具有ATP驱动耗散行为的原始细胞作为功能调节因子，这一成果由中国科学院化学研究所乔燕课题组经过不懈努力而取得。该项研究成果发表在2025年12月1日出版的《美国化学会杂志》上。

受这一原理的启发，该课题组人员开发了一种合成的原始细胞系统，它表现出耗散行为并启动类似代谢的过程。他们的设计特点是由阳离子表面活性剂形成的合成囊泡，通过液-液相分离，在燃料驱动下转化为凝聚的原始细胞。耗散是通过碱性磷酸酶（ALP）催化的ATP水解实现的，从而推动从凝聚体向囊泡的反向转变。囊泡和凝聚原细胞独特的物理化学性质和内部组织使它们能够设计出能够产生二次信号的功能调节剂，如荧光和酶产物。这项工作为模拟细胞代谢关键方面的酶反应调节的原始细胞系统耗散行为的工程设计提供了一种策略，代表着向具有动态行为和功能复杂性的合成类生命系统迈出了一步。

据悉，在自然界中，生命本质上是耗散的。细胞持续消耗能量（如ATP）来维持体内平衡，驱动新陈代谢，并对环境信号做出动态反应。

附：英文原文

Title: Protocells with ATP-Fueled Dissipative Behaviors as Functional Regulators

Author: Liyan Jia, Yan Qiao

Issue&Volume: December 1, 2025

Abstract: In nature, life is inherently dissipative. Cells continuously consume energy (such as ATP) to sustain homeostasis, drive metabolism, and respond dynamically to environmental cues. Inspired by this principle, we develop a synthetic protocell system that exhibits dissipative behavior and initiates metabolic-like processes. Our design features synthetic vesicles formed from a cationic surfactant, which undergo a fuel-driven transformation into coacervate protocells via liquid–liquid phase separation. Dissipation is achieved through alkaline phosphatase (ALP)-catalyzed ATP hydrolysis, driving the reverse transition from coacervates back to vesicles. The distinct physicochemical properties and internal organization of vesicle and coacervate protocells enable us to design functional regulators capable of producing secondary signals, such as fluorescence and enzymatic products. This work offers a strategy for engineering enzymatic reaction-regulated dissipative behaviors of protocell systems that emulate key aspects of cellular metabolism, representing a step toward synthetic life-like systems with dynamic behavior and functional complexity.

DOI: 10.1021/jacs.5c13569

Source: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/jacs.5c13569