Membrane Dynamics of a Myelin-like Giant Multilamellar Vesicle Applicable to a Self-Reproducing System

Abstract

A real time observation of a myelin-like giant multilamellar vesicle (mGMV) revealed that it divided into relatively small mGMVs when an aqueous solution of an electrolyte was added. Furthermore, the mGMV showed a division process accompanied by the growth of the dividing mGMVs when a bolaamphiphile which was composed of an electrolyte unit and a vesicular amphiphile unit was added. This vesicular system can be regarded as a self-reproduction of mGMV, where the added amphiphile acts as a supplier of both the vesicular amphiphile and the division initiator.

Polyelectrolyte-Induced Peeling of Charged Multilamellar Vesicles

“…We point out that the micrographs showing this event ( fig.6) are reminiscent to what has been recently observed in Ref. [17] but the physical mechanisms involved are different since membrane is created during the process described in Ref. [17].…”

Spontaneous Division and Motility in Active Nematic Droplets

“…The first challenge in this program is to identify the crossover region between molecular self-assembly and molecular operation [4], a task that has led to investigate the design principles and the mechanics of selfdividing lipid vesicles [5,6] and more recently the coupling of self-dividing vesicles with self-replicating nucleic acids enclosed in the interior of the vesicle [7,8]. Mass transfer due to hydrodynamic instabilities, such as the Marangoni effect, has been recently invoked as a possible route to motility in prebiotic structures [9].…”

Un modèle avancé de cellule synthétique minimale

“…D'une part, l'amplification par PCR d'un fragment d'ADN au sein d'une vésicule géante phospholipidique a été réali-sée avec succès [6]. D'autre part, il a été montré que sous certaines conditions, des vésicules géantes (d'une taille d'une dizaine de micromètres et par conséquent visualisables directement en microscopie optique) étaient capables de croître puis de se diviser [7]. Un catalyseur amphiphile présent dans la membrane des vésicules permet en effet la conversion, par clivage, des précur-seurs lipidiques ajoutés à la solution de vésicules en lipides membranaires, ces derniers conduisant à la croissance puis à la division de la vésicule initiale.…”