Insights into the self-reproduction of oleate vesicles
Open accessAbstract
In view of the importance of vesicles as models for early cells, several groups have started work looking for conditions under which vesicles can undergo growth and division. Evidence for growth and division has been obtained with the help of ferritin-labelled vesicles; furthermore, it has been shown that in such processes the vesicle size distribution is largely conserved. In both cases, the data suggest that the process under study is mainly characterized by vesicle growth and eventually division into daughter vesicles. However, direct evidence for vesicle division has not been obtained. In this paper, mostly based on freeze-fracture electron microscopy, we describe conditions under which for the first time division intermediates can be trapped in the form of twin vesicles. This finding, together with supporting dynamic light scattering and fluorescence investigations, permits us to establish some additional points in the mechanism of vesicle self-reproduction.
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
Self-replicating vesicles that spontaneously grow and divide can be produced robustly in the laboratory.
“Self-replicating vesicles that spontaneously grow and divide can be produced robustly in the laboratory [169–173].”
From The RNA world as a model system to study the origin of life (2015) · cites this paper as [172]
Self-check
Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.
The self-check needs the paper’s full text.
Cites
Szostak, J. W., Bartel, D. P., & Luisi, P. L. (2001) · Nature · doi:10.1038/35053176 · Cited by 1,681 · see citing works
Self-citationExperimental Models of Primitive Cellular Compartments: Encapsulation, Growth, and Division
Hanczyc, M. M., Fujikawa, S. M., & Szostak, J. W. (2003) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.1089904 · Cited by 848 · see citing works
Liposomes from ionic, single-chain amphiphiles
Hargreaves, W. R., & Deamer, D. W. (1978) · Biochemistry · doi:10.1021/bi00611a014 · Cited by 576 · see citing works
Ionization and phase behavior of fatty acids in water: application of the Gibbs phase rule
Cistola, D. P., Hamilton, J. A., Jackson, D., & SMALL, D. M. (1988) · Biochemistry · doi:10.1021/bi00406a013 · Cited by 450 · see citing works
Autopoietic self-reproduction of fatty-acid vesicles
Walde, P., Wick, R., Fresta, M., Mangone, A., & Luisi, P. L. (1994) · Journal of the American Chemical Society · doi:10.1021/ja00105a004 · Cited by 444 · see citing works
Self-citationThe Emergence of Competition Between Model Protocells
Chen, I. A., Roberts, R. W., & Szostak, J. W. (2004) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.1100757 · Cited by 435 · see citing works
Boundary structures are formed by organic-components of the Murchison carbonaceous chondrite
Deamer, D. W. (1985) · Nature · doi:10.1038/317792a0 · Cited by 270 · see citing works
A kinetic study of the growth of fatty acid vesicles
Chen, I. A., & Szostak, J. W. (2004) · Biophysical Journal · doi:10.1529/biophysj.104.039875 · Cited by 251 · see citing works
The chemical logic of a minimum protocell
Morowitz, H. J., Heinz, B., & Deamer, D. W. (1988) · Origins of life and evolution of the biosphere · doi:10.1007/bf01804674 · Cited by 239 · see citing works
Freezing in a propane jet and its application in freeze-fracturing.
Müller, M., Meister, N., & Moor, H. (1980) · PubMed · Cited by 214 · see citing works
Phase behavior and bilayer properties of fatty acids: hydrated 1:1 acid-soaps
Cistola, D. P., Atkinson, D., Hamilton, J. A., & SMALL, D. M. (1986) · Biochemistry · doi:10.1021/bi00358a011 · Cited by 200 · see citing works
Membrane growth can generate a transmembrane pH gradient in fatty acid vesicles
Chen, I. A., & Szostak, J. W. (2004) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.0308045101 · Cited by 164 · see citing works
Light microscopic investigations of the autocatalytic self-reproduction of giant vesicles
Wick, R., Walde, P., & Luisi, P. L. (1995) · Journal of the American Chemical Society · doi:10.1021/ja00109a031 · Cited by 155 · see citing works
Self-citationBerclaz, N., Müller, M., Walde, P., & Luisi, P. L. (2000) · The Journal of Physical Chemistry B · doi:10.1021/jp001298i · Cited by 154 · see citing works
Self-citationMatrix effect in the size distribution of fatty acid vesicles
Blöchliger, E., Blocher, M., Walde, P., & Luisi, P. L. (1998) · The Journal of Physical Chemistry B · doi:10.1021/jp981234w · Cited by 152 · see citing works
Self-citationRole of amphiphilic compounds in the evolution of membrane structure on the early earth
Deamer, D. W. (1986) · Origins of Life and Evolution of Biospheres · doi:10.1007/bf01809809 · Cited by 96 · see citing works
A Matrix Effect in Mixed Phospholipid/Fatty Acid Vesicle Formation
Suguna, L., Luisi, P. L., Walde, P., & Robinson, B. H. (1999) · The Journal of Physical Chemistry B · doi:10.1021/jp9909614 · Cited by 82 · see citing works
Self-citationA Possible Route to Prebiotic Vesicle Reproduction
Luisi, P. L., Stano, P., Rasi, S., & Mavelli, F. (2004) · Artificial Life · doi:10.1162/1064546041255601 · Cited by 77 · see citing works
Self-citationMatrix Effect of Vesicle Formation As Investigated by Cryotransmission Electron Microscopy
Berclaz, N., Blöchliger, E., Müller, M., & Luisi, P. L. (2001) · The Journal of Physical Chemistry B · doi:10.1021/jp002151u · Cited by 72 · see citing works
Self-citationCoexistence and Mutual Competition of Vesicles with Different Size Distributions
Cheng, Z., & Luisi, P. L. (2003) · The Journal of Physical Chemistry B · doi:10.1021/jp034456p · Cited by 71 · see citing works
Self-citationCooperative Micelle Binding and Matrix Effect in Oleate Vesicle Formation
Rasi, S., Mavelli, F., & Luisi, P. L. (2003) · The Journal of Physical Chemistry B · doi:10.1021/jp0277199 · Cited by 67 · see citing works
Self-citationBožič, B., & Svetina, S. (2004) · European Biophysics Journal · doi:10.1007/s00249-004-0404-5 · Cited by 60 · see citing works
Thomas, R. M., Baici, A., Werder, M., Schulthess, G., & Hauser, H. (2002) · Biochemistry · doi:10.1021/bi011555p · Cited by 44 · see citing works
Addendum: Origins of cellular life: Molecular foundations and new approaches
Ourisson, G., & Nakatani, Y. (1999) · Tetrahedron · doi:10.1016/s0040-4020(99)00116-7 · Cited by 43 · see citing works
New Vesicle Formation upon Oleate Addition to Preformed Vesicles
Chungcharoenwattana, S., & Ueno, M. (2005) · Chemical and Pharmaceutical Bulletin · doi:10.1248/cpb.53.260 · Cited by 17 · see citing works
Size Control of Mixed Egg Yolk Phosphatidylcholine (EggPC)/Oleate Vesicles
Chungcharoenwattana, S., & Ueno, M. (2004) · Chemical and Pharmaceutical Bulletin · doi:10.1248/cpb.52.1058 · Cited by 17 · see citing works
Flagged first, then by citations
1 of the 27 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Morigaki, K., & Walde, P. (2007) · Current Opinion in Colloid & Interface Science · doi:10.1016/j.cocis.2007.05.005 · Cited by 301 · see citing works
Schrum, J. P., Zhu, T. F., & Szostak, J. W. (2010) · Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology · doi:10.1101/cshperspect.a002212 · Cited by 255 · see citing works
Kuruma, Y., Stano, P., Ueda, T., & Luisi, P. L. (2008) · Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Biomembranes · doi:10.1016/j.bbamem.2008.10.017 · Cited by 245 · see citing works
Self-citationThe RNA world as a model system to study the origin of life
Pressman, A., Blanco, C., & Chen, I. A. (2015) · Current Biology · doi:10.1016/j.cub.2015.06.016 · Cited by 225 · see citing works
Achievements and open questions in the self-reproduction of vesicles and synthetic minimal cells
Stano, P., & Luisi, P. L. (2010) · Chemical Communications · doi:10.1039/b913997d · Cited by 220 · see citing works
Self-citationSynthesis of lipid membranes for artificial cells
Podolsky, K. A., & Devaraj, N. K. (2021) · Nature Reviews Chemistry · doi:10.1038/s41570-021-00303-3 · Cited by 113 · see citing works
Peterlin, P., Arrigler, V., Kogej, K., Svetina, S., & Walde, P. (2009) · Chemistry and Physics of Lipids · doi:10.1016/j.chemphyslip.2009.03.005 · Cited by 89 · see citing works
Spontaneous Growth and Division in Self‐Reproducing Inorganic Colloidosomes
Li, M., Huang, X. C., & Mann, S. (2014) · Small · doi:10.1002/smll.201400639 · Cited by 89 · see citing works
Temperature-Sensitive Nonionic Vesicles Prepared from Span 80 (Sorbitan Monooleate)
Kato, K., Walde, P., Koine, N., Ichikawa, S., Ishikawa, T., Nagahama, R., Ishihara, T., Tsujii, T., Shudou, M., Omokawa, Y., et al. (2008) · Langmuir · doi:10.1021/la801581f · Cited by 82 · see citing works
Prebiological Membranes and Their Role in the Emergence of Early Cellular Life
Sarkar, S., Das, S., Dagar, S., Joshi, M. P., Mungi, C. V., Sawant, A. A., Patki, G. M., & Rajamani, S. (2020) · The Journal of Membrane Biology · doi:10.1007/s00232-020-00155-w · Cited by 72 · see citing works
Is Research on “Synthetic Cells” Moving to the Next Level?
Stano, P. (2018) · Life · doi:10.3390/life9010003 · Cited by 71 · see citing works
Self-citationGene Expression Inside Liposomes: From Early Studies to Current Protocols
Stano, P. (2019) · Chemistry - A European Journal · doi:10.1002/chem.201806445 · Cited by 65 · see citing works
Self-citationFreeze-thaw cycles induce content exchange between cell-sized lipid vesicles
Litschel, T., Ganzinger, K. A., Movinkel, T., Heymann, M., Robinson, T., Mutschler, H., & Schwille, P. (2018) · New Journal of Physics · doi:10.1088/1367-2630/aabb96 · Cited by 65 · see citing works
Rendón-Ramírez, A., Gil‐Carton, D., Sot, J., García-Pacios, M., Montes, L. R., Valle, M., Arrondo, J.-L. R., Goñi, F. M., & Ruiz‐Mirazo, K. (2012) · Biophysical Journal · doi:10.1016/j.bpj.2011.12.026 · Cited by 59 · see citing works
Self-reproduction of fatty acid vesicles: a combined experimental and simulation study
Markvoort, A. J., Pfleger, N., Staffhorst, R., Hilbers, P. A. J., van Santen, R. A., Killian, J. A., & de Kruijff, B. (2010) · Biophysical Journal · doi:10.1016/j.bpj.2010.06.057 · Cited by 56 · see citing works
Divided we stand: splitting synthetic cells for their proliferation
Caspi, Y., & Dekker, C. (2014) · Systems and Synthetic Biology · doi:10.1007/s11693-014-9145-7 · Cited by 55 · see citing works
The systems perspective at the crossroads between chemistry and biology
de la Escosura, A., Briones, C., & Ruiz‐Mirazo, K. (2015) · Journal of Theoretical Biology · doi:10.1016/j.jtbi.2015.04.036 · Cited by 45 · see citing works
Theoretical conditions for the stationary reproduction of model protocells
Mavelli, F., & Ruiz‐Mirazo, K. (2012) · Integrative Biology · doi:10.1039/c2ib20222k · Cited by 43 · see citing works
Lecithin‐Based Water‐In‐Oil Compartments as Dividing Bioreactors
Fiordemondo, D., & Stano, P. (2007) · ChemBioChem · doi:10.1002/cbic.200700112 · Cited by 40 · see citing works
Self-citationSelection for replicases in protocells
Bianconi, G., Zhao, K., Chen, I. A., & Nowak, M. A. (2013) · PLoS Computational Biology · doi:10.1371/journal.pcbi.1003051 · Cited by 31 · see citing works
Chang, M.-Y., Ariyama, H., Huck, W. T. S., & Deng, N. (2023) · Chemical Society Reviews · doi:10.1039/d2cs00985d · Cited by 36 · see citing works
Characterization of the emergent properties of a synthetic quasi-cellular system
Ospri, L. L., Stano, P., Luisi, P. L., & Marangoni, R. (2012) · BMC Bioinformatics · doi:10.1186/1471-2105-13-s4-s9 · Cited by 35 · see citing works
Self-citationChen, P.-H. B., Li, X., & Baskin, J. M. (2025) · Chemical Reviews · doi:10.1021/acs.chemrev.4c00761 · Cited by 36 · see citing works
Vesicle self-reproduction: The involvement of membrane hydraulic and solute permeabilities
Božič, B., & Svetina, S. (2007) · The European Physical Journal E · doi:10.1140/epje/i2007-10217-1 · Cited by 29 · see citing works
Kundu, N., Banerjee, P., Kundu, S., Dutta, R., & Sarkar, N. (2016) · The Journal of Physical Chemistry B · doi:10.1021/acs.jpcb.6b09298 · Cited by 27 · see citing works
Computer simulations of cellular group selection reveal mechanism for sustaining cooperation
Markvoort, A. J., Sinai, S., & Nowak, M. A. (2014) · Journal of Theoretical Biology · doi:10.1016/j.jtbi.2014.04.029 · Cited by 23 · see citing works
Visualization of the spontaneous emergence of a complex, dynamic, and autocatalytic system
Arroyo, J. O., Bissette, A. J., Kukura, P., & Fletcher, S. P. (2016) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.1602363113 · Cited by 22 · see citing works
Synthetic biology of minimal living cells: primitive cell models and semi-synthetic cells
Stano, P. (2010) · Systems and Synthetic Biology · doi:10.1007/s11693-010-9054-3 · Cited by 21 · see citing works
Self-citationLebedeva, M. A., Palmieri, E., Kukura, P., & Fletcher, S. P. (2020) · ACS Nano · doi:10.1021/acsnano.0c02414 · Cited by 19 · see citing works
New Insights into the Growth and Transformation of Vesicles: A Free-Flow Electrophoresis Study
de Souza, T. P., Holzer, M., Stano, P., Steiniger, F., May, S., Schubert, R., Fahr, A., & Luisi, P. L. (2015) · The Journal of Physical Chemistry B · doi:10.1021/acs.jpcb.5b05057 · Cited by 19 · see citing works
Self-citationChemical synthetic biology: a mini-review
Chiarabelli, C., Stano, P., & Luisi, P. (2013) · Frontiers in Microbiology · doi:10.3389/fmicb.2013.00285 · Cited by 17 · see citing works
Self-citationDejanović, B., Mirosavljević, K., Noethig‐Laslo, V., Pečar, S., Šentjurc, M., & Walde, P. (2008) · Chemistry and Physics of Lipids · doi:10.1016/j.chemphyslip.2008.08.003 · Cited by 17 · see citing works
Recent Theoretical Approaches to Minimal Artificial Cells
Mavelli, F., Altamura, E., Cassidei, L., & Stano, P. (2014) · Entropy · doi:10.3390/e16052488 · Cited by 17 · see citing works
Self-citationLife, its definition, origin, evolution, and four-dimensional hierarchical structure
Mikhailovsky, G. E. (2024) · Biosystems · doi:10.1016/j.biosystems.2024.105158 · Cited by 15 · see citing works
Keshava, R., Mitra, R., Gope, M. L., & Gope, R. (2017) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-804659-3.00004-x · Cited by 13 · see citing works
Roy, S., Mandal, S., Banerjee, P., & Sarkar, N. (2018) · Journal of Chemical Sciences · doi:10.1007/s12039-018-1532-2 · Cited by 13 · see citing works
Hybrid Oleic Acid‐Graphene Quantum Dot Vesicles for Drug Delivery
Boruah, J. S., & Chowdhury, D. (2019) · ChemistrySelect · doi:10.1002/slct.201803619 · Cited by 13 · see citing works
Roy, A., Pyne, A., Pal, P., Dhara, S., & Sarkar, N. (2017) · ACS Omega · doi:10.1021/acsomega.7b00744 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
Novel applications of physical autocatalysis
Bissette, A. J., & Fletcher, S. P. (2015) · Origins of Life and Evolution of Biospheres · doi:10.1007/s11084-015-9404-y · Cited by 11 · see citing works
Question 7: New Aspects of Interactions Among Vesicles
Stano, P. (2007) · Origins of Life and Evolution of Biospheres · doi:10.1007/s11084-007-9086-1 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
Self-citationEvidence of Heritability in Prebiotically Realistic Membrane-Bound Systems
Sokolskyi, T., Ganju, P., Montgomery-Taylor, R., & Baum, D. (2024) · Life · doi:10.3390/life14030284 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
On the Construction of Minimal Cell Models in Synthetic Biology and Origins of Life Studies
Stano, P., & Luisi, P. L. (2011) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-1-4419-6766-4_16 · Cited by 6 · see citing works
Self-citationOn the Vesicular Origin of the Cell Cycle
Svetina, S. (2012) · Cellular origin and life in extreme habitats · doi:10.1007/978-94-007-2941-4_38 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
Chemical Routes to Primitive Membranes: Prebiotic Lipid Formation at the Origin of Life
Shvetsova, A., & Fiore, M. (2026) · Life · doi:10.3390/life16030497 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
Minimal Cellular Models for Origins-of-Life Studies and Biotechnology
Stano, P. (2017) · Springer series in biophysics · doi:10.1007/978-981-10-6244-5_6 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Self-citationInvestigating cell functioning by theoretical analysis of cell-to-cell variability
Svetina, S. (2017) · European Biophysics Journal · doi:10.1007/s00249-017-1258-y · Cited by 3 · see citing works
Stano, P., & Luisi, P. L. (2010) · Wiley eBooks · doi:10.1002/9780470664872.ch17 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
Self-citationMy Encounters with Francisco Varela
Luisi, P. L. (2011) · Systems Research and Behavioral Science · doi:10.1002/sres.1125 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Self-citationSingle-Molecule Chemical Dynamics: Direct Observation of Physical Autocatalysis
Arroyo, J. O. (2018) · Springer theses · doi:10.1007/978-3-319-77095-6_7 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Stano, P., Marangoni, R., & Mavelli, F. (2019) · Lecture notes in computer science · doi:10.1007/978-3-030-14160-8_17 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Self-citationSelf-Reproduction of Vesicles and Other Compartments: A Review
Birdi, K. S. (2008) · CRC Press eBooks · doi:10.1201/9781420007206-21 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Self-Reproduction of Vesicles and Other Compartments
Stano, P. (2008) · CRC Press eBooks · doi:10.1201/9781420007206.ch17
Self-citationPreparation of pelargonic acid vesicles and sustained drug release
Wang, Z., Zhang, Y., Chen, Q., Xiao, X., & Redshaw, C. (2022) · Canadian Journal of Chemistry · doi:10.1139/cjc-2022-0075
Advances in experimental research on artificial life based on chemical systems
Xia, Y., & Zhou, J. (2026) · Chinese Science Bulletin (Chinese Version) · doi:10.1360/csb-2026-0209
- Authors
- Stano, P., Wehrli, E., & Luisi, P. L.
- Affiliations
- Roma Tre University (IT)
- ETH Zurich (CH)
- ORCID
- Stano, P
- Venue
- Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter
- Publisher
- IOP Publishing
- Published
- 2006-08-04
- Volume
- 18
- Issue
- 33
- Pages
- S2231-S2238
- ISSN
- 0953-8984 (ISSN-L)
- 1361-648X
- OpenAlex
- W2016266113
- Cited by
- 54
- References
- 27
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 1 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 2 · 2015: 4 · 2014: 4 · 2013: 2 · 2012: 4
- FWCI
- 1.92
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Journal of Physics Condensed Matter (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Astronomy and Astrophysics › Origins and Evolution of Life
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Lipid Membrane Structure and Behavior
- Physical Sciences › Chemistry › Organic Chemistry › Surfactants and Colloidal Systems
- Keywords
- vesicle division, vesicle growth, vesicle size distribution, freeze-fracture electron microscopy
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review