Lipid-tubular network formation for biochemical reaction

Here we describe liposome connecting tubular networks as a chemical reactor system. Two types of cell-sized liposomes are prepared by natural swelling method. The one was encapsulating in vitro gene-expression system (without DNA) and the other was including plasmid DNA coding green fluorescent protein (GFP). After mixing them gently, ganglioside GM3 was added for the connecting liposomes to network formation. The gene expression was checked by confocal scanning fluorescent microscopy. Fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) assay supports the diffusive transfer could be driven the reaction. Proteoliposome network formation was also demonstrated from in vitro synthesized membrane protein cytochrome b5 on liposomes. These result should be used for constructing membrane protein array or artificial-cellular reaction cluster.