Synthetic DNA Crown Cells Kill Yeast: Relationship with Assembly Formation of Yeast

Abstract

DNA crown cells are artificial cells in which the outside of the membrane is coated with DNA. Synthetic DNA crown cells are readily prepared from mixtures of sphingosine (Sph), DNA, and adenosine. and can multiply within suspensions of egg white, yielding cells that also are referred to as DNA crown cells. To date, many kinds of both types of DNA crown cells have been prepared using various DNAs. However, it remains unclear whether DNA crown cells are biologically relevant. During my studies of DNA crown cells, I showed that antibiotics are produced in co-cultures of DNA crown cells with brewer’s yeast. This observation suggested that DNA crown cells may control the growth of yeast. In subsequent work to clarify that issue, I showed that assemblies are formed in mixtures of synthetic DNA (Escherichia. coli) crown cells with Bacillus subtilis, resulting in inhibition of the growth of B. subtilis. In the present work, synthetic DNA crown cells were generated using three kinds of DNA (E. coli, Streptomyces sp., and akoya pearl oysters) and tested for effects on brewer’s yeast. The results showed that assemblies of yeast were formed in the co-cultures of synthetic DNA crown cells and yeast, such that the yeast were unable to grow, meaning that synthetic DNA crown cells kill yeast. Finally, I discuss the mechanism whereby the binding of synthetic DNA crown cells to yeast may result in the formation of yeast assemblies and killing of the yeast cells.