Does DNA Exert an Active Role in Generating Cell-Sized Spheres in an Aqueous Solution with a Crowding Binary Polymer?

Abstract

We report the spontaneous generation of a cell-like morphology in an environment crowded with the polymers dextran and polyethylene glycol (PEG) in the presence of DNA. DNA molecules were selectively located in the interior of dextran-rich micro-droplets, when the composition of an aqueous two-phase system (ATPS) was near the critical condition of phase-segregation. The resulting micro-droplets could be controlled by the use of optical tweezers. As an example of laser manipulation, the dynamic fusion of two droplets is reported, which resembles the process of cell division in time-reverse. A hypothetical scenario for the emergence of a primitive cell with DNA is briefly discussed.

Keywords

• DNA
• dextran
• polyethylene glycol (PEG)
• crowding
• aqueous two-phase system (ATPS)
• optical tweezers
• microcompartment
• artificial cell model