Insights into the self-reproduction of oleate vesicles

In view of the importance of vesicles as models for early cells, several groups have started work looking for conditions under which vesicles can undergo growth and division. Evidence for growth and division has been obtained with the help of ferritin-labelled vesicles; furthermore, it has been shown that in such processes the vesicle size distribution is largely conserved. In both cases, the data suggest that the process under study is mainly characterized by vesicle growth and eventually division into daughter vesicles. However, direct evidence for vesicle division has not been obtained. In this paper, mostly based on freeze-fracture electron microscopy, we describe conditions under which for the first time division intermediates can be trapped in the form of twin vesicles. This finding, together with supporting dynamic light scattering and fluorescence investigations, permits us to establish some additional points in the mechanism of vesicle self-reproduction.

[1]  G. Ourisson,et al.  Addendum: Origins of cellular life: Molecular foundations and new approaches , 1999 .

[2]  Pier Luigi Luisi,et al.  Growth and Transformation of Vesicles Studied by Ferritin Labeling and Cryotransmission Electron Microscopy , 2001 .

[3]  Pier Luigi Luisi,et al.  Matrix Effect in the Size Distribution of Fatty Acid Vesicles , 1998 .

[4]  Pier Luigi Luisi,et al.  Matrix Effect of Vesicle Formation As Investigated by Cryotransmission Electron Microscopy , 2001 .

[5]  David W. Deamer,et al.  Role of amphiphilic compounds in the evolution of membrane structure on the early earth , 2005, Origins of life and evolution of the biosphere.

[6]  Fabio Mavelli,et al.  Cooperative Micelle Binding and Matrix Effect in Oleate Vesicle Formation , 2003 .

[7]  Harold J. Morowitz,et al.  The chemical logic of a minimum protocell , 2005, Origins of life and evolution of the biosphere.

[8]  Pier Luigi Luisi,et al.  A Matrix Effect in Mixed Phospholipid/Fatty Acid Vesicle Formation , 1999 .

[9]  Irene A Chen,et al.  A kinetic study of the growth of fatty acid vesicles. , 2004, Biophysical journal.

[10]  S. Svetina,et al.  A relationship between membrane properties forms the basis of a selectivity mechanism for vesicle self-reproduction , 2004, European Biophysics Journal.

[11]  J. Szostak,et al.  Membrane growth can generate a transmembrane pH gradient in fatty acid vesicles. , 2004, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.

[12]  M. Ueno,et al.  Size control of mixed egg yolk phosphatidylcholine (EggPC)/oleate vesicles. , 2004, Chemical & pharmaceutical bulletin.

[13]  M. Ueno,et al.  New vesicle formation upon oleate addition to preformed vesicles. , 2005, Chemical & pharmaceutical bulletin.

[14]  D. Cistola,et al.  Ionization and phase behavior of fatty acids in water: application of the Gibbs phase rule. , 1988, Biochemistry.

[15]  P. Luisi,et al.  Autopoietic Self-Reproduction of Fatty Acid Vesicles , 1994 .

[16]  Fabio Mavelli,et al.  A Possible Route to Prebiotic Vesicle Reproduction , 2004, Artificial Life.

[17]  P. Luisi,et al.  Light microscopic investigations of the autocatalytic self-reproduction of giant vesicles , 1995 .

[18]  Pier Luigi Luisi,et al.  Coexistence and Mutual Competition of Vesicles with Different Size Distributions , 2003 .

[19]  D. Bartel,et al.  Synthesizing life : Paths to unforeseeable science & technology , 2001 .

[20]  D. Deamer,et al.  Liposomes from ionic, single-chain amphiphiles. , 1978, Biochemistry.

[21]  H. Moor,et al.  Freezing in a propane jet and its application in freeze-fracturing. , 1980, Mikroskopie.

[22]  D. Cistola,et al.  Phase behavior and bilayer properties of fatty acids: hydrated 1:1 acid-soaps. , 1986, Biochemistry.

[23]  David W. Deamer,et al.  Boundary structures are formed by organic components of the Murchison carbonaceous chondrite , 1985, Nature.

[24]  Irene A. Chen,et al.  The Emergence of Competition Between Model Protocells , 2004, Science.

[25]  Martin M. Hanczyc,et al.  Experimental Models of Primitive Cellular Compartments: Encapsulation, Growth, and Division , 2003, Science.