DIALECT: DNA-Programmable Synthetic Cells Communicate with Mammalian Cells through Synthetic Receptors

DIALECT uses proteinosome-based synthetic cells to convert DNA inputs into coiled-coil ligands that activate engineered CC-GEMS receptors and induce JAK/STAT3 reporter signalling, stronger in cognate receivers.

• Why it matters: Programmable synthetic-cell senders can release protein ligands, but linking them to orthogonal engineered mammalian receptors is difficult, limiting DNA-programmed control of mammalian signalling.
• What they did: DNA-ligand conjugates are localized inside semipermeable proteinosomes via DNA hybridization and released by toehold-mediated DNA strand displacement, then diffuse to activate CC-GEMS receptors.
• The result: Cognate receiver cells show a higher response than non-cognate cells under activation conditions, and two-input Boolean AND logic yields substantially higher reporter activity with both inputs than with either alone.

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