Organelle-like structural evolution of coacervate droplets induced by photopolymerization

Mei Zhu; Zhenhui Li; Junbo Li; Youping Lin; Haixu Chen; Xin Qiao; Xiaoliang Wang; Xiaoman Liu; Xin Huang

doi:10.1038/s41467-025-57069-1

Nature Communications (Feb 2025)

Organelle-like structural evolution of coacervate droplets induced by photopolymerization

Mei Zhu,
Zhenhui Li,
Junbo Li,
Youping Lin,
Haixu Chen,
Xin Qiao,
Xiaoliang Wang,
Xiaoman Liu,
Xin Huang

Affiliations

Mei Zhu: MIIT Key Laboratory of Critical Materials Technology for New Energy Conversion and Storage, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology
Zhenhui Li: MIIT Key Laboratory of Critical Materials Technology for New Energy Conversion and Storage, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology
Junbo Li: MIIT Key Laboratory of Critical Materials Technology for New Energy Conversion and Storage, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology
Youping Lin: MIIT Key Laboratory of Critical Materials Technology for New Energy Conversion and Storage, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology
Haixu Chen: MIIT Key Laboratory of Critical Materials Technology for New Energy Conversion and Storage, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology
Xin Qiao: MIIT Key Laboratory of Critical Materials Technology for New Energy Conversion and Storage, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology
Xiaoliang Wang: MIIT Key Laboratory of Critical Materials Technology for New Energy Conversion and Storage, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology
Xiaoman Liu: MIIT Key Laboratory of Critical Materials Technology for New Energy Conversion and Storage, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology
Xin Huang: MIIT Key Laboratory of Critical Materials Technology for New Energy Conversion and Storage, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-57069-1
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 16, no. 1
pp. 1 – 12

Abstract

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Abstract The dynamic study of coacervates in vitro contributes our understanding of phase separation mechanisms in cells due to complex intracellular physiology. However, current researches mainly involve the use of exogenous auxiliary agents to form multi-compartmental coacervates with short-term stability. Herein, we report the endogenous self-organizing of multi-component coacervates (HA/PDDA/BSA/DMAEMA) induced by a dynamic stimulation process of protein-mediated photopolymerization. As polymerization proceeds, the cycled structural evolution and maturation from coacervate droplets into multi-compartmental coacervates, coacervate vesicles and coacervate droplets are revealed, which are driven by electrostatic interaction and osmotic pressure difference supported by dynamic and thermodynamic control. Specially, by regulating the light stimulation time, a type of multi-compartmental coacervates can be widely obtained with high structural stability over 300 days. Being a promising artificial cell model, it shows the special characteristic of compartmentalized encapsulation of substrates, efficiently improving enzymatic interfacial catalytic efficiency of organelle-like communication. Our study holds great potential for advancing the understanding of the structural evolution mechanism of membraneless organelles and provides an instructive technique for constructing multi-compartmental coacervates with long-term stability.

Published in Nature Communications

ISSN: 2041-1723 (Online)
Publisher: Nature Portfolio
Country of publisher: United Kingdom
LCC subjects: Science
Website: https://www.nature.com/ncomms/

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