Back Cover: Construction of Hybrid Bi‐microcompartments with Exocytosis‐Inspired Behavior toward Fast Temperature‐Modulated Transportation of Living Organisms (Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 38/2021)

Abstract

Exocytosis‐inspired behavior is demonstrated in a temperature‐sensitive hybrid bi‐microcompartment system by Xin Huang and co‐workers in their Research Article on page 20795. Due to the universal loading capacity and excellent biocompatibility, proliferation and temperature‐programmed fast release of living cells were realized, thus providing a robust platform to the on‐demand transportation of various living organisms.

Synthetic‐Cell‐Based Multi‐Compartmentalized Hierarchical Systems

“…Specifically, these methods mainly focus on fitting a small compartment (guest) into a larger compartment (host), and the process does not damage the structure and function of both the parts. Up to now, various methods have been developed, generally including emulsion‐based method, [ 82,125,126 ] phagocytosis‐inspired behavior, [ 80,81 ] and microfluidic techniques. [ 141,145–147 ]…”

“…developed a facile strategy for a more uniform host‐guest nesting architectures of single polymersomes in liposomes, and the guest compartment exhibited exocytosis behavior based on temperature‐mediated de‐wetting of the functional block copolymers (Figure 3b). [ 82 ] However, compared with the single‐step strategy, the recursive Pickering emulsion strategy has more advantages in terms of cargo encapsulation and morphology regulation. For example, Liu et al.…”

“…Adapted with permission. [ 82 ] Copyright 2021, Wiley‐VCH GmbH. c) Schematic illustration of constructing the proteinosome‐based host‐guest nesting architectures via recursive Pickering emulsion strategy.…”

“…This bionic system, which had integrated life‐like properties, could undergo amoeba‐like morphological transformation based on energy regeneration by implanted live Escherichia coli . [ 76 ] With a progress in the development of synthetic cells, more advanced life‐like behaviors have been designed and exhibited, including locomotion, [ 77–79 ] endocytosis and exocytosis, [ 80–83 ] spontaneous membranization or compartmentalization, [ 25,29,30,62,84–88 ] light‐responsive behavior, [ 89–92 ] CO 2 fixation, [ 93,94 ] energy regeneration/conversion, [ 95,96 ] and external morphology transformation. [ 97–102 ] Moreover, as a step toward bridging the gap between life sciences and material science, these synthetic cells have been developed to exhibit the properties of life‐like materials, including gene transfection, [ 103 ] enzyme‐mediated nitric oxide production for blood vessel vasodilation, [ 104 ] modular microreactor assemblies, [ 105 ] flow column catalysis, [ 33,106 ] heparin scavenging, [ 107 ] ultrasensitive immunoassays, [ 108 ] and therapeutic potential against cancer.…”

Signal Transduction in Artificial Cells

“…In many cases, the application of applied energy fields results in direct stimuli‐responsive behaviors rather than transduction of the external signal along predefined pathways. For example, coacervate‐based protocells globally excited by an applied electric field convert electrical energy into chemical potential that triggers complex and dynamical behaviors, [ 8 ] thermal gradients can induce movement, metabolism, and communication in diverse protocell models, [ 30–32 ] and mechanical energy derived from ultrasound or osmotic pressure fields is able to translocate populations of artificial cells. [ 33,34 ] In contrast, coupling these external fields to light energy conversion or chemical energy production remains extremely challenging and to date relies on the reconstitution of complex biological machinery within the membranes of artificial cells (see Section 4).…”