Миннесотагийн их сургуулийн судлаачид амьд бус химийн бүрэлдэхүүн хэсгүүдээс бүрдсэн, өсөж үржих болон ДНХ-гээ хувилах чадвартай анхны синтетик эсийг гарган авлаа.
Синтетик биологич Кэйт Адамала болон түүний багийн бүтээсэн “SpudCell” хэмээх энэхүү систем нь өмнө нь байсан организмыг өөрчлөх бус, харин эхнээс нь бүрэн угсарч бүтээгдсэнээрээ онцлог юм. Эс нь эсийн мембран үүрэг гүйцэтгэдэг өөх тосон бөмбөлөг буюу липосом болон 90 килобаза хос бүхий генетикийн мэдээлэл тээгч долоон плазмидаас бүрддэг. Судлаачид үүнд уураг боловсруулах системийг нэмснээр, синтетик эс нь ДНХ-гээ уншиж, өсөлт болон хуваагдалд шаардлагатай уургийг үйлдвэрлэх боломжтой болжээ.
Энэхүү судалгааны нэгэн сонирхолтой үр дүн нь эсийн геномын хэмжээ байв. Өмнө нь эсийг ажиллах чадвартай байлгахад дор хаяж 113 килобаза хос шаардлагатай гэж үздэг байсан бол “SpudCell” нь ердөө 90 килобаза хос бүхий геномтойгоор үйл ажиллагаагаа явуулж байна. Энэ нь эсийн үндсэн үйл ажиллагаануудыг өмнө нь таамаглаж байснаас бага генетикийн материалаар гүйцэтгэх боломжтойг харуулж байна.
Гэсэн хэдий ч “SpudCell” нь одоогоор амьд организм гэж тооцогдохгүй бөгөөд бие даан метаболизмаа зохицуулах эсвэл урт хугацаанд хувьсан өөрчлөгдөх чадваргүй юм. Адамалагийн тайлбарласнаар, энэхүү төсөл нь биологийн иж бүрэн бүтцийг инженерчлэх платформыг бий болгох зорилготой бөгөөд цаашид эсийн дотоод бүтцийг сайжруулах замаар илүү боловсронгуй болгох шаардлагатай байна. Одоогоор уг ажлыг “Biotic” байгууллагаар дамжуулан урьдчилсан хэвлэл хэлбэрээр олон нийтэд танилцуулаад байна.
Дэлгэрэнгүйг эх сурвалжаас харах
↓Эх сурвалжийг нээх ↓
Researchers at the University of Minnesota say they have built the first synthetic cell made entirely from non-living chemical components that can grow, copy its DNA, and divide. Called SpudCell, the system is a significant step for synthetic biology, even if it does not yet qualify as a living organism.
The project was led by synthetic biologist Kate Adamala and her team, who wanted to see whether its basic functions could be recreated using only carefully assembled chemical parts.
The work has been released as a preprint through Biotic, a nonprofit organization co-founded by Adamala, and has not yet been peer-reviewed. For the researchers, it is less an end product than a platform that others can improve over time.
A Cell Built From The Ground Up
Unlike genetically modified bacteria, SpudCell wasn’t created by altering an existing organism. Every component was assembled from scratch. The synthetic one is made of a liposome, a tiny sphere of fats that acts like a cell membrane, and contains seven plasmids carrying its genetic information.
As explained by the Biotic’s website, those plasmids make up a genome of 90 kilobase pairs (kbp). The researchers also added a protein expression system, allowing the synthetic living system to read its DNA and produce the proteins needed for growth and division.
The team says it can perform selection, genome replication, growth, resource acquisition through feeding, and genetically encoded division. Images released with the project show the artificial structure dividing after producing the proteins required for the process.
Kate Adamala admitted the result was difficult to believe at first. Speaking to ScienceAlert, she said:
“I was very happy, relieved, and a bit suspicious because I’m always double- and triple-checking results.”
A Smaller Genome Than Expected
One of the most surprising parts of the project is the size of the synthetic genome. It contains 90 kilobase pairs, while researchers had previously thought that at least 113 kilobase pairs would be needed for a functioning cell. For comparison, the human genome contains around 3 million kilobase pairs. This new system suggests that several basic cellular functions can be carried out with less genetic material than many scientists expected.
Even so, the researchers are careful not to describe SpudCell as alive. It cannot keep reproducing over many generations, which means it cannot evolve. The project has also faced questions during the publication process. As reported by Science, one reviewer argued that the work was “not real biology.”
A Proof of Concept With Clear Limits
The researchers acknowledge that this project still has major limitations. It cannot produce its own complete protein expression system, regulate its metabolism, or survive without the nutrients and components supplied in the liquid around it.
It also lacks a cytoskeleton, the internal framework that helps natural ones maintain their shape and move materials inside the cell. Without it, the synthetic ones remain relatively simple and survive for only a few generations. Adamala added that
“Our goal is to have full operational ability to engineer biology. To do that, we need to know where every building block goes, we need a full blueprint. That is what SpudCell gives, and no other currently known cell. We have complete schematics of it, so we can engineer on that chassis.”
She also said she hopes other researchers will continue developing the platform by adding features such as a cytoskeleton and stronger metabolic pathways.
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