Living systems depend on continuous energy input for growth, replication and information processing. Cells use membrane proteins as nanomachines to convert light or chemical energy of nutrients into other forms of energy, such as ion gradients or adenosine triphosphate (ATP). However, engineering sustained fuel supply and metabolic energy conversion in synthetic systems is challenging. Here, inspired by endosymbionts that rely on the host cell for their nutrients, we introduce the concept of cross-feeding to exchange ATP and ADP between lipid-based compartments hundreds of nanometres in size. One population of vesicles enzymatically produces ATP in the mM concentration range and exports it. A second population of vesicles takes up this ATP to fuel internal reactions. The produced ADP feeds back to the first vesicles, and ATP-dependent reactions can be fuelled sustainably for up to at least 24 h. The vesicles are a platform technology to fuel ATP-dependent processes in a sustained fashion, with potential applications in synthetic cells and nanoreactors. Fundamentally, the vesicles enable studying non-equilibrium processes in an energy-controlled environment and promote the development and understanding of constructing life-like metabolic systems on the nanoscale.

生命系统依赖于持续的能量输入来进行生长、复制和信息处理。细胞使用膜蛋白作为纳米机器，将营养物质的光能或化学能转化为其他形式的能量，例如离子梯度或三磷酸腺苷 （ATP）。然而，在合成系统中设计可持续的燃料供应和代谢能转换具有挑战性。在这里，受到依赖宿主细胞获取营养的内共生体的启发，我们引入了交叉喂养的概念，以在数百纳米大小的脂质区室之间交换 ATP 和 ADP。一组囊泡酶促产生 mM 浓度范围内的 ATP 并将其输出。第二组囊泡吸收这种 ATP 来促进内部反应。产生的 ADP 反馈给第一个囊泡，ATP 依赖性反应可以可持续地燃烧长达 24 小时。囊泡是一种平台技术，可以持续地为 ATP 依赖性过程提供燃料，在合成细胞和纳米反应器中具有潜在的应用。从根本上说，囊泡能够在能量控制环境中研究非平衡过程，并促进在纳米尺度上构建类似生命的代谢系统的发展和理解。