Magnetic Control of Cells by Chemical Fabrication of Melanin
Kosuke Nishio, Kohei Toh, Amélie Perron, Masato Goto, Masahiro Abo, Yuichi Shimakawa, Motonari Uesugi
Abstract
Melanin is an organic material biosynthesized from tyrosine in pigment-producing cells. The present study reports a simple method to generate tailored functional materials in mammalian cells by chemically fabricating intracellular melanin. Our approach exploits synthetic tyrosine derivatives to hijack the melanin biosynthesis pathway in pigment-producing cells. Its application was exemplified by synthesizing and using a paramagnetic tyrosine derivative, m-YR, which endowed melanoma cells with responsiveness to external magnetic fields. The mechanical force generated by the magnet-responsive melanin forced the cells to elongate and align parallel to the magnetic power lines. Critically, even non-pigment cells were similarly remote-controlled by external magnetic fields once engineered to express tyrosinase and treated with m-YR, suggesting the versatility of the approach. The present methodology may potentially provide a new avenue for mechanobiology and magnetogenetic studies and a framework for magnetic control of specific cells.