Beales, P.A., Ciani, B. orcid.org/0000-0001-7223-4154 and Cleasby, A.J. (2015) Nature's lessons in design: nanomachines to scaffold, remodel and shape membrane compartments. Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, 17 (24). pp. 15489-15507. ISSN 1463-9076
Abstract
Compartmentalisation of cellular processes is fundamental to regulation of metabolism in Eukaryotic organisms and is primarily provided by membrane-bound organelles. These organelles are dynamic structures whose membrane barriers are continually shaped, remodelled and scaffolded by a rich variety of highly sophisticated protein complexes. Towards the goal of bottom-up assembly of compartmentalised protocells in synthetic biology, we believe it will be important to harness and reconstitute the membrane shaping and sculpting characteristics of natural cells. We review different in vitro membrane models and how biophysical investigations of minimal systems combined with appropriate theoretical modelling have been used to gain new insights into the intricate mechanisms of these membrane nanomachines, paying particular attention to proteins involved in membrane fusion, fission and cytoskeletal scaffolding processes. We argue that minimal machineries need to be developed and optimised for employment in artificial protocell systems rather than the complex environs of a living organism. Thus, well-characterised minimal components might be predictably combined into functional, compartmentalised protocellular materials that can be engineered for wide-ranging applications.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © the Owner Societies 2015. This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licence. Material from this article can be used in other publications provided that the correct acknowledgement is given with the reproduced material. |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Sheffield |
Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Science (Sheffield) > Department of Chemistry (Sheffield) |
Funding Information: | Funder Grant number ENGINEERING AND PHYSICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL (EPSRC) UNSPECIFIED |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Sheffield |
Date Deposited: | 07 Oct 2016 11:14 |
Last Modified: | 07 Oct 2016 11:14 |
Published Version: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/C5CP00480B |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Royal Society of Chemistry |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1039/C5CP00480B |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:105440 |