The cytoskeleton formed by the proteins in the cell is of key importance for the cell to function. The cytoskeleton, unlike the larger skeleton in the human body, allows cells to be flexible in terms of both their shape and their response to their environment.
THEY CREATED FLEXIBLE CELLOSKELETON WITHOUT USING NATURAL PROTEINS
According to Independent Turkish, researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill managed to create this flexible cytoskeleton without using natural proteins. The Freeman Laboratory did its job, producing a skeleton that changes shape and reacts to its surroundings. The scientists did this by using a new programmable peptide-DNA technology that directs peptides, the building blocks of proteins, and genetic material redesigned to work with that technology to create a cytoskeleton.
Scientists who program DNA in this way state that in addition to creating cells that will perform a specific function, they can also fine-tune a cell’s response to external stress factors.
“DNA normally does not appear in the cytoskeleton,” says Ronit Freeman, one of the authors of the study published in the peer-reviewed scientific journal Nature Chemistry.
We reprogrammed the DNA sequences to function as an architectural material that binds the peptides together. When this programmed material was placed in a drop of water, the structures took shape.
The researchers also noted that artificial cells behaved more predictably than living ones.
“The artificial cells were stable even at 122 degrees Fahrenheit (50 degrees Celsius), opening up the possibility of producing cells with extraordinary abilities in environments normally unsuitable for human life,” says Freeman.
Researchers hope the new study will lead to improvements in regenerative medicine and drug delivery methods.
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