51
|
Park H, Jeon H, Lee MY, Jeon H, Kwon S, Hong S, Kang K. Designed Amyloid Fibers with Emergent Melanosomal Functions. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2022; 38:7077-7084. [PMID: 35608255 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.2c00904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Short peptides designed to self-associate into amyloid fibers with metal ion-binding ability have been used to catalyze various types of chemical reactions. This manuscript demonstrates that one of these short-peptide fibers coordinated with CuII can exhibit melanosomal functions. The coordinated CuII and the amyloid structure itself are differentially functional in accelerating oxidative self-association of dopamine into melanin-like species and in regulating their material properties (e.g., water dispersion, morphology, and the density of unpaired electrons). The results have implications for the role of functional amyloids in melanin biosynthesis and for designing peptide-based supramolecular structures with various emergent functions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hyeyeon Park
- Department of Applied Chemistry, Kyung Hee University, 1732 Deogyoung-daero, Yongin, Gyeonggi 17104, South Korea
| | - Hyeri Jeon
- Department of Chemistry, Sookmyung Women's University, Seoul 04310, South Korea
| | - Min Young Lee
- Department of Applied Chemistry, Kyung Hee University, 1732 Deogyoung-daero, Yongin, Gyeonggi 17104, South Korea
| | - Hyojae Jeon
- Department of Applied Chemistry, Kyung Hee University, 1732 Deogyoung-daero, Yongin, Gyeonggi 17104, South Korea
| | - Sunbum Kwon
- Department of Chemistry, Chung-Ang University, Seoul 06974, South Korea
| | - Seungwoo Hong
- Department of Chemistry, Sookmyung Women's University, Seoul 04310, South Korea
| | - Kyungtae Kang
- Department of Applied Chemistry, Kyung Hee University, 1732 Deogyoung-daero, Yongin, Gyeonggi 17104, South Korea
| |
Collapse
|
52
|
Taylor AIP, Staniforth RA. General Principles Underpinning Amyloid Structure. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:878869. [PMID: 35720732 PMCID: PMC9201691 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.878869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyloid fibrils are a pathologically and functionally relevant state of protein folding, which is generally accessible to polypeptide chains and differs fundamentally from the globular state in terms of molecular symmetry, long-range conformational order, and supramolecular scale. Although amyloid structures are challenging to study, recent developments in techniques such as cryo-EM, solid-state NMR, and AFM have led to an explosion of information about the molecular and supramolecular organization of these assemblies. With these rapid advances, it is now possible to assess the prevalence and significance of proposed general structural features in the context of a diverse body of high-resolution models, and develop a unified view of the principles that control amyloid formation and give rise to their unique properties. Here, we show that, despite system-specific differences, there is a remarkable degree of commonality in both the structural motifs that amyloids adopt and the underlying principles responsible for them. We argue that the inherent geometric differences between amyloids and globular proteins shift the balance of stabilizing forces, predisposing amyloids to distinct molecular interaction motifs with a particular tendency for massive, lattice-like networks of mutually supporting interactions. This general property unites previously characterized structural features such as steric and polar zippers, and contributes to the long-range molecular order that gives amyloids many of their unique properties. The shared features of amyloid structures support the existence of shared structure-activity principles that explain their self-assembly, function, and pathogenesis, and instill hope in efforts to develop broad-spectrum modifiers of amyloid function and pathology.
Collapse
|
53
|
Caparco AA, Dautel DR, Champion JA. Protein Mediated Enzyme Immobilization. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2022; 18:e2106425. [PMID: 35182030 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202106425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2021] [Revised: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Enzyme immobilization is an essential technology for commercializing biocatalysis. It imparts stability, recoverability, and other valuable features that improve the effectiveness of biocatalysts. While many avenues to join an enzyme to solid phases exist, protein-mediated immobilization is rapidly developing and has many advantages. Protein-mediated immobilization allows for the binding interaction to be genetically coded, can be used to create artificial multienzyme cascades, and enables modular designs that expand the variety of enzymes immobilized. By designing around binding interactions between protein domains, they can be integrated into functional materials for protein immobilization. These materials are framed within the context of biocatalytic performance, immobilization efficiency, and stability of the materials. In this review, supports composed entirely of protein are discussed first, with systems such as cellulosomes and protein cages being discussed alongside newer technologies like spore-based biocatalysts and forizymes. Protein-composite materials such as polymersomes and protein-inorganic supraparticles are then discussed to demonstrate how protein-mediated strategies are applied to many classes of solid materials. Critical analysis and future directions of protein-based immobilization are then discussed, with a particular focus on both computational and design strategies to advance this area of research and make it more broadly applicable to many classes of enzymes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Adam A Caparco
- Department of Nanoengineering, University of California, San Diego, MC 0448, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Dylan R Dautel
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 950 Atlantic Drive NW, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
| | - Julie A Champion
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 950 Atlantic Drive NW, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
| |
Collapse
|
54
|
Liu AP, Appel EA, Ashby PD, Baker BM, Franco E, Gu L, Haynes K, Joshi NS, Kloxin AM, Kouwer PHJ, Mittal J, Morsut L, Noireaux V, Parekh S, Schulman R, Tang SKY, Valentine MT, Vega SL, Weber W, Stephanopoulos N, Chaudhuri O. The living interface between synthetic biology and biomaterial design. NATURE MATERIALS 2022; 21:390-397. [PMID: 35361951 PMCID: PMC10265650 DOI: 10.1038/s41563-022-01231-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Recent far-reaching advances in synthetic biology have yielded exciting tools for the creation of new materials. Conversely, advances in the fundamental understanding of soft-condensed matter, polymers and biomaterials offer new avenues to extend the reach of synthetic biology. The broad and exciting range of possible applications have substantial implications to address grand challenges in health, biotechnology and sustainability. Despite the potentially transformative impact that lies at the interface of synthetic biology and biomaterials, the two fields have, so far, progressed mostly separately. This Perspective provides a review of recent key advances in these two fields, and a roadmap for collaboration at the interface between the two communities. We highlight the near-term applications of this interface to the development of hierarchically structured biomaterials, from bioinspired building blocks to 'living' materials that sense and respond based on the reciprocal interactions between materials and embedded cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Allen P Liu
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
| | - Eric A Appel
- Department of Materials Science & Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Paul D Ashby
- Molecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Brendon M Baker
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Elisa Franco
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Luo Gu
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Karmella Haynes
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Neel S Joshi
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - April M Kloxin
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and Materials Science and Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
| | - Paul H J Kouwer
- Institute for Molecules and Materials, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Jeetain Mittal
- Artie McFerrin Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Leonardo Morsut
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Vincent Noireaux
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Sapun Parekh
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Texas, Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Rebecca Schulman
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Sindy K Y Tang
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Megan T Valentine
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Sebastián L Vega
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ, USA
| | - Wilfried Weber
- Faculty of Biology and Signalling Research Centres BIOSS and CIBSS, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | | | - Ovijit Chaudhuri
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
55
|
McBee RM, Lucht M, Mukhitov N, Richardson M, Srinivasan T, Meng D, Chen H, Kaufman A, Reitman M, Munck C, Schaak D, Voigt C, Wang HH. Engineering living and regenerative fungal-bacterial biocomposite structures. NATURE MATERIALS 2022; 21:471-478. [PMID: 34857911 DOI: 10.1038/s41563-021-01123-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2020] [Accepted: 09/07/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Engineered living materials could have the capacity to self-repair and self-replicate, sense local and distant disturbances in their environment, and respond with functionalities for reporting, actuation or remediation. However, few engineered living materials are capable of both responsivity and use in macroscopic structures. Here we describe the development, characterization and engineering of a fungal-bacterial biocomposite grown on lignocellulosic feedstocks that can form mouldable, foldable and regenerative living structures. We have developed strategies to make human-scale biocomposite structures using mould-based and origami-inspired growth and assembly paradigms. Microbiome profiling of the biocomposite over multiple generations enabled the identification of a dominant bacterial component, Pantoea agglomerans, which was further isolated and developed into a new chassis. We introduced engineered P. agglomerans into native feedstocks to yield living blocks with new biosynthetic and sensing-reporting capabilities. Bioprospecting the native microbiota to develop engineerable chassis constitutes an important strategy to facilitate the development of living biomaterials with new properties and functionalities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ross M McBee
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Nikita Mukhitov
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Miles Richardson
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Integrated Program in Cellular, Molecular, and Biomedical Studies, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Tarun Srinivasan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Dechuan Meng
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Haorong Chen
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Andrew Kaufman
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Christian Munck
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Christopher Voigt
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Harris H Wang
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
56
|
Han M, Li Y, Lu S, Yuan B, Cheng S, Cao C. Amyloid Protein-Biofunctionalized Polydopamine Nanoparticles Demonstrate Minimal Plasma Protein Fouling and Efficient Photothermal Therapy. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2022; 14:13743-13757. [PMID: 35263991 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.2c00716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Polydopamine (PDA) shows great application potential in photothermal therapy (PTT) of tumors due to its excellent photothermal performance. However, PDA rich in a large number of catechin structures, with strong adhesion, can readily attach to plasma proteins in blood to form protein corona, which greatly hinders the transfer efficiency to tumors and reduces the bioavailability. In this paper, a simple, rapid phase-transitioned albumin biomimetic nanocorona (TBSA) is used for the surface camouflage of PDA nanoparticles for minimal plasma protein fouling and efficient PTT. TBSA coating is formed by the BSA-derived amyloid through the hydrophobic aggregation near the isoelectric point and the rupture of disulfide bonds by tris(2-carboxyethyl) phosphine. The stable PDA@TBSA complexes are formed by camouflaging TBSA onto the surface of PDA through hydrophobic, electrostatic, and covalent binding between TBSA and PDA, which showed excellent anti-plasma protein adsorption properties profited from the surface charge of PDA@TBSA approaching equilibrium and the surface passivation of BSA. The plasma protein thickness of the PDA@TBSA surface is 6 times lower than that of PDA at adsorption saturation. In vitro and in vivo experiments have revealed that PDA@TBSA has an excellent photothermal antitumor effect compared to PDA. Both PDA and PDA@TBSA treatment plus 808 nm laser irradiation result in more than 70% inhibition on tumor cell proliferation. In addition, PDA@TBSA does not cause a significant inflammatory response and tissue damage. Taken together, the TBSA coating endows PDA with low-fouling functions in blood and improves the residence time of PDA in blood and enrichment in the tumor tissue. This work offers a novel and efficient strategy for the design of functional nanosystems exploiting the speciality of the biomolecular corona formation around nanomaterials.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Miaomiao Han
- Department of Food Quality and Safety/National R&D Center for Chinese Herbal Medicine Processing, College of Engineering, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, China
| | - Yan Li
- Department of Food Quality and Safety/National R&D Center for Chinese Herbal Medicine Processing, College of Engineering, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, China
| | - Shun Lu
- Department of Food Quality and Safety/National R&D Center for Chinese Herbal Medicine Processing, College of Engineering, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, China
| | - Biao Yuan
- Department of Food Quality and Safety/National R&D Center for Chinese Herbal Medicine Processing, College of Engineering, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, China
| | - Shujie Cheng
- Department of Food Quality and Safety/National R&D Center for Chinese Herbal Medicine Processing, College of Engineering, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, China
| | - Chongjiang Cao
- Department of Food Quality and Safety/National R&D Center for Chinese Herbal Medicine Processing, College of Engineering, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, China
| |
Collapse
|
57
|
Programmable living assembly of materials by bacterial adhesion. Nat Chem Biol 2022; 18:289-294. [PMID: 34934187 DOI: 10.1038/s41589-021-00934-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2021] [Accepted: 10/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The field of engineered living materials aims to construct functional materials with desirable properties of natural living systems. A recent study demonstrated the programmed self-assembly of bacterial populations by engineered adhesion. Here we use this strategy to engineer self-healing living materials with versatile functions. Bacteria displaying outer membrane-anchored nanobody-antigen pairs are cultured separately and, when mixed, adhere to each other to enable processing into functional materials, which we term living assembled material by bacterial adhesion (LAMBA). LAMBA is programmable and can be functionalized with extracellular moieties up to 545 amino acids. Notably, the adhesion between nanobody-antigen pairs in LAMBA leads to fast recovery under stretching or bending. By exploiting this feature, we fabricated wearable LAMBA sensors that can detect bioelectrical or biomechanical signals. Our work establishes a scalable approach to produce genetically editable and self-healable living functional materials that can be applied in biomanufacturing, bioremediation and soft bioelectronics assembly.
Collapse
|
58
|
Vendrell-Fernández S, Lozano-Picazo P, Cuadros-Sánchez P, Tejero-Ojeda MM, Giraldo R. Conversion of the OmpF Porin into a Device to Gather Amyloids on the E. coli Outer Membrane. ACS Synth Biol 2022; 11:655-667. [PMID: 34852197 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.1c00347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Protein amyloids are ubiquitous in natural environments. They typically originate from microbial secretions or spillages from mammals infected by prions, currently raising concerns about their infectivity and toxicity in contexts such as gut microbiota or soils. Exploiting the self-assembly potential of amyloids for their scavenging, here, we report the insertion of an amyloidogenic sequence stretch from a bacterial prion-like protein (RepA-WH1) in one of the extracellular loops (L5) of the abundant Escherichia coli outer membrane porin OmpF. The expression of this grafted porin enables bacterial cells to trap on their envelopes the same amyloidogenic sequence when provided as an extracellular free peptide. Conversely, when immobilized on a surface as bait, the full-length prion-like protein including the amyloidogenic peptide can catch bacteria displaying the L5-grafted OmpF. Polyphenolic molecules known to inhibit amyloid assembly interfere with peptide recognition by the engineered OmpF, indicating that this is compatible with the kind of homotypic interactions expected for amyloid assembly. Our study suggests that synthetic porins may provide suitable scaffolds for engineering biosensor and clearance devices to tackle the threat posed by pathogenic amyloids.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sol Vendrell-Fernández
- Department of Microbial Biotechnology, National Centre for Biotechnology (CSIC), c/ Darwin 3, Campus Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Paloma Lozano-Picazo
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas (CSIC), c/ Ramiro de Maeztu 9, Campus Moncloa, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Paula Cuadros-Sánchez
- Department of Microbial Biotechnology, National Centre for Biotechnology (CSIC), c/ Darwin 3, Campus Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - María M. Tejero-Ojeda
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas (CSIC), c/ Ramiro de Maeztu 9, Campus Moncloa, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Rafael Giraldo
- Department of Microbial Biotechnology, National Centre for Biotechnology (CSIC), c/ Darwin 3, Campus Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas (CSIC), c/ Ramiro de Maeztu 9, Campus Moncloa, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
59
|
Wangpraseurt D, You S, Sun Y, Chen S. Biomimetic 3D living materials powered by microorganisms. Trends Biotechnol 2022; 40:843-857. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2022.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2021] [Revised: 01/03/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
|
60
|
Li Z, Wang X, Wang J, Yuan X, Jiang X, Wang Y, Zhong C, Xu D, Gu T, Wang F. Bacterial biofilms as platforms engineered for diverse applications. Biotechnol Adv 2022; 57:107932. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2022.107932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2021] [Revised: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
|
61
|
Dwijayanti A, Zhang C, Poh CL, Lautier T. Toward Multiplexed Optogenetic Circuits. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 9:804563. [PMID: 35071213 PMCID: PMC8766309 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2021.804563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Owing to its ubiquity and easy availability in nature, light has been widely employed to control complex cellular behaviors. Light-sensitive proteins are the foundation to such diverse and multilevel adaptive regulations in a large range of organisms. Due to their remarkable properties and potential applications in engineered systems, exploration and engineering of natural light-sensitive proteins have significantly contributed to expand optogenetic toolboxes with tailor-made performances in synthetic genetic circuits. Progressively, more complex systems have been designed in which multiple photoreceptors, each sensing its dedicated wavelength, are combined to simultaneously coordinate cellular responses in a single cell. In this review, we highlight recent works and challenges on multiplexed optogenetic circuits in natural and engineered systems for a dynamic regulation breakthrough in biotechnological applications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Congqiang Zhang
- Singapore Institute of Food and Biotechnology Innovation (SIFBI), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore
| | - Chueh Loo Poh
- NUS Synthetic Biology for Clinical and Technological Innovation (SynCTI), Life Sciences Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Thomas Lautier
- CNRS@CREATE, Singapore, Singapore
- Singapore Institute of Food and Biotechnology Innovation (SIFBI), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore
- TBI, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, INRAE, INSA, Toulouse, France
| |
Collapse
|
62
|
Yates EA, Estrella LA, So CR. High-Throughput Screening of Heterologous Functional Amyloids Using Escherichia coli. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2538:131-144. [PMID: 35951298 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2529-3_10] [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
Escherichia coli remains one of the most widely used workhorse microorganisms for the expression of heterologous proteins. The large number of cloning vectors and mutant host strains available for E. coli yields an impressively wide array of folded globular proteins in the laboratory. However, applying modern functional screening approaches to interrogate insoluble protein aggregates such as amyloids requires the use of nonstandard expression pathways. In this chapter, we detail the use of the curli export pathway in E. coli to express a library of gene fragments and variants of a functional amyloid protein to screen sequence traits responsible for aggregation and the formation of nanoscale materials.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Luis A Estrella
- Formerly Chemistry Division, US Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Christopher R So
- Chemistry Division, US Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
63
|
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.
Collapse
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
| |
Collapse
|
64
|
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.
Collapse
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.
| |
Collapse
|
65
|
Duraj-Thatte AM, Manjula-Basavanna A, Rutledge J, Xia J, Hassan S, Sourlis A, Rubio AG, Lesha A, Zenkl M, Kan A, Weitz DA, Zhang YS, Joshi NS. Programmable microbial ink for 3D printing of living materials produced from genetically engineered protein nanofibers. Nat Commun 2021; 12:6600. [PMID: 34815411 PMCID: PMC8611031 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-26791-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Living cells have the capability to synthesize molecular components and precisely assemble them from the nanoscale to build macroscopic living functional architectures under ambient conditions. The emerging field of living materials has leveraged microbial engineering to produce materials for various applications but building 3D structures in arbitrary patterns and shapes has been a major challenge. Here we set out to develop a bioink, termed as "microbial ink" that is produced entirely from genetically engineered microbial cells, programmed to perform a bottom-up, hierarchical self-assembly of protein monomers into nanofibers, and further into nanofiber networks that comprise extrudable hydrogels. We further demonstrate the 3D printing of functional living materials by embedding programmed Escherichia coli (E. coli) cells and nanofibers into microbial ink, which can sequester toxic moieties, release biologics, and regulate its own cell growth through the chemical induction of rationally designed genetic circuits. In this work, we present the advanced capabilities of nanobiotechnology and living materials technology to 3D-print functional living architectures.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anna M Duraj-Thatte
- John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA. .,Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA. .,Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA. .,Department of Biological Systems Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA.
| | - Avinash Manjula-Basavanna
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA. .,Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Jarod Rutledge
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jing Xia
- John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Shabir Hassan
- Division of Engineering in Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Arjirios Sourlis
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Andrés G Rubio
- Division of Engineering in Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Ami Lesha
- Division of Engineering in Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Michael Zenkl
- Division of Engineering in Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Anton Kan
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - David A Weitz
- John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Yu Shrike Zhang
- Division of Engineering in Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Neel S Joshi
- John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA. .,Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA. .,Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
66
|
Optimized Silica-Binding Peptide-Mediated Delivery of Bactericidal Lysin Efficiently Prevents Staphylococcus aureus from Adhering to Device Surfaces. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222212544. [PMID: 34830425 PMCID: PMC8619460 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222212544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Revised: 11/07/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Staphylococcal-associated device-related infections (DRIs) represent a significant clinical challenge causing major medical and economic sequelae. Bacterial colonization, proliferation, and biofilm formation after adherence to surfaces of the indwelling device are probably the primary cause of DRIs. To address this issue, we incorporated constructs of silica-binding peptide (SiBP) with ClyF, an anti-staphylococcal lysin, into functionalized coatings to impart bactericidal activity against planktonic and sessile Staphylococcus aureus. An optimized construct, SiBP1-ClyF, exhibited improved thermostability and staphylolytic activity compared to its parental lysin ClyF. SiBP1-ClyF-functionalized coatings were efficient in killing MRSA strain N315 (>99.999% within 1 h) and preventing the growth of static and dynamic S. aureus biofilms on various surfaces, including siliconized glass, silicone-coated latex catheter, and silicone catheter. Additionally, SiBP1-ClyF-immobilized surfaces supported normal attachment and growth of mammalian cells. Although the recycling potential and long-term stability of lysin-immobilized surfaces are still affected by the fragility of biological protein molecules, the present study provides a generic strategy for efficient delivery of bactericidal lysin to solid surfaces, which serves as a new approach to prevent the growth of antibiotic-resistant microorganisms on surfaces in hospital settings and could be adapted for other target pathogens as well.
Collapse
|
67
|
Chen QW, Qiao JY, Liu XH, Zhang C, Zhang XZ. Customized materials-assisted microorganisms in tumor therapeutics. Chem Soc Rev 2021; 50:12576-12615. [PMID: 34605834 DOI: 10.1039/d0cs01571g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Microorganisms have been extensively applied as active biotherapeutic agents or drug delivery vehicles for antitumor treatment because of their unparalleled bio-functionalities. Taking advantage of the living attributes of microorganisms, a new avenue has been opened in anticancer research. The integration of customized functional materials with living microorganisms has demonstrated unprecedented potential in solving existing questions and even conferring microorganisms with updated antitumor abilities and has also provided an innovative train of thought for enhancing the efficacy of microorganism-based tumor therapy. In this review, we have summarized the emerging development of customized materials-assisted microorganisms (MAMO) (including bacteria, viruses, fungi, microalgae, as well as their components) in tumor therapeutics with an emphasis on the rational utilization of chosen microorganisms and tailored materials, the ingenious design of biohybrid systems, and the efficacious antitumor mechanisms. The future perspectives and challenges in this field are also discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Qi-Wen Chen
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Polymers of Ministry of Education & Department of Chemistry, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, P. R. China.
| | - Ji-Yan Qiao
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Polymers of Ministry of Education & Department of Chemistry, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, P. R. China.
| | - Xin-Hua Liu
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Polymers of Ministry of Education & Department of Chemistry, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, P. R. China.
| | - Cheng Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Polymers of Ministry of Education & Department of Chemistry, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, P. R. China.
| | - Xian-Zheng Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Polymers of Ministry of Education & Department of Chemistry, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, P. R. China.
| |
Collapse
|
68
|
Abstract
In the last few years, researchers have focused their attention on the synthesis of new catalyst structures based on or inspired by nature. Biotemplating involves the transfer of biological structures to inorganic materials through artificial mineralization processes. This approach offers the main advantage of allowing morphological control of the product, as a template with the desired morphology can be pre-determined, as long as it is found in nature. This way, natural evolution through millions of years can provide us with new synthetic pathways to develop some novel functional materials with advantageous properties, such as sophistication, miniaturization, hybridization, hierarchical organization, resistance, and adaptability to the required need. The field of application of these materials is very wide, covering nanomedicine, energy capture and storage, sensors, biocompatible materials, adsorbents, and catalysis. In the latter case, bio-inspired materials can be applied as catalysts requiring different types of active sites (i.e., redox, acidic, basic sites, or a combination of them) to a wide range of processes, including conventional thermal catalysis, photocatalysis, or electrocatalysis, among others. This review aims to cover current experimental studies in the field of biotemplating materials synthesis and their characterization, focusing on their application in heterogeneous catalysis.
Collapse
|
69
|
Vázquez-Arias A, Pérez-Juste J, Pastoriza-Santos I, Bodelon G. Prospects and applications of synergistic noble metal nanoparticle-bacterial hybrid systems. NANOSCALE 2021; 13:18054-18069. [PMID: 34726220 DOI: 10.1039/d1nr04961e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Hybrid systems composed of living cells and nanomaterials have been attracting great interest in various fields of research ranging from materials science to biomedicine. In particular, the interfacing of noble metal nanoparticles and bacterial cells in a single architecture aims to generate hybrid systems that combine the unique physicochemical properties of the metals and biological attributes of the microbial cells. While the bacterial cells provide effector and scaffolding functions, the metallic component endows the hybrid system with multifunctional capabilities. This synergistic effort seeks to fabricate living materials with improved functions and new properties that surpass their individual components. Herein, we provide an overview of this research field and the strategies for obtaining hybrid systems, and we summarize recent biological applications, challenges and current prospects in this exciting new arena.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alba Vázquez-Arias
- CINBIO, Universidade de Vigo, Departamento de Química Física, Campus Universitario Lagoas, Marcosende, 36310 Vigo, Spain.
- Galicia Sur Health Research Institute (IIS Galicia Sur), SERGAS-UVIGO, 36312 Vigo, Spain
| | - Jorge Pérez-Juste
- CINBIO, Universidade de Vigo, Departamento de Química Física, Campus Universitario Lagoas, Marcosende, 36310 Vigo, Spain.
- Galicia Sur Health Research Institute (IIS Galicia Sur), SERGAS-UVIGO, 36312 Vigo, Spain
| | - Isabel Pastoriza-Santos
- CINBIO, Universidade de Vigo, Departamento de Química Física, Campus Universitario Lagoas, Marcosende, 36310 Vigo, Spain.
- Galicia Sur Health Research Institute (IIS Galicia Sur), SERGAS-UVIGO, 36312 Vigo, Spain
| | - Gustavo Bodelon
- CINBIO, Universidade de Vigo, Departamento de Química Física, Campus Universitario Lagoas, Marcosende, 36310 Vigo, Spain.
- Galicia Sur Health Research Institute (IIS Galicia Sur), SERGAS-UVIGO, 36312 Vigo, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
70
|
Ziege R, Tsirigoni AM, Large B, Serra DO, Blank KG, Hengge R, Fratzl P, Bidan CM. Adaptation of Escherichia coli Biofilm Growth, Morphology, and Mechanical Properties to Substrate Water Content. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2021; 7:5315-5325. [PMID: 34672512 PMCID: PMC8579398 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.1c00927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
![]()
Biofilms are complex
living materials that form as bacteria become
embedded in a matrix of self-produced protein and polysaccharide fibers.
In addition to their traditional association with chronic infections
or clogging of pipelines, biofilms currently gain interest as a potential
source of functional material. On nutritive hydrogels, micron-sized Escherichia coli cells can build centimeter-large biofilms.
During this process, bacterial proliferation, matrix production, and
water uptake introduce mechanical stresses in the biofilm that are
released through the formation of macroscopic delaminated buckles
in the third dimension. To clarify how substrate water content could
be used to tune biofilm material properties, we quantified E. coli biofilm growth, delamination dynamics, and rigidity
as a function of water content of the nutritive substrates. Time-lapse
microscopy and computational image analysis revealed that softer substrates
with high water content promote biofilm spreading kinetics, while
stiffer substrates with low water content promote biofilm delamination.
The delaminated buckles observed on biofilm cross sections appeared
more bent on substrates with high water content, while they tended
to be more vertical on substrates with low water content. Both wet
and dry biomass, accumulated over 4 days of culture, were larger in
biofilms cultured on substrates with high water content, despite extra
porosity within the matrix layer. Finally, microindentation analysis
revealed that substrates with low water content supported the formation
of stiffer biofilms. This study shows that E. coli biofilms respond to substrate water content, which might be used
for tuning their material properties in view of further applications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ricardo Ziege
- Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, 14476 Potsdam, Germany
| | | | - Bastien Large
- Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, 14476 Potsdam, Germany
| | - Diego O Serra
- Institut für Biologie/Mikrobiologie, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10115 Berlin, Germany.,Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, 2000 Rosario, Argentina
| | - Kerstin G Blank
- Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, 14476 Potsdam, Germany
| | - Regine Hengge
- Institut für Biologie/Mikrobiologie, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Peter Fratzl
- Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, 14476 Potsdam, Germany
| | - Cécile M Bidan
- Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, 14476 Potsdam, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
71
|
Lee SO, Xie Q, Fried SD. Optimized Loopable Translation as a Platform for the Synthesis of Repetitive Proteins. ACS CENTRAL SCIENCE 2021; 7:1736-1750. [PMID: 34729417 PMCID: PMC8554844 DOI: 10.1021/acscentsci.1c00574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The expression of long proteins with repetitive amino acid sequences often presents a challenge in recombinant systems. To overcome this obstacle, we report a genetic construct that circularizes mRNA in vivo by rearranging the topology of a group I self-splicing intron from T4 bacteriophage, thereby enabling "loopable" translation. Using a fluorescence-based assay to probe the translational efficiency of circularized mRNAs, we identify several conditions that optimize protein expression from this system. Our data suggested that translation of circularized mRNAs could be limited primarily by the rate of ribosomal initiation; therefore, using a modified error-prone PCR method, we generated a library that concentrated mutations into the initiation region of circularized mRNA and discovered mutants that generated markedly higher expression levels. Combining our rational improvements with those discovered through directed evolution, we report a loopable translator that achieves protein expression levels within 1.5-fold of the levels of standard vectorial translation. In summary, our work demonstrates loopable translation as a promising platform for the creation of large peptide chains, with potential utility in the development of novel protein materials.
Collapse
|
72
|
Fang Z, Zhou J, Zhou X, Koffas MAG. Abiotic-biotic hybrid for CO 2 biomethanation: From electrochemical to photochemical process. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 791:148288. [PMID: 34118677 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.148288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2021] [Revised: 06/01/2021] [Accepted: 06/01/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Converting CO2 into sustainable fuels (e.g., CH4) has great significance to solve carbon emission and energy crisis. Generally, CO2 methanation needs abundant of energy input to overcome the eight-electron-transfer barrier. Abiotic-biotic hybrid system represents one of the cutting-edge technologies that use renewable electric/solar energy to realize eight-electron-transfer CO2 biomethanation. However, the incompatible abiotic-biotic hybrid can result in low efficiency of electron transfer and CO2 biomethanation. Herein, we present the comprehensive review to highlight how to design abiotic-biotic hybrid for electric/solar-driven CO2 biomethanation. We primarily introduce the CO2 biomethanation mechanism, and further summarize state-of-the-art electrochemical and photochemical CO2 biomethanation in hybrid systems. We also propose excellent synthetic biology strategies, which are useful to design tunable methanogenic microorganisms or enzymes when cooperating with electrode/semiconductor in hybrid systems. This review provides theoretical guidance of abiotic-biotic hybrid and also shows the bright future of sustainable fuel production in the form of CO2 biomethanation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhen Fang
- Biofuels Institute, School of Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China.
| | - Jun Zhou
- College of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, China
| | - Xiangtong Zhou
- Institute of Environmental Health and Ecological Safety, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
| | - Mattheos A G Koffas
- Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA
| |
Collapse
|
73
|
Amyloids as Building Blocks for Macroscopic Functional Materials: Designs, Applications and Challenges. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms221910698. [PMID: 34639037 PMCID: PMC8508955 DOI: 10.3390/ijms221910698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2021] [Revised: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 09/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyloids are self-assembled protein aggregates that take cross-β fibrillar morphology. Although some amyloid proteins are best known for their association with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, many other amyloids are found across diverse organisms, from bacteria to humans, and they play vital functional roles. The rigidity, chemical stability, high aspect ratio, and sequence programmability of amyloid fibrils have made them attractive candidates for functional materials with applications in environmental sciences, material engineering, and translational medicines. This review focuses on recent advances in fabricating various types of macroscopic functional amyloid materials. We discuss different design strategies for the fabrication of amyloid hydrogels, high-strength materials, composite materials, responsive materials, extracellular matrix mimics, conductive materials, and catalytic materials.
Collapse
|
74
|
Jasu A, Ray RR. Biofilm mediated strategies to mitigate heavy metal pollution: A critical review in metal bioremediation. BIOCATALYSIS AND AGRICULTURAL BIOTECHNOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bcab.2021.102183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
|
75
|
Liu M, Han P, Zhang L, Zhong C, You C. Biofilm-Mediated Immobilization of a Multienzyme Complex for Accelerating Inositol Production from Starch. Bioconjug Chem 2021; 32:2032-2042. [PMID: 34469136 DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.1c00338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Bacterial biofilm, as a natural and renewable material, is a promising architecture for enzyme immobilization. In this study, we have demonstrated the feasibility of an Escherichia coli biofilm to immobilize a self-assembly multienzyme complex by the covalent interaction between a peptide SpyTag and its protein partner SpyCatcher. The SpyTag-labeled biofilm is displayed on the surface of E. coli by overexpressing the recombinant CsgA-SpyTag, in which CsgA is capable of forming biofilms. This SpyTag bearing biofilm is used to bind with SpyCatcher bearing synthetic mini-scaffoldin, which also contains a carbohydrate-binding module 3 (CBM3), and four different cohesins from different microorganisms. CBM3 was used to bind with cellulose, while the four different cohesins were used to recruit four dockerin-containing cascade enzymes, which were subsequently applied to convert starch to myo-inositol. Compared to the free enzyme mixture, the biofilm-immobilized enzyme complex exhibited a 4.28 times increase in initial reaction rate in producing myo-inositol from 10 g/L maltodextrin (a derivative of starch). Additionally, this biofilm-immobilized enzyme complex showed much higher recycle ability than the enzyme complex which was immobilized on a regenerated amorphous cellulose (RAC) system. In conclusion, the biofilm-mediated immobilization of the enzymatic biosystem provides a promising strategy to increase the reaction rate and enhance the stability of an in vitro enzymatic biosystem, exhibiting high potential to improve the efficiency of an in vitro biosystem.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Meixia Liu
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308, China
| | - Pingping Han
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308, China
| | - Lingling Zhang
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308, China
| | - Chao Zhong
- Center for Materials Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Chun You
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308, China
- National Technology Innovation Center of Synthetic Biology, Tianjin, 300308, China
- Tianjin Engineering Research Center of Biocatalytic Technology, Tianjin, 300308, China
| |
Collapse
|
76
|
Bai X, Nakatsu CH, Bhunia AK. Bacterial Biofilms and Their Implications in Pathogenesis and Food Safety. Foods 2021; 10:2117. [PMID: 34574227 PMCID: PMC8472614 DOI: 10.3390/foods10092117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2021] [Revised: 08/21/2021] [Accepted: 08/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Biofilm formation is an integral part of the microbial life cycle in nature. In food processing environments, bacterial transmissions occur primarily through raw or undercooked foods and by cross-contamination during unsanitary food preparation practices. Foodborne pathogens form biofilms as a survival strategy in various unfavorable environments, which also become a frequent source of recurrent contamination and outbreaks of foodborne illness. Instead of focusing on bacterial biofilm formation and their pathogenicity individually, this review discusses on a molecular level how these two physiological processes are connected in several common foodborne pathogens such as Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella enterica and Escherichia coli. In addition, biofilm formation by Pseudomonas aeruginosa is discussed because it aids the persistence of many foodborne pathogens forming polymicrobial biofilms on food contact surfaces, thus significantly elevating food safety and public health concerns. Furthermore, in-depth analyses of several bacterial molecules with dual functions in biofilm formation and pathogenicity are highlighted.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xingjian Bai
- Molecular Food Microbiology Laboratory, Department of Food Science, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA;
| | - Cindy H. Nakatsu
- Department of Agronomy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA;
- Purdue Institute of Inflammation, Immunology and Infectious Disease, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Arun K. Bhunia
- Molecular Food Microbiology Laboratory, Department of Food Science, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA;
- Purdue Institute of Inflammation, Immunology and Infectious Disease, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
- Department of Comparative Pathobiology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| |
Collapse
|
77
|
Mejía-Pitta A, Broset E, de la Fuente-Nunez C. Probiotic engineering strategies for the heterologous production of antimicrobial peptides. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2021; 176:113863. [PMID: 34273423 PMCID: PMC8440409 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2021.113863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2020] [Revised: 06/10/2021] [Accepted: 07/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Engineered probiotic bacteria represent an innovative approach for treating and detecting a wide range of diseases including those caused by infectious agents. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are promising alternatives to conventional antibiotics for combating antibiotic-resistant infections. These molecules can be delivered orally to the gut by using engineered probiotics, which confer protection against AMP degradation, thus enabling numerous applications including treating drug-resistant enteric pathogens and remodeling the microbiota in real time. Here, we provide an update on the current state of the art on AMP-producing probiotics, discuss methods to enhance gut colonization, and end by outlining future perspectives.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Adriana Mejía-Pitta
- Machine Biology Group, Departments of Psychiatry and Microbiology, Institute for Biomedical Informatics, Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America; Departments of Bioengineering and Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America; Penn Institute for Computational Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America
| | - Esther Broset
- Machine Biology Group, Departments of Psychiatry and Microbiology, Institute for Biomedical Informatics, Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America; Departments of Bioengineering and Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America; Penn Institute for Computational Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America
| | - Cesar de la Fuente-Nunez
- Machine Biology Group, Departments of Psychiatry and Microbiology, Institute for Biomedical Informatics, Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America; Departments of Bioengineering and Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America; Penn Institute for Computational Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America.
| |
Collapse
|
78
|
Kovelakuntla V, Meyer AS. Rethinking sustainability through synthetic biology. Nat Chem Biol 2021; 17:630-631. [PMID: 33972796 DOI: 10.1038/s41589-021-00804-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Vamsi Kovelakuntla
- Department of Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - Anne S Meyer
- Department of Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
79
|
Li J, Zhu Y, Yu H, Dai B, Jun YS, Zhang F. Microbially Synthesized Polymeric Amyloid Fiber Promotes β-Nanocrystal Formation and Displays Gigapascal Tensile Strength. ACS NANO 2021; 15:11843-11853. [PMID: 34251182 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.1c02944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The ability of amyloid proteins to form stable β-sheet nanofibrils has made them potential candidates for material innovation in nanotechnology. However, such a nanoscale feature has rarely translated into attractive macroscopic properties for mechanically demanding applications. Here, we present a strategy by fusing amyloid peptides with flexible linkers from spidroin; the resulting polymeric amyloid proteins can be biosynthesized using engineered microbes and wet-spun into macroscopic fibers. Using this strategy, fibers from three different amyloid groups were fabricated. Structural analyses unveil the presence of β-nanocrystals that resemble the cross-β structure of amyloid nanofibrils. These polymeric amyloid fibers have displayed strong and molecular-weight-dependent mechanical properties. Fibers made of a protein polymer containing 128 repeats of the FGAILSS sequence displayed an average ultimate tensile strength of 0.98 ± 0.08 GPa and an average toughness of 161 ± 26 MJ/m3, surpassing most recombinant protein fibers and even some natural spider silk fibers. The design strategy and the biosynthetic approach can be expanded to create numerous functional materials, and the macroscopic amyloid fibers will enable a wide range of mechanically demanding applications.
Collapse
|
80
|
Omidvar M, Zdarta J, Sigurdardóttir SB, Pinelo M. Mimicking natural strategies to create multi-environment enzymatic reactors: From natural cell compartments to artificial polyelectrolyte reactors. Biotechnol Adv 2021; 54:107798. [PMID: 34265377 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2021.107798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2021] [Revised: 06/09/2021] [Accepted: 07/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Engineering microenvironments for sequential enzymatic reactions has attracted specific interest within different fields of research as an effective strategy to improve the catalytic performance of enzymes. While in industry most enzymatic reactions occur in a single compartment carrier, living cells are however able to conduct multiple reactions simultaneously within confined sub-compartments, or organelles. Engineering multi-compartments with regulated environments and transformation properties enhances enzyme activity and stability and thus increases the overall yield of final products. In this review, we discuss current and potential methods to fabricate artificial cells for sequential enzymatic reactions, which are inspired by mechanisms and metabolic pathways developed by living cells. We aim to advance the understanding of living cell complexity and its compartmentalization and present solutions to mimic these processes in vitro. Particular attention has been given to layer-by-layer assembly of polyelectrolytes for developing multi-compartments. We hope this review paves the way for the next steps toward engineering of smart artificial multi-compartments with adoptive stimuli-responsive properties, mimicking living cells to improve catalytic properties and efficiency of the enzymes and enhance their stability.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maryam Omidvar
- Process and Systems Engineering Centre, Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Building 229, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Jakub Zdarta
- Process and Systems Engineering Centre, Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Building 229, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark; Institute of Chemical Technology and Engineering, Faculty of Chemical Technology, Poznan University of Technology, 60965 Poznan, Poland
| | - Sigyn Björk Sigurdardóttir
- Process and Systems Engineering Centre, Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Building 229, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Manuel Pinelo
- Process and Systems Engineering Centre, Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Building 229, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark.
| |
Collapse
|
81
|
Kozlowski MT, Silverman BR, Johnstone CP, Tirrell DA. Genetically Programmable Microbial Assembly. ACS Synth Biol 2021; 10:1351-1359. [PMID: 34009951 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.0c00616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Engineered microbial communities show promise in a wide range of applications, including environmental remediation, microbiome engineering, and synthesis of fine chemicals. Here we present methods by which bacterial aggregates can be directed into several distinct architectures by inducible surface expression of heteroassociative protein domains (SpyTag/SpyCatcher and SynZip17/18). Programmed aggregation can be used to activate a quorum-sensing circuit, and aggregate size can be tuned via control of the amount of the associative protein displayed on the cell surface. We further demonstrate reversibility of SynZip-mediated assembly by addition of soluble competitor peptide. Genetically programmable bacterial assembly provides a starting point for the development of new applications of engineered microbial communities in environmental technology, agriculture, human health, and bioreactor design.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mark T. Kozlowski
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, 1200 East California Boulevard, Pasadena, California 91125, United States
| | - Bradley R. Silverman
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, 1200 East California Boulevard, Pasadena, California 91125, United States
| | - Christopher P. Johnstone
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, 1200 East California Boulevard, Pasadena, California 91125, United States
| | - David A. Tirrell
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, 1200 East California Boulevard, Pasadena, California 91125, United States
| |
Collapse
|
82
|
Kumar V, Sinha N, Thakur AK. Necessity of regulatory guidelines for the development of amyloid based biomaterials. Biomater Sci 2021; 9:4410-4422. [PMID: 34018497 DOI: 10.1039/d1bm00059d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Amyloid diseases are caused due to protein homeostasis failure where incorrectly folded proteins/peptides form cross-β-sheet rich amyloid fibrillar structures. Besides proteins/peptides, small metabolite assemblies also exhibit amyloid-like features. These structures are linked to several human and animal diseases. In addition, non-toxic amyloids with diverse physiological roles are characterized as a new functional class. This finding, along with the unique properties of amyloid like stability and mechanical strength, led to a surge in the development of amyloid-based biomaterials. However, the usage of these materials by humans and animals may pose a health risk such as the development of amyloid diseases and toxicity. This is possible because amyloid-based biomaterials and their fragments may assist seeding and cross-seeding mechanisms of amyloid formation in the body. This review summarizes the potential uses of amyloids as biomaterials, the concerns regarding their usage, and a prescribed workflow to initiate a regulatory approach.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vijay Kumar
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Nabodita Sinha
- Department of Biological Sciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, UP-208016, India.
| | - Ashwani Kumar Thakur
- Department of Biological Sciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, UP-208016, India.
| |
Collapse
|
83
|
Birnbaum DP, Manjula‐Basavanna A, Kan A, Tardy BL, Joshi NS. Hybrid Living Capsules Autonomously Produced by Engineered Bacteria. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2021; 8:2004699. [PMID: 34141524 PMCID: PMC8188213 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202004699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2020] [Revised: 03/10/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Bacterial cellulose (BC) has excellent material properties and can be produced sustainably through simple bacterial culture, but BC-producing bacteria lack the extensive genetic toolkits of model organisms such as Escherichia coli (E. coli). Here, a simple approach is reported for producing highly programmable BC materials through incorporation of engineered E. coli. The acetic acid bacterium Gluconacetobacter hansenii is cocultured with engineered E. coli in droplets of glucose-rich media to produce robust cellulose capsules, which are then colonized by the E. coli upon transfer to selective lysogeny broth media. It is shown that the encapsulated E. coli can produce engineered protein nanofibers within the cellulose matrix, yielding hybrid capsules capable of sequestering specific biomolecules from the environment and enzymatic catalysis. Furthermore, capsules are produced which can alter their own bulk physical properties through enzyme-induced biomineralization. This novel system uses a simple fabrication process, based on the autonomous activity of two bacteria, to significantly expand the functionality of BC-based living materials.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel P. Birnbaum
- John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied SciencesHarvard UniversityCambridgeMA02138USA
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical BiologyNortheastern UniversityBostonMA02115USA
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired EngineeringHarvard UniversityBostonMA02115USA
| | - Avinash Manjula‐Basavanna
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical BiologyNortheastern UniversityBostonMA02115USA
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired EngineeringHarvard UniversityBostonMA02115USA
| | - Anton Kan
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired EngineeringHarvard UniversityBostonMA02115USA
| | - Blaise L. Tardy
- Department of Bioproducts and BiosystemsAalto UniversityEspooFI‐00076Finland
| | - Neel S. Joshi
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical BiologyNortheastern UniversityBostonMA02115USA
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired EngineeringHarvard UniversityBostonMA02115USA
| |
Collapse
|
84
|
Burgos-Morales O, Gueye M, Lacombe L, Nowak C, Schmachtenberg R, Hörner M, Jerez-Longres C, Mohsenin H, Wagner H, Weber W. Synthetic biology as driver for the biologization of materials sciences. Mater Today Bio 2021; 11:100115. [PMID: 34195591 PMCID: PMC8237365 DOI: 10.1016/j.mtbio.2021.100115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2021] [Revised: 05/16/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Materials in nature have fascinating properties that serve as a continuous source of inspiration for materials scientists. Accordingly, bio-mimetic and bio-inspired approaches have yielded remarkable structural and functional materials for a plethora of applications. Despite these advances, many properties of natural materials remain challenging or yet impossible to incorporate into synthetic materials. Natural materials are produced by living cells, which sense and process environmental cues and conditions by means of signaling and genetic programs, thereby controlling the biosynthesis, remodeling, functionalization, or degradation of the natural material. In this context, synthetic biology offers unique opportunities in materials sciences by providing direct access to the rational engineering of how a cell senses and processes environmental information and translates them into the properties and functions of materials. Here, we identify and review two main directions by which synthetic biology can be harnessed to provide new impulses for the biologization of the materials sciences: first, the engineering of cells to produce precursors for the subsequent synthesis of materials. This includes materials that are otherwise produced from petrochemical resources, but also materials where the bio-produced substances contribute unique properties and functions not existing in traditional materials. Second, engineered living materials that are formed or assembled by cells or in which cells contribute specific functions while remaining an integral part of the living composite material. We finally provide a perspective of future scientific directions of this promising area of research and discuss science policy that would be required to support research and development in this field.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- O. Burgos-Morales
- École Supérieure de Biotechnologie de Strasbourg - ESBS, University of Strasbourg, Illkirch, 67412, France
- Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, 79104, Germany
| | - M. Gueye
- École Supérieure de Biotechnologie de Strasbourg - ESBS, University of Strasbourg, Illkirch, 67412, France
| | - L. Lacombe
- École Supérieure de Biotechnologie de Strasbourg - ESBS, University of Strasbourg, Illkirch, 67412, France
| | - C. Nowak
- École Supérieure de Biotechnologie de Strasbourg - ESBS, University of Strasbourg, Illkirch, 67412, France
- Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, 79104, Germany
| | - R. Schmachtenberg
- École Supérieure de Biotechnologie de Strasbourg - ESBS, University of Strasbourg, Illkirch, 67412, France
- Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, 79104, Germany
| | - M. Hörner
- Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, 79104, Germany
- Signalling Research Centres BIOSS and CIBSS, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, 79104, Germany
| | - C. Jerez-Longres
- Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, 79104, Germany
- Signalling Research Centres BIOSS and CIBSS, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, 79104, Germany
- Spemann Graduate School of Biology and Medicine - SGBM, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, 79104, Germany
| | - H. Mohsenin
- Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, 79104, Germany
- Signalling Research Centres BIOSS and CIBSS, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, 79104, Germany
| | - H.J. Wagner
- Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, 79104, Germany
- Signalling Research Centres BIOSS and CIBSS, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, 79104, Germany
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering - D-BSSE, ETH Zurich, Basel, 4058, Switzerland
| | - W. Weber
- Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, 79104, Germany
- Signalling Research Centres BIOSS and CIBSS, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, 79104, Germany
- Spemann Graduate School of Biology and Medicine - SGBM, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, 79104, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
85
|
Sahin Kehribar E, Isilak ME, Bozkurt EU, Adamcik J, Mezzenga R, Seker UOS. Engineering of biofilms with a glycosylation circuit for biomaterial applications. Biomater Sci 2021; 9:3650-3661. [PMID: 33710212 DOI: 10.1039/d0bm02192j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Glycosylation is a crucial post-translational modification for a wide range of functionalities. Adhesive protein-based biomaterials in nature rely on heavily glycosylated proteins such as spider silk and mussel adhesive proteins. Engineering protein-based biomaterials genetically enables desired functions and characteristics. Additionally, utilization of glycosylation for biomaterial engineering can expand possibilities by including saccharides to the inventory of building blocks. Here, de novo glycosylation of Bacillus subtilis amyloid-like biofilm protein TasA using a Campylobacter jejuni glycosylation circuit is proposed to be a novel biomaterial engineering method for increasing adhesiveness of TasA fibrils. A C. jejuni glycosylation motif is genetically incorporated to tasA gene and expressed in Escherichia coli containing the C. jejuni pgl protein glycosylation pathway. Glycosylated TasA fibrils indicate enhanced adsorption on the gold surface without disruption of fibril formation. Our findings suggest that N-linked glycosylation can be a promising tool for engineering protein-based biomaterials specifically regarding adhesion.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ebru Sahin Kehribar
- UNAM-Institute of Materials Science and Nanotechnology, Bilkent University, 06800 Ankara, Turkey.
| | - Musa Efe Isilak
- UNAM-Institute of Materials Science and Nanotechnology, Bilkent University, 06800 Ankara, Turkey.
| | - Eray Ulas Bozkurt
- UNAM-Institute of Materials Science and Nanotechnology, Bilkent University, 06800 Ankara, Turkey.
| | - Jozef Adamcik
- ETH Zurich, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland and Department of Materials, ETH Zurich, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Raffaele Mezzenga
- ETH Zurich, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland and Department of Materials, ETH Zurich, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Urartu Ozgur Safak Seker
- UNAM-Institute of Materials Science and Nanotechnology, Bilkent University, 06800 Ankara, Turkey.
| |
Collapse
|
86
|
Manjula-Basavanna A, Duraj-Thatte AM, Joshi NS. Robust Self-Regeneratable Stiff Living Materials Fabricated from Microbial Cells. ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS 2021; 31:2010784. [PMID: 33994904 PMCID: PMC8115200 DOI: 10.1002/adfm.202010784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2020] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Living systems have not only the exemplary capability to fabricate materials (e.g. wood, bone) under ambient conditions but they also consist of living cells that imbue them with properties like growth and self-regeneration. Like a seed that can grow into a sturdy living wood, we wondered: can living cells alone serve as the primary building block to fabricate stiff materials? Here we report the fabrication of stiff living materials (SLMs) produced entirely from microbial cells, without the incorporation of any structural biopolymers (e.g. cellulose, chitin, collagen) or biominerals (e.g. hydroxyapatite, calcium carbonate) that are known to impart stiffness to biological materials. Remarkably, SLMs are also lightweight, strong, resistant to organic solvents and can self-regenerate. This living materials technology can serve as a powerful biomanufacturing platform to design and develop advanced structural and cellular materials in a sustainable manner.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Anna M Duraj-Thatte
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Neel S Joshi
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| |
Collapse
|
87
|
Gilbert C, Tang TC, Ott W, Dorr BA, Shaw WM, Sun GL, Lu TK, Ellis T. Living materials with programmable functionalities grown from engineered microbial co-cultures. NATURE MATERIALS 2021; 20:691-700. [PMID: 33432140 DOI: 10.1038/s41563-020-00857-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 112] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2019] [Accepted: 10/14/2020] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Biological systems assemble living materials that are autonomously patterned, can self-repair and can sense and respond to their environment. The field of engineered living materials aims to create novel materials with properties similar to those of natural biomaterials using genetically engineered organisms. Here, we describe an approach to fabricating functional bacterial cellulose-based living materials using a stable co-culture of Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast and bacterial cellulose-producing Komagataeibacter rhaeticus bacteria. Yeast strains can be engineered to secrete enzymes into bacterial cellulose, generating autonomously grown catalytic materials and enabling DNA-encoded modification of bacterial cellulose bulk properties. Alternatively, engineered yeast can be incorporated within the growing cellulose matrix, creating living materials that can sense and respond to chemical and optical stimuli. This symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast is a flexible platform for the production of bacterial cellulose-based engineered living materials with potential applications in biosensing and biocatalysis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Charlie Gilbert
- Imperial College Centre for Synthetic Biology, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Tzu-Chieh Tang
- Synthetic Biology Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- The Mediated Matter Group, Media Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Wolfgang Ott
- Imperial College Centre for Synthetic Biology, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Brandon A Dorr
- Synthetic Biology Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - William M Shaw
- Imperial College Centre for Synthetic Biology, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - George L Sun
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Koch Institute of Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Timothy K Lu
- Synthetic Biology Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
| | - Tom Ellis
- Imperial College Centre for Synthetic Biology, Imperial College London, London, UK.
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
88
|
Lyophilized yeast powder for adjuvant free thermostable vaccine delivery. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2021; 105:3131-3143. [PMID: 33834253 PMCID: PMC8032460 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-021-11259-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2020] [Revised: 03/16/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Thermolabile nature of commercially available vaccines necessitates their storage, transportation, and dissemination under refrigerated condition. Maintenance of continuous cold chain at every step increases the final cost of vaccines. Any breach in the cold chain even for a short duration results in the need to discard the vaccines. As a result, there is a pressing need for the development of thermostable vaccines. In this proof-of-concept study, we showed that E. coli curli-green fluorescent fusion protein remains stable in freeze-dried yeast powder for more than 18 and 12 months when stored at 30 °C and 37 °C respectively. Stability of the heterologous protein remains unaffected during the process of heat-inactivation and lyophilization. The mass of lyophilized yeast powder remains almost unchanged during the entire period of storage and expressed protein remains intact even after two cycles of freeze and thaws. The protease-deficient strain appears ideal for the development of whole recombinant yeast-based vaccines. The cellular abundance of expressed antigen in dry powder after a year was comparable to freshly lyophilized cells. Scanning electron microscopy showed the intact nature of cells in powdered form even after a year of storage at 30 °C. Observation made in this study showed that freeze-dry yeast powder can play a vital role in the development of thermostable vaccines. Key Points • Yeast-based vaccines can overcome problem of cold chain associated with conventional vaccines • Lyophilized yeast powder can be a simple way for long-term storage of immunogen(s) • Protease deficient strain is important for whole recombinant yeast-based vaccines
Collapse
|
89
|
Wang L, Li Y, Yang XY, Zhang BB, Ninane N, Busscher HJ, Hu ZY, Delneuville C, Jiang N, Xie H, Van Tendeloo G, Hasan T, Su BL. Single-cell yolk-shell nanoencapsulation for long-term viability with size-dependent permeability and molecular recognition. Natl Sci Rev 2021; 8:nwaa097. [PMID: 34691605 PMCID: PMC8288456 DOI: 10.1093/nsr/nwaa097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2020] [Revised: 04/25/2020] [Accepted: 04/25/2020] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Like nanomaterials, bacteria have been unknowingly used for centuries. They hold significant economic potential for fuel and medicinal compound production. Their full exploitation, however, is impeded by low biological activity and stability in industrial reactors. Though cellular encapsulation addresses these limitations, cell survival is usually compromised due to shell-to-cell contacts and low permeability. Here, we report ordered packing of silica nanocolloids with organized, uniform and tunable nanoporosities for single cyanobacterium nanoencapsulation using protamine as an electrostatic template. A space between the capsule shell and the cell is created by controlled internalization of protamine, resulting in a highly ordered porous shell-void-cell structure formation. These unique yolk-shell nanostructures provide long-term cell viability with superior photosynthetic activities and resistance in harsh environments. In addition, engineering the colloidal packing allows tunable shell-pore diameter for size-dependent permeability and introduction of new functionalities for specific molecular recognition. Our strategy could significantly enhance the activity and stability of cyanobacteria for various nanobiotechnological applications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Li Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070, China
- Laboratory of Inorganic Materials Chemistry (CMI), University of Namur, Namur B-5000, Belgium
| | - Yu Li
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Xiao-Yu Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Bo-Bo Zhang
- Laboratory of Inorganic Materials Chemistry (CMI), University of Namur, Namur B-5000, Belgium
| | - Nöelle Ninane
- Namur Research Institute for Life Sciences (Narilis), University of Namur, Namur B-5000, Belgium
| | - Henk J Busscher
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Groningen and University Medical Centre Groningen, Groningen 9713 AV, The Netherlands
| | - Zhi-Yi Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070, China
- Nanostructure Research Centre (NRC), Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Cyrille Delneuville
- Laboratory of Inorganic Materials Chemistry (CMI), University of Namur, Namur B-5000, Belgium
| | - Nan Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070, China
- School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Hao Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Gustaaf Van Tendeloo
- Nanostructure Research Centre (NRC), Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070, China
- Electron Microscopy for Materials Science (EMAT), University of Antwerp, Antwerp B-2020, Belgium
| | - Tawfique Hasan
- Cambridge Graphene Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0FA, UK
| | - Bao-Lian Su
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070, China
- Laboratory of Inorganic Materials Chemistry (CMI), University of Namur, Namur B-5000, Belgium
| |
Collapse
|
90
|
Water-processable, biodegradable and coatable aquaplastic from engineered biofilms. Nat Chem Biol 2021; 17:732-738. [PMID: 33737758 PMCID: PMC8159863 DOI: 10.1038/s41589-021-00773-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2019] [Accepted: 02/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Petrochemical-based plastics have not only contaminated all parts of the globe but are also causing potentially irreversible damage to our ecosystem, due to their non-biodegradability. As bioplastics are limited in number, there is an urgent need to design and develop more biodegradable alternatives to mitigate the plastic menace. In this regard, we report aquaplastic, a new class of microbial biofilm-based biodegradable bioplastic that is water-processable, robust, templatable and coatable. Herein, Escherichia coli was genetically engineered to produce protein-based hydrogels, which are cast and dried under ambient conditions to produce aquaplastic that can withstand strong acid/base and organic solvents. In addition, aquaplastic can be healed and welded to form three-dimensional architectures using water. The combination of straightforward microbial fabrication, water-processability, and biodegradability make aquaplastic a unique material worthy of further exploration for packaging and coating applications.
Collapse
|
91
|
Brooks SM, Alper HS. Applications, challenges, and needs for employing synthetic biology beyond the lab. Nat Commun 2021; 12:1390. [PMID: 33654085 PMCID: PMC7925609 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-21740-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2020] [Accepted: 02/10/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Synthetic biology holds great promise for addressing global needs. However, most current developments are not immediately translatable to 'outside-the-lab' scenarios that differ from controlled laboratory settings. Challenges include enabling long-term storage stability as well as operating in resource-limited and off-the-grid scenarios using autonomous function. Here we analyze recent advances in developing synthetic biological platforms for outside-the-lab scenarios with a focus on three major application spaces: bioproduction, biosensing, and closed-loop therapeutic and probiotic delivery. Across the Perspective, we highlight recent advances, areas for further development, possibilities for future applications, and the needs for innovation at the interface of other disciplines.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sierra M Brooks
- McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Hal S Alper
- McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.
- Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
92
|
Dong H, Zhang W, Zhou S, Huang J, Wang P. Engineering bioscaffolds for enzyme assembly. Biotechnol Adv 2021; 53:107721. [PMID: 33631185 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2021.107721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2020] [Revised: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 02/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
With the demand for green, safe, and continuous biocatalysis, bioscaffolds, compared with synthetic scaffolds, have become a desirable candidate for constructing enzyme assemblages because of their biocompatibility and regenerability. Biocompatibility makes bioscaffolds more suitable for safe and green production, especially in food processing, production of bioactive agents, and diagnosis. The regenerability can enable the engineered biocatalysts regenerate through simple self-proliferation without complex re-modification, which is attractive for continuous biocatalytic processes. In view of the unique biocompatibility and regenerability of bioscaffolds, they can be classified into non-living (polysaccharide, nucleic acid, and protein) and living (virus, bacteria, fungi, spore, and biofilm) bioscaffolds, which can fully satisfy these two unique properties, respectively. Enzymes assembled onto non-living bioscaffolds are based on single or complex components, while enzymes assembled onto living bioscaffolds are based on living bodies. In terms of their unique biocompatibility and regenerability, this review mainly covers the current advances in the research and application of non-living and living bioscaffolds with focus on engineering strategies for enzyme assembly. Finally, the future development of bioscaffolds for enzyme assembly is also discussed. Hopefully, this review will attract the interest of researchers in various fields and empower the development of biocatalysis, biomedicine, environmental remediation, therapy, and diagnosis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hao Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, School of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Wenxue Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, School of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Shengmin Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, School of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Jiaofang Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, School of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China.
| | - Ping Wang
- Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering, University of Minnesota, St Paul, MN 55108, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
93
|
Dong H, Zhang W, Xuan Q, Zhou Y, Zhou S, Huang J, Wang P. Binding Peptide-Guided Immobilization of Lipases with Significantly Improved Catalytic Performance Using Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) Biofilms as a Platform. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2021; 13:6168-6179. [PMID: 33499600 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.0c18298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Developing novel immobilization methods to maximize the catalytic performance of enzymes has been a permanent pursuit of scientific researchers. Engineered Escherichia coli biofilms have attracted great concern as surface display platforms for enzyme immobilization. However, current biological conjugation methods, such as the SpyTag/SpyCatcher tagging pair, that immobilize enzymes onto E. coli biofilms seriously hamper enzymatic performance. Through phage display screening of lipase-binding peptides (LBPs) and co-expression of CsgB (nucleation protein of curli nanofibers) and LBP2-modified CsgA (CsgALBP2, major structural subunit of curli nanofibers) proteins, we developed E. coli BL21::ΔCsgA-CsgB-CsgALBP2 (LBP2-functionalized) biofilms as surface display platforms to maximize the catalytic performance of lipase (Lip181). After immobilization onto LBP2-functionalized biofilm materials, Lip181 showed increased thermostability, pH, and storage stability. Surprisingly, the relative activity of immobilized Lip181 increased from 8.43 to 11.33 U/mg through this immobilization strategy. Furthermore, the highest loading of lipase on LBP2-functionalized biofilm materials reached up to 27.90 mg/g of wet biofilm materials, equivalent to 210.49 mg/g of dry biofilm materials, revealing their potential as a surface with high enzyme loading capacity. Additionally, immobilized Lip181 was used to hydrolyze phthalic acid esters, and the hydrolysis rate against dibutyl phthalate was up to 100%. Thus, LBP2-mediated immobilization of lipases was demonstrated to be far more advantageous than the traditional SpyTag/SpyCatcher strategy in maximizing enzymatic performance, thereby providing a better alternative for enzyme immobilization onto E. coli biofilms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hao Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, School of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Wenxue Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, School of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Qize Xuan
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, School of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Yao Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, School of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Shengmin Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, School of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Jiaofang Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, School of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Ping Wang
- Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering, University of Minnesota, St Paul, Minnesota 55108, USA
| |
Collapse
|
94
|
Bao Y, Wang L, Sun J. Post-translational knockdown and post-secretional modification of EsxA determine contribution of EsxA membrane permeabilizing activity for mycobacterial intracellular survival. Virulence 2021; 12:312-328. [PMID: 33356823 PMCID: PMC7808419 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2020.1867438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Current genetic studies (e.g. gene knockout) have suggested that EsxA and EsxB function as secreted virulence factors that are essential for Mycobaterium tuberculosis (Mtb) intracellular survival, specifically in mediating phagosome rupture and translocation of Mtb to the cytosol of host cells, which further facilitates Mtb intracellular replicating and cell-to-cell spreading. The EsxA-mediated intracellular survival is presumably achieved by its pH-dependent membrane-permeabilizing activity (MPA). However, the data from other studies have generated a discrepancy regarding the role of EsxA MPA in mycobacterial intracellular survival, which has raised a concern that genetic manipulations, such as deletion of esxB-esxA operon or RD-1 locus, may affect other codependently secreted factors that could be also directly involved cytosolic translocation, or stimulate extended disturbance on other genes’ expression. To avoid the drawbacks of gene knockout, we first engineered a Mycobacterium marinum (Mm) strain, in which a DAS4+ tag was fused to the C-terminus of EsxB to allow inducible knockdown of EsxB (also EsxA) at the post-translational level. We also engineered an Mm strain by fusing a SpyTag (ST) to the C-terminus of EsxA, which allowed inhibition of EsxA-ST MPA at the post-secretional level through a covalent linkage to SpyCatcher-GFP. Both post-translational knockdown and functional inhibition of EsxA resulted in attenuation of Mm intracellular survival in lung epithelial cells or macrophages, which unambiguously confirms the direct role of EsxA MPA in mycobacterial intracellular survival.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yanqing Bao
- Department of Biological Sciences and Border Biomedical Research Center, University of Texas at El Paso , El Paso, Texas, USA
| | - Lin Wang
- Department of Biological Sciences and Border Biomedical Research Center, University of Texas at El Paso , El Paso, Texas, USA
| | - Jianjun Sun
- Department of Biological Sciences and Border Biomedical Research Center, University of Texas at El Paso , El Paso, Texas, USA
| |
Collapse
|
95
|
Tran P, Prindle A. Synthetic biology in biofilms: Tools, challenges, and opportunities. Biotechnol Prog 2021; 37:e3123. [PMID: 33423395 DOI: 10.1002/btpr.3123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2020] [Revised: 12/15/2020] [Accepted: 12/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The field of synthetic biology seeks to program living cells to perform novel functions with applications ranging from environmental biosensing to smart cell-based therapeutics. Bacteria are an especially attractive chassis organism due to their rapid growth, ease of genetic manipulation, and ability to persist across many environmental niches. Despite significant progress in bacterial synthetic biology, programming bacteria to perform novel functions outside the well-controlled laboratory context remains challenging. In contrast to planktonic laboratory growth, bacteria in nature predominately reside in the context of densely packed communities known as biofilms. While biofilms have historically been considered environmental and biomedical hazards, their physiology and emergent behaviors could be leveraged for synthetic biology to engineer more capable and robust bacteria. Specifically, bacteria within biofilms participate in complex emergent behaviors such as collective organization, cell-to-cell signaling, and division of labor. Understanding and utilizing these properties can enable the effective deployment of engineered bacteria into natural target environments. Toward this goal, this review summarizes the current state of synthetic biology in biofilms by highlighting new molecular tools and remaining biological challenges. Looking to future opportunities, advancing synthetic biology in biofilms will enable the next generation of smart cell-based technologies for use in medicine, biomanufacturing, and environmental remediation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Peter Tran
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA.,Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
| | - Arthur Prindle
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA.,Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| |
Collapse
|
96
|
Lovley DR, Yao J. Intrinsically Conductive Microbial Nanowires for 'Green' Electronics with Novel Functions. Trends Biotechnol 2021; 39:940-952. [PMID: 33419586 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2020.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2020] [Revised: 12/04/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Intrinsically conductive protein nanowires, microbially produced from inexpensive, renewable feedstocks, are a sustainable alternative to traditional nanowire electronic materials, which require high energy inputs and hazardous conditions/chemicals for fabrication and can be highly toxic. Pilin-based nanowires can be tailored for specific functions via the design of synthetic pilin genes to tune wire conductivity or introduce novel functionalities. Other microbially produced nanowire options for electronics may include cytochrome wires, curli fibers, and the conductive fibers of cable bacteria. Proof-of-concept protein nanowire electronics that have been successfully demonstrated include biomedical sensors, neuromorphic devices, and a device that generates electricity from ambient humidity. Further development of applications will require interdisciplinary teams of engineers, biophysicists, and synthetic biologists.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Derek R Lovley
- Electrobiomaterials Institute, Key Laboratory for Anisotropy and Texture of Materials (Ministry of Education), Northeastern University, Shenyang 110819, China; Department of Microbiology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, USA; Institute for Applied Life Sciences (IALS), University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, USA.
| | - Jun Yao
- Institute for Applied Life Sciences (IALS), University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, USA; Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
97
|
Yuca E, Şahin Kehribar E, Şeker UÖŞ. Interaction of microbial functional amyloids with solid surfaces. Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces 2021; 199:111547. [PMID: 33385820 DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2020.111547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2020] [Revised: 12/16/2020] [Accepted: 12/18/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
HYPOTHESIS Self-assembling protein subunits hold great potential as biomaterials with improved functions. Among the self-assembled protein structures functional amyloids are promising unique properties such as resistance to harsh physical and chemical conditions their mechanical strength, and ease of functionalization. Curli proteins, which are functional amyloids of bacterial biofilms can be programmed as intelligent biomaterials. EXPERIMENTS In order to obtain controllable curli based biomaterials for biomedical applications, and to understand role of each of the curli forming monomeric proteins (namely CsgA and CsgB from Escherichia coli) we characterized their binding kinetics to gold, hydroxyapatite, and silica surfaces. FINDINGS We demonstrated that CsgA, CsgB, and their equimolar mixture have different binding strengths for different surfaces. On hydroxyapatite and silica surfaces, CsgB is the crucial element that determines the final adhesiveness of the CsgA-CsgB mixture. On the gold surface, on the other hand, CsgA controls the behavior of the mixture. Those findings uncover the binding behavior of curli proteins CsgA and CsgB on different biomedically valuable surfaces to obtain a more precise control on their adhesion to a targeted surface.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Esra Yuca
- Molecular Biology and Genetics Department, Yildiz Technical University, 34210 Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Ebru Şahin Kehribar
- UNAM-Institute of Materials Science and Nanotechnology, Bilkent University, TR-06800 Ankara, Turkey
| | - Urartu Özgür Şafak Şeker
- UNAM-Institute of Materials Science and Nanotechnology, Bilkent University, TR-06800 Ankara, Turkey.
| |
Collapse
|
98
|
Abdali Z, Aminzare M, Zhu X, DeBenedictis E, Xie O, Keten S, Dorval Courchesne NM. Curli-Mediated Self-Assembly of a Fibrous Protein Scaffold for Hydroxyapatite Mineralization. ACS Synth Biol 2020; 9:3334-3343. [PMID: 33237760 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.0c00415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Nanostructures formed by self-assembled peptides have been increasingly exploited as functional materials for a wide variety of applications, from biotechnology to energy. However, it is sometimes challenging to assemble free short peptides into functional supramolecular structures, since not all peptides have the ability to self-assemble. Here, we report a self-assembly mechanism for short functional peptides that we derived from a class of fiber-forming amyloid proteins called curli. CsgA, the major subunit of curli fibers, is a self-assembling β-helical subunit composed of five pseudorepeats (R1-R5). We first deleted the internal repeats (R2, R3, R4), known to be less essential for the aggregation of CsgA monomers into fibers, forming a truncated CsgA variant (R1/R5). As a proof-of-concept to introduce functionality in the fibers, we then genetically substituted the internal repeats by a hydroxyapatite (HAP)-binding peptide, resulting in a R1/HAP/R5 construct. Our method thus utilizes the R1/R5-driven self-assembly mechanism to assemble the HAP-binding peptide and form hydrogel-like materials in macroscopic quantities suitable for biomineralization. We confirmed the expression and fibrillar morphology of the truncated and HAP-containing curli-like amyloid fibers. X-ray diffraction and TEM showed the functionality of the HAP-binding peptide for mineralization and formation of nanocrystalline HAP. Overall, we show that fusion to the R1 and R5 repeats of CsgA enables the self-assembly of functional peptides into micron long fibers. Further, the mineral-templating ability that the R1/HAP/R5 fibers possesses opens up broader applications for curli proteins in the tissue engineering and biomaterials fields.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zahra Abdali
- Department of Chemical Engineering, McGill University, Montréal, Québec H3A 0C5, Canada
| | - Masoud Aminzare
- Department of Chemical Engineering, McGill University, Montréal, Québec H3A 0C5, Canada
| | - Xiaodan Zhu
- Department of Chemical Engineering, McGill University, Montréal, Québec H3A 0C5, Canada
| | - Elizabeth DeBenedictis
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States of America
| | - Oliver Xie
- Department of Chemical Engineering, McGill University, Montréal, Québec H3A 0C5, Canada
| | - Sinan Keten
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States of America
| | | |
Collapse
|
99
|
Multifunctional Amyloids in the Biology of Gram-Positive Bacteria. Microorganisms 2020; 8:microorganisms8122020. [PMID: 33348645 PMCID: PMC7766987 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms8122020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2020] [Revised: 12/11/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Since they were discovered, amyloids have proven to be versatile proteins able to participate in a variety of cellular functions across all kingdoms of life. This multitask trait seems to reside in their ability to coexist as monomers, aggregates or fibrillar entities, with morphological and biochemical peculiarities. It is precisely this common molecular behaviour that allows amyloids to cross react with one another, triggering heterologous aggregation. In bacteria, many of these functional amyloids are devoted to the assembly of biofilms by organizing the matrix scaffold that keeps cells together. However, consistent with their notion of multifunctional proteins, functional amyloids participate in other biological roles within the same organisms, and emerging unprecedented functions are being discovered. In this review, we focus on functional amyloids reported in gram-positive bacteria, which are diverse in their assembly mechanisms and remarkably specific in their biological functions that they perform. Finally, we consider cross-seeding between functional amyloids as an emerging theme in interspecies interactions that contributes to the diversification of bacterial biology.
Collapse
|
100
|
Singh A, Walker KT, Ledesma-Amaro R, Ellis T. Engineering Bacterial Cellulose by Synthetic Biology. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E9185. [PMID: 33276459 PMCID: PMC7730232 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21239185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2020] [Revised: 11/26/2020] [Accepted: 11/28/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Synthetic biology is an advanced form of genetic manipulation that applies the principles of modularity and engineering design to reprogram cells by changing their DNA. Over the last decade, synthetic biology has begun to be applied to bacteria that naturally produce biomaterials, in order to boost material production, change material properties and to add new functionalities to the resulting material. Recent work has used synthetic biology to engineer several Komagataeibacter strains; bacteria that naturally secrete large amounts of the versatile and promising material bacterial cellulose (BC). In this review, we summarize how genetic engineering, metabolic engineering and now synthetic biology have been used in Komagataeibacter strains to alter BC, improve its production and begin to add new functionalities into this easy-to-grow material. As well as describing the milestone advances, we also look forward to what will come next from engineering bacterial cellulose by synthetic biology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amritpal Singh
- Imperial College Centre for Synthetic Biology, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK; (A.S.); (K.T.W.); (R.L.-A.)
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Kenneth T. Walker
- Imperial College Centre for Synthetic Biology, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK; (A.S.); (K.T.W.); (R.L.-A.)
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Rodrigo Ledesma-Amaro
- Imperial College Centre for Synthetic Biology, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK; (A.S.); (K.T.W.); (R.L.-A.)
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Tom Ellis
- Imperial College Centre for Synthetic Biology, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK; (A.S.); (K.T.W.); (R.L.-A.)
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| |
Collapse
|