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Zevallos-Aliaga D, De Graeve S, Obando-Chávez P, Vaccari NA, Gao Y, Peeters T, Guerra DG. Highly Sensitive Whole-Cell Mercury Biosensors for Environmental Monitoring. BIOSENSORS 2024; 14:246. [PMID: 38785720 PMCID: PMC11117708 DOI: 10.3390/bios14050246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2024] [Revised: 04/27/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
Whole-cell biosensors could serve as eco-friendly and cost-effective alternatives for detecting potentially toxic bioavailable heavy metals in aquatic environments. However, they often fail to meet practical requirements due to an insufficient limit of detection (LOD) and high background noise. In this study, we designed a synthetic genetic circuit specifically tailored for detecting ionic mercury, which we applied to environmental samples collected from artisanal gold mining sites in Peru. We developed two distinct versions of the biosensor, each utilizing a different reporter protein: a fluorescent biosensor (Mer-RFP) and a colorimetric biosensor (Mer-Blue). Mer-RFP enabled real-time monitoring of the culture's response to mercury samples using a plate reader, whereas Mer-Blue was analysed for colour accumulation at the endpoint using a specially designed, low-cost camera setup for harvested cell pellets. Both biosensors exhibited negligible baseline expression of their respective reporter proteins and responded specifically to HgBr2 in pure water. Mer-RFP demonstrated a linear detection range from 1 nM to 1 μM, whereas Mer-Blue showed a linear range from 2 nM to 125 nM. Our biosensors successfully detected a high concentration of ionic mercury in the reaction bucket where artisanal miners produce a mercury-gold amalgam. However, they did not detect ionic mercury in the water from active mining ponds, indicating a concentration lower than 3.2 nM Hg2+-a result consistent with chemical analysis quantitation. Furthermore, we discuss the potential of Mer-Blue as a practical and affordable monitoring tool, highlighting its stability, reliance on simple visual colorimetry, and the possibility of sensitivity expansion to organic mercury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dahlin Zevallos-Aliaga
- Laboratorio de Moléculas Individuales, Laboratorios de Investigación y Desarrollo, Facultad de Ciencias e Ingeniería, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima 15102, Peru; (D.Z.-A.); (P.O.-C.); (N.A.V.)
| | - Stijn De Graeve
- Open BioLab Brussels, Erasmushogeschool Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 121, B-1090 Jette, Belgium
| | - Pamela Obando-Chávez
- Laboratorio de Moléculas Individuales, Laboratorios de Investigación y Desarrollo, Facultad de Ciencias e Ingeniería, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima 15102, Peru; (D.Z.-A.); (P.O.-C.); (N.A.V.)
| | - Nicolás A. Vaccari
- Laboratorio de Moléculas Individuales, Laboratorios de Investigación y Desarrollo, Facultad de Ciencias e Ingeniería, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima 15102, Peru; (D.Z.-A.); (P.O.-C.); (N.A.V.)
| | - Yue Gao
- Archaeology, Environmental Changes and Geo-Chemistry (AMGC), Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium;
| | - Tom Peeters
- Open BioLab Brussels, Erasmushogeschool Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 121, B-1090 Jette, Belgium
| | - Daniel G. Guerra
- Laboratorio de Moléculas Individuales, Laboratorios de Investigación y Desarrollo, Facultad de Ciencias e Ingeniería, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima 15102, Peru; (D.Z.-A.); (P.O.-C.); (N.A.V.)
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2
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Kelly AR, Glover DJ. Information Transmission through Biotic-Abiotic Interfaces to Restore or Enhance Human Function. ACS APPLIED BIO MATERIALS 2024. [PMID: 38729914 DOI: 10.1021/acsabm.4c00435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
Advancements in reliable information transfer across biotic-abiotic interfaces have enabled the restoration of lost human function. For example, communication between neuronal cells and electrical devices restores the ability to walk to a tetraplegic patient and vision to patients blinded by retinal disease. These impactful medical achievements are aided by tailored biotic-abiotic interfaces that maximize information transfer fidelity by considering the physical properties of the underlying biological and synthetic components. This Review develops a modular framework to define and describe the engineering of biotic and abiotic components as well as the design of interfaces to facilitate biotic-abiotic information transfer using light or electricity. Delineating the properties of the biotic, interface, and abiotic components that enable communication can serve as a guide for future research in this highly interdisciplinary field. Application of synthetic biology to engineer light-sensitive proteins has facilitated the control of neural signaling and the restoration of rudimentary vision after retinal blindness. Electrophysiological methodologies that use brain-computer interfaces and stimulating implants to bypass spinal column injuries have led to the rehabilitation of limb movement and walking ability. Cellular interfacing methodologies and on-chip learning capability have been made possible by organic transistors that mimic the information processing capacity of neurons. The collaboration of molecular biologists, material scientists, and electrical engineers in the emerging field of biotic-abiotic interfacing will lead to the development of prosthetics capable of responding to thought and experiencing touch sensation via direct integration into the human nervous system. Further interdisciplinary research will improve electrical and optical interfacing technologies for the restoration of vision, offering greater visual acuity and potentially color vision in the near future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander R Kelly
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Dominic J Glover
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
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3
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Xiao C, Liu X, Pan Y, Li Y, Qin L, Yan Z, Feng Y, Zhao M, Huang M. Tailored UPRE2 variants for dynamic gene regulation in yeast. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2315729121. [PMID: 38687789 PMCID: PMC11087760 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2315729121] [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: 09/10/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Genetic elements are foundational in synthetic biology serving as vital building blocks. They enable programming host cells for efficient production of valuable chemicals and recombinant proteins. The unfolded protein response (UPR) is a stress pathway in which the transcription factor Hac1 interacts with the upstream unfolded protein response element (UPRE) of the promoter to restore endoplasmic reticulum (ER) homeostasis. Here, we created a UPRE2 mutant (UPRE2m) library. Several rounds of screening identified many elements with enhanced responsiveness and a wider dynamic range. The most active element m84 displayed a response activity 3.72 times higher than the native UPRE2. These potent elements are versatile and compatible with various promoters. Overexpression of HAC1 enhanced stress signal transduction, expanding the signal output range of UPRE2m. Through molecular modeling and site-directed mutagenesis, we pinpointed the DNA-binding residue Lys60 in Hac1(Hac1-K60). We also confirmed that UPRE2m exhibited a higher binding affinity to Hac1. This shed light on the mechanism underlying the Hac1-UPRE2m interaction. Importantly, applying UPRE2m for target gene regulation effectively increased both recombinant protein production and natural product synthesis. These genetic elements provide valuable tools for dynamically regulating gene expression in yeast cell factories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chufan Xiao
- School of Food Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou510641, China
| | - Xiufang Liu
- School of Food Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou510641, China
| | - Yuyang Pan
- School of Food Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou510641, China
| | - Yanling Li
- School of Food Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou510641, China
| | - Ling Qin
- School of Food Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou510641, China
| | - Zhibo Yan
- School of Food Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou510641, China
| | - Yunzi Feng
- School of Food Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou510641, China
| | - Mouming Zhao
- School of Food Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou510641, China
| | - Mingtao Huang
- School of Food Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou510641, China
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4
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Chaulagain D, Shamabadi NS, Leslie SA, Karig DK. From Natural Microbe Screening to Sustained Chitinase Activity in Exogenous Hosts. ACS Synth Biol 2024; 13:1165-1176. [PMID: 38587290 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.3c00637] [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: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
Genetic parts and hosts can be sourced from nature to realize new functions for synthetic biology or to improve performance in a particular application environment. Here, we proceed from the discovery and characterization of new parts to stable expression in new hosts with a particular focus on achieving sustained chitinase activity. Chitinase is a key enzyme for various industrial applications that require the breakdown of chitin, the second most abundant biopolymer on the earth. Diverse microbes exhibit chitinase activity, but for applications, the environmental conditions for optimal enzyme activity and microbe fitness must align with the application context. Achieving sustained chitinase activity under broad conditions in heterologous hosts has also proven difficult due to toxic side effects. Toward addressing these challenges, we first screen ocean water samples to identify microbes with chitinase activity. Next, we perform whole genome sequencing and analysis and select a chitinase gene for heterologous expression. Then, we optimize transformation methods for target hosts and introduce chitinase. Finally, to achieve robust function, we optimize ribosome binding sites and discover a beneficial promoter that upregulates chitinase expression in the presence of colloidal chitin in a sense-and-respond fashion. We demonstrate chitinase activity for >21 days in standard (Escherichia coli) and nonstandard (Roseobacter denitrificans) hosts. Besides enhancing chitinase applications, our pipeline is extendable to other functions, identifies natural microbes that can be used directly in non-GMO contexts, generates new parts for synthetic biology, and achieves weeks of stable activity in heterologous hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diptee Chaulagain
- Department of Bioengineering, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina 29634, United States
| | - Narges S Shamabadi
- Department of Bioengineering, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina 29634, United States
| | - Skylar A Leslie
- Department of Bioengineering, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina 29634, United States
| | - David K Karig
- Department of Bioengineering, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina 29634, United States
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Wu Y, Garushyants SK, van den Hurk A, Aparicio-Maldonado C, Kushwaha SK, King CM, Ou Y, Todeschini TC, Clokie MRJ, Millard AD, Gençay YE, Koonin EV, Nobrega FL. Bacterial defense systems exhibit synergistic anti-phage activity. Cell Host Microbe 2024; 32:557-572.e6. [PMID: 38402614 PMCID: PMC11009048 DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2024.01.015] [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: 11/12/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
Bacterial defense against phage predation involves diverse defense systems acting individually and concurrently, yet their interactions remain poorly understood. We investigated >100 defense systems in 42,925 bacterial genomes and identified numerous instances of their non-random co-occurrence and negative association. For several pairs of defense systems significantly co-occurring in Escherichia coli strains, we demonstrate synergistic anti-phage activity. Notably, Zorya II synergizes with Druantia III and ietAS defense systems, while tmn exhibits synergy with co-occurring systems Gabija, Septu I, and PrrC. For Gabija, tmn co-opts the sensory switch ATPase domain, enhancing anti-phage activity. Some defense system pairs that are negatively associated in E. coli show synergy and significantly co-occur in other taxa, demonstrating that bacterial immune repertoires are largely shaped by selection for resistance against host-specific phages rather than negative epistasis. Collectively, these findings demonstrate compatibility and synergy between defense systems, allowing bacteria to adopt flexible strategies for phage defense.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Wu
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK
| | - Sofya K Garushyants
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Anne van den Hurk
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK
| | | | - Simran Krishnakant Kushwaha
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK; Department of Biological Sciences, Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS), Pilani, Rajasthan, India
| | - Claire M King
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK
| | - Yaqing Ou
- Wellcome Centre for Cell-Matrix Research, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Thomas C Todeschini
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK
| | - Martha R J Clokie
- Department of Genetics and Genome Biology, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Andrew D Millard
- Department of Genetics and Genome Biology, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | | | - Eugene V Koonin
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Franklin L Nobrega
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK.
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6
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Ba F, Zhang Y, Liu WQ, Li J. Rainbow screening: Chromoproteins enable visualized molecular cloning. Biotechnol J 2024; 19:e2400114. [PMID: 38622790 DOI: 10.1002/biot.202400114] [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: 02/26/2024] [Revised: 03/20/2024] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024]
Abstract
Molecular cloning facilitates the assembly of heterologous DNA fragments with vectors, resulting in the generation of plasmids that can steadily replicate in host cells. To efficiently and accurately screen out the expected plasmid candidates, various methods, such as blue-white screening, have been developed for visualization. However, these methods typically require additional genetic manipulations and costs. To simplify the process of visualized molecular cloning, here we report Rainbow Screening, a method that combines Gibson Assembly with chromoproteins to distinguish Escherichia coli (E. coli) colonies by naked eyes, eliminating the need for additional genetic manipulations or costs. To illustrate the design, we select both E. coli 16s rRNA and sfGFP expression module as two inserted fragments. Using Rainbow Screening, false positive colonies can be easily distinguished on LB-agar plates. Moreover, both the assembly efficiency and the construct accuracy can exceed 80%. We anticipate that Rainbow Screening will enrich the molecular cloning methodology and expand the application of chromoproteins in biotechnology and synthetic biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fang Ba
- School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yufei Zhang
- School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Wan-Qiu Liu
- School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jian Li
- School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Medical Materials and Devices, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Clinical Research and Trial Center, Shanghai, China
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7
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Brechun KE, Förschle M, Schmidt M, Kranz H. Method for plasmid-based antibiotic-free fermentation. Microb Cell Fact 2024; 23:18. [PMID: 38212806 PMCID: PMC10782701 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-023-02291-z] [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: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Antibiotic-based plasmid selection and maintenance is a core tool in molecular biology; however, while convenient, this strategy has numerous drawbacks for biological manufacturing. Overuse of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes (ARG) contributes to the development of antimicrobial resistance, which is a growing threat to modern medicine. Antibiotics themselves are costly and therefore often omitted in fermentations, leading to plasmid loss and a corresponding loss in product yield. Furthermore, constitutive expression of a plasmid-encoded antibiotic resistance gene imposes a significant metabolic burden on the cells. For many fermentation products (e.g., in nutrition and medicine), the use of antibiotic resistance genes is subject to strict regulations and should be avoided. We present a method for plasmid selection and maintenance with stringent selection pressure that is independent of antibiotics and ARG. Furthermore, it can be used without any restrictions regarding culture medium and temperature. RESULTS The developed method involves modification of a bacterial strain such that an essential gene is expressed genomically under the control of an inducible promoter. A copy of the same essential gene with the endogenous promoter is supplied on a plasmid for selection. In the absence of the inducer for the genomic copy of the essential gene, cells rely on expression of the plasmid-encoded gene copy, leading to tight selection for plasmid maintenance. Induction of the genomic copy of the essential gene enables the engineered strain to be propagated in the absence of a plasmid. Here, we describe the genetic setup and demonstrate long-term, tight selection for plasmid maintenance with a variety of different plasmids and E. coli strains. CONCLUSIONS This method facilitates plasmid-based fermentations by eliminating the need for antibiotic selection and improving plasmid maintenance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine E Brechun
- Gen-H Genetic Engineering Heidelberg GmbH, Im Neuenheimer Feld 584, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Marion Förschle
- Gen-H Genetic Engineering Heidelberg GmbH, Im Neuenheimer Feld 584, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Marlen Schmidt
- Gen-H Genetic Engineering Heidelberg GmbH, Im Neuenheimer Feld 584, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Harald Kranz
- Gen-H Genetic Engineering Heidelberg GmbH, Im Neuenheimer Feld 584, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany.
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8
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DeWolf S, Van den Bogaard M, Hart RB, Hartman S, Boury N, Phillips GJ. Changing colors and understanding: the use of mutant chromogenic protein and informational suppressor strains of Escherichia coli to explore the central dogma of molecular biology. JOURNAL OF MICROBIOLOGY & BIOLOGY EDUCATION 2023; 24:e00094-23. [PMID: 38107993 PMCID: PMC10720536 DOI: 10.1128/jmbe.00094-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
The central dogma of molecular biology is a key concept for undergraduate students in the life sciences as it describes the flow of information in living systems from gene-to-gene product. However, despite often being covered in many introductory life science courses, students may still have misconceptions surrounding the central dogma even as they move on to advanced courses. Active learning strategies such as laboratory activities can be useful in addressing such misconceptions. In the laboratory exercise presented here, senior undergraduate students explore the intricacies of nonsense suppressor mutations to challenge their understanding of the central dogma. The students introduce a plasmid carrying a nonfunctional chromogenic protein gene due to a nonsense mutation in a codon encoding the chromophore to various nonsense suppressor strains of Escherichia coli. Students then observe distinct chromogenic phenotypes, depending on the suppressor strain. Students showed a moderate increase in understanding of the central dogma. While the central dogma remains a challenging concept, active learning strategies like the one presented here can help reduce conceptual errors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah DeWolf
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Preventative Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, USA
| | - Maartje Van den Bogaard
- Department of Plant Pathology, Entomology, and Microbiology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, USA
| | - Rachael Brady Hart
- Undergraduate Program in Genetics, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, USA
| | - Sparrow Hartman
- Undergraduate Program in Biological and Premedical Illustration, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, USA
| | - Nancy Boury
- Department of Plant Pathology, Entomology, and Microbiology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, USA
| | - Gregory J. Phillips
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Preventative Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, USA
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Lewis J, Scott NE. CRISPRi-Mediated Silencing of Burkholderia O-Linked Glycosylation Systems Enables the Depletion of Glycosylation Yet Results in Modest Proteome Impacts. J Proteome Res 2023; 22:1762-1778. [PMID: 36995114 PMCID: PMC10243306 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jproteome.2c00790] [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: 12/04/2022] [Indexed: 03/31/2023]
Abstract
The process of O-linked protein glycosylation is highly conserved across the Burkholderia genus and mediated by the oligosaccharyltransferase PglL. While our understanding of Burkholderia glycoproteomes has increased in recent years, little is known about how Burkholderia species respond to modulations in glycosylation. Utilizing CRISPR interference (CRISPRi), we explored the impact of silencing of O-linked glycosylation across four species of Burkholderia; Burkholderia cenocepacia K56-2, Burkholderia diffusa MSMB375, Burkholderia multivorans ATCC17616, and Burkholderia thailandensis E264. Proteomic and glycoproteomic analyses revealed that while CRISPRi enabled inducible silencing of PglL, this did not abolish glycosylation, nor recapitulate phenotypes such as proteome changes or alterations in motility that are associated with glycosylation null strains, despite inhibition of glycosylation by nearly 90%. Importantly, this work also demonstrated that CRISPRi induction with high levels of rhamnose leads to extensive impacts on the Burkholderia proteomes, which without appropriate controls mask the impacts specifically driven by CRISPRi guides. Combined, this work revealed that while CRISPRi allows the modulation of O-linked glycosylation with reductions up to 90% at a phenotypic and proteome levels, Burkholderia appears to demonstrate a robust tolerance to fluctuations in glycosylation capacity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica
M. Lewis
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne at the Peter Doherty Institute
for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne 3000, Australia
| | - Nichollas E. Scott
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne at the Peter Doherty Institute
for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne 3000, Australia
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10
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Elston KM, Phillips LE, Leonard SP, Young E, Holley JAC, Ahsanullah T, McReynolds B, Moran NA, Barrick JE. The Pathfinder plasmid toolkit for genetically engineering newly isolated bacteria enables the study of Drosophila-colonizing Orbaceae. ISME COMMUNICATIONS 2023; 3:49. [PMID: 37225918 PMCID: PMC10209150 DOI: 10.1038/s43705-023-00255-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2023] [Revised: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Toolkits of plasmids and genetic parts streamline the process of assembling DNA constructs and engineering microbes. Many of these kits were designed with specific industrial or laboratory microbes in mind. For researchers interested in non-model microbial systems, it is often unclear which tools and techniques will function in newly isolated strains. To address this challenge, we designed the Pathfinder toolkit for quickly determining the compatibility of a bacterium with different plasmid components. Pathfinder plasmids combine three different broad-host-range origins of replication with multiple antibiotic resistance cassettes and reporters, so that sets of parts can be rapidly screened through multiplex conjugation. We first tested these plasmids in Escherichia coli, a strain of Sodalis praecaptivus that colonizes insects, and a Rosenbergiella isolate from leafhoppers. Then, we used the Pathfinder plasmids to engineer previously unstudied bacteria from the family Orbaceae that were isolated from several fly species. Engineered Orbaceae strains were able to colonize Drosophila melanogaster and could be visualized in fly guts. Orbaceae are common and abundant in the guts of wild-caught flies but have not been included in laboratory studies of how the Drosophila microbiome affects fly health. Thus, this work provides foundational genetic tools for studying microbial ecology and host-associated microbes, including bacteria that are a key constituent of the gut microbiome of a model insect species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine M Elston
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Laila E Phillips
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Sean P Leonard
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Eleanor Young
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Jo-Anne C Holley
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
- Freshman Research Initiative, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Tasneem Ahsanullah
- Freshman Research Initiative, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Braydin McReynolds
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Nancy A Moran
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Jeffrey E Barrick
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA.
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11
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Elston KM, Phillips LE, Leonard SP, Young E, Holley JAC, Ahsanullah T, McReynolds B, Moran NA, Barrick JE. The Pathfinder plasmid toolkit for genetically engineering newly isolated bacteria enables the study of Drosophila -colonizing Orbaceae. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.02.15.528778. [PMID: 36824770 PMCID: PMC9949093 DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.15.528778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/18/2023]
Abstract
Toolkits of plasmids and genetic parts streamline the process of assembling DNA constructs and engineering microbes. Many of these kits were designed with specific industrial or laboratory microbes in mind. For researchers interested in non-model microbial systems, it is often unclear which tools and techniques will function in newly isolated strains. To address this challenge, we designed the Pathfinder toolkit for quickly determining the compatibility of a bacterium with different plasmid components. Pathfinder plasmids combine three different broad-host-range origins of replication with multiple antibiotic resistance cassettes and reporters, so that sets of parts can be rapidly screened through multiplex conjugation. We first tested these plasmids in Escherichia coli , a strain of Sodalis praecaptivus that colonizes insects, and a Rosenbergiella isolate from leafhoppers. Then, we used the Pathfinder plasmids to engineer previously unstudied bacteria from the family Orbaceae that were isolated from several fly species. Engineered Orbaceae strains were able to colonize Drosophila melanogaster and could be visualized in fly guts. Orbaceae are common and abundant in the guts of wild-caught flies but have not been included in laboratory studies of how the Drosophila microbiome affects fly health. Thus, this work provides foundational genetic tools for studying new host-associated microbes, including bacteria that are a key constituent of the gut microbiome of a model insect species. IMPORTANCE To fully understand how microbes have evolved to interact with their environments, one must be able to modify their genomes. However, it can be difficult and laborious to discover which genetic tools and approaches work for a new isolate. Bacteria from the recently described Orbaceae family are common in the microbiomes of insects. We developed the Pathfinder plasmid toolkit for testing the compatibility of different genetic parts with newly cultured bacteria. We demonstrate its utility by engineering Orbaceae strains isolated from flies to express fluorescent proteins and characterizing how they colonize the Drosophila melanogaster gut. Orbaceae are widespread in Drosophila in the wild but have not been included in laboratory studies examining how the gut microbiome affects fly nutrition, health, and longevity. Our work establishes a path for genetic studies aimed at understanding and altering interactions between these and other newly isolated bacteria and their hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine M. Elston
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Laila E. Phillips
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Sean P. Leonard
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Eleanor Young
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Jo-anne C. Holley
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
- Freshman Research Initiative, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Tasneem Ahsanullah
- Freshman Research Initiative, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Braydin McReynolds
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Nancy A. Moran
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Jeffrey E. Barrick
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
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12
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Spasskaya DS, Davletshin AI, Tutyaeva VV, Kulagin KA, Garbuz DG, Karpov DS. A Test System for Assessment of the Activity of Mutant Cas9 Variants in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Mol Biol 2022. [DOI: 10.1134/s0026893322060164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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13
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Llorente B, Williams TC, Goold HD, Pretorius IS, Paulsen IT. Harnessing bioengineered microbes as a versatile platform for space nutrition. Nat Commun 2022; 13:6177. [PMID: 36261466 PMCID: PMC9582011 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-33974-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Human enterprises through the solar system will entail long-duration voyages and habitation creating challenges in maintaining healthy diets. We discuss consolidating multiple sensory and nutritional attributes into microorganisms to develop customizable food production systems with minimal inputs, physical footprint, and waste. We envisage that a yeast collection bioengineered for one-carbon metabolism, optimal nutrition, and diverse textures, tastes, aromas, and colors could serve as a flexible food-production platform. Beyond its potential for supporting humans in space, bioengineered microbial-based food could lead to a new paradigm for Earth's food manufacturing that provides greater self-sufficiency and removes pressure from natural ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Briardo Llorente
- grid.1004.50000 0001 2158 5405ARC Center of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109 Australia ,grid.1004.50000 0001 2158 5405School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109 Australia
| | - Thomas C. Williams
- grid.1004.50000 0001 2158 5405ARC Center of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109 Australia ,grid.1004.50000 0001 2158 5405School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109 Australia
| | - Hugh D. Goold
- grid.1004.50000 0001 2158 5405ARC Center of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109 Australia ,grid.1004.50000 0001 2158 5405School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109 Australia ,grid.1680.f0000 0004 0559 5189New South Wales Department of Primary Industries, Orange, NSW 2800 Australia
| | - Isak S. Pretorius
- grid.1004.50000 0001 2158 5405ARC Center of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109 Australia
| | - Ian T. Paulsen
- grid.1004.50000 0001 2158 5405ARC Center of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109 Australia ,grid.1004.50000 0001 2158 5405School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109 Australia
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14
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Luisi B, Hegab R, Person C, Seo K, Gleason J. Engineered Biosensors in an Encapsulated and Deployable System for Environmental Chemical Detection. ACS Sens 2022; 7:2589-2596. [PMID: 36070566 DOI: 10.1021/acssensors.2c00775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
The long-term exposure of low levels of the fungicide, 2-phenylphenol (2-PP), to the environment presents a hazard to human and aquatic health. The cost and difficulty in large-scale production limit the use of existing sensors to detect 2-PP for applications such as personal protection and persistent environmental monitoring of large areas. While advances have been made in using whole cells as biosensors for specific chemical detection, a whole-cell biosensor system with robust biocontainment for field deployment and a strong visual reporter for readouts in the deployed environment has yet to be realized. Here, engineered biosensors in an encapsulated and deployable system (eBEADS) were created to demonstrate a portable, no-power living sensor for detection of 2-PP in the environment. A whole-cell living sensor to detect 2-PP was developed in Escherichia coli by utilizing the 2-PP degradation pathway with an agenetic amplification circuit to produce a visual colorimetric output. To enable field deployment, a physical biocontainment system comprising polyacrylamide alginate beads was designed to encapsulate sensor strains, support long-term viability without supplemental nutrients, and allow permeability of the target analyte. Integration of materials and sensing strains has led to the development of a potential deployable end-to-end living sensor that, with the addition of an amplification circuit, has up to a 66-fold increase in β-galactosidase reporter output over non-amplified strains, responding to as little as 1 μM 2-PP while unencapsulated and 10 μM 2-PP while encapsulated. eBEADS enable sensitive and specific in-field detection of environmental perturbations and chemical threats without electronics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brooke Luisi
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, 11100 Johns Hopkins Road, Laurel 20723, Maryland, United States
| | - Rachel Hegab
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, 11100 Johns Hopkins Road, Laurel 20723, Maryland, United States
| | - Chanel Person
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, 11100 Johns Hopkins Road, Laurel 20723, Maryland, United States
| | - Kevin Seo
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, 11100 Johns Hopkins Road, Laurel 20723, Maryland, United States
| | - Julie Gleason
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, 11100 Johns Hopkins Road, Laurel 20723, Maryland, United States
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15
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Gutiérrez S, Wellman GB, Lauersen KJ. Teaching an old ‘doc’ new tricks for algal biotechnology: Strategic filter use enables multi-scale fluorescent protein signal detection. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 10:979607. [PMID: 36213064 PMCID: PMC9540369 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.979607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Fluorescent proteins (FPs) are powerful reporters with a broad range of applications in gene expression and subcellular localization. High-throughput screening is often required to identify individual transformed cell lines in organisms that favor non-homologous-end-joining integration of transgenes into genomes, like in the model green microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Strategic transgene design, including genetic fusion of transgenes to FPs, and strain domestication have aided engineering efforts in this host but have not removed the need for screening large numbers of transformants to identify those with robust transgene expression levels. FPs facilitate transformant screening by providing a visual signal indicating transgene expression. However, limited combinations of FPs have been described in alga and inherent background fluorescence from cell pigments can hinder FP detection efforts depending on available infrastructure. Here, an updated set of algal nuclear genome-domesticated plasmid parts for seven FPs and six epitope tags were generated and tested in C. reinhardtii. Strategic filter selection was found to enable detection of up to five independent FPs signals from cyan to far-red separately from inherent chlorophyll fluorescence in live algae at the agar plate-level and also in protein electrophoresis gels. This work presents technical advances for algal engineering that can assist reporter detection efforts in other photosynthetic host cells or organisms with inherent background fluorescence.
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16
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Aulicino F, Pelosse M, Toelzer C, Capin J, Ilegems E, Meysami P, Rollarson R, Berggren PO, Dillingham MS, Schaffitzel C, Saleem MA, Welsh GI, Berger I. Highly efficient CRISPR-mediated large DNA docking and multiplexed prime editing using a single baculovirus. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:7783-7799. [PMID: 35801912 PMCID: PMC9303279 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2022] [Revised: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
CRISPR-based precise gene-editing requires simultaneous delivery of multiple components into living cells, rapidly exceeding the cargo capacity of traditional viral vector systems. This challenge represents a major roadblock to genome engineering applications. Here we exploit the unmatched heterologous DNA cargo capacity of baculovirus to resolve this bottleneck in human cells. By encoding Cas9, sgRNA and Donor DNAs on a single, rapidly assembled baculoviral vector, we achieve with up to 30% efficacy whole-exon replacement in the intronic β-actin (ACTB) locus, including site-specific docking of very large DNA payloads. We use our approach to rescue wild-type podocin expression in steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome (SRNS) patient derived podocytes. We demonstrate single baculovirus vectored delivery of single and multiplexed prime-editing toolkits, achieving up to 100% cleavage-free DNA search-and-replace interventions without detectable indels. Taken together, we provide a versatile delivery platform for single base to multi-gene level genome interventions, addressing the currently unmet need for a powerful delivery system accommodating current and future CRISPR technologies without the burden of limited cargo capacity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Aulicino
- BrisSynBio Bristol Synthetic Biology Centre, Biomedical Sciences, School of Biochemistry, 1 Tankard's Close, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK
| | - Martin Pelosse
- BrisSynBio Bristol Synthetic Biology Centre, Biomedical Sciences, School of Biochemistry, 1 Tankard's Close, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK
| | - Christine Toelzer
- BrisSynBio Bristol Synthetic Biology Centre, Biomedical Sciences, School of Biochemistry, 1 Tankard's Close, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK
| | - Julien Capin
- BrisSynBio Bristol Synthetic Biology Centre, Biomedical Sciences, School of Biochemistry, 1 Tankard's Close, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK
| | - Erwin Ilegems
- The Rolf Luft Research Center for Diabetes and Endocrinology, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 76 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Parisa Meysami
- BrisSynBio Bristol Synthetic Biology Centre, Biomedical Sciences, School of Biochemistry, 1 Tankard's Close, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK
| | - Ruth Rollarson
- Bristol Renal, Bristol Medical School, Dorothy Hodgkin Building, Whitson street, Bristol BS1 3NY, UK
| | - Per-Olof Berggren
- The Rolf Luft Research Center for Diabetes and Endocrinology, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 76 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Mark Simon Dillingham
- BrisSynBio Bristol Synthetic Biology Centre, Biomedical Sciences, School of Biochemistry, 1 Tankard's Close, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK
| | - Christiane Schaffitzel
- BrisSynBio Bristol Synthetic Biology Centre, Biomedical Sciences, School of Biochemistry, 1 Tankard's Close, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK
| | - Moin A Saleem
- Bristol Renal, Bristol Medical School, Dorothy Hodgkin Building, Whitson street, Bristol BS1 3NY, UK
| | - Gavin I Welsh
- Bristol Renal, Bristol Medical School, Dorothy Hodgkin Building, Whitson street, Bristol BS1 3NY, UK
| | - Imre Berger
- BrisSynBio Bristol Synthetic Biology Centre, Biomedical Sciences, School of Biochemistry, 1 Tankard's Close, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK.,Max Planck Bristol Centre for Minimal Biology, School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Cantock's Close, Bristol BS8 1TS, UK
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17
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De Saeger J, Vermeersch M, Gaillochet C, Jacobs TB. Simple and Efficient Modification of Golden Gate Design Standards and Parts Using Oligo Stitching. ACS Synth Biol 2022; 11:2214-2220. [PMID: 35675166 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.2c00072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The assembly of DNA parts is a critical aspect of contemporary biological research. Gibson assembly and Golden Gate cloning are two popular options. Here, we explore the use of single stranded DNA oligos with Gibson assembly to augment Golden Gate cloning workflows in a process called "oligo stitching". Our results show that oligo stitching can efficiently convert Golden Gate parts between different assembly standards and directly assemble incompatible Golden Gate parts without PCR amplification. Building on previous reports, we show that it can also be used to assemble de novo sequences. As a final application, we show that restriction enzyme recognition sites can be removed from plasmids and utilize the same concept to perform saturation mutagenesis. Given oligo stitching's versatility and high efficiency, we expect that it will be a useful addition to the molecular biologist's toolbox.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonas De Saeger
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Technologiepark 71, 9052 Ghent, Belgium.,VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Technologiepark 71, 9052 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Mattias Vermeersch
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Technologiepark 71, 9052 Ghent, Belgium.,VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Technologiepark 71, 9052 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Christophe Gaillochet
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Technologiepark 71, 9052 Ghent, Belgium.,VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Technologiepark 71, 9052 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Thomas B Jacobs
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Technologiepark 71, 9052 Ghent, Belgium.,VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Technologiepark 71, 9052 Ghent, Belgium
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18
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Zhai L, Nakashima R, Shinoda H, Ike Y, Matsuda T, Nagai T. Structure‐based analysis and evolution of a monomerized red‐colored chromoprotein from the
Olindias formosa
jellyfish. Protein Sci 2022; 31:e4285. [PMID: 35481635 PMCID: PMC8994484 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2022] [Revised: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
GFP‐like chromoproteins (CPs) with non‐fluorescence ability have been used as bioimaging probes. Existing CPs have voids in the optical absorption window which limits their extensibility. The development of new CP color is therefore ongoing. Here, we cloned CPs from the jellyfish, Olindias formosa, and developed a completely non‐fluorescent monomeric red CP, R‐Velour, with an absorption peak at 528 nm. To analyze the photophysical properties from a structural aspect, we determined the crystal structure of R‐Velour at a 2.1 Å resolution. R‐Velour has a trans‐chromophore similar to the green fluorescence protein, Gamillus, derived from the same jellyfish. However, in contrast to the two coplanar chromophoric rings in Gamillus, R‐Velour has a large torsion inducing non‐fluorescence property. Through site‐directed mutagenesis, we surveyed residues surrounding the chromophore and found a key residue, Ser155, which contributes to the generation of four‐color variants with the bathochromic and hypsochromic shift of the absorption peak, ranging from 506 to 554 nm. The recently proposed spectrum shift theory, based on the Marcus–Hush model, supports the spectrum shift of these mutants. These findings may support further development of R‐Velour variants with useful absorption characteristics for bioimaging, including fluorescence lifetime imaging and photoacoustic imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Le Zhai
- Graduate School of Frontier Bioscience Osaka University Suita Japan
- SANKEN (The Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research) Osaka University Ibaraki Japan
| | - Ryosuke Nakashima
- SANKEN (The Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research) Osaka University Ibaraki Japan
| | - Hajime Shinoda
- SANKEN (The Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research) Osaka University Ibaraki Japan
| | - Yoshimasa Ike
- SANKEN (The Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research) Osaka University Ibaraki Japan
- Department of Biotechnology Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University Suita Japan
| | - Tomoki Matsuda
- SANKEN (The Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research) Osaka University Ibaraki Japan
- Department of Biotechnology Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University Suita Japan
| | - Takeharu Nagai
- Graduate School of Frontier Bioscience Osaka University Suita Japan
- SANKEN (The Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research) Osaka University Ibaraki Japan
- Department of Biotechnology Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University Suita Japan
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19
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Ahmed FH, Caputo AT, French NG, Peat TS, Whitfield J, Warden AC, Newman J, Scott C. Over the rainbow: structural characterization of the chromoproteins gfasPurple, amilCP, spisPink and eforRed. Acta Crystallogr D Struct Biol 2022; 78:599-612. [PMID: 35503208 PMCID: PMC9063845 DOI: 10.1107/s2059798322002625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2022] [Accepted: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Anthozoan chromoproteins are highly pigmented, diversely coloured and readily produced in recombinant expression systems. While they are a versatile and powerful building block in synthetic biology for applications such as biosensor development, they are not widely used in comparison to the related fluorescent proteins, partly due to a lack of structural characterization to aid protein engineering. Here, high-resolution X-ray crystal structures of four open-source chromoproteins, gfasPurple, amilCP, spisPink and eforRed, are presented. These proteins are dimers in solution, and mutation at the conserved dimer interface leads to loss of visible colour development in gfasPurple. The chromophores are trans and noncoplanar in gfasPurple, amilCP and spisPink, while that in eforRed is cis and noncoplanar, and also emits fluorescence. Like other characterized chromoproteins, gfasPurple, amilCP and eforRed contain an sp
2-hybridized N-acylimine in the peptide bond preceding the chromophore, while spisPink is unusual and demonstrates a true sp
3-hybridized trans-peptide bond at this position. It was found that point mutations at the chromophore-binding site in gfasPurple that substitute similar amino acids to those in amilCP and spisPink generate similar colours. These features and observations have implications for the utility of these chromoproteins in protein engineering and synthetic biology applications.
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20
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Ba F, Liu Y, Liu WQ, Tian X, Li J. SYMBIOSIS: synthetic manipulable biobricks via orthogonal serine integrase systems. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:2973-2985. [PMID: 35191490 PMCID: PMC8934643 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2021] [Revised: 02/04/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Serine integrases are emerging as one of the most powerful biological tools for synthetic biology. They have been widely used across genome engineering and genetic circuit design. However, developing serine integrase-based tools for directly/precisely manipulating synthetic biobricks is still missing. Here, we report SYMBIOSIS, a versatile method that can robustly manipulate DNA parts in vivo and in vitro. First, we propose a 'keys match locks' model to demonstrate that three orthogonal serine integrases are able to irreversibly and stably switch on seven synthetic biobricks with high accuracy in vivo. Then, we demonstrate that purified integrases can facilitate the assembly of 'donor' and 'acceptor' plasmids in vitro to construct composite plasmids. Finally, we use SYMBIOSIS to assemble different chromoprotein genes and create novel colored Escherichia coli. We anticipate that our SYMBIOSIS strategy will accelerate synthetic biobrick manipulation, genetic circuit design and multiple plasmid assembly for synthetic biology with broad potential applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fang Ba
- School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Yushi Liu
- School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Wan-Qiu Liu
- School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Xintong Tian
- School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Jian Li
- School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
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21
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Mora-Garduño JD, Tamayo-Nuñez J, Padilla-Vaca F, Ramírez-Montiel FB, Rangel-Serrano Á, Santos-Escobar F, Gutiérrez-Corona F, Páramo-Pérez I, Anaya-Velázquez F, García-Contreras R, Vargas-Maya NI, Franco B. Chromogenic Escherichia coli reporter strain for screening DNA damaging agents. AMB Express 2022; 12:2. [PMID: 34989906 PMCID: PMC8739417 DOI: 10.1186/s13568-021-01342-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Accepted: 12/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The presence of pollutants in soil and water has given rise to diverse analytical and biological approaches to detect and measure contaminants in the environment. Using bacterial cells as reporter strains represents an advantage for detecting pollutants present in soil or water samples. Here, an Escherichia coli reporter strain expressing a chromoprotein capable of interacting with soil or water samples and responding to DNA damaging compounds is validated. The reporter strain generates a qualitative signal and is based on the expression of the coral chromoprotein AmilCP under the control of the recA promoter. This strain can be used simply by applying soil or water samples directly and rendering activation upon DNA damage. This reporter strain responds to agents that damage DNA (with an apparent detection limit of 1 µg of mitomycin C) without observable response to membrane integrity damage, protein folding or oxidative stress generating agents, in the latter case, DNA damage was observed. The developed reporter strain reported here is effective for the detection of DNA damaging agents present in soils samples. In a proof-of-concept analysis using soil containing chromium, showing activation at 15.56 mg/L of Cr(VI) present in soil and leached samples and is consistent with Cr(III) toxicity at high concentrations (130 µg). Our findings suggest that chromogenic reporter strains can be applied for simple screening, thus reducing the number of samples requiring analytical techniques.
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22
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Yuan G, Lu H, Weston DJ, Jawdy S, Tschaplinski TJ, Tuskan GA, Yang X. Reporter genes confer new-to-nature ornamental traits in plants. HORTICULTURE RESEARCH 2022; 9:uhac077. [PMID: 35669710 PMCID: PMC9160727 DOI: 10.1093/hr/uhac077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2021] [Accepted: 03/17/2022] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
This manuscript has been authored by UT-Battelle, LLC under Contract No. DE-AC05-00OR22725 with the U.S. Department of Energy. The United States Government retains and the publisher, by accepting the article for publication, acknowledges that the United States Government retains a non-exclusive, paid-up, irrevocable, worldwide license to publish or reproduce the published form of this manuscript, or allow others to do so, for United States Government purposes. The Department of Energy will provide public access to these results of federally sponsored research in accordance with the DOE Public Access Plan (http://energy.gov/downloads/doe-public-access-plan).
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Affiliation(s)
- Guoliang Yuan
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge TN 37831, USA
- The Center for Bioenergy Innovation, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA
| | - Haiwei Lu
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge TN 37831, USA
| | - David J Weston
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge TN 37831, USA
- The Center for Bioenergy Innovation, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA
| | - Sara Jawdy
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge TN 37831, USA
- The Center for Bioenergy Innovation, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA
| | - Timothy J Tschaplinski
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge TN 37831, USA
- The Center for Bioenergy Innovation, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA
| | - Gerald A Tuskan
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge TN 37831, USA
- The Center for Bioenergy Innovation, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA
- Corresponding author: ;
| | - Xiaohan Yang
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge TN 37831, USA
- The Center for Bioenergy Innovation, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA
- Corresponding author: ;
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23
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Tchelet D, Salomon D. A Rapid Fluorescence-Based Screen to Identify Regulators and Components of Interbacterial Competition Mechanisms in Bacteria. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2427:11-24. [PMID: 35619021 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1971-1_2] [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: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Contact-dependent antibacterial mechanisms enhance bacterial fitness as they enable bacteria to outcompete their rivals and thrive in diverse environments. Such systems also allow pathogenic bacteria to establish a niche inside a host, where they must compete with commensal microflora. In many cases, antibacterial systems are tightly regulated by complex sensor and signal transduction networks. Deciphering these regulatory networks, as well as identifying functional components of antibacterial mechanisms, are valuable objectives since essential regulators and components present possible targets for developing antivirulence therapies. Here we describe Bacterial Competition Fluorescence (BaCoF), a methodology that relies on a fluorescence signal to determine the outcome of bacterial competitions. This methodology enables screening of mutant libraries to identify genes that are essential for activating a contact-dependent antibacterial system of interest. Thus, this methodology can be applied to reveal essential regulators and components of antibacterial systems in bacterial pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Tchelet
- Department of Clinical Microbiology and Immunology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Dor Salomon
- Department of Clinical Microbiology and Immunology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
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24
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Goosens VJ, Walker KT, Aragon SM, Singh A, Senthivel VR, Dekker L, Caro-Astorga J, Buat MLA, Song W, Lee KY, Ellis T. Komagataeibacter Tool Kit (KTK): A Modular Cloning System for Multigene Constructs and Programmed Protein Secretion from Cellulose Producing Bacteria. ACS Synth Biol 2021; 10:3422-3434. [PMID: 34767345 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.1c00358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Bacteria proficient at producing cellulose are an attractive synthetic biology host for the emerging field of Engineered Living Materials (ELMs). Species from the Komagataeibacter genus produce high yields of pure cellulose materials in a short time with minimal resources, and pioneering work has shown that genetic engineering in these strains is possible and can be used to modify the material and its production. To accelerate synthetic biology progress in these bacteria, we introduce here the Komagataeibacter tool kit (KTK), a standardized modular cloning system based on Golden Gate DNA assembly that allows DNA parts to be combined to build complex multigene constructs expressed in bacteria from plasmids. Working in Komagataeibacter rhaeticus, we describe basic parts for this system, including promoters, fusion tags, and reporter proteins, before showcasing how the assembly system enables more complex designs. Specifically, we use KTK cloning to reformat the Escherichia coli curli amyloid fiber system for functional expression in K. rhaeticus, and go on to modify it as a system for programming protein secretion from the cellulose producing bacteria. With this toolkit, we aim to accelerate modular synthetic biology in these bacteria, and enable more rapid progress in the emerging ELMs community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vivianne J. Goosens
- Imperial College Centre for Synthetic Biology, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, U.K
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, U.K
| | - Kenneth T. Walker
- Imperial College Centre for Synthetic Biology, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, U.K
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, U.K
| | - Silvia M. Aragon
- Imperial College Centre for Synthetic Biology, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, U.K
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, U.K
| | - Amritpal Singh
- Imperial College Centre for Synthetic Biology, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, U.K
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, U.K
| | - Vivek R. Senthivel
- Imperial College Centre for Synthetic Biology, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, U.K
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, U.K
| | - Linda Dekker
- Imperial College Centre for Synthetic Biology, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, U.K
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, U.K
| | - Joaquin Caro-Astorga
- Imperial College Centre for Synthetic Biology, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, U.K
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, U.K
| | | | - Wenzhe Song
- Department of Aeronautics, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, U.K
| | - Koon-Yang Lee
- Department of Aeronautics, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, U.K
| | - Tom Ellis
- Imperial College Centre for Synthetic Biology, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, U.K
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, U.K
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Kang SY, Pokhrel A, Bratsch S, Benson JJ, Seo SO, Quin MB, Aksan A, Schmidt-Dannert C. Engineering Bacillus subtilis for the formation of a durable living biocomposite material. Nat Commun 2021; 12:7133. [PMID: 34880257 PMCID: PMC8654922 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-27467-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Engineered living materials (ELMs) are a fast-growing area of research that combine approaches in synthetic biology and material science. Here, we engineer B. subtilis to become a living component of a silica material composed of self-assembling protein scaffolds for functionalization and cross-linking of cells. B. subtilis is engineered to display SpyTags on polar flagella for cell attachment to SpyCatcher modified secreted scaffolds. We engineer endospore limited B. subtilis cells to become a structural component of the material with spores for long-term storage of genetic programming. Silica biomineralization peptides are screened and scaffolds designed for silica polymerization to fabricate biocomposite materials with enhanced mechanical properties. We show that the resulting ELM can be regenerated from a piece of cell containing silica material and that new functions can be incorporated by co-cultivation of engineered B. subtilis strains. We believe that this work will serve as a framework for the future design of resilient ELMs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sun-Young Kang
- grid.17635.360000000419368657Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology & Biochemistry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455 USA ,grid.17635.360000000419368657BioTechnology Institute, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108 USA
| | - Anaya Pokhrel
- grid.17635.360000000419368657Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology & Biochemistry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455 USA ,grid.17635.360000000419368657BioTechnology Institute, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108 USA
| | - Sara Bratsch
- grid.17635.360000000419368657Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology & Biochemistry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455 USA ,grid.17635.360000000419368657BioTechnology Institute, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108 USA
| | - Joey J. Benson
- grid.17635.360000000419368657Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455 USA
| | - Seung-Oh Seo
- grid.17635.360000000419368657Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology & Biochemistry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455 USA ,grid.17635.360000000419368657BioTechnology Institute, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108 USA
| | - Maureen B. Quin
- grid.17635.360000000419368657Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology & Biochemistry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455 USA ,grid.17635.360000000419368657BioTechnology Institute, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108 USA
| | - Alptekin Aksan
- grid.17635.360000000419368657BioTechnology Institute, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108 USA ,grid.17635.360000000419368657Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455 USA
| | - Claudia Schmidt-Dannert
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology & Biochemistry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA. .,BioTechnology Institute, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, 55108, USA.
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Moraskie M, Roshid MHO, O'Connor G, Dikici E, Zingg JM, Deo S, Daunert S. Microbial whole-cell biosensors: Current applications, challenges, and future perspectives. Biosens Bioelectron 2021; 191:113359. [PMID: 34098470 PMCID: PMC8376793 DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2021.113359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2021] [Revised: 05/13/2021] [Accepted: 05/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Microbial Whole-Cell Biosensors (MWCBs) have seen rapid development with the arrival of 21st century biological and technological capabilities. They consist of microbial species which produce, or limit the production of, a reporter protein in the presence of a target analyte. The quantifiable signal from the reporter protein can be used to determine the bioavailable levels of the target analyte in a variety of sample types at a significantly lower cost than most widely used and well-established analytical instrumentation. Furthermore, the versatile and robust nature of MWCBs shows great potential for their use in otherwise unavailable settings and environments. While MWCBs have been developed for use in biomedical, environmental, and agricultural monitoring, they still face various challenges before they can transition from the laboratory into industrialized settings like their enzyme-based counterparts. In this comprehensive and critical review, we describe the underlying working principles of MWCBs, highlight developments for their use in a variety of fields, detail challenges and current efforts to address them, and discuss exciting implementations of MWCBs helping redefine what is thought to be possible with this expeditiously evolving technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Moraskie
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, 33136, USA; The Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation Biomedical Nanotechnology Institute - BioNIUM, University of Miami, Miami, FL, 33136, USA
| | - Md Harun Or Roshid
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, 33136, USA; The Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation Biomedical Nanotechnology Institute - BioNIUM, University of Miami, Miami, FL, 33136, USA; Department of Chemistry, University of Miami, Miami, FL, 33146, USA
| | - Gregory O'Connor
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, 33136, USA; The Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation Biomedical Nanotechnology Institute - BioNIUM, University of Miami, Miami, FL, 33136, USA
| | - Emre Dikici
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, 33136, USA; The Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation Biomedical Nanotechnology Institute - BioNIUM, University of Miami, Miami, FL, 33136, USA
| | - Jean-Marc Zingg
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, 33136, USA; The Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation Biomedical Nanotechnology Institute - BioNIUM, University of Miami, Miami, FL, 33136, USA
| | - Sapna Deo
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, 33136, USA; The Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation Biomedical Nanotechnology Institute - BioNIUM, University of Miami, Miami, FL, 33136, USA
| | - Sylvia Daunert
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, 33136, USA; The Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation Biomedical Nanotechnology Institute - BioNIUM, University of Miami, Miami, FL, 33136, USA; Department of Chemistry, University of Miami, Miami, FL, 33146, USA; The Miami Clinical and Translational Science Institute, University of Miami, Miami, FL, 33146, USA; Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami, Miami, FL, 33146, USA.
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Bhadra S, Nguyen V, Torres JA, Kar S, Fadanka S, Gandini C, Akligoh H, Paik I, Maranhao AC, Molloy J, Ellington AD. Producing molecular biology reagents without purification. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0252507. [PMID: 34061896 PMCID: PMC8168896 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0252507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 05/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
We recently developed 'cellular' reagents-lyophilized bacteria overexpressing proteins of interest-that can replace commercial pure enzymes in typical diagnostic and molecular biology reactions. To make cellular reagent technology widely accessible and amenable to local production with minimal instrumentation, we now report a significantly simplified method for preparing cellular reagents that requires only a common bacterial incubator to grow and subsequently dry enzyme-expressing bacteria at 37°C with the aid of inexpensive chemical desiccants. We demonstrate application of such dried cellular reagents in common molecular and synthetic biology processes, such as PCR, qPCR, reverse transcription, isothermal amplification, and Golden Gate DNA assembly, in building easy-to-use testing kits, and in rapid reagent production for meeting extraordinary diagnostic demands such as those being faced in the ongoing SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Furthermore, we demonstrate feasibility of local production by successfully implementing this minimized procedure and preparing cellular reagents in several countries, including the United Kingdom, Cameroon, and Ghana. Our results demonstrate possibilities for readily scalable local and distributed reagent production, and further instantiate the opportunities available via synthetic biology in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanchita Bhadra
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, College of Natural Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, United States of America
- Center for Systems and Synthetic Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, United States of America
| | - Vylan Nguyen
- Freshman Research Initiative, DIY Diagnostics Stream, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, United States of America
| | - Jose-Angel Torres
- Freshman Research Initiative, DIY Diagnostics Stream, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, United States of America
| | - Shaunak Kar
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, College of Natural Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, United States of America
- Center for Systems and Synthetic Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, United States of America
| | | | - Chiara Gandini
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | | | - Inyup Paik
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, College of Natural Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, United States of America
- Center for Systems and Synthetic Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, United States of America
| | - Andre C. Maranhao
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, College of Natural Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, United States of America
- Center for Systems and Synthetic Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, United States of America
| | - Jenny Molloy
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew D. Ellington
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, College of Natural Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, United States of America
- Center for Systems and Synthetic Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, United States of America
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Otten C, Büttner D. HrpB4 from Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria acts similarly to SctK proteins and promotes the docking of the predicted sorting platform to the type III secretion system. Cell Microbiol 2021; 23:e13327. [PMID: 33733571 DOI: 10.1111/cmi.13327] [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] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Revised: 02/28/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The Gram-negative bacterium Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria is the causal agent of bacterial spot disease on pepper and tomato plants. Pathogenicity of X. campestris pv. vesicatoria depends on a type III secretion (T3S) system which translocates bacterial effector proteins into plant cells. At least nine membrane-associated and cytoplasmic components of the secretion apparatus are homologous to corresponding Sct (secretion and cellular translocation) proteins from animal pathogens, suggesting a similar structural organisation of T3S systems in different bacterial species. T3S in X. campestris pv. vesicatoria also depends on non-conserved proteins with yet unknown function including the essential pathogenicity factor HrpB4. Here, we show that HrpB4 localises to the cytoplasm and the bacterial membranes and interacts with the cytoplasmic domain of the inner membrane (IM) ring component HrcD and the cytoplasmic HrcQ protein. The analysis of HrpB4 deletion derivatives revealed that deletion of the N- or C-terminal protein region affects the interaction of HrpB4 with HrcQ and HrcD as well as its contribution to pathogenicity. HrcQ is a component of the predicted sorting platform, which was identified in animal pathogens as a dynamic heterooligomeric protein complex and associates with the IM ring via SctK proteins. HrcQ complex formation was previously shown by fluorescent microscopy analysis and depends on the presence of the T3S system. In the present study, we provide experimental evidence that the absence of HrpB4 severely affects the docking of HrcQ complexes to the T3S system but does not significantly interfere with HrcQ complex formation in the bacterial cytoplasm. Taken together, our data suggest that HrpB4 links the predicted cytoplasmic sorting platform to the IM rings of the T3S system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Otten
- Institute of Biology, Department of Genetics, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Daniela Büttner
- Institute of Biology, Department of Genetics, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
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Damalas SG, Batianis C, Martin‐Pascual M, de Lorenzo V, Martins dos Santos VAP. SEVA 3.1: enabling interoperability of DNA assembly among the SEVA, BioBricks and Type IIS restriction enzyme standards. Microb Biotechnol 2020; 13:1793-1806. [PMID: 32710525 PMCID: PMC7533339 DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.13609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2020] [Revised: 04/22/2020] [Accepted: 05/18/2020] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Robust synthetic biology applications rely heavily on the design and assembly of DNA parts with specific functionalities based on engineering principles. However, the assembly standards adopted by different communities vary considerably, thus limiting the interoperability of parts, vectors and methods. We hereby introduce the SEVA 3.1 platform consisting of the SEVA 3.1 vectors and the Golden Gate-based 'SevaBrick Assembly'. This platform enables the convergence of standard processes between the SEVA platform, the BioBricks and the Type IIs-mediated DNA assemblies to reduce complexity and optimize compatibility between parts and methods. It features a wide library of cloning vectors along with a core set of standard SevaBrick primers that allow multipart assembly and exchange of short functional genetic elements (promoters, RBSs) with minimal cloning and design effort. As proof of concept, we constructed, among others, multiple sfGFP expression vectors under the control of eight RBSs, eight promoters and four origins of replication as well as an inducible four-gene operon expressing the biosynthetic genes for the black pigment proviolacein. To demonstrate the interoperability of the SEVA 3.1 vectors, all constructs were characterized in both Pseudomonas putida and Escherichia coli. In summary, the SEVA 3.1 platform optimizes compatibility and modularity of inserts and backbones with a cost- and time-friendly DNA assembly method, substantially expanding the toolbox for successful synthetic biology applications in Gram-negative bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stamatios G. Damalas
- Laboratory of Systems and Synthetic BiologyWageningen & Research UniversityStippeneng 4Wageningen6708 WEThe Netherlands
| | - Christos Batianis
- Laboratory of Systems and Synthetic BiologyWageningen & Research UniversityStippeneng 4Wageningen6708 WEThe Netherlands
| | - Maria Martin‐Pascual
- Laboratory of Systems and Synthetic BiologyWageningen & Research UniversityStippeneng 4Wageningen6708 WEThe Netherlands
| | - Victor de Lorenzo
- Systems Biology ProgramNational Center of Biotechnology − CSICMadrid28049Spain
| | - Vitor A. P. Martins dos Santos
- Laboratory of Systems and Synthetic BiologyWageningen & Research UniversityStippeneng 4Wageningen6708 WEThe Netherlands
- Lifeglimmer GmbHMarkelstrasse 38Berlin12163Germany
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30
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Fels U, Gevaert K, Van Damme P. Bacterial Genetic Engineering by Means of Recombineering for Reverse Genetics. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:548410. [PMID: 33013782 PMCID: PMC7516269 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.548410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2020] [Accepted: 08/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Serving a robust platform for reverse genetics enabling the in vivo study of gene functions primarily in enterobacteriaceae, recombineering -or recombination-mediated genetic engineering-represents a powerful and relative straightforward genetic engineering tool. Catalyzed by components of bacteriophage-encoded homologous recombination systems and only requiring short ∼40–50 base homologies, the targeted and precise introduction of modifications (e.g., deletions, knockouts, insertions and point mutations) into the chromosome and other episomal replicons is empowered. Furthermore, by its ability to make use of both double- and single-stranded linear DNA editing substrates (e.g., PCR products or oligonucleotides, respectively), lengthy subcloning of specific DNA sequences is circumvented. Further, the more recent implementation of CRISPR-associated endonucleases has allowed for more efficient screening of successful recombinants by the selective purging of non-edited cells, as well as the creation of markerless and scarless mutants. In this review we discuss various recombineering strategies to promote different types of gene modifications, how they are best applied, and their possible pitfalls.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ursula Fels
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.,VIB-UGent Center for Medical Biotechnology, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Kris Gevaert
- VIB-UGent Center for Medical Biotechnology, Ghent, Belgium.,Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Petra Van Damme
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
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Tamayo-Nuñez J, de la Mora J, Padilla-Vaca F, Vargas-Maya NI, Rangel-Serrano Á, Anaya-Velázquez F, Páramo-Pérez I, Reyes-Martínez JE, España-Sánchez BL, Franco B. aeBlue Chromoprotein Color is Temperature Dependent. Protein Pept Lett 2019; 27:74-84. [PMID: 31385759 PMCID: PMC6978647 DOI: 10.2174/0929866526666190806145740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2019] [Revised: 06/19/2019] [Accepted: 06/21/2019] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Background Marine sessile organisms display a color palette that is the result of the expression of fluorescent and non-fluorescent proteins. Fluorescent proteins have uncovered transcriptional regulation, subcellular localization of proteins, and the fate of cells during development. Chromoproteins have received less attention until recent years as bioreporters. Here, we studied the properties of aeBlue, a a 25.91 kDa protein from the anemone Actinia equina. Objective To assess the properties of aeBlue chromoprotein under different physicochemical conditions. Methods In this article, during the purification of aeBlue we uncovered that it suffered a color shift when frozen. We studied the color shift by different temperature incubation and physicochemical conditions and light spectroscopy. To assess the possible structural changes in the protein, circular dichroism analysis, size exclusion chromatography and native PAGE was performed. Results We uncover that aeBlue chromoprotein, when expressed from a synthetic construct in Escherichia coli, showed a temperature dependent color shift. Protein purified at 4 °C by metal affinity chromatography exhibited a pinkish color and shifts back at higher temperatures to its intense blue color. Circular dichroism analysis revealed that the structure in the pink form of the protein has reduced secondary structure at 4 °C, but at 35 °C and higher, the structure shifts to a native conformation and Far UV- vis CD spectra revealed the shift in an aromatic residue of the chromophore. Also, the chromophore retains its properties in a wide range of conditions (pH, denaturants, reducing and oxidants agents). Quaternary structure is also maintained as a tetrameric conformation as shown by native gel and size exclusion chromatography. Conclusion Our results suggest that the chromophore position in aeBlue is shifted from its native position rendering the pink color and the process to return it to its native blue conformation is temperature dependent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Tamayo-Nuñez
- Departamento de Biologia, Division de Ciencias Naturales y Exactas, Universidad de Guanajuato, Noria Alta s/n, Guanajuato, Gto. 36050, Mexico
| | - Javier de la Mora
- Instituto de Fisiologia Celular, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Circuito Exterior S/N, Mexico City, 04510, Mexico
| | - Felipe Padilla-Vaca
- Departamento de Biologia, Division de Ciencias Naturales y Exactas, Universidad de Guanajuato, Noria Alta s/n, Guanajuato, Gto. 36050, Mexico
| | - Naurú Idalia Vargas-Maya
- Departamento de Biologia, Division de Ciencias Naturales y Exactas, Universidad de Guanajuato, Noria Alta s/n, Guanajuato, Gto. 36050, Mexico
| | - Ángeles Rangel-Serrano
- Departamento de Biologia, Division de Ciencias Naturales y Exactas, Universidad de Guanajuato, Noria Alta s/n, Guanajuato, Gto. 36050, Mexico
| | - Fernando Anaya-Velázquez
- Departamento de Biologia, Division de Ciencias Naturales y Exactas, Universidad de Guanajuato, Noria Alta s/n, Guanajuato, Gto. 36050, Mexico
| | - Itzel Páramo-Pérez
- Departamento de Biologia, Division de Ciencias Naturales y Exactas, Universidad de Guanajuato, Noria Alta s/n, Guanajuato, Gto. 36050, Mexico
| | - Juana Elizabeth Reyes-Martínez
- Departamento de Biologia, Division de Ciencias Naturales y Exactas, Universidad de Guanajuato, Noria Alta s/n, Guanajuato, Gto. 36050, Mexico
| | - Beatríz Liliana España-Sánchez
- CONACYT Centro de Investigacion y Desarrollo Tecnologico en Electroquimica SC. Parque Queretaro s/n Sanfandila, Pedro Escobedo Queretaro. C.P. 76703, Mexico
| | - Bernardo Franco
- Departamento de Biologia, Division de Ciencias Naturales y Exactas, Universidad de Guanajuato, Noria Alta s/n, Guanajuato, Gto. 36050, Mexico
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A New Suite of Allelic-Exchange Vectors for the Scarless Modification of Proteobacterial Genomes. Appl Environ Microbiol 2019; 85:AEM.00990-19. [PMID: 31201277 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00990-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2019] [Accepted: 06/06/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite the advent of new techniques for genetic engineering of bacteria, allelic exchange through homologous recombination remains an important tool for genetic analysis. Currently, sacB-based vector systems are often used for allelic exchange, but counterselection escape, which prevents isolation of cells with the desired mutation, occasionally limits their utility. To circumvent this, we engineered a series of "pTOX" allelic-exchange vectors. Each plasmid encodes one of a set of inducible toxins, chosen for their potential utility in a wide range of medically important proteobacteria. A codon-optimized rhaS transcriptional activator with a strong synthetic ribosome-binding site enables tight toxin induction even in organisms lacking an endogenous rhamnose regulon. Expression of the gene encoding blue AmilCP or magenta TsPurple nonfluorescent chromoprotein facilitates monitoring of successful single- and double-crossover events using these vectors. The versatility of these vectors was demonstrated by deleting genes in Serratia marcescens, Escherichia coli O157:H7, Enterobacter cloacae, and Shigella flexneri Finally, pTOX was used to characterize the impact of disruption of all combinations of the 3 paralogous S. marcescens peptidoglycan amidohydrolases on chromosomal ampC β-lactamase activity and the corresponding β-lactam antibiotic resistance. Mutation of multiple amidohydrolases was necessary for high-level ampC derepression and β-lactam resistance. These data suggest why β-lactam resistance may emerge during treatment less frequently in S. marcescens than in other AmpC-producing pathogens, like E. cloacae Collectively, our findings suggest that the pTOX vectors should be broadly useful for genetic engineering of Gram-negative bacteria.IMPORTANCE Targeted modification of bacterial genomes is critical for genetic analysis of microorganisms. Allelic exchange is a technique that relies on homologous recombination to replace native loci with engineered sequences. However, current allelic-exchange vectors often enable only weak selection for successful homologous recombination. We developed a suite of new allelic-exchange vectors, pTOX, which were validated in several medically important proteobacteria. They encode visible nonfluorescent chromoproteins that enable easy identification of colonies bearing integrated vectors and permit stringent selection for the second step of homologous recombination. We demonstrate the utility of these vectors by using them to investigate the effect of inactivation of Serratia marcescens peptidoglycan amidohydrolases on β-lactam antibiotic resistance.
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Byagathvalli G, Pomerantz A, Sinha S, Standeven J, Bhamla MS. A 3D-printed hand-powered centrifuge for molecular biology. PLoS Biol 2019; 17:e3000251. [PMID: 31112539 PMCID: PMC6528969 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3000251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The centrifuge is an essential tool for many aspects of research and medical diagnostics. However, conventional centrifuges are often inaccessible outside of standard laboratory settings, such as remote field sites, because they require a constant external power source and can be prohibitively costly in resource-limited settings and Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)-focused programs. Here we present the 3D-Fuge, a 3D-printed hand-powered centrifuge, as a novel alternative to standard benchtop centrifuges. Based on the design principles of a paper-based centrifuge, this 3D-printed instrument increases the volume capacity to 2 mL and can reach hand-powered centrifugation speeds up to 6,000 rpm. The 3D-Fuge devices presented here are capable of centrifugation of a wide variety of different solutions such as spinning down samples for biomarker applications and performing nucleotide extractions as part of a portable molecular lab setup. We introduce the design and proof-of-principle trials that demonstrate the utility of low-cost 3D-printed centrifuges for use in remote field biology and educational settings. This Community Page article describes a low-cost 3D-printed centrifuge to enable sequencing in remote field conditions and lowering the barrier to synthetic biology research in high schools to broaden participation in hands-on STEM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaurav Byagathvalli
- Lambert High School, Suwanee, Georgia, United States of America
- School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Aaron Pomerantz
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Soham Sinha
- School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Janet Standeven
- Lambert High School, Suwanee, Georgia, United States of America
| | - M. Saad Bhamla
- School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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