Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: Living cells couple molecular replication and cytoskeletal assembly to changes in shape and mechanical stability, but reconstructing this relationship in synthetic compartments remains challenging. Here, we confine self-replicating supramolecular fibers within giant polymer lipid hybrid vesicle-based artificial cells. Seeded replicator growth produces luminal fiber networks and deforms the surrounding membrane into spindle-like morphologies, with fiber and membrane interactions controlled by membrane composition and fiber glycation. Covalent crosslinking of the fiber network within the lumen enables the artificial cells to withstand cellular aggregation during prolonged co-culture. The stabilized artificial cells remain incorporated within HepaRG cell-based microtissues for 28 days while the surrounding cells differentiate into hepatocyte- and biliary-like phenotypes. These results establish a chemical route by which assembly-driven replicators within a compartment can generate cytoskeletal
Source: ChemRxiv
Institutions: Aarhus University, University of Groningen
Language: English
Subfield: Biomaterials
Field: Materials Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7223184645