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Akram F, Shah FI, Ibrar R, Fatima T, Haq IU, Naseem W, Gul MA, Tehreem L, Haider G. Bacterial thermophilic DNA polymerases: A focus on prominent biotechnological applications. Anal Biochem 2023; 671:115150. [PMID: 37054862 DOI: 10.1016/j.ab.2023.115150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2023] [Revised: 02/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 04/15/2023]
Abstract
DNA polymerases are the enzymes able to replicate the genetic information in nucleic acid. As a result, they are necessary to copy the complete genome of every living creature before cell division and sustain the integrity of the genetic information throughout the life of each cell. Any organism that uses DNA as its genetic information, whether unicellular or multicellular, requires one or more thermostable DNA polymerases to thrive. Thermostable DNA polymerase is important in modern biotechnology and molecular biology because it results in methods such as DNA cloning, DNA sequencing, whole genome amplification, molecular diagnostics, polymerase chain reaction, synthetic biology, and single nucleotide polymorphism detection. There are at least 14 DNA-dependent DNA polymerases in the human genome, which is remarkable. These include the widely accepted, high-fidelity enzymes responsible for replicating the vast majority of genomic DNA and eight or more specialized DNA polymerases discovered in the last decade. The newly discovered polymerases' functions are still being elucidated. Still, one of its crucial tasks is to permit synthesis to resume despite the DNA damage that stops the progression of replication-fork. One of the primary areas of interest in the research field has been the quest for novel DNA polymerase since the unique features of each thermostable DNA polymerase may lead to the prospective creation of novel reagents. Furthermore, protein engineering strategies for generating mutant or artificial DNA polymerases have successfully generated potent DNA polymerases for various applications. In molecular biology, thermostable DNA polymerases are extremely useful for PCR-related methods. This article examines the role and importance of DNA polymerase in a variety of techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatima Akram
- Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Government College University, Lahore, 54000, Pakistan.
| | - Fatima Iftikhar Shah
- Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Government College University, Lahore, 54000, Pakistan; The University of Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Ramesha Ibrar
- Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Government College University, Lahore, 54000, Pakistan
| | - Taseer Fatima
- Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Government College University, Lahore, 54000, Pakistan
| | - Ikram Ul Haq
- Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Government College University, Lahore, 54000, Pakistan; Pakistan Academy of Sciences, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Waqas Naseem
- Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Government College University, Lahore, 54000, Pakistan
| | - Mahmood Ayaz Gul
- Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Government College University, Lahore, 54000, Pakistan
| | - Laiba Tehreem
- Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Government College University, Lahore, 54000, Pakistan
| | - Ghanoor Haider
- Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Government College University, Lahore, 54000, Pakistan
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2
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Pavão G, Sfalcin I, Bonatto D. Biocontainment Techniques and Applications for Yeast Biotechnology. Fermentation 2023. [DOI: 10.3390/fermentation9040341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/31/2023]
Abstract
Biocontainment techniques for genetically modified yeasts (GMYs) are pivotal due to the importance of these organisms for biotechnological processes and also due to the design of new yeast strains by using synthetic biology tools and technologies. Due to the large genetic modifications that many yeast strains display, it is highly desirable to avoid the leakage of GMY cells into natural environments and, consequently, the spread of synthetic genes and circuits by horizontal or vertical gene transfer mechanisms within the microorganisms. Moreover, it is also desirable to avoid patented yeast gene technologies spreading outside the production facility. In this review, the different biocontainment technologies currently available for GMYs were evaluated. Interestingly, uniplex-type biocontainment approaches (UTBAs), which rely on nutrient auxotrophies induced by gene mutation or deletion or the expression of the simple kill switches apparatus, are still the major biocontainment approaches in use with GMY. While bacteria such as Escherichia coli account for advanced biocontainment technologies based on synthetic biology and multiplex-type biocontainment approaches (MTBAs), GMYs are distant from this scenario due to many reasons. Thus, a comparison of different UTBAs and MTBAs applied for GMY and genetically engineered microorganisms (GEMs) was made, indicating the major advances of biocontainment techniques for GMYs.
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Holland K, Blazeck J. High throughput mutagenesis and screening for yeast engineering. J Biol Eng 2022; 16:37. [PMID: 36575525 PMCID: PMC9793380 DOI: 10.1186/s13036-022-00315-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2022] [Accepted: 12/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The eukaryotic yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a model host utilized for whole cell biocatalytic conversions, protein evolution, and scientific inquiries into the pathogenesis of human disease. Over the past decade, the scale and pace of such studies has drastically increased alongside the advent of novel tools for both genome-wide studies and targeted genetic mutagenesis. In this review, we will detail past and present (e.g., CRISPR/Cas) genome-scale screening platforms, typically employed in the context of growth-based selections for improved whole cell phenotype or for mechanistic interrogations. We will further highlight recent advances that enable the rapid and often continuous evolution of biomolecules with improved function. Additionally, we will detail the corresponding advances in high throughput selection and screening strategies that are essential for assessing or isolating cellular and protein improvements. Finally, we will describe how future developments can continue to advance yeast high throughput engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kendreze Holland
- grid.213917.f0000 0001 2097 4943Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia USA ,grid.213917.f0000 0001 2097 4943Bioengineering Program, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia USA
| | - John Blazeck
- grid.213917.f0000 0001 2097 4943Bioengineering Program, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia USA ,grid.213917.f0000 0001 2097 4943School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia USA
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4
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Zhu X, Zhaoyang Zhang, Bin Jia, Yuan Y. Current advances of biocontainment strategy in synthetic biology. Chin J Chem Eng 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cjche.2022.07.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Velázquez E, Álvarez B, Fernández LÁ, de Lorenzo V. Hypermutation of specific genomic loci of Pseudomonas putida for continuous evolution of target genes. Microb Biotechnol 2022; 15:2309-2323. [PMID: 35695013 PMCID: PMC9437889 DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.14098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Revised: 05/20/2022] [Accepted: 05/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability of T7 RNA polymerase (RNAPT7) fusions to cytosine deaminases (CdA) for entering C➔T changes in any DNA segment downstream of a T7 promoter was exploited for hyperdiversification of defined genomic portions of Pseudomonas putida KT2440. To this end, test strains were constructed in which the chromosomally encoded pyrF gene (the prokaryotic homologue of yeast URA3) was flanked by T7 transcription initiation and termination signals and also carried plasmids expressing constitutively either high‐activity (lamprey's) or low‐activity (rat's) CdA‐RNAPT7 fusions. The DNA segment‐specific mutagenic action of these fusions was then tested in strains lacking or not uracil‐DNA glycosylase (UDG), that is ∆ung/ung+ variants. The resulting diversification was measured by counting single nucleotide changes in clones resistant to 5‐fluoroorotic acid (5FOA), which otherwise is transformed by wild‐type PyrF into a toxic compound. Although the absence of UDG dramatically increased mutagenic rates with both CdA‐RNAPT7 fusions, the most active variant – pmCDA1 – caused extensive appearance of 5FOA‐resistant colonies in the wild‐type strain not limited to C➔T but including also a range of other changes. Furthermore, the presence/absence of UDG activity swapped cytosine deamination preference between DNA strands. These qualities provided the basis of a robust system for continuous evolution of preset genomic portions of P. putida and beyond.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Velázquez
- Systems Biology Department, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CNB-CSIC), 28049, Madrid, Spain
| | - Beatriz Álvarez
- Microbiology Department, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CNB-CSIC), 28049, Madrid, Spain
| | - Luis Ángel Fernández
- Microbiology Department, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CNB-CSIC), 28049, Madrid, Spain
| | - Víctor de Lorenzo
- Systems Biology Department, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CNB-CSIC), 28049, Madrid, Spain
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Molina RS, Rix G, Mengiste AA, Alvarez B, Seo D, Chen H, Hurtado J, Zhang Q, Donato García-García J, Heins ZJ, Almhjell PJ, Arnold FH, Khalil AS, Hanson AD, Dueber JE, Schaffer DV, Chen F, Kim S, Ángel Fernández L, Shoulders MD, Liu CC. In vivo hypermutation and continuous evolution. Nat Rev Methods Primers 2022; 2:37. [PMID: 37073402 PMCID: PMC10108624 DOI: 10.1038/s43586-022-00130-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rosana S. Molina
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Irvine, CA 92617, USA
| | - Gordon Rix
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Amanuella A. Mengiste
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | - Beatriz Alvarez
- Department of Microbial Biotechnology, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CNB-CSIC), Darwin 3, Campus UAM Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Daeje Seo
- Department of Chemistry, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, South Korea
| | - Haiqi Chen
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Juan Hurtado
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Qiong Zhang
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Jorge Donato García-García
- Tecnologico de Monterrey, Escuela de Ingenieria y Ciencias, Av. General Ramon Corona 2514, Nuevo Mexico, C.P. 45138, Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico
| | - Zachary J. Heins
- Biological Design Center, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Patrick J. Almhjell
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Frances H. Arnold
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Ahmad S. Khalil
- Biological Design Center, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Andrew D. Hanson
- Horticultural Sciences Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - John E. Dueber
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Innovative Genomics Institute, University of California Berkeley and San Francisco, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Biological Systems & Engineering Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - David V. Schaffer
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Innovative Genomics Institute, University of California Berkeley and San Francisco, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Fei Chen
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Seokhee Kim
- Department of Chemistry, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, South Korea
| | - Luis Ángel Fernández
- Department of Microbial Biotechnology, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CNB-CSIC), Darwin 3, Campus UAM Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Matthew D. Shoulders
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | - Chang C. Liu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Irvine, CA 92617, USA
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, CA 92617, USA
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8
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Zhang Y, Ding W, Wang Z, Zhao H, Shi S. Development of Host-Orthogonal Genetic Systems for Synthetic Biology. Adv Biol (Weinh) 2021; 5:e2000252. [PMID: 33729696 DOI: 10.1002/adbi.202000252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2020] [Revised: 11/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The construction of a host-orthogonal genetic system can not only minimize the impact of host-specific nuances on fine-tuning of gene expression, but also expand cellular functions such as in vivo continuous evolution of genes based on an error-prone DNA polymerase. It represents an emerging powerful approach for making biology easier to engineer. In this review, the recent advances are described on the design of genetic systems that can be stably inherited in the host cells and are responsible for important biological processes including DNA replication, RNA transcription, protein translation, and gene regulation. Their applications in synthetic biology are summarized and the future challenges and opportunities are discussed in developing such systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Zhang
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, P. R. China
| | - Wentao Ding
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, P. R. China.,Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Safety (Tianjin University of Science and Technology) Ministry of Education, College of Food Engineering and Biotechnology, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, No. 29, 13th Avenue, TEDA, Tianjin, 300457, P. R. China
| | - Zhihui Wang
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, P. R. China
| | - Huimin Zhao
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Shuobo Shi
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, P. R. China
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Li ES, Saha MS. Optimizing Calcium Detection Methods in Animal Systems: A Sandbox for Synthetic Biology. Biomolecules 2021; 11:343. [PMID: 33668387 PMCID: PMC7996158 DOI: 10.3390/biom11030343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2021] [Revised: 02/19/2021] [Accepted: 02/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Since the 1970s, the emergence and expansion of novel methods for calcium ion (Ca2+) detection have found diverse applications in vitro and in vivo across a series of model animal systems. Matched with advances in fluorescence imaging techniques, the improvements in the functional range and stability of various calcium indicators have significantly enhanced more accurate study of intracellular Ca2+ dynamics and its effects on cell signaling, growth, differentiation, and regulation. Nonetheless, the current limitations broadly presented by organic calcium dyes, genetically encoded calcium indicators, and calcium-responsive nanoparticles suggest a potential path toward more rapid optimization by taking advantage of a synthetic biology approach. This engineering-oriented discipline applies principles of modularity and standardization to redesign and interrogate endogenous biological systems. This review will elucidate how novel synthetic biology technologies constructed for eukaryotic systems can offer a promising toolkit for interfacing with calcium signaling and overcoming barriers in order to accelerate the process of Ca2+ detection optimization.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Margaret S. Saha
- Department of Biology, College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA 23185, USA;
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10
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Zhang R, Goetz H, Melendez-Alvarez J, Li J, Ding T, Wang X, Tian XJ. Winner-takes-all resource competition redirects cascading cell fate transitions. Nat Commun 2021; 12:853. [PMID: 33558556 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-21125-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2020] [Accepted: 01/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Failure of modularity remains a significant challenge for assembling synthetic gene circuits with tested modules as they often do not function as expected. Competition over shared limited gene expression resources is a crucial underlying reason. It was reported that resource competition makes two seemingly separate genes connect in a graded linear manner. Here we unveil nonlinear resource competition within synthetic gene circuits. We first build a synthetic cascading bistable switches (Syn-CBS) circuit in a single strain with two coupled self-activation modules to achieve two successive cell fate transitions. Interestingly, we find that the in vivo transition path was redirected as the activation of one switch always prevails against the other, contrary to the theoretically expected coactivation. This qualitatively different type of resource competition between the two modules follows a ‘winner-takes-all’ rule, where the winner is determined by the relative connection strength between the modules. To decouple the resource competition, we construct a two-strain circuit, which achieves successive activation and stable coactivation of the two switches. These results illustrate that a highly nonlinear hidden interaction between the circuit modules due to resource competition may cause counterintuitive consequences on circuit functions, which can be controlled with a division of labor strategy. Synthetic gene circuits may not function as expected due to the resource competition between modules. Here the authors build cascading bistable switches to achieve two successive cell fate transitions but found a ‘winner-takes-all’ behaviour, which is overcome by a division of labour strategy.
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Abstract
Synthetic biology strives to reliably control cellular behavior, typically in the form of user-designed interactions of biological components to produce a predetermined output. Engineered circuit components are frequently derived from natural sources and are therefore often hampered by inadvertent interactions with host machinery, most notably within the host central dogma. Reliable and predictable gene circuits require the targeted reduction or elimination of these undesirable interactions to mitigate negative consequences on host fitness and develop context-independent bioactivities. Here, we review recent advances in biological orthogonalization, namely the insulation of researcher-dictated bioactivities from host processes, with a focus on systematic developments that may culminate in the creation of an orthogonal central dogma and novel cellular functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan Costello
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
| | - Ahmed H Badran
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA.
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12
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Abstract
The encoded biosynthesis of proteins provides the ultimate paradigm for high-fidelity synthesis of long polymers of defined sequence and composition, but it is limited to polymerizing the canonical amino acids. Recent advances have built on genetic code expansion - which commonly permits the cellular incorporation of one type of non-canonical amino acid into a protein - to enable the encoded incorporation of several distinct non-canonical amino acids. Developments include strategies to read quadruplet codons, use non-natural DNA base pairs, synthesize completely recoded genomes and create orthogonal translational components with reprogrammed specificities. These advances may enable the genetically encoded synthesis of non-canonical biopolymers and provide a platform for transforming the discovery and evolution of new materials and therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jason W Chin
- Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK.
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13
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Zhang R, Li J, Melendez-Alvarez J, Chen X, Sochor P, Goetz H, Zhang Q, Ding T, Wang X, Tian XJ. Topology-dependent interference of synthetic gene circuit function by growth feedback. Nat Chem Biol 2020; 16:695-701. [PMID: 32251409 PMCID: PMC7246135 DOI: 10.1038/s41589-020-0509-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2019] [Accepted: 02/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Growth-mediated feedback between synthetic gene circuits and host organisms leads to diverse emerged behaviors, including growth bistability and enhanced ultrasensitivity. However, the range of possible impacts of growth feedback on gene circuits remains underexplored. Here, we mathematically and experimentally demonstrated that growth feedback affects the functions of memory circuits in a network topology-dependent way. Specifically, the memory of the self-activation switch is quickly lost due to the growth-mediated dilution of the circuit products. Decoupling of growth feedback reveals its memory, manifested by its hysteresis property across a broad range of inducer concentration. On the contrary, the toggle switch is more refractory to growth-mediated dilution and can retrieve its memory after the fast-growth phase. The underlying principle lies in the different dependence of active and repressive regulations in these circuits on the growth-mediated dilution. Our results unveil the topology-dependent mechanism on how growth-mediated feedback influences the behaviors of gene circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rong Zhang
- School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Jiao Li
- School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA.,Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Juan Melendez-Alvarez
- School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Xingwen Chen
- School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Patrick Sochor
- School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Hanah Goetz
- School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Qi Zhang
- School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Tian Ding
- Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xiao Wang
- School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA.
| | - Xiao-Jun Tian
- School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA.
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Abstract
We recently developed an orthogonal replication system (OrthoRep) in yeast that allows for the rapid continuous mutagenesis of a special plasmid without mutating the genome. Although OrthoRep has been successfully applied to evolve several proteins and enzymes, the generality of OrthoRep has not yet been systematically studied. Here, we show that OrthoRep is fully compatible with all Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains tested, demonstrate that the orthogonal plasmid can encode genetic material of at least 22 kb, and report a CRISPR/Cas9-based method for expedient genetic manipulations of OrthoRep. It was previously reported that the replication system upon which OrthoRep is based is only stable in respiration-deficient S. cerevisiae strains that have lost their mitochondrial genome (ρ0 strains). However, here we trace this biological incompatibility to the activity of the dispensable toxin/antitoxin system encoded on the wild-type orthogonal plasmid. Since the toxin/antitoxin system is replaced by genes of interest in any OrthoRep application, OrthoRep is a generally compatible platform for continuous in vivo evolution in S. cerevisiae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex A. Javanpour
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, United States
| | - Chang C. Liu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, United States
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, United States
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, United States
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15
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Tan ZL, Zheng X, Wu Y, Jian X, Xing X, Zhang C. In vivo continuous evolution of metabolic pathways for chemical production. Microb Cell Fact 2019; 18:82. [PMID: 31088458 PMCID: PMC6518619 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-019-1132-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2019] [Accepted: 05/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Microorganisms have long been used as chemical plant to convert simple substrates into complex molecules. Various metabolic pathways have been optimised over the past few decades, but the progresses were limited due to our finite knowledge on metabolism. Evolution is a knowledge-free genetic randomisation approach, employed to improve the chemical production in microbial cell factories. However, evolution of large, complex pathway was a great challenge. The invention of continuous culturing systems and in vivo genetic diversification technologies have changed the way how laboratory evolution is conducted, render optimisation of large, complex pathway possible. In vivo genetic diversification, phenotypic selection, and continuous cultivation are the key elements in in vivo continuous evolution, where any human intervention in the process is prohibited. This approach is crucial in highly efficient evolution strategy of metabolic pathway evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zheng Lin Tan
- MOE Key Laboratory for Industrial Biocatalysis, Institute of Biochemical Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084 China
- School of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture, 226-8503 Japan
- Laboratory of Future Interdisciplinary Research and Science Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture, 226-8503 Japan
| | - Xiang Zheng
- MOE Key Laboratory for Industrial Biocatalysis, Institute of Biochemical Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084 China
| | - Yinan Wu
- MOE Key Laboratory for Industrial Biocatalysis, Institute of Biochemical Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084 China
| | - Xingjin Jian
- MOE Key Laboratory for Industrial Biocatalysis, Institute of Biochemical Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084 China
| | - Xinhui Xing
- MOE Key Laboratory for Industrial Biocatalysis, Institute of Biochemical Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084 China
- Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084 China
| | - Chong Zhang
- MOE Key Laboratory for Industrial Biocatalysis, Institute of Biochemical Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084 China
- Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084 China
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Yang J, Kim B, Kim GY, Jung GY, Seo SW. Synthetic biology for evolutionary engineering: from perturbation of genotype to acquisition of desired phenotype. Biotechnol Biofuels 2019; 12:113. [PMID: 31086565 PMCID: PMC6506968 DOI: 10.1186/s13068-019-1460-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2019] [Accepted: 05/02/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
With the increased attention on bio-based industry, demands for techniques that enable fast and effective strain improvement have been dramatically increased. Evolutionary engineering, which is less dependent on biological information, has been applied to strain improvement. Currently, synthetic biology has made great innovations in evolutionary engineering, particularly in the development of synthetic tools for phenotypic perturbation. Furthermore, discovering biological parts with regulatory roles and devising novel genetic circuits have promoted high-throughput screening and selection. In this review, we first briefly explain basics of synthetic biology tools for mutagenesis and screening of improved variants, and then describe how these strategies have been improved and applied to phenotypic engineering. Evolutionary engineering using advanced synthetic biology tools will enable further innovation in phenotypic engineering through the development of novel genetic parts and assembly into well-designed logic circuits that perform complex tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jina Yang
- School of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, 08826 South Korea
- Institute of Chemical Process, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, 08826 South Korea
| | - Beomhee Kim
- School of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, 08826 South Korea
| | - Gi Yeon Kim
- Interdisciplinary Program in Bioengineering, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, 08826 South Korea
| | - Gyoo Yeol Jung
- Department of Chemical Engineering and School of Interdisciplinary Bioscience and Bioengineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, 77 Cheongam-ro, Nam-gu, Pohang, Gyeongbuk 37673 South Korea
| | - Sang Woo Seo
- School of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, 08826 South Korea
- Institute of Chemical Process, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, 08826 South Korea
- Interdisciplinary Program in Bioengineering, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, 08826 South Korea
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17
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Coulther TA, Stern HR, Beuning PJ. Engineering Polymerases for New Functions. Trends Biotechnol 2019; 37:1091-103. [PMID: 31003719 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2019.03.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2018] [Revised: 03/08/2019] [Accepted: 03/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
DNA polymerases are critical tools in biotechnology, enabling efficient and accurate amplification of DNA templates, yet many desired functions are not readily available in natural DNA polymerases. New or improved functions can be engineered in DNA polymerases by mutagenesis or through the creation of protein chimeras. Engineering often necessitates the development of new techniques, such as selections in water-in-oil emulsions that connect genotype to phenotype and allow more flexibility in engineering than phage display. Engineering efforts have led to DNA polymerases that can withstand extreme conditions or the presence of inhibitors, as well as polymerases with the ability to copy modified DNA templates. In this review we discuss polymerases for biotechnology that have been reported along with tools to enable further development.
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18
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Abstract
We recently developed an orthogonal DNA replication (OrthoRep) system capable of driving the rapid continuous evolution of genes in vivo. However, OrthoRep uses a special transcription system, the components of which (e.g., promoters) have previously limited the strength with which OrthoRep-encoded genes can be expressed. Here, we report a collection of synthetic and evolved OrthoRep expression parts that allow OrthoRep-encoded genes to span expression levels matching those of endogenous Saccharomyces cerevisiae genes. Specifically, we found that various promoter mutations as well as a genetically encoded poly(A) tail enable us to tune the expression level of OrthoRep-encoded genes over a large range and up to levels 43-fold higher than were previously attained, reaching at least ∼40% of the strength of the genomic TDH3 promoter. We further show that expression level gains using our new parts are stable over passaging and consistent across multiple genes and OrthoRep systems of different mutation rates. This new set of expression parts further expands OrthoRep's applicability to the continuous in vivo evolution of proteins and pathways.
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19
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Berman CM, Papa LJ, Hendel SJ, Moore CL, Suen PH, Weickhardt AF, Doan ND, Kumar CM, Uil TG, Butty VL, Hoeben RC, Shoulders MD. An Adaptable Platform for Directed Evolution in Human Cells. J Am Chem Soc 2018; 140:18093-18103. [PMID: 30427676 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.8b10937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
The discovery and optimization of biomolecules that reliably function in metazoan cells is imperative for both the study of basic biology and the treatment of disease. We describe the development, characterization, and proof-of-concept application of a platform for directed evolution of diverse biomolecules of interest (BOIs) directly in human cells. The platform relies on a custom-designed adenovirus variant lacking multiple genes, including the essential DNA polymerase and protease genes, features that allow us to evolve BOIs encoded by genes as large as 7 kb while attaining the mutation rates and enforcing the selection pressure required for successful directed evolution. High mutagenesis rates are continuously attained by trans-complementation of a newly engineered, highly error-prone form of the adenoviral polymerase. Selection pressure that couples desired BOI functions to adenoviral propagation is achieved by linking the functionality of the encoded BOI to the production of adenoviral protease activity by the human cell. The dynamic range for directed evolution can be enhanced to several orders of magnitude via application of a small-molecule adenoviral protease inhibitor to modulate selection pressure during directed evolution experiments. This platform makes it possible, in principle, to evolve any biomolecule activity that can be coupled to adenoviral protease expression or activation by simply serially passaging adenoviral populations carrying the BOI. As proof-of-concept, we use the platform to evolve, directly in the human cell environment, several transcription factor variants that maintain high levels of function while gaining resistance to a small-molecule inhibitor. We anticipate that this platform will substantially expand the repertoire of biomolecules that can be reliably and robustly engineered for both research and therapeutic applications in metazoan systems.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Taco G Uil
- Department of Cell and Chemical Biology , Leiden University Medical Center , 2300 RC Leiden , The Netherlands
| | | | - Robert C Hoeben
- Department of Cell and Chemical Biology , Leiden University Medical Center , 2300 RC Leiden , The Netherlands
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20
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Ravikumar A, Arzumanyan GA, Obadi MKA, Javanpour AA, Liu CC. Scalable, Continuous Evolution of Genes at Mutation Rates above Genomic Error Thresholds. Cell 2018; 175:1946-1957.e13. [PMID: 30415839 PMCID: PMC6343851 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2018.10.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 134] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2018] [Revised: 08/16/2018] [Accepted: 10/04/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Directed evolution is a powerful approach for engineering biomolecules and understanding adaptation. However, experimental strategies for directed evolution are notoriously labor intensive and low throughput, limiting access to demanding functions, multiple functions in parallel, and the study of molecular evolution in replicate. We report OrthoRep, an orthogonal DNA polymerase-plasmid pair in yeast that stably mutates ∼100,000-fold faster than the host genome in vivo, exceeding the error threshold of genomic replication that causes single-generation extinction. User-defined genes in OrthoRep continuously and rapidly evolve through serial passaging, a highly straightforward and scalable process. Using OrthoRep, we evolved drug-resistant malarial dihydrofolate reductases (DHFRs) in 90 independent replicates. We uncovered a more complex fitness landscape than previously realized, including common adaptive trajectories constrained by epistasis, rare outcomes that avoid a frequent early adaptive mutation, and a suboptimal fitness peak that occasionally traps evolving populations. OrthoRep enables a new paradigm of routine, high-throughput evolution of biomolecular and cellular function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arjun Ravikumar
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Garri A Arzumanyan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Muaeen K A Obadi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Alex A Javanpour
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Chang C Liu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA.
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21
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Abstract
While several genome editing methods exist, few are suitable for the continuous evolution of targeted sequences. Here we develop bacterial retroelements known as "retrons" for the dynamic, in vivo editing and mutagenesis of targeted genes. We first optimized retrons' ability to introduce preprogrammed mutations, optimizing both their expression and the host machinery that interacts with them to increase the incorporation frequency of mutations 78-fold over rates previously reported in synthetic systems. The optimized system is capable of simultaneously overwriting 13 separate positions spanning a 31-base length, and is for the first time shown to yield targeted deletions and insertions. To engineer retrons as a tool to introduce novel, unprogrammed mutations in specific targeted regions, we expressed them under a mutagenic T7 RNA polymerase. This coupled mutagenic T7 RNA polymerase-retron system enabled the evolution of diverse variants of environmentally selected antibiotic resistance genes, producing mutation rates in the targeted region 190-fold higher than background cellular mutation rates, potentially enabling the dynamic, continuous self-evolution of selected phenotypes.
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