Photoreceptor-Like Signal Transduction Between Polymer-Based Protocells.

ABSTRACT: Deciphering inter- and intracellular signaling pathways is pivotal for understanding the intricate communication networks that orchestrate life's dynamics. Communication models involving bottom-up construction of protocells are emerging but often lack specialized compartments sufficiently robust and hierarchically organized to perform spatiotemporally defined signaling. Here, the modular construction of communicating polymer-based protocells designed to mimic the transduction of information in retinal photoreceptors is presented. Microfluidics is used to generate polymeric protocells subcompartmentalized by specialized artificial organelles. In one protocell population, light triggers artificial organelles with membrane-embedded photoresponsive rotary molecular motors to set off a sequence

SUBMITTER: Heuberger L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11756044 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature