A synthetic cell with integrated DNA self-replication and lipid biosynthesis

TL;DR

Scientists created a synthetic cell that can replicate DNA and make lipids, showing how genetic and metabolic functions can work together in a lab-made system.

Contribution

A synthetic cell is engineered to integrate DNA self-replication and lipid biosynthesis within liposomes.

Findings

A synthetic genome encoding six proteins enables compartmentalized expression in liposomes.

Genetic factors control DNA replication and membrane synthesis more than metabolic interactions.

The system demonstrates integration of functions from different species in a synthetic cell.

Abstract

The emergence, organization, and persistence of cellular life are the result of the functional integration of metabolic and genetic networks. Here, we engineer phospholipid vesicles that can operate three essential functions, namely transcription-translation of a partial genome, self-replication of this DNA program, and membrane synthesis. The synthetic genome encodes six proteins, and its compartmentalized expression produces active liposomes with distinct phenotypes demonstrating successful module integration. Our results reveal that genetic factors exert a stronger control over DNA replication and membrane synthesis than metabolic crosstalk or module co-activity. By showing how genetically encoded functions derived from different species can be integrated in liposome compartments, our work opens avenues for the construction of autonomous and evolving synthetic cells.

The emergence and persistence of cellular life are the result of the integration of metabolic and genetic networks. Here the authors create a model synthetic cell that produces the key building blocks of life—DNA, RNA, proteins, and lipids—from a self-replicating genome encapsulated in liposomes.

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