近日，中国科学院化学研究所乔燕团队实现了基于MOF的仿生多孔膜在凝聚体上的界面组装以构建复杂的原始细胞和原始组织。这一研究成果于2025年6月4日发表在《自然-化学》杂志上。

自下而上构建细胞样实体或原细胞对于模拟人工细胞联盟中的细胞模拟行为至关重要。复杂凝聚层微滴是原始细胞颇有前景的候选者；然而，利用无膜凝聚层复制复杂的细胞组织和细胞间相互作用仍然是一个重大挑战。

为了解决这个问题，研究组通过在凝聚层微滴周围界面组装金属-有机框架纳米粒子，开发了膜结合凝聚层原细胞。通过利用金属-有机框架固有的多孔结构和表面化学，他们证明了调节原细胞内生物分子组织并将蛋白质整合到膜中的能力，从而模仿了整体和外周膜蛋白质。

这些膜化凝聚层被进一步工程化为人工细胞器结合的原细胞和能够进行信号处理和原细胞间通信的组织样组件。该研究结果强调了设计具有空间控制的生物分子组织的人工系统来模拟天然细胞功能的潜力，为将膜凝聚层组装成原组织铺平了道路。

附：英文原文

Title: Interfacial assembly of biomimetic MOF-based porous membranes on coacervates to build complex protocells and prototissues

Author: Ji, Yanglimin, Lin, Yiyang, Qiao, Yan

Issue&Volume: 2025-06-04

Abstract: The bottom-up construction of cell-like entities or protocells is essential for emulating cytomimetic behaviours within artificial cell consortia. Complex coacervate microdroplets are promising candidates for primordial cells; however, replicating the complex cellular organization and cell–cell interactions using membraneless coacervates remains a major challenge. To address this, we developed membrane-bound coacervate protocells by interfacial assembly of metal–organic framework nanoparticles around coacervate microdroplets. By leveraging the inherently porous structure and surface chemistry of metal–organic frameworks, we demonstrated the ability to regulate biomolecular organization within the protocells and integrate proteins into the membrane, thereby imitating both integral and peripheral membrane proteins. These membranized coacervates were further engineered into artificial-organelle-incorporated protocells and tissue-like assemblies capable of signal processing and protocell-to-protocell communication. Our findings highlight the potential of designing artificial systems with spatially controlled biomolecular organization to mimic natural cellular functions, paving the way for the assembly of membranized coacervates into prototissues.

DOI: 10.1038/s41557-025-01827-7

Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41557-025-01827-7