Journal Article

Genetically targeted chemical assembly of functional materials in living cells, tissues, and animals

Tom, Ariane, Deisseroth, Karl, Bao, Zhenan, Katsumata, Toru, Joubert, Lydia-Marie, Kim, Yoon Seok, Richardson, Claire E., Ramakrishnan, Charu, Wang, Huiliang, Fenno, Lief E., Jiang, Yuenwen, Tok, Jeffrey B.-H., Chen, Shucheng, Birey, Fikri, Wang, Cheng, Liu, Jia, Shen, Kang, Wang, Xiao, Paşca, Sergiu P.

2020

Overview

The structural and functional complexity of multicellular biological systems, such as the brain, are beyond the reach of human design or assembly capabilities. Cells in living organisms may be recruited to construct synthetic materials or structures if treated as anatomically defined compartments for specific chemistry, harnessing biology for the assembly of complex functional structures. By integrating engineered-enzyme targeting and polymer chemistry, we genetically instructed specific living neurons to guide chemical synthesis of electrically functional (conductive or insulating) polymers at the plasma membrane. Electrophysiological and behavioral analyses confirmed that rationally designed, genetically targeted assembly of functional polymers not only preserved neuronal viability but also achieved remodeling of membrane properties and modulated cell type–specific behaviors in freely moving animals. This approach may enable the creation of diverse, complex, and functional structures and materials within living systems.

• Publisher: American Association for the Advancement of Science,The American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Subject: Action Potentials / Aniline Compounds - chemistry / Animals / Ascorbate Peroxidases - genetics / Ascorbate Peroxidases - metabolism / Assembly / Axon guidance / Bioelectricity / Caenorhabditis elegans / Cell Membrane - metabolism / Cell Survival / Cells, Cultured / Chemical synthesis / Chemistry / Complexity / Conducting polymers / Construction materials / Electric Conductivity / Enzymes / Functional materials / Genetic Engineering / Genetics / HEK293 Cells / Hippocampus / Humans / Membrane Potentials / Membranes / Mice / Motor Neurons - physiology / Muscle Cells - physiology / Neurons / Neurons - enzymology / Neurons - physiology / Nitro Compounds - chemistry / Organic Chemistry / Organisms / Patch-Clamp Techniques / Phenylenediamines - chemistry / Polymer chemistry / Polymers / Polymers - chemistry / Polymers - metabolism / Rats / Structure-function relationships / Transduction, Genetic / Viability