Complete budding and asymmetric division of primitive model cells to produce daughter vesicles with different interior and membrane compositions.

ABSTRACT: Asymmetric cell division is common in biology and plays critical roles in differentiation and development. Unicellular organisms are often used as model systems for understanding the origins and consequences of asymmetry during cell division. Although basic as compared to mammalian cells, these are already quite complex. We report complete budding and asymmetric fission of very simple nonliving model cells to produce daughter vesicles that are chemically distinct in both interior and membrane compositions. Our model cells are based on giant lipid vesicles (GVs, 10-30 μm) encapsulating a polyethylene glycol (PEG)/dextran aqueous two-phase system (ATPS) as a crowded and compartmentalized cytoplasm mimic. Ternary lipid compositions were used to provide coexisting micrometer-scale liquid disor

SUBMITTER: Andes-Koback M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3115689 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature