid bilayer membrane in molecular crowding environment, which can also be explained by the excluded volume effect.
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| Free Research Field |
バイオMEMS
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