Abstract
Cell division is one of the most fundamental processes of life, and so far the only known way of how living systems can come into existence at all. Consequently, its reconstitution in any artificial cell system that will have to be built from the bottom-up is a notoriously complex but an important task. In this short review, I discuss several approaches how to realize division of cell-like compartments, from simply relying on the physical principles of destabilization by growth, or applying external forces, to the design of self-assembling and self-organizing machineries that may autonomously accomplish this task in response to external or internal cues.
Highlights
With respect to theengineering of biological functionality in synthetic cells, it has to be pointed out that in contrast with metabolism and information transfer, division of compartments has essential physical implications, which makes it an exciting starting point for many biophysical groups working in the field of minimal or bottom-up synthetic biology [1,2,3]
Whether this already suffices for ring contraction to the point of membrane fission is, to date, completely unclear, as is the biological trigger to initiate constriction [10]. Another ring structure of smaller scale is supposedly involved in cell division, the so-called Z ring. It consists of a multitude of proteins, the most central of which, FtsZ, is a bacterial tubulin homolog with remarkable dynamic properties that have only in recent years begun to be elucidated
It is fair to say that its successful realization in protocells would be a milestone towards a better understanding of the fundamental principles of life
Summary
If one aims at elucidating the origin of life, i.e. the transition of a chemical into a biological system, autonomous compartment division will be one of the central tasks to be accomplished, ideally with the smallest possible number of functional modules. The nature of these modules, and their spatiotemporal orchestration, will crucially depend on the exact realization of the other key elements of such a synthetic life: metabolism, as a prerequisite of spatiotemporal selforganization, and information, establishing a biological identity
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