A Cascade Signaling Network between Artificial Cells Switching Activity of Synthetic Transmembrane Channels

Cell–cell communication plays a vital role in biological activities; in particular, membrane–protein interactions are profoundly significant. In order to explore the underlying mechanism of intercellular signaling pathways, a full range of artificial systems have been explored. However, many of them are complicated and uncontrollable. Herein we designed an artificial signal transduction system able to control the influx of environmental ions by triggering the activation of synthetic transmembrane channels immobilized on giant membrane vesicles (GMVs). A membrane protein-like stimulator from one GMV community (GMV_B) stimulates a receptor on another GMV community (GMV_A) to release ssDNA messengers, resulting in the activation of synthetic transmembrane channels to enable the influx of ions. This event, in turn, triggers signal responses encapsulated in the GMV_A protocell model. By mimicking natural signal transduction pathways, this novel prototype provides a workable tool for investigating cell–cell communication and expands biological signaling systems in general as well as explores useful platforms for addressing scientific problems which involve materials science, chemistry, and medicine.