Fig. 4: Programmable nucleic-acid catalysis and gene expression in coacervates.
From: Recent advances in coacervate protocells from passive catalysts to chemically programmable systems
a Polyanion-assisted catalysis: polyanions compete off non-productive RNA-polycation contacts, restoring proper folding and enhancing ribozyme reactions in coacervates. Reproduced with permission62. Copyright 2019, American Chemical Society. b Transcription kinetics in lysate coacervates. (I) Kinetic scheme used for model fits; (II) time traces with fits show faster and higher mRNA accumulation in coacervates versus single-phase controls; the model indicates increased DNA-T7 RNAP association and transcription rate. Reproduced with permission65. Copyright 2013, National Academy of Sciences. c Phase-addressable localized transcription in DNA-nanostar droplets. (I) Two droplet types (D1/D2) anchor distinct templates (Temp-A/B) and reporters (Rep-A/B). (II) After a single global addition of T7 RNAP, only droplets carrying the matching template turn on in the corresponding channel (yellow=Rep-A; magenta=Rep-B), evidencing low-crosstalk, addressable activation (scale bar: 50 μm). Reproduced with permission67. Copyright 2024, American Chemical Society.
