Intracellular Crowding by Bio-Orthogonal Hydrogel Formation Induces Reversible Molecular Stasis.

ABSTRACT: To survive extreme conditions, certain animals enter a reversible protective stasis through vitrification of the cytosol by polymeric molecules such as proteins and polysaccharides. In this work, synthetic gelation of the cytosol in living cells is used to induce reversible molecular stasis. Through the sequential lipofectamine-mediated transfection of complementary poly(ethylene glycol) macromers into mammalian cells, intracellular crosslinking occurs through bio-orthogonal strain-promoted azide-alkyne cycloaddition click reactions. This achieves efficient polymer uptake with minimal cell death (99% viable). Intracellular crosslinking decreases DNA replication and protein synthesis, and increases the quiescent population by 2.5-fold. Real-time tracking of single cells containing intracell

SUBMITTER: Macdougall LJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9377388 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature