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Boo A, Toth T, Yu Q, Pfotenhauer A, Fields BD, Lenaghan SC, Stewart CN, Voigt CA. Synthetic microbe-to-plant communication channels. Nat Commun 2024; 15:1817. [PMID: 38418817 PMCID: PMC10901793 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45897-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Plants and microbes communicate to collaborate to stop pests, scavenge nutrients, and react to environmental change. Microbiota consisting of thousands of species interact with each other and plants using a large chemical language that is interpreted by complex regulatory networks. In this work, we develop modular interkingdom communication channels, enabling bacteria to convey environmental stimuli to plants. We introduce a "sender device" in Pseudomonas putida and Klebsiella pneumoniae, that produces the small molecule p-coumaroyl-homoserine lactone (pC-HSL) when the output of a sensor or circuit turns on. This molecule triggers a "receiver device" in the plant to activate gene expression. We validate this system in Arabidopsis thaliana and Solanum tuberosum (potato) grown hydroponically and in soil, demonstrating its modularity by swapping bacteria that process different stimuli, including IPTG, aTc and arsenic. Programmable communication channels between bacteria and plants will enable microbial sentinels to transmit information to crops and provide the building blocks for designing artificial consortia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Boo
- Department of Biological Engineering, Synthetic Biology Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Tyler Toth
- Department of Biological Engineering, Synthetic Biology Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Qiguo Yu
- Department of Biological Engineering, Synthetic Biology Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Alexander Pfotenhauer
- Center for Agricultural Synthetic Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA
| | - Brandon D Fields
- Department of Biological Engineering, Synthetic Biology Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Scott C Lenaghan
- Center for Agricultural Synthetic Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA
| | - C Neal Stewart
- Center for Agricultural Synthetic Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA
| | - Christopher A Voigt
- Department of Biological Engineering, Synthetic Biology Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.
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Hossain MJ, Bakhsh A, Joyia FA, Aksoy E, Gökçe NZÖ, Khan MS. Engineering of insecticidal hybrid gene into potato chloroplast genome exhibits promising control of Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). Transgenic Res 2023; 32:497-512. [PMID: 37707659 DOI: 10.1007/s11248-023-00366-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/15/2023]
Abstract
The potato chloroplast was transformed with codon optimized synthetic hybrid cry gene (SN19) to mitigate crop losses by Colorado potato beetle (CPB). The bombarded explants (leaves and internode) were cultured on MS medium supplemented with BAP (2.0 mg/l), NAA (0.2 mg/l), TDZ (2.0 mg/l) and GA3 (0.1 mg/l); spectinomycin 50 mg/l was used as a selection agent in the medium. Leaf explants of cultivar Kuroda induced highest percentage (92%) of callus where cultivar Santae produced the highest percentage (85.7%) of transplastomic shoots. Sante and Challenger showed 9.6% shoot regeneration efficiency followed by cultivar Simply Red (8.8%). PCR amplification yielded 16 postive transplastomic plantlets out of 21 spectinomycin resistant ones. Target gene integration was confirmed by PCR and Southern blot, whereas RT-qPCR was used to assess the expression level of transgene. The localization of visual marker gene gfp was tracked by laser scanning confocal microscopy which confirmed its expression in chloroplasts of leaf cells. The transplastomic plants ensured high mortality to both larvae and adult CPB. Foliage consumption and weight gain of CPB fed on transplastomic leaves were lower compared to the control plants. Sucessful implementation of current research findings can lead to a viable solution to CPB mediated potato losses globally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Jakir Hossain
- Department of Agricultural Genetic Engineering, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Technologies, Nigde Omer Halisdemir University, 51240, Nigde, Turkey
- Basic and Applied Research on Jute Project, Bangladesh Jute Research Institute, Dhaka, 1207, Bangladesh
| | - Allah Bakhsh
- Department of Agricultural Genetic Engineering, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Technologies, Nigde Omer Halisdemir University, 51240, Nigde, Turkey.
- Center of Excellence in Molecular Biology (CEMB), University of Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan.
| | - Faiz Ahmad Joyia
- Center of Agricultural Biochemistry and Biotechnology (CABB), University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Emre Aksoy
- Department of Biological Sciences, Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Neslihan Zahide Özturk Gökçe
- Department of Agricultural Genetic Engineering, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Technologies, Nigde Omer Halisdemir University, 51240, Nigde, Turkey
| | - Muhammad Sarwar Khan
- Center of Agricultural Biochemistry and Biotechnology (CABB), University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan
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Sarina B, Jin F, Li J. Characterization of the complete chloroplast genome of Elymus alashanicus (Keng) S. L. Chen, and its phylogenetic analysis. Mitochondrial DNA B Resour 2023; 8:1087-1091. [PMID: 37849653 PMCID: PMC10578103 DOI: 10.1080/23802359.2023.2267786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Elymus alashanicus (Keng) S. L. Chen, a herbaceous plant endemic to China, plays a crucial role in the local ecosystems. In this study, we sequenced and characterized the complete chloroplast (cp) genome of E. alashanicus, which is 135,072 bp in length and arranged in a circular form. The cp genome includes a pair of inverted repeats (IRa and IRb) of 20,813 bp each, separated by a large single-copy (LSC) region of 80,678 bp and a small single-copy (SSC) region of 12,768 bp. The cp genome contains 130 genes, including 83 protein-coding genes, 39 tRNA genes, and eight rRNA genes. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that E. alashanicus is closely related to Elymus breviaristatus and Campeiostachys dahurica var. tangutorum in current sampling. Our findings provide valuable insights into the cp genome of E. alashanicus, which could contribute to further studies on the evolution and conservation of this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bao Sarina
- College of Life Science and Technology, Inner Mongolia Normal University, Hohhot, China
| | - Feng Jin
- College of Life Science and Technology, Inner Mongolia Normal University, Hohhot, China
| | - Jinghuan Li
- College of Life Science and Technology, Inner Mongolia Normal University, Hohhot, China
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Pfotenhauer AC, Occhialini A, Harbison SA, Li L, Piatek AA, Luckett CR, Yang Y, Stewart CN, Lenaghan SC. Genome-Editing of FtsZ1 for Alteration of Starch Granule Size in Potato Tubers. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 12:plants12091878. [PMID: 37176936 PMCID: PMC10180631 DOI: 10.3390/plants12091878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Revised: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Genome-editing has enabled rapid improvement for staple food crops, such as potato, a key beneficiary of the technology. In potato, starch contained within tubers represents the primary product for use in food and non-food industries. Starch granules are produced in the plastids of tubers with plastid size correlated with the size of starch grana. The division of plastids is controlled by proteins, including the tubulin-like GTPase FtsZ1. The altered expression of FtsZ1 has been shown to disrupt plastid division, leading to the production of "macro-plastid"-containing plants. These macro-chloroplast plants are characterized by cells containing fewer and enlarged plastids. In this work, we utilize CRISPR/Cas9 to generate FtsZ1 edited potato lines to demonstrate that genome-editing can be used to increase the size of starch granules in tubers. Altered plastid morphology was comparable to the overexpression of FtsZ1 in previous work in potato and other crops. Several lines were generated with up to a 1.98-fold increase in starch granule size that was otherwise phenotypically indistinguishable from wild-type plants. Further, starch paste from one of the most promising lines showed a 2.07-fold increase in final viscosity. The advantages of enlarged starch granules and the potential of CRISPR/Cas9-based technologies for food crop improvement are further discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander C Pfotenhauer
- Center for Agricultural Synthetic Biology (CASB), University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
| | - Alessandro Occhialini
- Center for Agricultural Synthetic Biology (CASB), University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37920, USA
| | - Stacee A Harbison
- Center for Agricultural Synthetic Biology (CASB), University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
| | - Li Li
- Center for Agricultural Synthetic Biology (CASB), University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
| | - Agnieszka A Piatek
- Department of Food Science, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37920, USA
| | - Curtis R Luckett
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37920, USA
| | - Yongil Yang
- Center for Agricultural Synthetic Biology (CASB), University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
| | - C Neal Stewart
- Center for Agricultural Synthetic Biology (CASB), University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37920, USA
| | - Scott C Lenaghan
- Center for Agricultural Synthetic Biology (CASB), University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
- Department of Food Science, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37920, USA
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Occhialini A, Lenaghan SC. Plastid engineering using episomal DNA. PLANT CELL REPORTS 2023:10.1007/s00299-023-03020-x. [PMID: 37127835 DOI: 10.1007/s00299-023-03020-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
KEY MESSAGE Novel episomal systems have the potential to accelerate plastid genetic engineering for application in plant synthetic biology. Plastids represent valuable subcellular compartments for genetic engineering of plants with intrinsic advantages to engineering the nucleus. The ability to perform site-specific transgene integration by homologous recombination (HR), coordination of transgene expression in operons, and high production of heterologous proteins, all make plastids an attractive target for synthetic biology. Typically, plastid engineering is performed by homologous recombination; however, episomal-replicating vectors have the potential to accelerate the design/build/test cycles for plastid engineering. By accelerating the timeline from design to validation, it will be possible to generate translational breakthroughs in fields ranging from agriculture to biopharmaceuticals. Episomal-based plastid engineering will allow precise single step metabolic engineering in plants enabling the installation of complex synthetic circuits with the ambitious goal of reaching similar efficiency and flexibility of to the state-of-the-art genetic engineering of prokaryotic systems. The prospect to design novel episomal systems for production of transplastomic marker-free plants will also improve biosafety for eventual release in agriculture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Occhialini
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Tennessee, 112 Plant Biotechnology Building 2505 E J Chapman Drive, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA.
- Center for Agricultural Synthetic Biology (CASB), University of Tennessee, 2640 Morgan Circle Drive, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA.
| | - Scott C Lenaghan
- Center for Agricultural Synthetic Biology (CASB), University of Tennessee, 2640 Morgan Circle Drive, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA.
- Department of Food Science, University of Tennessee, 102 Food Safety and Processing Building 2600 River Dr., Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA.
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Occhialini A, Pfotenhauer AC, Li L, Harbison SA, Lail AJ, Burris JN, Piasecki C, Piatek AA, Daniell H, Stewart CN, Lenaghan SC. Mini-synplastomes for plastid genetic engineering. PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL 2022; 20:360-373. [PMID: 34585834 PMCID: PMC8753362 DOI: 10.1111/pbi.13717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2021] [Revised: 09/08/2021] [Accepted: 09/25/2021] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
In the age of synthetic biology, plastid engineering requires a nimble platform to introduce novel synthetic circuits in plants. While effective for integrating relatively small constructs into the plastome, plastid engineering via homologous recombination of transgenes is over 30 years old. Here we show the design-build-test of a novel synthetic genome structure that does not disturb the native plastome: the 'mini-synplastome'. The mini-synplastome was inspired by dinoflagellate plastome organization, which is comprised of numerous minicircles residing in the plastid instead of a single organellar genome molecule. The first mini-synplastome in plants was developed in vitro to meet the following criteria: (i) episomal replication in plastids; (ii) facile cloning; (iii) predictable transgene expression in plastids; (iv) non-integration of vector sequences into the endogenous plastome; and (v) autonomous persistence in the plant over generations in the absence of exogenous selection pressure. Mini-synplastomes are anticipated to revolutionize chloroplast biotechnology, enable facile marker-free plastid engineering, and provide an unparalleled platform for one-step metabolic engineering in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Occhialini
- Department of Food ScienceUniversity of TennesseeKnoxvilleTNUSA
- Center for Agricultural Synthetic BiologyUniversity of Tennessee Institute of AgricultureKnoxvilleTNUSA
| | - Alexander C. Pfotenhauer
- Department of Food ScienceUniversity of TennesseeKnoxvilleTNUSA
- Center for Agricultural Synthetic BiologyUniversity of Tennessee Institute of AgricultureKnoxvilleTNUSA
| | - Li Li
- Department of Food ScienceUniversity of TennesseeKnoxvilleTNUSA
- Center for Agricultural Synthetic BiologyUniversity of Tennessee Institute of AgricultureKnoxvilleTNUSA
| | - Stacee A. Harbison
- Center for Agricultural Synthetic BiologyUniversity of Tennessee Institute of AgricultureKnoxvilleTNUSA
- Department of Plant SciencesUniversity of TennesseeKnoxvilleTNUSA
| | - Andrew J. Lail
- Center for Agricultural Synthetic BiologyUniversity of Tennessee Institute of AgricultureKnoxvilleTNUSA
- Department of Plant SciencesUniversity of TennesseeKnoxvilleTNUSA
| | - Jason N. Burris
- Department of Food ScienceUniversity of TennesseeKnoxvilleTNUSA
- Center for Agricultural Synthetic BiologyUniversity of Tennessee Institute of AgricultureKnoxvilleTNUSA
| | | | | | - Henry Daniell
- Department of Basic and Translational SciencesSchool of Dental MedicineUniversity of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaPAUSA
| | - C. Neal Stewart
- Center for Agricultural Synthetic BiologyUniversity of Tennessee Institute of AgricultureKnoxvilleTNUSA
- Department of Plant SciencesUniversity of TennesseeKnoxvilleTNUSA
| | - Scott C. Lenaghan
- Department of Food ScienceUniversity of TennesseeKnoxvilleTNUSA
- Center for Agricultural Synthetic BiologyUniversity of Tennessee Institute of AgricultureKnoxvilleTNUSA
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Kumar AU, Ling APK. Gene introduction approaches in chloroplast transformation and its applications. J Genet Eng Biotechnol 2021; 19:148. [PMID: 34613540 PMCID: PMC8494830 DOI: 10.1186/s43141-021-00255-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2021] [Accepted: 09/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chloroplast is a type of plastid that is believed to be originated from ancestral cyanobacteria. Chloroplast besides being a major component for photosynthesis, also takes part in another major plant metabolism, making it one of the major components of plants. MAIN BODY Chloroplast transformation is an alternative and better genetic engineering approach compared to the nuclear transformation that has been widely applied in plant genetic engineering. Chloroplast transformation has exhibited various positive effects as compared to nuclear transformation. This is a more preferred technique by researchers. To carry out chloroplast transformation, the vector design must be performed, and a selectable marker needs to be incorporated before the chloroplast could uptake the construct. The common way of introducing a gene into the host, which is the chloroplast, involves the biolistic, PEG-mediated, carbon nanotubes carriers, UV-laser microbeam, and Agrobacterium-mediated transformation approaches. Apart from discussing the processes involved in introducing the gene into the chloroplast, this review also focuses on the various applications brought about by chloroplast transformation, particularly in the field of agriculture and environmental science. CONCLUSION Chloroplast transformation has shown a lot of advantages and proven to be a better alternative compared to nuclear genome transformation. Further studies must be conducted to uncover new knowledge regarding chloroplast transformation as well as to discover its additional applications in the fields of biotechnology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asqwin Uthaya Kumar
- Division of Applied Biomedical Sciences and Biotechnology, School of Health Sciences, International Medical University, 126 Jalan Jalil Perkasa 19, Bukit Jalil, 57000, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Anna Pick Kiong Ling
- Division of Applied Biomedical Sciences and Biotechnology, School of Health Sciences, International Medical University, 126 Jalan Jalil Perkasa 19, Bukit Jalil, 57000, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
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