Reconstruction of cytotoxic bacterial protein assemblies in lipid vesicles

Abstract

Biochemistry is at the core of constructive bottom-up approaches in synthetic biologyaiming to generate a minimal cell. Any sort of cellular organization depends on com-partmentalization of macromolecular assemblies and machineries within lipid, oramphiphilic lipid-like, vesicles. Following the increasing interest in the use of liposomesas cytomimetic devices, here we discuss our achievements toward using liposomes,especially giant unilamellar vesicles, as containers to reconstitute the amyloidogenicaggregation of the cytotoxic prionoid (prion-like protein) RepA-WH1. We address rele-vant issues as the importance of lipid composition and the effect or cofactors on assem-bly, and the feasibility of achieving protein expression within vesicles.