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Encapsulation of hydrophobic components in dendrimersomes and decoration of their surface with proteins and nucleic acids.

ABSTRACT: Reconstructing the functions of living cells using nonnatural components is one of the great challenges of natural sciences. Compartmentalization, encapsulation, and surface decoration of globular assemblies, known as vesicles, represent key early steps in the reconstitution of synthetic cells. Here we report that vesicles self-assembled from amphiphilic Janus dendrimers, called dendrimersomes, encapsulate high concentrations of hydrophobic components and do so more efficiently than commercially available stealth liposomes assembled from phospholipid components. Multilayer onion-like dendrimersomes demonstrate a particularly high capacity for loading low-molecular weight compounds and even folded proteins. Coassembly of amphiphilic Janus dendrimers with metal-chelating ligands conjugated to amphiphilic Janus dendrimers generates dendrimersomes that selectively display folded proteins on their periphery in an oriented manner. A modular strategy for tethering nucleic acids to the surface of dendrimersomes is also demonstrated. These findings augment the functional capabilities of dendrimersomes to serve as versatile biological membrane mimics.

SUBMITTER: Torre P

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6681758 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Encapsulation of hydrophobic components in dendrimersomes and decoration of their surface with proteins and nucleic acids.

Torre Paola P Xiao Qi Q Buzzacchera Irene I Sherman Samuel E SE Rahimi Khosrow K Kostina Nina Yu NY Rodriguez-Emmenegger Cesar C Möller Martin M Wilson Christopher J CJ Klein Michael L ML Good Matthew C MC Percec Virgil V

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 20190715 31

Reconstructing the functions of living cells using nonnatural components is one of the great challenges of natural sciences. Compartmentalization, encapsulation, and surface decoration of globular assemblies, known as vesicles, represent key early steps in the reconstitution of synthetic cells. Here we report that vesicles self-assembled from amphiphilic Janus dendrimers, called dendrimersomes, encapsulate high concentrations of hydrophobic components and do so more efficiently than commercially ...[more]

PMID: 31308223

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Encapsulation of hydrophobic components in dendrimersomes and decoration of their surface with proteins and nucleic acids.

Publications

Encapsulation of hydrophobic components in dendrimersomes and decoration of their surface with proteins and nucleic acids.

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