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Evolvability and Self-Replication of Genetic Information in Liposomes

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The Minimal Cell

Abstract

To realize the minimal cell by a bottom-up approach, increasingly ­complex biochemical reactions are being encapsulated in lipid vesicles (liposomes). Here, we describe the encapsulation of one of the general properties of living organisms into liposomes, i.e., replication of genetic information with self-encoded replicase, and evolvability. We also discuss the possibility of realizing a minimal cell that can ­proliferate autonomously.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported in part by “Special Coordination Funds for Promoting Science and Technology: Yuragi Project” and “Global COE (Centers of Excellence) Program” of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology, Japan.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, 1-5 Yamadaoka, 565-0871, Suita, Osaka, Japan

    Tetsuya Yomo

  2. Department of Bioinformatics Engineering, Graduate School of Information Science and Technology, Osaka University, 1-5 Yamadaoka, 565-0871, Suita, Osaka, Japan

    Tomoaki Matsuura, Norikazu Ichihashi, Hiroaki Suzuki & Tetsuya Yomo

  3. Exploratory Research for Advanced Technology (ERATO), Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), 1-5 Yamadaoka, 565-0871, Suita, Osaka, Japan

    Tomoaki Matsuura, Norikazu Ichihashi, Takeshi Sunami, Hiroshi Kita, Hiroaki Suzuki & Tetsuya Yomo

Authors
  1. Tomoaki Matsuura
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  2. Norikazu Ichihashi
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  3. Takeshi Sunami
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  4. Hiroshi Kita
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  5. Hiroaki Suzuki
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  6. Tetsuya Yomo
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Tetsuya Yomo .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dipto. Biologia, Università Roma Tre, Viale Guglielmo Marconi 446, Roma, 00146, Italy

    Pier Luigi Luisi

  2. , Biology Department, University of Roma Tre, Viale Guglielmo Marconi 446, Rome, 00146, Italy

    Pasquale Stano

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Matsuura, T., Ichihashi, N., Sunami, T., Kita, H., Suzuki, H., Yomo, T. (2011). Evolvability and Self-Replication of Genetic Information in Liposomes. In: Luisi, P., Stano, P. (eds) The Minimal Cell. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-9944-0_15

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