1
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Doing G, Shanbhag P, Bell I, Cassidy S, Motakis E, Aiken E, Oh J, Adams MD. TEAL-Seq: targeted expression analysis sequencing. mSphere 2025; 10:e0098424. [PMID: 40261045 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00984-24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2024] [Accepted: 03/27/2025] [Indexed: 04/24/2025] Open
Abstract
Metagenome sequencing enables the genetic characterization of complex microbial communities. However, determining the activity of isolates within a community presents several challenges, including the wide range of organismal and gene expression abundances, the presence of host RNA, and low microbial biomass at many sites. To address these limitations, we developed "targeted expression analysis sequencing" or TEAL-seq, enabling sensitive species-specific analyses of gene expression using highly multiplexed custom probe pools. For proof of concept, we targeted about 1,700 core and accessory genes of Staphylococcus aureus and S. epidermidis, two key species of the skin microbiome. Two targeting methods were applied to laboratory cultures and human nasal swab specimens. Both methods showed a high degree of specificity, with >90% reads on target, even in the presence of complex microbial or human background DNA/RNA. Targeting using molecular inversion probes demonstrated excellent correlation in inferred expression levels with bulk RNA-seq. Furthermore, we show that a linear pre-amplification step to increase the number of nucleic acids for analysis yielded consistent and predictable results when applied to complex samples and enabled profiling of expression from as little as 1 ng of total RNA. TEAL-seq is much less expensive than bulk metatranscriptomic profiling, enables detection across a greater dynamic range, and uses a strategy that is readily configurable for determining the transcriptional status of organisms in any microbial community.IMPORTANCEThe gene expression patterns of bacteria in microbial communities reflect their activity and interactions with other community members. Measuring gene expression in complex microbiome contexts is challenging, however, due to the large dynamic range of microbial abundances and transcript levels. Here we describe an approach to assessing gene expression for specific species of interest using highly multiplexed pools of targeting probes. We show that an isothermal amplification step enables the profiling of low biomass samples. TEAL-seq should be widely adaptable to the study of microbial activity in natural environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgia Doing
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine Farmington, Farmington, Connecticut, USA
| | - Priya Shanbhag
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine Farmington, Farmington, Connecticut, USA
| | - Isaac Bell
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine Farmington, Farmington, Connecticut, USA
| | - Sara Cassidy
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine Farmington, Farmington, Connecticut, USA
| | - Efthymios Motakis
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine Farmington, Farmington, Connecticut, USA
| | - Elizabeth Aiken
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine Farmington, Farmington, Connecticut, USA
| | - Julia Oh
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine Farmington, Farmington, Connecticut, USA
| | - Mark D Adams
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine Farmington, Farmington, Connecticut, USA
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2
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Jiang Y, Zhang Y, Liu Y, Zhang J, Jiang M, Nong C, Chen J, Hou K, Chen Y, Wu W. Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria Are Key to Promoting the Growth and Furanocoumarin Synthesis of Angelica dahurica var. formosana under Low-Nitrogen Conditions. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2024; 72:6964-6978. [PMID: 38525888 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.3c09655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/26/2024]
Abstract
Microbiomes are the most important members involved in the regulation of soil nitrogen metabolism. Beneficial interactions between plants and microbiomes contribute to improving the nitrogen utilization efficiency. In this study, we investigated the Apiaceae medicinal plant Angelica dahurica var. formosana. We found that under a low-nitrogen treatment, the abundance of carbon metabolites in the rhizosphere secretions of A. dahurica var. formosana significantly increased, thereby promoting the ratio of C to N in rhizosphere and nonrhizosphere soils, increasing carbon sequestration, and shaping the microbial community composition, thus promoting a higher yield and furanocoumarin synthesis. Confirmation through the construction of a synthetic microbial community and feedback experiments indicated that beneficial plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria play a crucial role in improving nitrogen utilization efficiency and selectively regulating the synthesis of target furanocoumarins under low nitrogen conditions. These findings may contribute additional theoretical evidence for understanding the mechanisms of interaction between medicinal plants and rhizosphere microorganisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yijie Jiang
- College of Agronomy, Sichuan Agricultural University, Cheng, Du 611130, China
| | - Yunxin Zhang
- College of Agronomy, Sichuan Agricultural University, Cheng, Du 611130, China
| | - Yanan Liu
- College of Agronomy, Sichuan Agricultural University, Cheng, Du 611130, China
| | - Jiaheng Zhang
- College of Agronomy, Sichuan Agricultural University, Cheng, Du 611130, China
| | - Meiyan Jiang
- College of Agronomy, Sichuan Agricultural University, Cheng, Du 611130, China
| | - Changguo Nong
- College of Agronomy, Sichuan Agricultural University, Cheng, Du 611130, China
| | - Jinsong Chen
- College of Agronomy, Sichuan Agricultural University, Cheng, Du 611130, China
| | - Kai Hou
- College of Agronomy, Sichuan Agricultural University, Cheng, Du 611130, China
| | - Yinyin Chen
- College of Agronomy, Sichuan Agricultural University, Cheng, Du 611130, China
| | - Wei Wu
- College of Agronomy, Sichuan Agricultural University, Cheng, Du 611130, China
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3
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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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4
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Zeng M, Sarker B, Rondthaler SN, Vu V, Andrews LB. Identifying LasR Quorum Sensors with Improved Signal Specificity by Mapping the Sequence-Function Landscape. ACS Synth Biol 2024; 13:568-589. [PMID: 38206199 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.3c00543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
Programmable intercellular signaling using components of naturally occurring quorum sensing can allow for coordinated functions to be engineered in microbial consortia. LuxR-type transcriptional regulators are widely used for this purpose and are activated by homoserine lactone (HSL) signals. However, they often suffer from imperfect molecular discrimination of structurally similar HSLs, causing misregulation within engineered consortia containing multiple HSL signals. Here, we studied one such example, the regulator LasR from Pseudomonas aeruginosa. We elucidated its sequence-function relationship for ligand specificity using targeted protein engineering and multiplexed high-throughput biosensor screening. A pooled combinatorial saturation mutagenesis library (9,486 LasR DNA sequences) was created by mutating six residues in LasR's β5 sheet with single, double, or triple amino acid substitutions. Sort-seq assays were performed in parallel using cognate and noncognate HSLs to quantify each corresponding sensor's response to each HSL signal, which identified hundreds of highly specific variants. Sensor variants identified were individually assayed and exhibited up to 60.6-fold (p = 0.0013) improved relative activation by the cognate signal compared to the wildtype. Interestingly, we uncovered prevalent mutational epistasis and previously unidentified residues contributing to signal specificity. The resulting sensors with negligible signal crosstalk could be broadly applied to engineer bacteria consortia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Zeng
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, United States
| | - Biprodev Sarker
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, United States
| | - Stephen N Rondthaler
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, United States
| | - Vanessa Vu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, United States
| | - Lauren B Andrews
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, United States
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, United States
- Biotechnology Training Program, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, United States
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5
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Zeng M, Sarker B, Howitz N, Shah I, Andrews LB. Synthetic Homoserine Lactone Sensors for Gram-Positive Bacillus subtilis Using LuxR-Type Regulators. ACS Synth Biol 2024; 13:282-299. [PMID: 38079538 PMCID: PMC10805106 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.3c00504] [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: 08/18/2023] [Revised: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
A universal biochemical signal for bacterial cell-cell communication could facilitate programming dynamic responses in diverse bacterial consortia. However, the classical quorum sensing paradigm is that Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria generally communicate via homoserine lactones (HSLs) or oligopeptide molecular signals, respectively, to elicit population responses. Here, we create synthetic HSL sensors for Gram-positive Bacillus subtilis 168 using allosteric LuxR-type regulators (RpaR, LuxR, RhlR, and CinR) and synthetic promoters. Promoters were combinatorially designed from different sequence elements (-35, -16, -10, and transcriptional start regions). We quantified the effects of these combinatorial promoters on sensor activity and determined how regulator expression affects its activation, achieving up to 293-fold activation. Using the statistical design of experiments, we identified significant effects of promoter regions and pairwise interactions on sensor activity, which helped to understand the sequence-function relationships for synthetic promoter design. We present the first known set of functional HSL sensors (≥20-fold dynamic range) in B. subtilis for four different HSL chemical signals: p-coumaroyl-HSL, 3-oxohexanoyl-HSL, n-butyryl-HSL, and n-(3-hydroxytetradecanoyl)-HSL. This set of synthetic HSL sensors for a Gram-positive bacterium can pave the way for designable interspecies communication within microbial consortia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Zeng
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts
Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, United States
| | - Biprodev Sarker
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts
Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, United States
| | - Nathaniel Howitz
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts
Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, United States
| | - Ishita Shah
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts
Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, United States
| | - Lauren B. Andrews
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts
Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, United States
- Molecular
and Cellular Biology Graduate Program, University
of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, United States
- Biotechnology
Training Program, University of Massachusetts
Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, United States
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6
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Plante M. Epistemology of synthetic biology: a new theoretical framework based on its potential objects and objectives. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2023; 11:1266298. [PMID: 38053845 PMCID: PMC10694798 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1266298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Synthetic biology is a new research field which attempts to understand, modify, and create new biological entities by adopting a modular and systemic conception of the living organisms. The development of synthetic biology has generated a pluralism of different approaches, bringing together a set of heterogeneous practices and conceptualizations from various disciplines, which can lead to confusion within the synthetic biology community as well as with other biological disciplines. I present in this manuscript an epistemological analysis of synthetic biology in order to better define this new discipline in terms of objects of study and specific objectives. First, I present and analyze the principal research projects developed at the foundation of synthetic biology, in order to establish an overview of the practices in this new emerging discipline. Then, I analyze an important scientometric study on synthetic biology to complete this overview. Afterwards, considering this analysis, I suggest a three-level classification of the object of study for synthetic biology (which are different kinds of living entities that can be built in the laboratory), based on three successive criteria: structural hierarchy, structural origin, functional origin. Finally, I propose three successively linked objectives in which synthetic biology can contribute (where the achievement of one objective led to the development of the other): interdisciplinarity collaboration (between natural, artificial, and theoretical sciences), knowledge of natural living entities (past, present, future, and alternative), pragmatic definition of the concept of "living" (that can be used by biologists in different contexts). Considering this new theoretical framework, based on its potential objects and objectives, I take the position that synthetic biology has not only the potential to develop its own new approach (which includes methods, objects, and objectives), distinct from other subdisciplines in biology, but also the ability to develop new knowledge on living entities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mirco Plante
- Collège Montmorency, Laval, QC, Canada
- Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université du Québec, Laval, QC, Canada
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7
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Ricci-Tam C, Kuipa S, Kostman MP, Aronson MS, Sgro AE. Microbial models of development: Inspiration for engineering self-assembled synthetic multicellularity. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2023; 141:50-62. [PMID: 35537929 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2022.04.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
While the field of synthetic developmental biology has traditionally focused on the study of the rich developmental processes seen in metazoan systems, an attractive alternate source of inspiration comes from microbial developmental models. Microbes face unique lifestyle challenges when forming emergent multicellular collectives. As a result, the solutions they employ can inspire the design of novel multicellular systems. In this review, we dissect the strategies employed in multicellular development by two model microbial systems: the cellular slime mold Dictyostelium discoideum and the biofilm-forming bacterium Bacillus subtilis. Both microbes face similar challenges but often have different solutions, both from metazoan systems and from each other, to create emergent multicellularity. These challenges include assembling and sustaining a critical mass of participating individuals to support development, regulating entry into development, and assigning cell fates. The mechanisms these microbial systems exploit to robustly coordinate development under a wide range of conditions offer inspiration for a new toolbox of solutions to the synthetic development community. Additionally, recreating these phenomena synthetically offers a pathway to understanding the key principles underlying how these behaviors are coordinated naturally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Ricci-Tam
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Biological Design Center, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Sophia Kuipa
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Biological Design Center, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Maya Peters Kostman
- Biological Design Center, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Molecular Biology, Cell Biology & Biochemistry Program, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Mark S Aronson
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Biological Design Center, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Allyson E Sgro
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Biological Design Center, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Molecular Biology, Cell Biology & Biochemistry Program, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
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8
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Luo J, Chen J, Huang Y, You L, Dai Z. Engineering living materials by synthetic biology. BIOPHYSICS REVIEWS 2023; 4:011305. [PMID: 38505813 PMCID: PMC10903423 DOI: 10.1063/5.0115645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 03/21/2024]
Abstract
Natural biological materials are programmed by genetic information and able to self-organize, respond to environmental stimulus, and couple with inorganic matter. Inspired by the natural system and to mimic their complex and delicate fabrication process and functions, the field of engineered living materials emerges at the interface of synthetic biology and materials science. Here, we review the recent efforts and discuss the challenges and future opportunities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiren Luo
- Materials Synthetic Biology Center, CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Jiangfeng Chen
- Materials Synthetic Biology Center, CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Yaoge Huang
- Materials Synthetic Biology Center, CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Lingchong You
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, 27708, USA
| | - Zhuojun Dai
- Materials Synthetic Biology Center, CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
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9
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Rojas V, Larrondo LF. Coupling Cell Communication and Optogenetics: Implementation of a Light-Inducible Intercellular System in Yeast. ACS Synth Biol 2023; 12:71-82. [PMID: 36534043 PMCID: PMC9872819 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.2c00338] [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: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Cell communication is a widespread mechanism in biology, allowing the transmission of information about environmental conditions. In order to understand how cell communication modulates relevant biological processes such as survival, division, differentiation, and apoptosis, different synthetic systems based on chemical induction have been successfully developed. In this work, we coupled cell communication and optogenetics in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Our approach is based on two strains connected by the light-dependent production of α-factor pheromone in one cell type, which induces gene expression in the other type. After the individual characterization of the different variants of both strains, the optogenetic intercellular system was evaluated by combining the cells under contrasting illumination conditions. Using luciferase as a reporter gene, specific co-cultures at a 1:1 ratio displayed activation of the response upon constant blue light, which was not observed for the same cell mixtures grown in darkness. Then, the system was assessed at several dark/blue-light transitions, where the response level varies depending on the moment in which illumination was delivered. Furthermore, we observed that the amplitude of response can be tuned by modifying the initial ratio between both strains. Finally, the two-population system showed higher fold inductions in comparison with autonomous strains. Altogether, these results demonstrated that external light information is propagated through a diffusible signaling molecule to modulate gene expression in a synthetic system involving microbial cells, which will pave the road for studies allowing optogenetic control of population-level dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vicente Rojas
- Departamento
de Genética Molecular y Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias
Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad
Católica de Chile, Santiago 8331150, Chile
- Millennium
Institute for Integrative Biology (iBio), Santiago 8331150, Chile
| | - Luis F. Larrondo
- Departamento
de Genética Molecular y Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias
Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad
Católica de Chile, Santiago 8331150, Chile
- Millennium
Institute for Integrative Biology (iBio), Santiago 8331150, Chile
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10
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Puri D, Fang X, Allison KR. Evidence of a possible multicellular life cycle in Escherichia coli. iScience 2022; 26:105795. [PMID: 36594031 PMCID: PMC9804144 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.105795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2022] [Revised: 10/07/2022] [Accepted: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Biofilms are surface-attached multicellular microbial communities. Their genetics have been extensively studied, but the cell-scale morphogenetic events of their formation are largely unknown. Here, we recorded the entirety of morphogenesis in Escherichia coli, and discovered a previously unknown multicellular self-assembly process. Unattached, single-cells formed 4-cell rosettes which grew into constant-width chains. After ∼10 cell generations, these multicellular chains attached to surfaces and stopped growing. Chains remained clonal throughout morphogenesis. We showed that this process generates biofilms, which we found are composed of attached clonal chains, aligned in parallel. We investigated genetics of chain morphogenesis: Ag43 facilitates rosette formation and clonality; type-1 fimbriae and curli promote stability and configuration; and extracellular polysaccharide production facilitates attachment. Our study establishes that E. coli, a unicellular organism, can follow a multistage, clonal, genetically-regulated, rosette-initiated multicellular life cycle. These findings have implications for synthetic biology, multicellular development, and the treatment and prevention of bacterial diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Devina Puri
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Emory University and Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Xin Fang
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Emory University and Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Kyle R. Allison
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Emory University and Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA,Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA,Corresponding author
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11
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Plant growth promotion of pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum L.) by novel bacterial consortium with multifunctional attributes. Biologia (Bratisl) 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s11756-022-01291-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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12
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Yin H, Chen Y, Feng Y, Feng L, Yu Q. Synthetic physical contact-remodeled rhizosphere microbiome for enhanced phytoremediation. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2022; 433:128828. [PMID: 35395523 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.128828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2022] [Revised: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Phytoremediation is a prevalent strategy to treat environmental pollution caused by heavy metals and eutrophication-related pollutants. Although rhizosphere microbiome is critical for phytoremediation, it remains a great challenge to artificially remodel rhizosphere microbiome for enhancing multiple pollutant treatment. In this study, we designed a synthetic bacterium to strengthen physical contact between natural microbes and plant roots for remodeling the Eichhornia crassipes rhizosphere microbiome during phytoremediation. The synthetic bacterium EcCMC was constructed by introducing a surface-displayed synthetic protein CMC composed of two glucan-binding domains separated by the sequence of the fluorescent protein mCherry. This synthetic bacterium strongly bound glucans and recruited natural glucan-producing bacterial and fungal cells. Microbiome and metabolomic analysis revealed that EcCMC remarkably remodeled rhizosphere microbiome and increased stress response-related metabolites, leading to the increased activity of antioxidant enzymes involved in stress resistance. The remodeled microbiome further promoted plant growth, and enhanced accumulation of multiple pollutants into the plants, with the removal efficiency of the heavy metal cadmium, total organic matters, total nitrogen, total potassium, and total phosphorus reaching up to 98%, 80%, 97%, 93%, and 90%, respectively. This study sheds a novel light on remodeling of rhizosphere microbiome for enhanced phytoremediation of water and soil systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongda Yin
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology, Ministry of Education, Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, PR China
| | - Yuqiao Chen
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology, Ministry of Education, Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, PR China
| | - Yuming Feng
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology, Ministry of Education, Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, PR China
| | - Lian Feng
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology, Ministry of Education, Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, PR China
| | - Qilin Yu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology, Ministry of Education, Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, PR China.
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13
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Wang L, Zhang X, Tang C, Li P, Zhu R, Sun J, Zhang Y, Cui H, Ma J, Song X, Zhang W, Gao X, Luo X, You L, Chen Y, Dai Z. Engineering consortia by polymeric microbial swarmbots. Nat Commun 2022; 13:3879. [PMID: 35790722 PMCID: PMC9256712 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-31467-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 06/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Synthetic microbial consortia represent a new frontier for synthetic biology given that they can solve more complex problems than monocultures. However, most attempts to co-cultivate these artificial communities fail because of the winner-takes-all in nutrients competition. In soil, multiple species can coexist with a spatial organization. Inspired by nature, here we show that an engineered spatial segregation method can assemble stable consortia with both flexibility and precision. We create microbial swarmbot consortia (MSBC) by encapsulating subpopulations with polymeric microcapsules. The crosslinked structure of microcapsules fences microbes, but allows the transport of small molecules and proteins. MSBC method enables the assembly of various synthetic communities and the precise control over the subpopulations. These capabilities can readily modulate the division of labor and communication. Our work integrates the synthetic biology and material science to offer insights into consortia assembly and serve as foundation to diverse applications from biomanufacturing to engineered photosynthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Center for Materials Synthetic Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Xi Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Center for Materials Synthetic Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Chenwang Tang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Center for Materials Synthetic Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Pengcheng Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Center for Materials Synthetic Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Runtao Zhu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Center for Materials Synthetic Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Jing Sun
- Soft Bio-interface Electronics Lab, Center of Neural Engineering, CAS Key Laboratory of Human-Machine Intelligence-Synergy Systems, Shenzhen Institute of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics for Society, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Yunfeng Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Center for Materials Synthetic Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Hua Cui
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Center for Materials Synthetic Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Jiajia Ma
- Laboratory of Synthetic Microbiology, School of Chemical Engineering & Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Xinyu Song
- Laboratory of Synthetic Microbiology, School of Chemical Engineering & Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Weiwen Zhang
- Laboratory of Synthetic Microbiology, School of Chemical Engineering & Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Xiang Gao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Center for Materials Synthetic Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Xiaozhou Luo
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Center for Materials Synthetic Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Lingchong You
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
| | - Ye Chen
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Center for Materials Synthetic Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Zhuojun Dai
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Center for Materials Synthetic Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
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14
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Climate-Resilient Microbial Biotechnology: A Perspective on Sustainable Agriculture. SUSTAINABILITY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/su14095574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
We designed this review to describe a compilation of studies to enlighten the concepts of plant–microbe interactions, adopted protocols in smart crop farming, and biodiversity to reaffirm sustainable agriculture. The ever-increasing use of agrochemicals to boost crop production has created health hazards to humans and the environment. Microbes can bring up the hidden strength of plants, augmenting disease resistance and yield, hereafter, crops could be grown without chemicals by harnessing microbes that live in/on plants and soil. This review summarizes an understanding of the functions and importance of indigenous microbial communities; host–microbial and microbial–microbial interactions; simplified experimentally controlled synthetic flora used to perform targeted operations; maintaining the molecular mechanisms; and microbial agent application technology. It also analyzes existing problems and forecasts prospects. The real advancement of microbiome engineering requires a large number of cycles to obtain the necessary ecological principles, precise manipulation of the microbiome, and predictable results. To advance this approach, interdisciplinary collaboration in the areas of experimentation, computation, automation, and applications is required. The road to microbiome engineering seems to be long; however, research and biotechnology provide a promising approach for proceeding with microbial engineering and address persistent social and environmental issues.
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15
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Beal J, Teague B, Sexton JT, Castillo-Hair S, DeLateur NA, Samineni M, Tabor JJ, Weiss R. Meeting Measurement Precision Requirements for Effective Engineering of Genetic Regulatory Networks. ACS Synth Biol 2022; 11:1196-1207. [PMID: 35156365 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.1c00488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Reliable, predictable engineering of cellular behavior is one of the key goals of synthetic biology. As the field matures, biological engineers will become increasingly reliant on computer models that allow for the rapid exploration of design space prior to the more costly construction and characterization of candidate designs. The efficacy of such models, however, depends on the accuracy of their predictions, the precision of the measurements used to parametrize the models, and the tolerance of biological devices for imperfections in modeling and measurement. To better understand this relationship, we have derived an Engineering Error Inequality that provides a quantitative mathematical bound on the relationship between predictability of results, model accuracy, measurement precision, and device characteristics. We apply this relation to estimate measurement precision requirements for engineering genetic regulatory networks given current model and device characteristics, recommending a target standard deviation of 1.5-fold. We then compare these requirements with the results of an interlaboratory study to validate that these requirements can be met via flow cytometry with matched instrument channels and an independent calibrant. On the basis of these results, we recommend a set of best practices for quality control of flow cytometry data and discuss how these might be extended to other measurement modalities and applied to support further development of genetic regulatory network engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob Beal
- Raytheon BBN Technologies, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, United States
| | - Brian Teague
- Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - John T. Sexton
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | | | - Nicholas A. DeLateur
- Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Meher Samineni
- Raytheon BBN Technologies, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, United States
| | - Jeffrey J. Tabor
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Ron Weiss
- Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
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16
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Chitlapilly Dass S, Wang R. Biofilm through the Looking Glass: A Microbial Food Safety Perspective. Pathogens 2022; 11:346. [PMID: 35335670 PMCID: PMC8954374 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11030346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Revised: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/10/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Food-processing facilities harbor a wide diversity of microorganisms that persist and interact in multispecies biofilms, which could provide an ecological niche for pathogens to better colonize and gain tolerance against sanitization. Biofilm formation by foodborne pathogens is a serious threat to food safety and public health. Biofilms are formed in an environment through synergistic interactions within the microbial community through mutual adaptive response to their long-term coexistence. Mixed-species biofilms are more tolerant to sanitizers than single-species biofilms or their planktonic equivalents. Hence, there is a need to explore how multispecies biofilms help in protecting the foodborne pathogen from common sanitizers and disseminate biofilm cells from hotspots and contaminate food products. This knowledge will help in designing microbial interventions to mitigate foodborne pathogens in the processing environment. As the global need for safe, high-quality, and nutritious food increases, it is vital to study foodborne pathogen behavior and engineer new interventions that safeguard food from contamination with pathogens. This review focuses on the potential food safety issues associated with biofilms in the food-processing environment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rong Wang
- Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Clay Center, NE 68933, USA;
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17
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Jiang W, Yang X, Gu F, Li X, Wang S, Luo Y, Qi Q, Liang Q. Construction of Synthetic Microbial Ecosystems and the Regulation of Population Proportion. ACS Synth Biol 2022; 11:538-546. [PMID: 35044170 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.1c00354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
With the development of synthetic biology, the design and application of microbial consortia have received increasing attention. However, the construction of synthetic ecosystems is still hampered by our limited ability to rapidly develop microbial consortia with the required dynamics and functions. By using modular design, we constructed synthetic competitive and symbiotic ecosystems with Escherichia coli. Two ecological relationships were realized by reconfiguring the layout between the communication and effect modules. Furthermore, we designed inducible synthetic ecosystems to regulate subpopulation ratios. With the addition of different inducers, a wide range of strain ratios between subpopulations was achieved. These inducible synthetic ecosystems enabled a larger volume of population regulation and simplified culture conditions. The synthetic ecosystems we constructed combined both basic and applied functionalities and expanded the toolkit of synthetic biology research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266000, China
| | - Xiaoya Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266000, China
| | - Fei Gu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266000, China
| | - Xiaomeng Li
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266000, China
| | - Sumeng Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266000, China
| | - Yue Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266000, China
| | - Qingsheng Qi
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266000, China
| | - Quanfeng Liang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266000, China
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18
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Lin L. Bottom-up synthetic ecology study of microbial consortia to enhance lignocellulose bioconversion. BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR BIOFUELS AND BIOPRODUCTS 2022; 15:14. [PMID: 35418100 PMCID: PMC8822760 DOI: 10.1186/s13068-022-02113-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Lignocellulose is the most abundant organic carbon polymer on the earth. Its decomposition and conversion greatly impact the global carbon cycle. Furthermore, it provides feedstock for sustainable fuel and other value-added products. However, it continues to be underutilized, due to its highly recalcitrant and heterogeneric structure. Microorganisms, which have evolved versatile pathways to convert lignocellulose, undoubtedly are at the heart of lignocellulose conversion. Numerous studies that have reported successful metabolic engineering of individual strains to improve biological lignin valorization. Meanwhile, the bottleneck of single strain modification is becoming increasingly urgent in the conversion of complex substrates. Alternatively, increased attention has been paid to microbial consortia, as they show advantages over pure cultures, e.g., high efficiency and robustness. Here, we first review recent developments in microbial communities for lignocellulose bioconversion. Furthermore, the emerging area of synthetic ecology, which is an integration of synthetic biology, ecology, and computational biology, provides an opportunity for the bottom-up construction of microbial consortia. Then, we review different modes of microbial interaction and their molecular mechanisms, and discuss considerations of how to employ these interactions to construct synthetic consortia via synthetic ecology, as well as highlight emerging trends in engineering microbial communities for lignocellulose bioconversion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Lin
- Institute of Marine Science and Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237, Shandong, China.
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19
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TANABE S, ITAGAKI S, SUEKUNI S, SHIIGI H. Development of an Electrochemical Evaluation for the Respiration of Escherichia coli. BUNSEKI KAGAKU 2021. [DOI: 10.2116/bunsekikagaku.70.715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- So TANABE
- Department of Applied Chemistry, Osaka Prefecture University
| | | | - Satoshi SUEKUNI
- Department of Applied Chemistry, Osaka Prefecture University
| | - Hiroshi SHIIGI
- Department of Applied Chemistry, Osaka Prefecture University
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20
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Duncker KE, Holmes ZA, You L. Engineered microbial consortia: strategies and applications. Microb Cell Fact 2021; 20:211. [PMID: 34784924 PMCID: PMC8597270 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-021-01699-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2021] [Accepted: 10/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Many applications of microbial synthetic biology, such as metabolic engineering and biocomputing, are increasing in design complexity. Implementing complex tasks in single populations can be a challenge because large genetic circuits can be burdensome and difficult to optimize. To overcome these limitations, microbial consortia can be engineered to distribute complex tasks among multiple populations. Recent studies have made substantial progress in programming microbial consortia for both basic understanding and potential applications. Microbial consortia have been designed through diverse strategies, including programming mutualistic interactions, using programmed population control to prevent overgrowth of individual populations, and spatial segregation to reduce competition. Here, we highlight the role of microbial consortia in the advances of metabolic engineering, biofilm production for engineered living materials, biocomputing, and biosensing. Additionally, we discuss the challenges for future research in microbial consortia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine E Duncker
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27705, USA
| | - Zachary A Holmes
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27705, USA
| | - Lingchong You
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27705, USA.
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21
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Moškon M, Komac R, Zimic N, Mraz M. Distributed biological computation: from oscillators, logic gates and switches to a multicellular processor and neural computing applications. Neural Comput Appl 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s00521-021-05711-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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22
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Grandel NE, Reyes Gamas K, Bennett MR. Control of synthetic microbial consortia in time, space, and composition. Trends Microbiol 2021; 29:1095-1105. [PMID: 33966922 DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2021.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2021] [Revised: 04/02/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
While synthetic microbial systems are becoming increasingly complicated, single-strain systems cannot match the complexity of their multicellular counterparts. Such complexity, however, is much more difficult to control. Recent advances have increased our ability to control temporal, spatial, and community compositional organization, including modular adhesive systems, strain growth relationships, and asymmetric cell division. While these systems generally work independently, combining them into unified systems has proven difficult. Once such unification is proven successful we will unlock a new frontier of synthetic biology and open the door to the creation of synthetic biological systems with true multicellularity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas E Grandel
- Graduate Program in Systems, Synthetic, and Physical Biology, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Kiara Reyes Gamas
- Graduate Program in Systems, Synthetic, and Physical Biology, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Matthew R Bennett
- Department of Biosciences, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA; Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA.
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23
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van Gestel J, Bareia T, Tenennbaum B, Dal Co A, Guler P, Aframian N, Puyesky S, Grinberg I, D’Souza GG, Erez Z, Ackermann M, Eldar A. Short-range quorum sensing controls horizontal gene transfer at micron scale in bacterial communities. Nat Commun 2021; 12:2324. [PMID: 33875666 PMCID: PMC8055654 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-22649-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2020] [Accepted: 03/17/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
In bacterial communities, cells often communicate by the release and detection of small diffusible molecules, a process termed quorum-sensing. Signal molecules are thought to broadly diffuse in space; however, they often regulate traits such as conjugative transfer that strictly depend on the local community composition. This raises the question how nearby cells within the community can be detected. Here, we compare the range of communication of different quorum-sensing systems. While some systems support long-range communication, we show that others support a form of highly localized communication. In these systems, signal molecules propagate no more than a few microns away from signaling cells, due to the irreversible uptake of the signal molecules from the environment. This enables cells to accurately detect micron scale changes in the community composition. Several mobile genetic elements, including conjugative elements and phages, employ short-range communication to assess the fraction of susceptible host cells in their vicinity and adaptively trigger horizontal gene transfer in response. Our results underscore the complex spatial biology of bacteria, which can communicate and interact at widely different spatial scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordi van Gestel
- grid.5801.c0000 0001 2156 2780Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland ,grid.418656.80000 0001 1551 0562Department of Environmental Microbiology, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag), Dübendorf, Switzerland ,grid.7400.30000 0004 1937 0650Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland ,grid.419765.80000 0001 2223 3006Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland ,grid.266102.10000 0001 2297 6811Present Address: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA USA
| | - Tasneem Bareia
- grid.12136.370000 0004 1937 0546The Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Bar Tenennbaum
- grid.12136.370000 0004 1937 0546The Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Alma Dal Co
- grid.5801.c0000 0001 2156 2780Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland ,grid.418656.80000 0001 1551 0562Department of Environmental Microbiology, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag), Dübendorf, Switzerland ,grid.38142.3c000000041936754XSchool of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA USA
| | - Polina Guler
- grid.12136.370000 0004 1937 0546The Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Nitzan Aframian
- grid.12136.370000 0004 1937 0546The Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Shani Puyesky
- grid.12136.370000 0004 1937 0546The Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Ilana Grinberg
- grid.12136.370000 0004 1937 0546The Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Glen G. D’Souza
- grid.5801.c0000 0001 2156 2780Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland ,grid.418656.80000 0001 1551 0562Department of Environmental Microbiology, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag), Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - Zohar Erez
- grid.13992.300000 0004 0604 7563Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Martin Ackermann
- grid.5801.c0000 0001 2156 2780Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland ,grid.418656.80000 0001 1551 0562Department of Environmental Microbiology, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag), Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - Avigdor Eldar
- grid.12136.370000 0004 1937 0546The Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
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24
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Bhatt P, Bhatt K, Sharma A, Zhang W, Mishra S, Chen S. Biotechnological basis of microbial consortia for the removal of pesticides from the environment. Crit Rev Biotechnol 2021; 41:317-338. [PMID: 33730938 DOI: 10.1080/07388551.2020.1853032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
The application of microbial strains as axenic cultures has frequently been employed in a diverse range of sectors. In the natural environment, microbes exist as multispecies and perform better than monocultures. Cell signaling and communication pathways play a key role in engineering microbial consortia, because in a consortium, the microorganisms communicate via diffusible signal molecules. Mixed microbial cultures have gained little attention due to the lack of proper knowledge about their interactions with each other. Some ideas have been proposed to deal with and study various microbes when they live together as a community, for biotechnological application purposes. In natural environments, microbes can possess unique metabolic features. Therefore, microbial consortia divide the metabolic burden among strains in the group and robustly perform pesticide degradation. Synthetic microbial consortia can perform the desired functions at naturally contaminated sites. Therefore, in this article, special attention is paid to the microbial consortia and their function in the natural environment. This review comprehensively discusses the recent applications of microbial consortia in pesticide degradation and environmental bioremediation. Moreover, the future directions of synthetic consortia have been explored. The review also explores the future perspectives and new platforms for these approaches, besides highlighting the practical understanding of the scientific information behind consortia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pankaj Bhatt
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-bioresources, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Signals and Disease Control, Integrative Microbiology Research Centre, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China.,Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangzhou, China
| | - Kalpana Bhatt
- Department of Botany and Microbiology, Gurukula Kangri University, Haridwar, Uttarakhand, India
| | - Anita Sharma
- Department of Microbiology, G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar, Uttarakhand, India
| | - Wenping Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-bioresources, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Signals and Disease Control, Integrative Microbiology Research Centre, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China.,Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangzhou, China
| | - Sandhya Mishra
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-bioresources, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Signals and Disease Control, Integrative Microbiology Research Centre, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China.,Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shaohua Chen
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-bioresources, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Signals and Disease Control, Integrative Microbiology Research Centre, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China.,Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangzhou, China
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25
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A peek in the micro-sized world: a review of design principles, engineering tools, and applications of engineered microbial community. Biochem Soc Trans 2021; 48:399-409. [PMID: 32159213 DOI: 10.1042/bst20190172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2019] [Revised: 02/09/2020] [Accepted: 02/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Microbial communities drive diverse processes that impact nearly everything on this planet, from global biogeochemical cycles to human health. Harnessing the power of these microorganisms could provide solutions to many of the challenges that face society. However, naturally occurring microbial communities are not optimized for anthropogenic use. An emerging area of research is focusing on engineering synthetic microbial communities to carry out predefined functions. Microbial community engineers are applying design principles like top-down and bottom-up approaches to create synthetic microbial communities having a myriad of real-life applications in health care, disease prevention, and environmental remediation. Multiple genetic engineering tools and delivery approaches can be used to 'knock-in' new gene functions into microbial communities. A systematic study of the microbial interactions, community assembling principles, and engineering tools are necessary for us to understand the microbial community and to better utilize them. Continued analysis and effort are required to further the current and potential applications of synthetic microbial communities.
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26
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Dieterle PB, Min J, Irimia D, Amir A. Dynamics of diffusive cell signaling relays. eLife 2020; 9:61771. [PMID: 33275097 PMCID: PMC7781602 DOI: 10.7554/elife.61771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2020] [Accepted: 12/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
In biological contexts as diverse as development, apoptosis, and synthetic microbial consortia, collections of cells or subcellular components have been shown to overcome the slow signaling speed of simple diffusion by utilizing diffusive relays, in which the presence of one type of diffusible signaling molecule triggers participation in the emission of the same type of molecule. This collective effect gives rise to fast-traveling diffusive waves. Here, in the context of cell signaling, we show that system dimensionality – the shape of the extracellular medium and the distribution of cells within it – can dramatically affect the wave dynamics, but that these dynamics are insensitive to details of cellular activation. As an example, we show that neutrophil swarming experiments exhibit dynamical signatures consistent with the proposed signaling motif. We further show that cell signaling relays generate much steeper concentration profiles than does simple diffusion, which may facilitate neutrophil chemotaxis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul B Dieterle
- Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States
| | - Jiseon Min
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States
| | - Daniel Irimia
- BioMEMS Resource Center and Center for Surgery, Innovation and Bioengineering, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, United States
| | - Ariel Amir
- John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States
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27
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Stephens K, Bentley WE. Synthetic Biology for Manipulating Quorum Sensing in Microbial Consortia. Trends Microbiol 2020; 28:633-643. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2020.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2020] [Accepted: 03/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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28
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Sexton JT, Tabor JJ. Multiplexing cell-cell communication. Mol Syst Biol 2020; 16:e9618. [PMID: 32672881 PMCID: PMC7365139 DOI: 10.15252/msb.20209618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2020] [Revised: 06/02/2020] [Accepted: 06/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The engineering of advanced multicellular behaviors, such as the programmed growth of biofilms or tissues, requires cells to communicate multiple aspects of physiological information. Unfortunately, few cell-cell communication systems have been developed for synthetic biology. Here, we engineer a genetically encoded channel selector device that enables a single communication system to transmit two separate intercellular conversations. Our design comprises multiplexer and demultiplexer sub-circuits constructed from a total of 12 CRISPRi-based transcriptional logic gates, an acyl homoserine lactone-based communication module, and three inducible promoters that enable small molecule control over the conversations. Experimentally parameterized mathematical models of the sub-components predict the steady state and dynamical performance of the full system. Multiplexed cell-cell communication has applications in synthetic development, metabolic engineering, and other areas requiring the coordination of multiple pathways among a community of cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- John T Sexton
- Department of BioengineeringRice UniversityHoustonTXUSA
| | - Jeffrey J Tabor
- Department of BioengineeringRice UniversityHoustonTXUSA
- Department of BioSciencesRice UniversityHoustonTXUSA
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29
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Wang S, Payne GF, Bentley WE. Quorum Sensing Communication: Molecularly Connecting Cells, Their Neighbors, and Even Devices. Annu Rev Chem Biomol Eng 2020; 11:447-468. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-chembioeng-101519-124728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Quorum sensing (QS) is a molecular signaling modality that mediates molecular-based cell–cell communication. Prevalent in nature, QS networks provide bacteria with a method to gather information from the environment and make decisions based on the intel. With its ability to autonomously facilitate both inter- and intraspecies gene regulation, this process can be rewired to enable autonomously actuated, but molecularly programmed, genetic control. On the one hand, novel QS-based genetic circuits endow cells with smart functions that can be used in many fields of engineering, and on the other, repurposed QS circuitry promotes communication and aids in the development of synthetic microbial consortia. Furthermore, engineered QS systems can probe and intervene in interkingdom signaling between bacteria and their hosts. Lastly, QS is demonstrated to establish conversation with abiotic materials, especially by taking advantage of biological and even electronically induced assembly processes; such QS-incorporated biohybrid devices offer innovative ways to program cell behavior and biological function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sally Wang
- Fischell Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA
- Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research, University of Maryland, Rockville, Maryland 20850, USA
- Robert E. Fischell Institute for Biomedical Devices, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA
| | - Gregory F. Payne
- Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research, University of Maryland, Rockville, Maryland 20850, USA
- Robert E. Fischell Institute for Biomedical Devices, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA
| | - William E. Bentley
- Fischell Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA
- Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research, University of Maryland, Rockville, Maryland 20850, USA
- Robert E. Fischell Institute for Biomedical Devices, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA
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30
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Kim JK, Chen Y, Hirning AJ, Alnahhas RN, Josić K, Bennett MR. Long-range temporal coordination of gene expression in synthetic microbial consortia. Nat Chem Biol 2019; 15:1102-1109. [PMID: 31611703 PMCID: PMC6858561 DOI: 10.1038/s41589-019-0372-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2018] [Revised: 08/01/2019] [Accepted: 08/29/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Synthetic microbial consortia have an advantage over isogenic synthetic microbes because they can apportion biochemical and regulatory tasks among the strains. However, it is difficult to coordinate gene expression in spatially extended consortia because the range of signaling molecules is limited by diffusion. Here, we show that spatio-temporal coordination of gene expression can be achieved even when the spatial extent of the consortium is much greater than the diffusion distance of the signaling molecules. To do this, we examined the dynamics of a two-strain synthetic microbial consortium that generates coherent oscillations in small colonies. In large colonies, we find that temporally coordinated oscillations across the population depend on the presence of an intrinsic positive feedback loop that amplifies and propagates intercellular signals. These results demonstrate that synthetic multicellular systems can be engineered to exhibit coordinated gene expression using only transient, short-range coupling among constituent cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jae Kyoung Kim
- Department of Mathematics, Korean Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, South Korea.
| | - Ye Chen
- Department of Biosciences, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | | | - Krešimir Josić
- Department of Biosciences, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA.
- Department of Mathematics, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA.
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA.
| | - Matthew R Bennett
- Department of Biosciences, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA.
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA.
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31
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Charlton SGV, White MA, Jana S, Eland LE, Jayathilake PG, Burgess JG, Chen J, Wipat A, Curtis TP. Regulating, Measuring, and Modeling the Viscoelasticity of Bacterial Biofilms. J Bacteriol 2019; 201:e00101-19. [PMID: 31182499 PMCID: PMC6707926 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00101-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Biofilms occur in a broad range of environments under heterogeneous physicochemical conditions, such as in bioremediation plants, on surfaces of biomedical implants, and in the lungs of cystic fibrosis patients. In these scenarios, biofilms are subjected to shear forces, but the mechanical integrity of these aggregates often prevents their disruption or dispersal. Biofilms' physical robustness is the result of the multiple biopolymers secreted by constituent microbial cells which are also responsible for numerous biological functions. A better understanding of the role of these biopolymers and their response to dynamic forces is therefore crucial for understanding the interplay between biofilm structure and function. In this paper, we review experimental techniques in rheology, which help quantify the viscoelasticity of biofilms, and modeling approaches from soft matter physics that can assist our understanding of the rheological properties. We describe how these methods could be combined with synthetic biology approaches to control and investigate the effects of secreted polymers on the physical properties of biofilms. We argue that without an integrated approach of the three disciplines, the links between genetics, composition, and interaction of matrix biopolymers and the viscoelastic properties of biofilms will be much harder to uncover.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel G V Charlton
- School of Engineering, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Michael A White
- Interdisciplinary Computing & Complex BioSystems Research Group, School of Computing, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Saikat Jana
- School of Engineering, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Lucy E Eland
- Interdisciplinary Computing & Complex BioSystems Research Group, School of Computing, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | | | - J Grant Burgess
- School of Natural & Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Jinju Chen
- School of Engineering, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Anil Wipat
- Interdisciplinary Computing & Complex BioSystems Research Group, School of Computing, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas P Curtis
- School of Engineering, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
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32
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McManus JB, Emanuel PA, Murray RM, Lux MW. A method for cost-effective and rapid characterization of engineered T7-based transcription factors by cell-free protein synthesis reveals insights into the regulation of T7 RNA polymerase-driven expression. Arch Biochem Biophys 2019; 674:108045. [PMID: 31326518 DOI: 10.1016/j.abb.2019.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2019] [Revised: 06/26/2019] [Accepted: 07/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The T7 bacteriophage RNA polymerase (T7 RNAP) serves as a model for understanding RNA synthesis, as a tool for protein expression, and as an actuator for synthetic gene circuit design in bacterial cells and cell-free extract. T7 RNAP is an attractive tool for orthogonal protein expression in bacteria owing to its compact single subunit structure and orthogonal promoter specificity. Understanding the mechanisms underlying T7 RNAP regulation is important to the design of engineered T7-based transcription factors, which can be used in gene circuit design. To explore regulatory mechanisms for T7 RNAP-driven expression, we developed a rapid and cost-effective method to characterize engineered T7-based transcription factors using cell-free protein synthesis and an acoustic liquid handler. Using this method, we investigated the effects of the tetracycline operator's proximity to the T7 promoter on the regulation of T7 RNAP-driven expression. Our results reveal a mechanism for regulation that functions by interfering with the transition of T7 RNAP from initiation to elongation and validates the use of the method described here to engineer future T7-based transcription factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- John B McManus
- Army Research Laboratory - West Campus, California Institute of Technology, 1200 East California Blvd, Pasadena, CA, 91125, USA
| | - Peter A Emanuel
- US Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Chemical Biological Center, 8198 Blackhawk Rd, APG, MD, 21010, USA
| | - Richard M Murray
- California Institute of Technology, Biology and Biological Engineering, 1200 East California Blvd, Pasadena, CA, 91125, USA
| | - Matthew W Lux
- US Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Chemical Biological Center, 8198 Blackhawk Rd, APG, MD, 21010, USA.
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33
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Stump SM, Johnson EC, Klausmeier CA. Local interactions and self-organized spatial patterns stabilize microbial cross-feeding against cheaters. J R Soc Interface 2019; 15:rsif.2017.0822. [PMID: 29563243 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2017.0822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2017] [Accepted: 02/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutualisms are ubiquitous, but models predict they should be susceptible to cheating. Resolving this paradox has become relevant to synthetic ecology: cooperative cross-feeding, a nutrient-exchange mutualism, has been proposed to stabilize microbial consortia. Previous attempts to understand how cross-feeders remain robust to non-producing cheaters have relied on complex behaviour (e.g. cheater punishment) or group selection. Using a stochastic spatial model, we demonstrate two novel mechanisms that can allow cross-feeders to outcompete cheaters, rather than just escape from them. Both mechanisms work through the spatial segregation of the resources, which prevents individual cheaters from acquiring the resources they need to reproduce. First, if microbe dispersal is low but resources are shared widely, then the cross-feeders self-organize into stable spatial patterns. Here the cross-feeders can build up where the resource they need is abundant, and send their resource to where their partner is, separating resources at regular intervals in space. Second, if dispersal is high but resource sharing is local, then random variation in population density creates small-scale variation in resource density, separating the resources from each other by chance. These results suggest that cross-feeding may be more robust than previously expected and offer strategies to engineer stable consortia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Maccracken Stump
- W. K. Kellogg Biological StationBehavior, Michigan State University, 3700 East Gull Lake Drive, Hickory Corners, MI 49060, USA .,School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Yale University, 195 Prospect Street, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - Evan Curtis Johnson
- W. K. Kellogg Biological StationBehavior, Michigan State University, 3700 East Gull Lake Drive, Hickory Corners, MI 49060, USA.,Population Biology Graduate Group, University of California, Davis 2320 Storer Hall, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Christopher A Klausmeier
- W. K. Kellogg Biological StationBehavior, Michigan State University, 3700 East Gull Lake Drive, Hickory Corners, MI 49060, USA.,Department of Plant BiologyBehavior, Michigan State University, 3700 East Gull Lake Drive, Hickory Corners, MI 49060, USA.,Program in Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, and Behavior, Michigan State University, 3700 East Gull Lake Drive, Hickory Corners, MI 49060, USA
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34
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Tsoi R, Dai Z, You L. Emerging strategies for engineering microbial communities. Biotechnol Adv 2019; 37:107372. [PMID: 30880142 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2019.03.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2018] [Revised: 03/13/2019] [Accepted: 03/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
From biosynthesis to bioremediation, microbes have been engineered to address a variety of biotechnological applications. A promising direction in these endeavors is harnessing the power of designer microbial consortia that consist of multiple populations with well-defined interactions. Consortia can accomplish tasks that are difficult or potentially impossible to achieve using monocultures. Despite their potential, the rules underlying microbial community maintenance and function (i.e. the task the consortium is engineered to carry out) are not well defined, though rapid progress is being made. This limited understanding is in part due to the greater challenges associated with increased complexity when dealing with multi-population interactions. Here, we review key features and design strategies that emerge from the analysis of both natural and engineered microbial communities. These strategies can provide new insights into natural consortia and expand the toolbox available to engineers working to develop novel synthetic consortia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan Tsoi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Zhuojun Dai
- Institute for Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China
| | - Lingchong You
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA; Center for Genomic and Computational Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA; Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27708, USA.
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35
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Denton JA, Gokhale CS. Synthetic Mutualism and the Intervention Dilemma. Life (Basel) 2019; 9:E15. [PMID: 30696090 PMCID: PMC6463046 DOI: 10.3390/life9010015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2018] [Revised: 01/09/2019] [Accepted: 01/23/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Ecosystems are complex networks of interacting individuals co-evolving with their environment. As such, changes to an interaction can influence the whole ecosystem. However, to predict the outcome of these changes, considerable understanding of processes driving the system is required. Synthetic biology provides powerful tools to aid this understanding, but these developments also allow us to change specific interactions. Of particular interest is the ecological importance of mutualism, a subset of cooperative interactions. Mutualism occurs when individuals of different species provide a reciprocal fitness benefit. We review available experimental techniques of synthetic biology focused on engineered synthetic mutualistic systems. Components of these systems have defined interactions that can be altered to model naturally occurring relationships. Integrations between experimental systems and theoretical models, each informing the use or development of the other, allow predictions to be made about the nature of complex relationships. The predictions range from stability of microbial communities in extreme environments to the collapse of ecosystems due to dangerous levels of human intervention. With such caveats, we evaluate the promise of synthetic biology from the perspective of ethics and laws regarding biological alterations, whether on Earth or beyond. Just because we are able to change something, should we?
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Affiliation(s)
- Jai A Denton
- Genomics and Regulatory Systems Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Onna-son 904-0412, Japan.
| | - Chaitanya S Gokhale
- Research Group for Theoretical models of Eco-Evolutionary Dynamics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, 24304 Plön, Germany.
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36
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Kim S, Kerns SJ, Ziesack M, Bry L, Gerber GK, Way JC, Silver PA. Quorum Sensing Can Be Repurposed To Promote Information Transfer between Bacteria in the Mammalian Gut. ACS Synth Biol 2018; 7:2270-2281. [PMID: 30125499 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.8b00271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
The gut microbiome is intricately involved with establishing and maintaining the health of the host. Engineering of gut microbes aims to add new functions and expand the scope of control over the gut microbiome. To create systems that can perform increasingly complex tasks in the gut, it is necessary to harness the ability of the bacteria to communicate in the gut environment. Interestingly, acyl-homoserine lactone (acyl-HSL)-mediated Gram-negative bacterial quorum sensing, a widely used mode of intercellular signaling system in nature, has not been identified in normal healthy mammalian gut. It remains unknown whether the gut bacteria that do not natively use quorum sensing can be engineered to successfully signal to other bacteria using acyl-HSLs in the gut environment. Here, we repurposed quorum sensing to create an information transfer system between native gut Escherichia coli and attenuated Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium. Specifically, we functionalized one species with inducible signal production and the other with signal detection and recording using genomically integrated circuits. The information transfer system demonstrated successful intra- and interspecies signaling in the murine gut. This study provides a basis for further understanding of interbacterial interactions in an otherwise hard-to-study environment as well as a basis for further investigation of the potential of acyl-HSLs as intercellular signaling molecules of engineered gut consortia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suhyun Kim
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, United States
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - S. Jordan Kerns
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Marika Ziesack
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Lynn Bry
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Georg K. Gerber
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Jeffrey C. Way
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Pamela A. Silver
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
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37
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Zhang S, Merino N, Okamoto A, Gedalanga P. Interkingdom microbial consortia mechanisms to guide biotechnological applications. Microb Biotechnol 2018; 11:833-847. [PMID: 30014573 PMCID: PMC6116752 DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.13300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2017] [Revised: 06/19/2018] [Accepted: 06/21/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Microbial consortia are capable of surviving diverse conditions through the formation of synergistic population-level structures, such as stromatolites, microbial mats and biofilms. Biotechnological applications are poised to capitalize on these unique interactions. However, current artificial co-cultures constructed for societal benefits, including biosynthesis, agriculture and bioremediation, face many challenges to perform as well as natural consortia. Interkingdom microbial consortia tend to be more robust and have higher productivity compared with monocultures and intrakingdom consortia, but the control and design of these diverse artificial consortia have received limited attention. Further, feasible research techniques and instrumentation for comprehensive mechanistic insights have only recently been established for interkingdom microbial communities. Here, we review these recent advances in technology and our current understanding of microbial interaction mechanisms involved in sustaining or developing interkingdom consortia for biotechnological applications. Some of the interactions among members from different kingdoms follow similar mechanisms observed for intrakingdom microbial consortia. However, unique interactions in interkingdom consortia, including endosymbiosis or interkingdom-specific cell-cell interactions, provide improved mitigation to external stresses and inhibitory compounds. Furthermore, antagonistic interactions among interkingdom species can promote fitness, diversification and adaptation, along with the production of beneficial metabolites and enzymes for society. Lastly, we shed light on future research directions to develop study methods at the level of metabolites, genes and meta-omics. These potential research methods could lead to the control and utilization of highly diverse microbial communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shu Zhang
- Global Research Center for Environment and Energy based on Nanomaterials ScienceNational Institute for Material Science1‐1 NamikiTsukubaIbarakiJapan
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and ImmunologyNorris Comprehensive Cancer CenterUniversity of Southern California1441 Eastlake StreetLos AngelesCA90033USA
- Present address:
Section of Infection and ImmunityHerman Ostrow School of DentistryUniversity of Southern CaliforniaCA90089‐0641USA
| | - Nancy Merino
- Earth‐Life Science InstituteTokyo Institute of Technology, 2‐12‐1‐I7E‐323Ookayama, Meguro‐kuTokyo 152‐8550Japan
- Department of Earth SciencesUniversity of Southern California, 835 Bloom Walk, SHS 562Los AngelesCA 90089‐0740USA
| | - Akihiro Okamoto
- Global Research Center for Environment and Energy based on Nanomaterials ScienceNational Institute for Material Science1‐1 NamikiTsukubaIbarakiJapan
| | - Phillip Gedalanga
- Department of Health ScienceCalifornia State University Fullerton, 800 North State College BoulevardFullertonCA 92831‐3599USA
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Hynes WF, Chacón J, Segrè D, Marx CJ, Cady NC, Harcombe WR. Bioprinting microbial communities to examine interspecies interactions in time and space. Biomed Phys Eng Express 2018. [DOI: 10.1088/2057-1976/aad544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
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39
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Kong W, Meldgin DR, Collins JJ, Lu T. Designing microbial consortia with defined social interactions. Nat Chem Biol 2018; 14:821-829. [PMID: 29942078 DOI: 10.1038/s41589-018-0091-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 188] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2017] [Accepted: 05/10/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Designer microbial consortia are an emerging frontier in synthetic biology that enable versatile microbiome engineering. However, the utilization of such consortia is hindered by our limited capacity in rapidly creating ecosystems with desired dynamics. Here we present the development of synthetic communities through social interaction engineering that combines modular pathway reconfiguration with model creation. Specifically, we created six two-strain consortia, each possessing a unique mode of interaction, including commensalism, amensalism, neutralism, cooperation, competition and predation. These consortia follow distinct population dynamics with characteristics determined by the underlying interaction modes. We showed that models derived from two-strain consortia can be used to design three- and four-strain ecosystems with predictable behaviors and further extended to provide insights into community dynamics in space. This work sheds light on the organization of interacting microbial species and provides a systematic framework-social interaction programming-to guide the development of synthetic ecosystems for diverse purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wentao Kong
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - David R Meldgin
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
- Department of Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - James J Collins
- Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, Department of Biological Engineering, and Synthetic Biology Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Ting Lu
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.
- Department of Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.
- Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.
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40
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Volke DC, Nikel PI. Getting Bacteria in Shape: Synthetic Morphology Approaches for the Design of Efficient Microbial Cell Factories. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/adbi.201800111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel C. Volke
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability; Technical University of Denmark; Kemitorvet 2800 Kgs. Lyngby Denmark
| | - Pablo I. Nikel
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability; Technical University of Denmark; Kemitorvet 2800 Kgs. Lyngby Denmark
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41
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Karig D, Martini KM, Lu T, DeLateur NA, Goldenfeld N, Weiss R. Stochastic Turing patterns in a synthetic bacterial population. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018; 115:6572-6577. [PMID: 29891706 PMCID: PMC6042114 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1720770115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The origin of biological morphology and form is one of the deepest problems in science, underlying our understanding of development and the functioning of living systems. In 1952, Alan Turing showed that chemical morphogenesis could arise from a linear instability of a spatially uniform state, giving rise to periodic pattern formation in reaction-diffusion systems but only those with a rapidly diffusing inhibitor and a slowly diffusing activator. These conditions are disappointingly hard to achieve in nature, and the role of Turing instabilities in biological pattern formation has been called into question. Recently, the theory was extended to include noisy activator-inhibitor birth and death processes. Surprisingly, this stochastic Turing theory predicts the existence of patterns over a wide range of parameters, in particular with no severe requirement on the ratio of activator-inhibitor diffusion coefficients. To explore whether this mechanism is viable in practice, we have genetically engineered a synthetic bacterial population in which the signaling molecules form a stochastic activator-inhibitor system. The synthetic pattern-forming gene circuit destabilizes an initially homogenous lawn of genetically engineered bacteria, producing disordered patterns with tunable features on a spatial scale much larger than that of a single cell. Spatial correlations of the experimental patterns agree quantitatively with the signature predicted by theory. These results show that Turing-type pattern-forming mechanisms, if driven by stochasticity, can potentially underlie a broad range of biological patterns. These findings provide the groundwork for a unified picture of biological morphogenesis, arising from a combination of stochastic gene expression and dynamical instabilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Karig
- Research and Exploratory Development Department, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218
| | - K Michael Martini
- Department of Physics, Center for the Physics of Living Cells and Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801
| | - Ting Lu
- Department of Bioengineering and Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801
| | - Nicholas A DeLateur
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | - Nigel Goldenfeld
- Department of Physics, Center for the Physics of Living Cells and Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801;
| | - Ron Weiss
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
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Majumdar S, Pal S. Information transmission in microbial and fungal communication: from classical to quantum. J Cell Commun Signal 2018; 12:491-502. [PMID: 29476316 PMCID: PMC5910326 DOI: 10.1007/s12079-018-0462-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2018] [Accepted: 02/08/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Microbes have their own communication systems. Secretion and reception of chemical signaling molecules and ion-channels mediated electrical signaling mechanism are yet observed two special ways of information transmission in microbial community. In this article, we address the aspects of various crucial machineries which set the backbone of microbial cell-to-cell communication process such as quorum sensing mechanism (bacterial and fungal), quorum sensing regulated biofilm formation, gene expression, virulence, swarming, quorum quenching, role of noise in quorum sensing, mathematical models (therapy model, evolutionary model, molecular mechanism model and many more), synthetic bacterial communication, bacterial ion-channels, bacterial nanowires and electrical communication. In particular, we highlight bacterial collective behavior with classical and quantum mechanical approaches (including quantum information). Moreover, we shed a new light to introduce the concept of quantum synthetic biology and possible cellular quantum Turing test.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarangam Majumdar
- Dipartimento di Ingegneria Scienze Informatiche e Matematica, Università degli Studi di L’ Aquila, Via Vetoio – Loc. Coppito, 67010 L’ Aquila, Italy
| | - Sukla Pal
- Theoretical Physics Division, Physical Research Laboratory, Navrangpura, Ahmedabad, Gujarat 380009 India
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Boehm CR, Grant PK, Haseloff J. Programmed hierarchical patterning of bacterial populations. Nat Commun 2018; 9:776. [PMID: 29472537 PMCID: PMC5823926 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-03069-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2016] [Accepted: 01/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Modern genetic tools allow the dissection and emulation of fundamental mechanisms shaping morphogenesis in multicellular organisms. Several synthetic genetic circuits for control of multicellular patterning have been reported to date. However, hierarchical induction of gene expression domains has received little attention from synthetic biologists, despite its importance in biological self-organization. Here we report a synthetic genetic system implementing population-based AND-logic for programmed autonomous induction of bacterial gene expression domains. We develop a ratiometric assay for bacteriophage T7 RNA polymerase activity and use it to systematically characterize different intact and split enzyme variants. We then utilize the best-performing variant to build a three-color patterning system responsive to two different homoserine lactones. We validate the AND gate-like behavior of this system both in cell suspension and in surface culture. Finally, we use the synthetic circuit in a membrane-based spatial assay to demonstrate programmed hierarchical patterning of gene expression across bacterial populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian R Boehm
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EA, UK
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Am Mühlenberg 1, 14476, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Paul K Grant
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EA, UK
- Microsoft Research, 21 Station Road, Cambridge, CB1 2FB, UK
| | - Jim Haseloff
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EA, UK.
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Solé R, Ollé-Vila A, Vidiella B, Duran-Nebreda S, Conde-Pueyo N. The road to synthetic multicellularity. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.coisb.2017.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Padmaperuma G, Kapoore RV, Gilmour DJ, Vaidyanathan S. Microbial consortia: a critical look at microalgae co-cultures for enhanced biomanufacturing. Crit Rev Biotechnol 2017; 38:690-703. [PMID: 29233009 DOI: 10.1080/07388551.2017.1390728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Monocultures have been the preferred production route in the bio-industry, where contamination has been a major bottleneck. In nature, microorganisms usually exist as part of organized communities and consortia, gaining benefits from co-habitation, keeping invaders at bay. There is increasing interest in the use of co-cultures to tackle contamination issues, and simultaneously increase productivity and product diversity. The feasibility of extending the natural phenomenon of co-habitation to the biomanufacturing industry in the form of co-cultures requires careful and systematic consideration of several aspects. This article will critically examine and review current work on microbial co-cultures, with the intent of examining the concept and proposing a design pipeline that can be developed in a biomanufacturing context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gloria Padmaperuma
- a ChELSI Institute, Advanced Biomanufacturing Centre, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering , The University of Sheffield , Sheffield , UK
| | - Rahul Vijay Kapoore
- a ChELSI Institute, Advanced Biomanufacturing Centre, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering , The University of Sheffield , Sheffield , UK
| | - Daniel James Gilmour
- b Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology , The University of Sheffield , Sheffield , UK
| | - Seetharaman Vaidyanathan
- a ChELSI Institute, Advanced Biomanufacturing Centre, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering , The University of Sheffield , Sheffield , UK
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The spatiotemporal system dynamics of acquired resistance in an engineered microecology. Sci Rep 2017; 7:16071. [PMID: 29167517 PMCID: PMC5700104 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-16176-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2017] [Accepted: 11/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Great strides have been made in the understanding of complex networks; however, our understanding of natural microecologies is limited. Modelling of complex natural ecological systems has allowed for new findings, but these models typically ignore the constant evolution of species. Due to the complexity of natural systems, unanticipated interactions may lead to erroneous conclusions concerning the role of specific molecular components. To address this, we use a synthetic system to understand the spatiotemporal dynamics of growth and to study acquired resistance in vivo. Our system differs from earlier synthetic systems in that it focuses on the evolution of a microecology from a killer-prey relationship to coexistence using two different non-motile Escherichia coli strains. Using empirical data, we developed the first ecological model emphasising the concept of the constant evolution of species, where the survival of the prey species is dependent on location (distance from the killer) or the evolution of resistance. Our simple model, when expanded to complex microecological association studies under varied spatial and nutrient backgrounds may help to understand the complex relationships between multiple species in intricate natural ecological networks. This type of microecological study has become increasingly important, especially with the emergence of antibiotic-resistant pathogens.
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Cheng YY, Hirning AJ, Josić K, Bennett MR. The Timing of Transcriptional Regulation in Synthetic Gene Circuits. ACS Synth Biol 2017; 6:1996-2002. [PMID: 28841307 PMCID: PMC5996764 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.7b00118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Transcription factors and their target promoters are central to synthetic biology. By arranging these components into novel gene regulatory circuits, synthetic biologists have been able to create a wide variety of phenotypes, including bistable switches, oscillators, and logic gates. However, transcription factors (TFs) do not instantaneously regulate downstream targets. After the gene encoding a TF is turned on, the gene must first be transcribed, the transcripts must be translated, and sufficient TF must accumulate in order to bind operator sites of the target promoter. The time to complete this process, here called the "signaling time," is a critical aspect in the design of dynamic regulatory networks, yet it remains poorly characterized. In this work, we measured the signaling time of two TFs in Escherichia coli commonly used in synthetic biology: the activator AraC and the repressor LacI. We found that signaling times can range from a few to tens of minutes, and are affected by the expression rate of the TF. Our single-cell data also show that the variability of the signaling time increases with its mean. To validate these signaling time measurements, we constructed a two-step genetic cascade, and showed that the signaling time of the full cascade can be predicted from those of its constituent steps. These results provide concrete estimates for the time scales of transcriptional regulation in living cells, which are important for understanding the dynamics of synthetic transcriptional gene circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Yu Cheng
- Department of Biosciences, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA
| | | | - Krešimir Josić
- Department of Biosciences, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA
- Department of Mathematics, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA
- Department of Biosciences, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA
| | - Matthew R. Bennett
- Department of Biosciences, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA
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Goodson MS, Bennett AC, Jennewine BR, Briskin E, Harbaugh SV, Kelley-Loughnane N. Amplifying Riboswitch Signal Output Using Cellular Wiring. ACS Synth Biol 2017; 6:1440-1444. [PMID: 28430408 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.6b00191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
If fieldable riboswitch-based biological sensors are to fulfill their potential, it is necessary to increase their signal output. Here we report a novel modular amplification system using a riboswitch to initiate signaling between a sensing strain and a reporter strain of E. coli. A quorum sensing signaling molecule biologically wires the sensing and reporter strains together. The amplification circuit increased the amount of fluorescence generated on ligand binding compared to when the riboswitch controlled fluorescence expression directly. This had the corollary effect of increasing the sensitivity of the system, and allowed riboswitch-based reporting in E. coli strains that did not produce a detectable output when the riboswitch directly controlled reporter expression. The amplification circuit also reduced the time required to detect a signal output. The modularity of this amplification system coupled with the achievable increases in output can advance the development of riboswitches and biological sensors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael S. Goodson
- 711th
Human Performance Wing, Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson Air
Force Base, Ohio 45433, United States
- UES, Inc., Dayton, Ohio 45432, United States
| | - Annastacia C. Bennett
- 711th
Human Performance Wing, Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson Air
Force Base, Ohio 45433, United States
- UES, Inc., Dayton, Ohio 45432, United States
| | - Brenton R. Jennewine
- 711th
Human Performance Wing, Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson Air
Force Base, Ohio 45433, United States
| | - Emily Briskin
- 711th
Human Performance Wing, Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson Air
Force Base, Ohio 45433, United States
| | - Svetlana V. Harbaugh
- 711th
Human Performance Wing, Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson Air
Force Base, Ohio 45433, United States
- Henry Jackson Foundation, Bethesda, Maryland 20817, United States
| | - Nancy Kelley-Loughnane
- 711th
Human Performance Wing, Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson Air
Force Base, Ohio 45433, United States
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Scott SR, Din MO, Bittihn P, Xiong L, Tsimring LS, Hasty J. A stabilized microbial ecosystem of self-limiting bacteria using synthetic quorum-regulated lysis. Nat Microbiol 2017; 2:17083. [PMID: 28604679 PMCID: PMC5603288 DOI: 10.1038/nmicrobiol.2017.83] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2016] [Accepted: 04/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Microbial ecologists are increasingly turning to small, synthesized ecosystems1-5 as a reductionist tool to probe the complexity of native microbiomes6,7. Concurrently, synthetic biologists have gone from single-cell gene circuits8-11 to controlling whole populations using intercellular signalling12-16. The intersection of these fields is giving rise to new approaches in waste recycling17, industrial fermentation18, bioremediation19 and human health16,20. These applications share a common challenge7 well-known in classical ecology21,22-stability of an ecosystem cannot arise without mechanisms that prohibit the faster-growing species from eliminating the slower. Here, we combine orthogonal quorum-sensing systems and a population control circuit with diverse self-limiting growth dynamics to engineer two 'ortholysis' circuits capable of maintaining a stable co-culture of metabolically competitive Salmonella typhimurium strains in microfluidic devices. Although no successful co-cultures are observed in a two-strain ecology without synthetic population control, the 'ortholysis' design dramatically increases the co-culture rate from 0% to approximately 80%. Agent-based and deterministic modelling reveal that our system can be adjusted to yield different dynamics, including phase-shifted, antiphase or synchronized oscillations, as well as stable steady-state population densities. The 'ortholysis' approach establishes a paradigm for constructing synthetic ecologies by developing stable communities of competitive microorganisms without the need for engineered co-dependency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Spencer R. Scott
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - M Omar Din
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Philip Bittihn
- BioCircuits Institute, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- The San Diego Center for Systems Biology, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Liyang Xiong
- The San Diego Center for Systems Biology, La Jolla, California, USA
- Department of Physics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Lev S. Tsimring
- BioCircuits Institute, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- The San Diego Center for Systems Biology, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Jeff Hasty
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- BioCircuits Institute, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- The San Diego Center for Systems Biology, La Jolla, California, USA
- Molecular Biology Section, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
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