1
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Wang C, Feng Q, Shi S, Qin Y, Lu H, Zhang P, Liu J, Chen B. The Rational Engineered Bacteria Based Biohybrid Living System for Tumor Therapy. Adv Healthc Mater 2024:e2401538. [PMID: 39051784 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202401538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2024] [Revised: 07/16/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024]
Abstract
Living therapy based on bacterial cells has gained increasing attention for their applications in tumor treatments. Bacterial cells can naturally target to tumor sites and active the innate immunological responses. The intrinsic advantages of bacteria attribute to the development of biohybrid living carriers for targeting delivery toward hypoxic environments. The rationally engineered bacterial cells integrate various functions to enhance the tumor therapy and reduce toxic side effects. In this review, the antitumor effects of bacteria and their application are discussed as living therapeutic agents across multiple antitumor platforms. The various kinds of bacteria used for cancer therapy are first introduced and demonstrated the mechanism of antitumor effects as well as the immunological effects. Additionally, this study focused on the genetically modified bacteria for the production of antitumor agents as living delivery system to treat cancer. The combination of living bacterial cells with functional nanomaterials is then discussed in the cancer treatments. In brief, the rational design of living therapy based on bacterial cells highlighted a rapid development in tumor therapy and pointed out the potentials in clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Wang
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-Sen University, No. 66, Gongchang Road, Guangming District, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518107, China
| | - Qiliner Feng
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-Sen University, No. 66, Gongchang Road, Guangming District, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518107, China
| | - Si Shi
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-Sen University, No. 66, Gongchang Road, Guangming District, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518107, China
| | - Yuxuan Qin
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-Sen University, No. 66, Gongchang Road, Guangming District, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518107, China
| | - Hongli Lu
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-Sen University, No. 66, Gongchang Road, Guangming District, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518107, China
| | - Peng Zhang
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-Sen University, No. 66, Gongchang Road, Guangming District, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518107, China
| | - Jie Liu
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-Sen University, No. 66, Gongchang Road, Guangming District, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518107, China
| | - Baizhu Chen
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-Sen University, No. 66, Gongchang Road, Guangming District, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518107, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Sensor Technology and Biomedical Instrument, Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518107, China
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2
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Won C, Yim SS. Emerging methylation-based approaches in microbiome engineering. BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR BIOFUELS AND BIOPRODUCTS 2024; 17:96. [PMID: 38987811 PMCID: PMC11238421 DOI: 10.1186/s13068-024-02529-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 07/12/2024]
Abstract
Bacterial epigenetics, particularly through DNA methylation, exerts significant influence over various biological processes such as DNA replication, uptake, and gene regulation in bacteria. In this review, we explore recent advances in characterizing bacterial epigenomes, accompanied by emerging strategies that harness bacterial epigenetics to elucidate and engineer diverse bacterial species with precision and effectiveness. Furthermore, we delve into the potential of epigenetic modifications to steer microbial functions and influence community dynamics, offering promising opportunities for understanding and modulating microbiomes. Additionally, we investigate the extensive diversity of DNA methyltransferases and emphasize their potential utility in the context of the human microbiome. In summary, this review highlights the potential of DNA methylation as a powerful toolkit for engineering microbiomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Changhee Won
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Sung Sun Yim
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, Republic of Korea.
- Graduate School of Engineering Biology, KAIST, Daejeon, Republic of Korea.
- KAIST Institute for BioCentury, KAIST, Daejeon, Republic of Korea.
- Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Daejeon, Republic of Korea.
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3
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Siguenza N, Brevi A, Zhang JT, Pabani A, Bhushan A, Das M, Ding Y, Hasty J, Ghosh P, Zarrinpar A. Engineered bacterial therapeutics for detecting and treating CRC. Trends Cancer 2024; 10:588-597. [PMID: 38693003 DOI: 10.1016/j.trecan.2024.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2024] [Revised: 04/05/2024] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 05/03/2024]
Abstract
Despite an overall decrease in occurrence, colorectal cancer (CRC) remains the third most common cause of cancer deaths in the USA. Detection of CRC is difficult in high-risk groups, including those with genetic predispositions, with disease traits, or from certain demographics. There is emerging interest in using engineered bacteria to identify early CRC development, monitor changes in the adenoma and CRC microenvironment, and prevent cancer progression. Novel genetic circuits for cancer therapeutics or functions to enhance existing treatment modalities have been tested and verified in vitro and in vivo. Inclusion of biocontainment measures would prepare strains to meet therapeutic standards. Thus, engineered bacteria present an opportunity for detection and treatment of CRC lesions in a highly sensitive and specific manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Siguenza
- Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Arianna Brevi
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Moores Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Joanna T Zhang
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Arman Pabani
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Abhinav Bhushan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Moumita Das
- School of Physics and Astronomy, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Yousong Ding
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Center for Natural Products, Drug Discovery and Development, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Jeff Hasty
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Center for Microbiome Innovation, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Synthetic Biology Institute, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Molecular Biology Section, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Shu Chien-Gene Lay Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Pradipta Ghosh
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Moores Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Amir Zarrinpar
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Center for Microbiome Innovation, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Synthetic Biology Institute, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Jennifer Moreno Department of Veterans Affairs, La Jolla, CA, USA; Moores Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Shu Chien-Gene Lay Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
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4
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Joshi SHN, Jenkins C, Ulaeto D, Gorochowski TE. Accelerating Genetic Sensor Development, Scale-up, and Deployment Using Synthetic Biology. BIODESIGN RESEARCH 2024; 6:0037. [PMID: 38919711 PMCID: PMC11197468 DOI: 10.34133/bdr.0037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Living cells are exquisitely tuned to sense and respond to changes in their environment. Repurposing these systems to create engineered biosensors has seen growing interest in the field of synthetic biology and provides a foundation for many innovative applications spanning environmental monitoring to improved biobased production. In this review, we present a detailed overview of currently available biosensors and the methods that have supported their development, scale-up, and deployment. We focus on genetic sensors in living cells whose outputs affect gene expression. We find that emerging high-throughput experimental assays and evolutionary approaches combined with advanced bioinformatics and machine learning are establishing pipelines to produce genetic sensors for virtually any small molecule, protein, or nucleic acid. However, more complex sensing tasks based on classifying compositions of many stimuli and the reliable deployment of these systems into real-world settings remain challenges. We suggest that recent advances in our ability to precisely modify nonmodel organisms and the integration of proven control engineering principles (e.g., feedback) into the broader design of genetic sensing systems will be necessary to overcome these hurdles and realize the immense potential of the field.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Christopher Jenkins
- CBR Division, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Porton Down, Wiltshire SP4 0JQ, UK
| | - David Ulaeto
- CBR Division, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Porton Down, Wiltshire SP4 0JQ, UK
| | - Thomas E. Gorochowski
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
- BrisEngBio,
School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TS, UK
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5
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Saba J, Flores K, Marshall B, Engstrom MD, Peng Y, Garje AS, Comstock L, Landick R. Bacteroides expand the functional versatility of a universal transcription factor and transcribed DNA to program capsule diversity. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.21.599965. [PMID: 38948710 PMCID: PMC11213015 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.21.599965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/02/2024]
Abstract
Human gut Bacteroides species encode numerous (eight or more) tightly regulated capsular polysaccharides (CPS). Specialized paralogs of the universal transcription elongation factor NusG, called UpxY (Y), and an anti-Y UpxZ (Z) are encoded by the first two genes of each CPS operon. The Y-Z regulators combine with promoter inversions to limit CPS transcription to a single operon in most cells. Y enhances transcript elongation whereas Z inhibits noncognate Ys. How Y distinguishes among cognate CPS operons and how Z inhibits only noncognate Ys are unknown. Using in-vivo nascent-RNA sequencing and promoter-less in vitro transcription (PIVoT), we establish that Y recognizes a paused RNA polymerase via sequences in both the exposed non-template DNA and the upstream duplex DNA. Y association is aided by novel 'pause-then-escape' nascent RNA hairpins. Z binds non-cognate Ys to directly inhibit Y association. This Y-Z hierarchical regulatory program allows Bacteroides to create CPS subpopulations for optimal fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason Saba
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
- Microbiology Doctoral Training Program, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Katia Flores
- Department of Microbiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
- Duchossois Family Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Bailey Marshall
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
- Cell and Molecular Biology Training Program, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Michael D. Engstrom
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Yikai Peng
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Atharv S. Garje
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
- Genetics Training Program, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Laurie Comstock
- Department of Microbiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
- Duchossois Family Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Robert Landick
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
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6
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Basu A, Adams AN, Degnan PH, Vanderpool CK. Determinants of raffinose family oligosaccharide use in Bacteroides species. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.07.597959. [PMID: 38895307 PMCID: PMC11185731 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.07.597959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
Bacteroides species are successful colonizers of the human gut and can utilize a wide variety of complex polysaccharides and oligosaccharides that are indigestible by the host. To do this, they use enzymes encoded in Polysaccharide Utilization Loci (PULs). While recent work has uncovered the PULs required for use of some polysaccharides, how Bacteroides utilize smaller oligosaccharides is less well studied. Raffinose family oligosaccharides (RFOs) are abundant in plants, especially legumes, and consist of variable units of galactose linked by α-1,6 bonds to a sucrose (glucose α-1-β-2 fructose) moiety. Previous work showed that an α-galactosidase, BT1871, is required for RFO utilization in Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron. Here, we identify two different types of mutations that increase BT1871 mRNA levels and improve B. thetaiotaomicron growth on RFOs. First, a novel spontaneous duplication of BT1872 and BT1871 places these genes under control of a ribosomal promoter, driving high BT1871 transcription. Second, nonsense mutations in a gene encoding the PUL24 anti-sigma factor likewise increase BT1871 transcription. We then show that hydrolases from PUL22 work together with BT1871 to break down the sucrose moiety of RFOs and determine that the master regulator of carbohydrate utilization (BT4338) plays a role in RFO utilization in B. thetaiotaomicron. Examining the genomes of other Bacteroides species, we found homologs of BT1871 in subset and show that representative strains of species containing a BT1871 homolog grew better on melibiose than species that lack a BT1871 homolog. Altogether, our findings shed light on how an important gut commensal utilizes an abundant dietary oligosaccharide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anubhav Basu
- Department of Microbiology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
| | - Amanda N.D. Adams
- Department of Microbiology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Patrick H. Degnan
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, California, USA
| | - Carin K. Vanderpool
- Department of Microbiology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
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7
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Zheng L, Shen J, Chen R, Hu Y, Zhao W, Leung ELH, Dai L. Genome engineering of the human gut microbiome. J Genet Genomics 2024; 51:479-491. [PMID: 38218395 DOI: 10.1016/j.jgg.2024.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2023] [Revised: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 01/15/2024]
Abstract
The human gut microbiome, a complex ecosystem, significantly influences host health, impacting crucial aspects such as metabolism and immunity. To enhance our comprehension and control of the molecular mechanisms orchestrating the intricate interplay between gut commensal bacteria and human health, the exploration of genome engineering for gut microbes is a promising frontier. Nevertheless, the complexities and diversities inherent in the gut microbiome pose substantial challenges to the development of effective genome engineering tools for human gut microbes. In this comprehensive review, we provide an overview of the current progress and challenges in genome engineering of human gut commensal bacteria, whether executed in vitro or in situ. A specific focus is directed towards the advancements and prospects in cargo DNA delivery and high-throughput techniques. Additionally, we elucidate the immense potential of genome engineering methods to enhance our understanding of the human gut microbiome and engineer the microorganisms to enhance human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linggang Zheng
- Dr Neher's Biophysics Laboratory for Innovative Drug Discovery/State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Taipa, Macau 999078, 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
| | - Juntao Shen
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Ruiyue Chen
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yucan Hu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Wei Zhao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Elaine Lai-Han Leung
- Cancer Center, Faculty of Health Science, University of Macau, Macau 999078, China; MOE Frontiers Science Center for Precision Oncology, University of Macau, Macau 999078, China.
| | - Lei Dai
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
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8
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Almási ÉDH, Knischewski N, Osbelt L, Muthukumarasamy U, El Mouali Y, Vialetto E, Beisel CL, Strowig T. An adapted method for Cas9-mediated editing reveals the species-specific role of β-glucoside utilization driving competition between Klebsiella species. J Bacteriol 2024; 206:e0031723. [PMID: 38353529 PMCID: PMC10955844 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00317-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Cas9-based gene editing tools have revolutionized genetics, enabling the fast and precise manipulation of diverse bacterial species. However, widely applicable genetic tools for non-model gut bacteria are unavailable. Here, we present a two-plasmid Cas9-based system designed for gene deletion and knock-in complementation in three members of the Klebsiella oxytoca species complex (KoSC), which we applied to study the genetic factors underlying the role of these bacteria in competition against Klebsiella pneumoniae. Firstly, the system allowed efficient and precise full-length gene deletion via enhanced lambda Red expression. Furthermore, we tested the efficiency of two independent, functionally validated complementation strategies. Ultimately, the insertion of universal "bookmark" targets during gene deletion subsequently allows the most optimal genetic complementation in K. oxytoca, Klebsiella michiganensis, and Klebsiella grimontii. This approach offers a significant advantage by enabling the use of a single high-efficiency "bookmark" for complementing other loci or strains, eliminating the need for site-specific design. We revealed that the carbohydrate permease CasA is critical in ex vivo assays for K. pneumoniae inhibition by K. oxytoca but is neither sufficient nor required for K. michiganensis and K. grimontii. Thus, the adaptation of state-of-the-art genetic tools to KoSC allows the identification of species-specific functions in microbial competition. IMPORTANCE Cas9-based gene editing tools have revolutionized bacterial genetics, yet, their application to non-model gut bacteria is frequently hampered by various limitations. We utilized a two-plasmid Cas9-based system designed for gene deletion in Klebsiella pneumoniae and demonstrate after optimization its utility for gene editing in three members of the Klebsiella oxytoca species complex (KoSC) namely K. oxytoca, Klebsiella michiganensis, and Klebsiella grimontii. We then adapted a recently developed protocol for functional complementation based on universal "bookmark" targets applicable to all tested species. In summary, species-specific adaptation of state-of-the-art genetic tools allows efficient gene deletion and complementation in type strains as well as natural isolates of KoSC members to study microbial interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Éva d. H. Almási
- Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Nele Knischewski
- Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Lisa Osbelt
- Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Braunschweig, Germany
| | | | - Youssef El Mouali
- Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Elena Vialetto
- Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Würzburg, Germany
| | - Chase L. Beisel
- Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Würzburg, Germany
- Medical Faculty, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Till Strowig
- Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Braunschweig, Germany
- Center for Individualized Infection Medicine, Hannover, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), partner site Hannover-Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
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9
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Huang BD, Kim D, Yu Y, Wilson CJ. Engineering intelligent chassis cells via recombinase-based MEMORY circuits. Nat Commun 2024; 15:2418. [PMID: 38499601 PMCID: PMC10948884 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46755-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Synthetic biologists seek to engineer intelligent living systems capable of decision-making, communication, and memory. Separate technologies exist for each tenet of intelligence; however, the unification of all three properties in a living system has not been achieved. Here, we engineer completely intelligent Escherichia coli strains that harbor six orthogonal and inducible genome-integrated recombinases, forming Molecularly Encoded Memory via an Orthogonal Recombinase arraY (MEMORY). MEMORY chassis cells facilitate intelligence via the discrete multi-input regulation of recombinase functions enabling inheritable DNA inversions, deletions, and genomic insertions. MEMORY cells can achieve programmable and permanent gain (or loss) of functions extrachromosomally or from a specific genomic locus, without the loss or modification of the MEMORY platform - enabling the sequential programming and reprogramming of DNA circuits within the cell. We demonstrate all three tenets of intelligence via a probiotic (Nissle 1917) MEMORY strain capable of information exchange with the gastrointestinal commensal Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian D Huang
- Georgia Institute of Technology, School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, 311 Ferst Drive, Atlanta, GA, 30332-0100, Georgia
| | - Dowan Kim
- Georgia Institute of Technology, School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, 311 Ferst Drive, Atlanta, GA, 30332-0100, Georgia
| | - Yongjoon Yu
- Georgia Institute of Technology, School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, 311 Ferst Drive, Atlanta, GA, 30332-0100, Georgia
| | - Corey J Wilson
- Georgia Institute of Technology, School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, 311 Ferst Drive, Atlanta, GA, 30332-0100, Georgia.
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10
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De Marchi D, Shaposhnikov R, Gobaa S, Pastorelli D, Batt G, Magni P, Pasotti L. Design and Model-Driven Analysis of Synthetic Circuits with the Staphylococcus aureus Dead-Cas9 (sadCas9) as a Programmable Transcriptional Regulator in Bacteria. ACS Synth Biol 2024; 13:763-780. [PMID: 38374729 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.3c00541] [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: 02/21/2024]
Abstract
Synthetic circuit design is crucial for engineering microbes that process environmental cues and provide biologically relevant outputs. To reliably scale-up circuit complexity, the availability of parts toolkits is central. Streptococcus pyogenes (sp)-derived CRISPR interference/dead-Cas9 (CRISPRi/spdCas9) is widely adopted for implementing programmable regulations in synthetic circuits, and alternative CRISPRi systems will further expand our toolkits of orthogonal components. Here, we showcase the potential of CRISPRi using the engineered dCas9 from Staphylococcus aureus (sadCas9), not previously used in bacterial circuits, that is attractive for its low size and high specificity. We designed a collection of ∼20 increasingly complex circuits and variants in Escherichia coli, including circuits with static function like one-/two-input logic gates (NOT, NAND), circuits with dynamic behavior like incoherent feedforward loops (iFFLs), and applied sadCas9 to fix a T7 polymerase-based cascade. Data demonstrated specific and efficient target repression (100-fold) and qualitatively successful functioning for all circuits. Other advantageous features included low sadCas9-borne cell load and orthogonality with spdCas9. However, different circuit variants showed quantitatively unexpected and previously unreported steady-state responses: the dynamic range, switch point, and slope of NOT/NAND gates changed for different output promoters, and a multiphasic behavior was observed in iFFLs, differing from the expected bell-shaped or sigmoidal curves. Model analysis explained the observed curves by complex interplays among components, due to reporter gene-borne cell load and regulator competition. Overall, CRISPRi/sadCas9 successfully expanded the available toolkit for bacterial engineering. Analysis of our circuit collection depicted the impact of generally neglected effects modulating the shape of component dose-response curves, to avoid drawing wrong conclusions on circuit functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davide De Marchi
- Department of Electrical, Computer and Biomedical Engineering, University of Pavia, via Ferrata 5, 27100 Pavia, Italy
- Centre for Health Technologies, University of Pavia, via Ferrata 5, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Roman Shaposhnikov
- Department of Electrical, Computer and Biomedical Engineering, University of Pavia, via Ferrata 5, 27100 Pavia, Italy
- Centre for Health Technologies, University of Pavia, via Ferrata 5, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Samy Gobaa
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Biomaterials and Microfluidics Core Facility, 28 Rue du Docteur Roux, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Daniele Pastorelli
- Department of Electrical, Computer and Biomedical Engineering, University of Pavia, via Ferrata 5, 27100 Pavia, Italy
- Centre for Health Technologies, University of Pavia, via Ferrata 5, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Gregory Batt
- Institut Pasteur, Inria, Université Paris Cité, 28 rue du Docteur Roux, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Paolo Magni
- Department of Electrical, Computer and Biomedical Engineering, University of Pavia, via Ferrata 5, 27100 Pavia, Italy
- Centre for Health Technologies, University of Pavia, via Ferrata 5, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Pasotti
- Department of Electrical, Computer and Biomedical Engineering, University of Pavia, via Ferrata 5, 27100 Pavia, Italy
- Centre for Health Technologies, University of Pavia, via Ferrata 5, 27100 Pavia, Italy
- Institut Pasteur, Inria, Université Paris Cité, 28 rue du Docteur Roux, 75015 Paris, France
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11
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Mahdizade Ari M, Dadgar L, Elahi Z, Ghanavati R, Taheri B. Genetically Engineered Microorganisms and Their Impact on Human Health. Int J Clin Pract 2024; 2024:6638269. [PMID: 38495751 PMCID: PMC10944348 DOI: 10.1155/2024/6638269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2023] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024] Open
Abstract
The emergence of antibiotic-resistant strains, the decreased effectiveness of conventional therapies, and the side effects have led researchers to seek a safer, more cost-effective, patient-friendly, and effective method that does not develop antibiotic resistance. With progress in synthetic biology and genetic engineering, genetically engineered microorganisms effective in treatment, prophylaxis, drug delivery, and diagnosis have been developed. The present study reviews the types of genetically engineered bacteria and phages, their impacts on diseases, cancer, and metabolic and inflammatory disorders, the biosynthesis of these modified strains, the route of administration, and their effects on the environment. We conclude that genetically engineered microorganisms can be considered promising candidates for adjunctive treatment of diseases and cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marzie Mahdizade Ari
- Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Microbial Biotechnology Research Centre, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Leila Dadgar
- Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Microbial Biotechnology Research Centre, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Zahra Elahi
- Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Microbial Biotechnology Research Centre, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Behrouz Taheri
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Medicine, Ahvaz Jundishapour University of medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
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12
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Hayashi N, Lai Y, Fuerte-Stone J, Mimee M, Lu TK. Cas9-assisted biological containment of a genetically engineered human commensal bacterium and genetic elements. Nat Commun 2024; 15:2096. [PMID: 38453913 PMCID: PMC10920895 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45893-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2021] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Sophisticated gene circuits built by synthetic biology can enable bacteria to sense their environment and respond predictably. Engineered biosensing bacteria outfitted with such circuits can potentially probe the human gut microbiome to prevent, diagnose, or treat disease. To provide robust biocontainment for engineered bacteria, we devised a Cas9-assisted auxotrophic biocontainment system combining thymidine auxotrophy, an Engineered Riboregulator (ER) for controlled gene expression, and a CRISPR Device (CD). The CD prevents the engineered bacteria from acquiring thyA via horizontal gene transfer, which would disrupt the biocontainment system, and inhibits the spread of genetic elements by killing bacteria harboring the gene cassette. This system tunably controlled gene expression in the human gut commensal bacterium Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron, prevented escape from thymidine auxotrophy, and blocked transgene dissemination. These capabilities were validated in vitro and in vivo. This biocontainment system exemplifies a powerful strategy for bringing genetically engineered microorganisms safely into biomedicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naoki Hayashi
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
- JSR-Keio University Medical and Chemical Innovation Center (JKiC), JSR Corp., 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku, Tokyo, 160-8582, Japan
| | - Yong Lai
- Synthetic Biology Group, MIT Synthetic Biology Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
- Research Laboratory of Electronics, MIT, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR
| | - Jay Fuerte-Stone
- Department of Microbiology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Mark Mimee
- Department of Microbiology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA.
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA.
| | - Timothy K Lu
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.
- Synthetic Biology Group, MIT Synthetic Biology Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.
- Research Laboratory of Electronics, MIT, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.
- Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.
- Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.
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13
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Chhun A, Moriano-Gutierrez S, Zoppi F, Cabirol A, Engel P, Schaerli Y. An engineered bacterial symbiont allows noninvasive biosensing of the honey bee gut environment. PLoS Biol 2024; 22:e3002523. [PMID: 38442124 PMCID: PMC10914260 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024] Open
Abstract
The honey bee is a powerful model system to probe host-gut microbiota interactions, and an important pollinator species for natural ecosystems and for agriculture. While bacterial biosensors can provide critical insight into the complex interplay occurring between a host and its associated microbiota, the lack of methods to noninvasively sample the gut content, and the limited genetic tools to engineer symbionts, have so far hindered their development in honey bees. Here, we built a versatile molecular tool kit to genetically modify symbionts and reported for the first time in the honey bee a technique to sample their feces. We reprogrammed the native bee gut bacterium Snodgrassella alvi as a biosensor for IPTG, with engineered cells that stably colonize the gut of honey bees and report exposure to the molecules in a dose-dependent manner through the expression of a fluorescent protein. We showed that fluorescence readout can be measured in the gut tissues or noninvasively in the feces. These tools and techniques will enable rapid building of engineered bacteria to answer fundamental questions in host-gut microbiota research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Audam Chhun
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | | | - Florian Zoppi
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Amélie Cabirol
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Philipp Engel
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Yolanda Schaerli
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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14
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Parvin T, Sadras SR. Advanced probiotics: bioengineering and their therapeutic application. Mol Biol Rep 2024; 51:361. [PMID: 38403783 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-024-09309-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
The role of gut bacteria in human health has long been acknowledged and dysbiosis of the gut microbiota has been correlated with a variety of disorders. Synthetic biology has rapidly grown over the past few years offering a variety of biological applications such as harnessing the relationship between bacteria and human health. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are thought to be appropriate chassis organisms for genetic modification with potential biomedical applications. A thorough understanding of the molecular mechanisms behind their beneficial qualities is essential to assist the multifunctional medicinal sectors. Effective genome editing will aid in the creation of next-generation designer probiotics with enhanced resilience and specialized capabilities, furthering our knowledge of the molecular mechanisms behind the physiological impacts of probiotics and their interactions with the host and microbiota. The goal of this review is to provide a brief overview of the methods used to create modified probiotics with the scientific rationale behind gene editing technology, the mechanism of action of engineered probiotics along with their application to treat conditions like inflammatory bowel disease, cancer, bacterial infections, and various metabolic diseases. In addition, application concerns and future directions are also presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamanna Parvin
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Life Science, Pondicherry University, Puducherry, India.
| | - Sudha Rani Sadras
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Life Science, Pondicherry University, Puducherry, India
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15
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Kim TH, Ju K, Kim SK, Woo SG, Lee JS, Lee CH, Rha E, Shin J, Kwon KK, Lee H, Kim H, Lee SG, Lee DH. Novel Signal Peptides and Episomal Plasmid System for Enhanced Protein Secretion in Engineered Bacteroides Species. ACS Synth Biol 2024; 13:648-657. [PMID: 38224571 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.3c00649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2024]
Abstract
The genus Bacteroides, a predominant group in the human gut microbiome, presents significant potential for microbiome engineering and the development of live biotherapeutics aimed at treating gut diseases. Despite its promising capabilities, tools for effectively engineering Bacteroides species have been limited. In our study, we have made a breakthrough by identifying novel signal peptides in Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron and Akkermansia muciniphila. These peptides facilitate efficient protein transport across cellular membranes in Bacteroides, a critical step for therapeutic applications. Additionally, we have developed an advanced episomal plasmid system. This system demonstrates superior protein secretion capabilities compared to traditional chromosomal integration plasmids, making it a vital tool for enhancing the delivery of therapeutic proteins in Bacteroides species. Initially, the stability of this episomal plasmid posed a challenge; however, we have overcome this by incorporating an essential gene-based selection system. This novel strategy not only ensures plasmid stability but also aligns with the growing need for antibiotic-free selection methods in clinical settings. Our work, therefore, not only provides a more robust secretion system for Bacteroides but also sets a new standard for the development of live biotherapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tae Hyun Kim
- Synthetic Biology Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
- Department of Biosystems and Bioengineering, KRIBB School of Biotechnology, University of Science and Technology (UST), Daejeon 34113, Republic of Korea
| | - Kowoon Ju
- Synthetic Biology Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Seong Keun Kim
- Synthetic Biology Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Seung-Gyun Woo
- Synthetic Biology Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Jung-Sook Lee
- Korean Collection for Type Cultures, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Jeongeup-si 56212, Republic of Korea
| | - Chul-Ho Lee
- Laboratory Animal Resource Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Eugene Rha
- Synthetic Biology Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Jonghyeok Shin
- Synthetic Biology Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Kil Koang Kwon
- Synthetic Biology Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyewon Lee
- Synthetic Biology Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
- Department of Biosystems and Bioengineering, KRIBB School of Biotechnology, University of Science and Technology (UST), Daejeon 34113, Republic of Korea
| | - Haseong Kim
- Synthetic Biology Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
- Department of Biosystems and Bioengineering, KRIBB School of Biotechnology, University of Science and Technology (UST), Daejeon 34113, Republic of Korea
- Graduate School of Engineering Biology, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Seung-Goo Lee
- Synthetic Biology Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
- Department of Biosystems and Bioengineering, KRIBB School of Biotechnology, University of Science and Technology (UST), Daejeon 34113, Republic of Korea
- Graduate School of Engineering Biology, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Dae-Hee Lee
- Synthetic Biology Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
- Department of Biosystems and Bioengineering, KRIBB School of Biotechnology, University of Science and Technology (UST), Daejeon 34113, Republic of Korea
- Graduate School of Engineering Biology, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
- Department of Integrative Biotechnology, College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, Republic of Korea
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16
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Prezza G, Liao C, Reichardt S, Beisel CL, Westermann AJ. CRISPR-based screening of small RNA modulators of bile susceptibility in Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2311323121. [PMID: 38294941 PMCID: PMC10861873 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2311323121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Microbiota-centric interventions are limited by our incomplete understanding of the gene functions of many of its constituent species. This applies in particular to small RNAs (sRNAs), which are emerging as important regulators in microbiota species yet tend to be missed by traditional functional genomics approaches. Here, we establish CRISPR interference (CRISPRi) in the abundant microbiota member Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron for genome-wide sRNA screens. By assessing the abundance of different protospacer-adjacent motifs, we identify the Prevotella bryantii B14 Cas12a as a suitable nuclease for CRISPR screens in these bacteria and generate an inducible Cas12a expression system. Using a luciferase reporter strain, we infer guide design rules and use this knowledge to assemble a computational pipeline for automated gRNA design. By subjecting the resulting guide library to a phenotypic screen, we uncover the sRNA BatR to increase susceptibility to bile salts through the regulation of genes involved in Bacteroides cell surface structure. Our study lays the groundwork for unlocking the genetic potential of these major human gut mutualists and, more generally, for identifying hidden functions of bacterial sRNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gianluca Prezza
- Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, WürzburgD-97080, Germany
| | - Chunyu Liao
- Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, WürzburgD-97080, Germany
| | - Sarah Reichardt
- Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, WürzburgD-97080, Germany
| | - Chase L. Beisel
- Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, WürzburgD-97080, Germany
- Medical Faculty, University of Würzburg, WürzburgD-97080, Germany
| | - Alexander J. Westermann
- Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, WürzburgD-97080, Germany
- Institute of Molecular Infection Biology, University of Würzburg, WürzburgD-97080, Germany
- Department of Microbiology, Biocentre, University of Würzburg, WürzburgD-97074, Germany
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17
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Ricaurte D, Huang Y, Sheth RU, Gelsinger DR, Kaufman A, Wang HH. High-throughput transcriptomics of 409 bacteria-drug pairs reveals drivers of gut microbiota perturbation. Nat Microbiol 2024; 9:561-575. [PMID: 38233648 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-023-01581-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
Many drugs can perturb the gut microbiome, potentially leading to negative health consequences. However, mechanisms of most microorganism-drug responses have not been elucidated at the genetic level. Using high-throughput bacterial transcriptomics, we systematically characterized the gene expression profiles of prevalent human gut bacteria exposed to the most frequently prescribed orally administered pharmaceuticals. Across >400 drug-microorganism pairs, significant and reproducible transcriptional responses were observed, including pathways involved in multidrug resistance, metabolite transport, tartrate metabolism and riboflavin biosynthesis. Importantly, we discovered that statin-mediated upregulation of the AcrAB-TolC efflux pump in Bacteroidales species enhances microbial sensitivity to vitamin A and secondary bile acids. Moreover, gut bacteria carrying acrAB-tolC genes are depleted in patients taking simvastatin, suggesting that drug-efflux interactions generate collateral toxicity that depletes pump-containing microorganisms from patient microbiomes. This study provides a resource to further understand the drivers of drug-mediated microbiota shifts for better informed clinical interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deirdre Ricaurte
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Integrated Program in Cellular, Molecular, and Biomedical Studies, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Yiming Huang
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Integrated Program in Cellular, Molecular, and Biomedical Studies, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ravi U Sheth
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Integrated Program in Cellular, Molecular, and Biomedical Studies, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Andrew Kaufman
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, 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.
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18
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Tripathi S, Voogdt CGP, Bassler SO, Anderson M, Huang PH, Sakenova N, Capraz T, Jain S, Koumoutsi A, Bravo AM, Trotter V, Zimmerman M, Sonnenburg JL, Buie C, Typas A, Deutschbauer AM, Shiver AL, Huang KC. Randomly barcoded transposon mutant libraries for gut commensals I: Strategies for efficient library construction. Cell Rep 2024; 43:113517. [PMID: 38142397 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Revised: 10/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Randomly barcoded transposon mutant libraries are powerful tools for studying gene function and organization, assessing gene essentiality and pathways, discovering potential therapeutic targets, and understanding the physiology of gut bacteria and their interactions with the host. However, construction of high-quality libraries with uniform representation can be challenging. In this review, we survey various strategies for barcoded library construction, including transposition systems, methods of transposon delivery, optimal library size, and transconjugant selection schemes. We discuss the advantages and limitations of each approach, as well as factors to consider when selecting a strategy. In addition, we highlight experimental and computational advances in arraying condensed libraries from mutant pools. We focus on examples of successful library construction in gut bacteria and their application to gene function studies and drug discovery. Given the need for understanding gene function and organization in gut bacteria, we provide a comprehensive guide for researchers to construct randomly barcoded transposon mutant libraries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Surya Tripathi
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Carlos Geert Pieter Voogdt
- Genome Biology Unit, EMBL Heidelberg, Meyerhofstraße 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany; Structural and Computational Biology Unit, EMBL Meyerhofstraße 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Stefan Oliver Bassler
- Genome Biology Unit, EMBL Heidelberg, Meyerhofstraße 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany; Faculty of Biosciences, Heidelberg University, Grabengasse 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Mary Anderson
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Po-Hsun Huang
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Nazgul Sakenova
- Genome Biology Unit, EMBL Heidelberg, Meyerhofstraße 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Tümay Capraz
- Genome Biology Unit, EMBL Heidelberg, Meyerhofstraße 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany; Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Sunit Jain
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Alexandra Koumoutsi
- Genome Biology Unit, EMBL Heidelberg, Meyerhofstraße 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Afonso Martins Bravo
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Valentine Trotter
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Michael Zimmerman
- Structural and Computational Biology Unit, EMBL Meyerhofstraße 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Justin L Sonnenburg
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Cullen Buie
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Athanasios Typas
- Genome Biology Unit, EMBL Heidelberg, Meyerhofstraße 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany; Structural and Computational Biology Unit, EMBL Meyerhofstraße 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Adam M Deutschbauer
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
| | - Anthony L Shiver
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
| | - Kerwyn Casey Huang
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
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19
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Rondthaler S, Sarker B, Howitz N, Shah I, Andrews LB. Toolbox of Characterized Genetic Parts for Staphylococcus aureus. ACS Synth Biol 2024; 13:103-118. [PMID: 38064657 PMCID: PMC10805105 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.3c00325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Revised: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
Staphylococcus aureus is an important clinical bacterium prevalent in human-associated microbiomes and the cause of many diseases. However, S. aureus has been intractable to synthetic biology approaches due to limited characterized genetic parts for this nonmodel Gram-positive bacterium. Moreover, genetic manipulation of S. aureus has relied on cumbersome and inefficient cloning strategies. Here, we report the first standardized genetic parts toolbox for S. aureus, which includes characterized promoters, ribosome binding sites, terminators, and plasmid replicons from a variety of bacteria for precise control of gene expression. We established a standard relative expression unit (REU) for S. aureus using a plasmid reference and characterized genetic parts in standardized REUs using S. aureus ATCC 12600. We constructed promoter and terminator part plasmids that are compatible with an efficient Type IIS DNA assembly strategy to effectively build multipart DNA constructs. A library of 24 constitutive promoters was built and characterized in S. aureus, which showed a 380-fold activity range. This promoter library was also assayed in Bacillus subtilis (122-fold activity range) to demonstrate the transferability of the constitutive promoters between these Gram-positive bacteria. By applying an iterative design-build-test-learn cycle, we demonstrated the use of our toolbox for the rational design and engineering of a tetracycline sensor in S. aureus using the PXyl-TetO aTc-inducible promoter that achieved 25.8-fold induction. This toolbox greatly expands the growing number of genetic parts for Gram-positive bacteria and will allow researchers to leverage synthetic biology approaches to study and engineer cellular processes in S. aureus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen
N. Rondthaler
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts
Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, United States
| | - Biprodev Sarker
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts
Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, United States
| | - Nathaniel Howitz
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts
Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, United States
| | - Ishita Shah
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts
Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, United States
| | - Lauren B. Andrews
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts
Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, United States
- Molecular
and Cellular Biology Graduate Program, University
of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, United States
- Biotechnology
Training Program, University of Massachusetts
Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, United States
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20
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Wang X, Cai Z, Wang Q, Wu C, Sun Y, Wang Z, Xu X, Xue W, Cao Z, Zhang M, Zhu Y, Lin H, Zhang Y, Yuan M, Zhao Y, Gao A, Yu Y, Bi Y, Ning G, Wang W, Wang J, Liu R. Bacteroides methylmalonyl-CoA mutase produces propionate that promotes intestinal goblet cell differentiation and homeostasis. Cell Host Microbe 2024; 32:63-78.e7. [PMID: 38056459 DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2023.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Revised: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023]
Abstract
Propionate is a short-chain fatty acid that is generated upon microbiome-mediated fiber fermentation in the intestine. By modulating immune and metabolic pathways, propionate exerts many health benefits. Key bacterial species, such as Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron, generate propionate, but the biochemical pathways and specific functions remain undetermined. We identified a gene operon-encoding methylmalonyl-CoA mutase (MCM) that contributes to propionate biosynthesis in B. thetaiotaomicron. Colonization of germ-free mice with wild-type or MCM-deficient strains as well as in vitro examination demonstrated that MCM-mediated propionate production promotes goblet cell differentiation and mucus-related gene expression. Intestinal organoids lacking the propionate receptor, GPR41, showed reduced goblet cell differentiation upon MCM-mediated propionate production. Furthermore, although wild-type B. thetaiotaomicron alleviated DSS-induced intestinal inflammation, this effect was abolished in mice receiving the MCM-deficient strain but restored upon propionate supplementation. These data emphasize the critical role of MCM-mediated propionate biosynthesis in goblet cell differentiation, offering potential pathways to ameliorate colitis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xingyu Wang
- Department of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shanghai Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; Shanghai National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases, Key Laboratory for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases of the National Health Commission of the PR China, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Endocrine Tumor, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhongle Cai
- Department of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shanghai Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; Shanghai National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases, Key Laboratory for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases of the National Health Commission of the PR China, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Endocrine Tumor, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Qiaoling Wang
- Department of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shanghai Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; Shanghai National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases, Key Laboratory for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases of the National Health Commission of the PR China, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Endocrine Tumor, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Chao Wu
- Department of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shanghai Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; Shanghai National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases, Key Laboratory for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases of the National Health Commission of the PR China, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Endocrine Tumor, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yingkai Sun
- Department of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shanghai Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; Shanghai National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases, Key Laboratory for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases of the National Health Commission of the PR China, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Endocrine Tumor, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhifeng Wang
- 01life Institute, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518000, China
| | - Xiaoqiang Xu
- 01life Institute, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518000, China
| | - Wenzhi Xue
- Department of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shanghai Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; Shanghai National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases, Key Laboratory for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases of the National Health Commission of the PR China, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Endocrine Tumor, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhiwen Cao
- Department of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shanghai Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; Shanghai National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases, Key Laboratory for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases of the National Health Commission of the PR China, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Endocrine Tumor, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Minchun Zhang
- Department of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shanghai Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; Shanghai National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases, Key Laboratory for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases of the National Health Commission of the PR China, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Endocrine Tumor, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yinmeng Zhu
- Department of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shanghai Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; Shanghai National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases, Key Laboratory for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases of the National Health Commission of the PR China, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Endocrine Tumor, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Huibin Lin
- Department of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shanghai Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; Shanghai National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases, Key Laboratory for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases of the National Health Commission of the PR China, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Endocrine Tumor, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yi Zhang
- Department of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shanghai Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; Shanghai National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases, Key Laboratory for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases of the National Health Commission of the PR China, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Endocrine Tumor, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Mingyang Yuan
- Department of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shanghai Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; Shanghai National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases, Key Laboratory for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases of the National Health Commission of the PR China, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Endocrine Tumor, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuxiao Zhao
- Department of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shanghai Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; Shanghai National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases, Key Laboratory for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases of the National Health Commission of the PR China, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Endocrine Tumor, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Aibo Gao
- Department of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shanghai Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; Shanghai National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases, Key Laboratory for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases of the National Health Commission of the PR China, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Endocrine Tumor, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuqiang Yu
- The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yufang Bi
- Department of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shanghai Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; Shanghai National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases, Key Laboratory for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases of the National Health Commission of the PR China, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Endocrine Tumor, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Guang Ning
- Department of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shanghai Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; Shanghai National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases, Key Laboratory for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases of the National Health Commission of the PR China, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Endocrine Tumor, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
| | - Weiqing Wang
- Department of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shanghai Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; Shanghai National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases, Key Laboratory for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases of the National Health Commission of the PR China, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Endocrine Tumor, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
| | - Jiqiu Wang
- Department of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shanghai Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; Shanghai National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases, Key Laboratory for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases of the National Health Commission of the PR China, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Endocrine Tumor, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
| | - Ruixin Liu
- Department of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shanghai Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; Shanghai National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases, Key Laboratory for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases of the National Health Commission of the PR China, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Endocrine Tumor, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
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21
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Debnath N, Yadav P, Mehta PK, Gupta P, Kumar D, Kumar A, Gautam V, Yadav AK. Designer probiotics: Opening the new horizon in diagnosis and prevention of human diseases. Biotechnol Bioeng 2024; 121:100-117. [PMID: 37881101 DOI: 10.1002/bit.28574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2022] [Revised: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/23/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023]
Abstract
Probiotic microorganisms have been used for therapeutic purposes for over a century, and recent advances in biotechnology and genetic engineering have opened up new possibilities for developing therapeutic approaches using indigenous probiotic microorganisms. Diseases are often related to metabolic and immunological factors, which play a critical role in their onset. With the help of advanced genetic tools, probiotics can be modified to produce or secrete important therapeutic peptides directly into mucosal sites, increasing their effectiveness. One potential approach to enhancing human health is through the use of designer probiotics, which possess immunogenic characteristics. These genetically engineered probiotics hold promise in providing novel therapeutic options. In addition to their immunogenic properties, designer probiotics can also be equipped with sensors and genetic circuits, enabling them to detect a range of diseases with remarkable precision. Such capabilities may significantly advance disease diagnosis and management. Furthermore, designer probiotics have the potential to be used in diagnostic applications, offering a less invasive and more cost-effective alternative to conventional diagnostic techniques. This review offers an overview of the different functional aspects of the designer probiotics and their effectiveness on different diseases and also, we have emphasized their limitations and future implications. A comprehensive understanding of these functional attributes may pave the way for new avenues of prevention and the development of effective therapies for a range of diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nabendu Debnath
- Centre for Molecular Biology, Central University of Jammu, Samba, Jammu and Kashmir (UT), India
| | - Pooja Yadav
- Centre for Molecular Biology, Central University of Jammu, Samba, Jammu and Kashmir (UT), India
| | - Praveen K Mehta
- Centre for Molecular Biology, Central University of Jammu, Samba, Jammu and Kashmir (UT), India
| | - Priyamvada Gupta
- Centre of Experimental Medicine and Surgery, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Deepak Kumar
- Department of Botany, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Ashwani Kumar
- Department of Nutrition Biology, Central University of Haryana, Mahendergarh, Haryana, India
| | - Vibhav Gautam
- Centre of Experimental Medicine and Surgery, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Ashok K Yadav
- Centre for Molecular Biology, Central University of Jammu, Samba, Jammu and Kashmir (UT), India
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22
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Zhang H, Xie Y, Cao F, Song X. Gut microbiota-derived fatty acid and sterol metabolites: biotransformation and immunomodulatory functions. Gut Microbes 2024; 16:2382336. [PMID: 39046079 PMCID: PMC11271093 DOI: 10.1080/19490976.2024.2382336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2023] [Revised: 05/26/2024] [Accepted: 07/16/2024] [Indexed: 07/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Commensal microorganisms in the human gut produce numerous metabolites by using small molecules derived from the host or diet as precursors. Host or dietary lipid molecules are involved in energy metabolism and maintaining the structural integrity of cell membranes. Notably, gut microbes can convert these lipids into bioactive signaling molecules through their biotransformation and synthesis pathways. These microbiota-derived lipid metabolites can affect host physiology by influencing the body's immune and metabolic processes. This review aims to summarize recent advances in the microbial transformation and host immunomodulatory functions of these lipid metabolites, with a special focus on fatty acids and steroids produced by our gut microbiota.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haohao Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Multi-Cell Systems, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Yadong Xie
- Key Laboratory of Multi-Cell Systems, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Fei Cao
- Key Laboratory of Multi-Cell Systems, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Xinyang Song
- Key Laboratory of Multi-Cell Systems, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
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23
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Chen Z, Jin W, Hoover A, Chao Y, Ma Y. Decoding the microbiome: advances in genetic manipulation for gut bacteria. Trends Microbiol 2023; 31:1143-1161. [PMID: 37394299 DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2023.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Revised: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
Studies of the gut microbiota have revealed associations between specific bacterial species or community compositions with health and disease, yet the causal mechanisms underlying microbiota gene-host interactions remain poorly understood. This is partly due to limited genetic manipulation (GM) tools for gut bacteria. Here, we review current advances and challenges in the development of GM approaches, including clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-Cas and transposase-based systems in either model or non-model gut bacteria. By overcoming barriers to 'taming' the gut microbiome, GM tools allow molecular understanding of host-microbiome associations and accelerate microbiome engineering for clinical treatment of cancer and metabolic disorders. Finally, we provide perspectives on the future development of GM for gut microbiome species, where more effort should be placed on assembling a generalized GM pipeline to accelerate the application of groundbreaking GM tools in non-model gut bacteria towards both basic understanding and clinical translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziying Chen
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200031, China; Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200031, China; The Center for Microbes, Development and Health (CMDH), CAS Key Laboratory of Molecular Virology and Immunology, Institut Pasteur of Shanghai, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Wenbing Jin
- Jill Roberts Institute for Research in Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY 10021, USA; Friedman Center for Nutrition and Inflammation, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - Alex Hoover
- Ben May Department for Cancer Research, the University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Yanjie Chao
- The Center for Microbes, Development and Health (CMDH), CAS Key Laboratory of Molecular Virology and Immunology, Institut Pasteur of Shanghai, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China.
| | - Yanlei Ma
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200031, China; Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200031, China.
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24
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Kim K, Kang M, Cho BK. Systems and synthetic biology-driven engineering of live bacterial therapeutics. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2023; 11:1267378. [PMID: 37929193 PMCID: PMC10620806 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1267378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The past decade has seen growing interest in bacterial engineering for therapeutically relevant applications. While early efforts focused on repurposing genetically tractable model strains, such as Escherichia coli, engineering gut commensals is gaining traction owing to their innate capacity to survive and stably propagate in the intestine for an extended duration. Although limited genetic tractability has been a major roadblock, recent advances in systems and synthetic biology have unlocked our ability to effectively harness native gut commensals for therapeutic and diagnostic purposes, ranging from the rational design of synthetic microbial consortia to the construction of synthetic cells that execute "sense-and-respond" logic operations that allow real-time detection and therapeutic payload delivery in response to specific signals in the intestine. In this review, we outline the current progress and latest updates on microbial therapeutics, with particular emphasis on gut commensal engineering driven by synthetic biology and systems understanding of their molecular phenotypes. Finally, the challenges and prospects of engineering gut commensals for therapeutic applications are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kangsan Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
- KAIST Institute for the BioCentury, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Minjeong Kang
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
- KAIST Institute for the BioCentury, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Byung-Kwan Cho
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
- KAIST Institute for the BioCentury, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
- Graduate School of Engineering Biology, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
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25
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Koh YC, Kuo LH, Tung YC, Weerawatanakorn M, Pan MH. Identification of Indicative Gut Microbial Guilds in a Natural Aging Mouse Model. ACS OMEGA 2023; 8:36569-36580. [PMID: 37810685 PMCID: PMC10552476 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c05949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
Gut microbial dysbiosis during later life may contribute to health conditions, possibly due to an increase in intestinal permeability, immune changes, and systemic inflammation. Mouse models have been employed to determine the influence of gut microbes on aging; however, suitable gut microbial indicators are currently lacking. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the gut microbial indicators and their potential guilds in a natural aging mouse model. In agreement with previous studies, alpha diversity indices-including observed OTUs, ACE, Chao1, and Simpson-were significantly lower in aged mice than in younger mice. The results of beta diversity analysis revealed the compositional differences between young and aged mice, and the MRPP, ANOSIM, and Adonis tests indicated that the results were representative. By employing ANCOM and LEfSe analyses, Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron (Bacteroides) and Anaeroplasma were identified as the indicators of young and aged mice, respectively. Notably, these indicators were still present after 3 months. The result of network analysis confirmed the negative correlation of these genera in mice, and the potential guild members were identified based on the increased abundance of Anaeroplasma in aged mice. The gut microbes of aged mice tend to correspond to those involved in human diseases, selenocompound metabolism, and glycolysis/gluconeogenesis in functional predictions. In this study, the gut microbial indicators in aged mice have been identified, and it is envisaged that these findings could provide a new approach for future studies of antiaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yen-Chun Koh
- Institute
of Food Science and Technology, National
Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
| | - Lee-Han Kuo
- Institute
of Food Science and Technology, National
Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
| | - Yen-Chen Tung
- Department
of Food Science, National Ilan University, Yilan 26041, Taiwan
| | - Monthana Weerawatanakorn
- Department
of Agro-Industry, Faculty of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment, Naresuan University, Phitsanulok 65000, Thailand
| | - Min-Hsiung Pan
- Institute
of Food Science and Technology, National
Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
- Department
of Medical Research, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung 40402, Taiwan
- Department
of Health and Nutrition Biotechnology, Asia
University, Taichung 41354, Taiwan
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26
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Arboleda-García A, Alarcon-Ruiz I, Boada-Acosta L, Boada Y, Vignoni A, Jantus-Lewintre E. Advancements in synthetic biology-based bacterial cancer therapy: A modular design approach. Crit Rev Oncol Hematol 2023; 190:104088. [PMID: 37541537 DOI: 10.1016/j.critrevonc.2023.104088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2023] [Revised: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Synthetic biology aims to program living bacteria cells with artificial genetic circuits for user-defined functions, transforming them into powerful tools with numerous applications in various fields, including oncology. Cancer treatments have serious side effects on patients due to the systemic action of the drugs involved. To address this, new systems that provide localized antitumoral action while minimizing damage to healthy tissues are required. Bacteria, often considered pathogenic agents, have been used as cancer treatments since the early 20th century. Advances in genetic engineering, synthetic biology, microbiology, and oncology have improved bacterial therapies, making them safer and more effective. Here we propose six modules for a successful synthetic biology-based bacterial cancer therapy, the modules include Payload, Release, Tumor-targeting, Biocontainment, Memory, and Genetic Circuit Stability Module. These will ensure antitumor activity, safety for the environment and patient, prevent bacterial colonization, maintain cell stability, and prevent loss or defunctionalization of the genetic circuit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrés Arboleda-García
- Systems Biology and Biosystems Control Lab, Instituto de Automática e Informática Industrial, Universitat Politècnica de València, Spain
| | - Ivan Alarcon-Ruiz
- Gene Regulation in Cardiovascular Remodeling and Inflammation Group, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC), Madrid, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Cardiovasculares (CIBERCV), Madrid, Spain; Departamento de Biología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Lissette Boada-Acosta
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Cáncer, CIBERONC, Madrid, Spain; TRIAL Mixed Unit, Centro de Investigación Príncipe Felipe-Fundación Investigación del Hospital General Universitario de Valencia, Valencia, Spain; Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Fundación Investigación del Hospital General Universitario de Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Yadira Boada
- Systems Biology and Biosystems Control Lab, Instituto de Automática e Informática Industrial, Universitat Politècnica de València, Spain
| | - Alejandro Vignoni
- Systems Biology and Biosystems Control Lab, Instituto de Automática e Informática Industrial, Universitat Politècnica de València, Spain.
| | - Eloisa Jantus-Lewintre
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Cáncer, CIBERONC, Madrid, Spain; TRIAL Mixed Unit, Centro de Investigación Príncipe Felipe-Fundación Investigación del Hospital General Universitario de Valencia, Valencia, Spain; Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Fundación Investigación del Hospital General Universitario de Valencia, Valencia, Spain; Department of Biotechnology, Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia, Spain
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27
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Aghlara-Fotovat S, Musteata E, Doerfert MD, Baruch M, Levitan M, Tabor JJ, Veiseh O. Hydrogel-encapsulation to enhance bacterial diagnosis of colon inflammation. Biomaterials 2023; 301:122246. [PMID: 37481834 PMCID: PMC10792543 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2023.122246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2023] [Revised: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023]
Abstract
Bacteria can be genetically programmed to sense and report the presence of disease biomarkers in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. However, diagnostic bacteria are typically delivered via oral administration of liquid cultures, resulting in poor survival and high dispersal in vivo. These limitations confound recovery and analysis of engineered bacteria from GI or stool samples. Here, we demonstrate that encapsulating bacteria inside of alginate core-shell particles enables robust survival, containment, and diagnostic function in vivo. We demonstrate these benefits by encapsulating a strain engineered to report the presence of the biomarker thiosulfate via fluorescent protein expression in order to diagnose dextran sodium sulfate-induced colitis in rats. Hydrogel-encapsulated bacteria engineered to sense and respond to physiological stimuli should enable minimally invasive monitoring of a wide range of diseases and have applications as next-generation smart therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Elena Musteata
- Systems Synthetic and Physical Biology, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | | | - Moshe Baruch
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Maya Levitan
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jeffrey J Tabor
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA; Systems Synthetic and Physical Biology, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA; Department of Biosciences, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA.
| | - Omid Veiseh
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA.
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28
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Marsh JW, Kirk C, Ley RE. Toward Microbiome Engineering: Expanding the Repertoire of Genetically Tractable Members of the Human Gut Microbiome. Annu Rev Microbiol 2023; 77:427-449. [PMID: 37339736 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-micro-032421-112304] [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: 06/22/2023]
Abstract
Genetic manipulation is necessary to interrogate the functions of microbes in their environments, such as the human gut microbiome. Yet, the vast majority of human gut microbiome species are not genetically tractable. Here, we review the hurdles to seizing genetic control of more species. We address the barriers preventing the application of genetic techniques to gut microbes and report on genetic systems currently under development. While methods aimed at genetically transforming many species simultaneously in situ show promise, they are unable to overcome many of the same challenges that exist for individual microbes. Unless a major conceptual breakthrough emerges, the genetic tractability of the microbiome will remain an arduous task. Increasing the list of genetically tractable organisms from the human gut remains one of the highest priorities for microbiome research and will provide the foundation for microbiome engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- James W Marsh
- Department of Microbiome Science, Max Planck Institute for Biology, Tübingen, Germany;
| | - Christian Kirk
- Department of Microbiome Science, Max Planck Institute for Biology, Tübingen, Germany;
| | - Ruth E Ley
- Department of Microbiome Science, Max Planck Institute for Biology, Tübingen, Germany;
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29
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Goodson M. ACS Biomaterials Science and Engineering Special Issue Editorial: Design and Evaluation of Engineered Probiotics. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2023; 9:5098-5100. [PMID: 37691547 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.3c00779] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/12/2023]
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30
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Inda-Webb ME, Jimenez M, Liu Q, Phan NV, Ahn J, Steiger C, Wentworth A, Riaz A, Zirtiloglu T, Wong K, Ishida K, Fabian N, Jenkins J, Kuosmanen J, Madani W, McNally R, Lai Y, Hayward A, Mimee M, Nadeau P, Chandrakasan AP, Traverso G, Yazicigil RT, Lu TK. Sub-1.4 cm 3 capsule for detecting labile inflammatory biomarkers in situ. Nature 2023; 620:386-392. [PMID: 37495692 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06369-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023]
Abstract
Transient molecules in the gastrointestinal tract such as nitric oxide and hydrogen sulfide are key signals and mediators of inflammation. Owing to their highly reactive nature and extremely short lifetime in the body, these molecules are difficult to detect. Here we develop a miniaturized device that integrates genetically engineered probiotic biosensors with a custom-designed photodetector and readout chip to track these molecules in the gastrointestinal tract. Leveraging the molecular specificity of living sensors1, we genetically encoded bacteria to respond to inflammation-associated molecules by producing luminescence. Low-power electronic readout circuits2 integrated into the device convert the light emitted by the encapsulated bacteria to a wireless signal. We demonstrate in vivo biosensor monitoring in the gastrointestinal tract of small and large animal models and the integration of all components into a sub-1.4 cm3 form factor that is compatible with ingestion and capable of supporting wireless communication. With this device, diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease could be diagnosed earlier than is currently possible, and disease progression could be more accurately tracked. The wireless detection of short-lived, disease-associated molecules with our device could also support timely communication between patients and caregivers, as well as remote personalized care.
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Affiliation(s)
- M E Inda-Webb
- Synthetic Biology Group, MIT Synthetic Biology Center, Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Research Laboratory of Electronics, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - M Jimenez
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- The Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Division of Gastroenterology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Q Liu
- Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - N V Phan
- The Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - J Ahn
- The Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - C Steiger
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- The Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Division of Gastroenterology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - A Wentworth
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- The Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Division of Gastroenterology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - A Riaz
- Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - T Zirtiloglu
- Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - K Wong
- Division of Gastroenterology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - K Ishida
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- The Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Division of Gastroenterology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - N Fabian
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- The Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Division of Comparative Medicine, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - J Jenkins
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- The Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - J Kuosmanen
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- The Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - W Madani
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- The Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Division of Gastroenterology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - R McNally
- Division of Gastroenterology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Y Lai
- Synthetic Biology Group, MIT Synthetic Biology Center, Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Research Laboratory of Electronics, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - A Hayward
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- The Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Division of Gastroenterology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Division of Comparative Medicine, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - M Mimee
- Department of Microbiology, Biological Sciences Division and Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | | | - A P Chandrakasan
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - G Traverso
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- The Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Division of Gastroenterology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - R T Yazicigil
- Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - T K Lu
- Synthetic Biology Group, MIT Synthetic Biology Center, Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Research Laboratory of Electronics, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Senti Biosciences, South San Francisco, CA, USA.
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31
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Arnold J, Glazier J, Mimee M. Genetic Engineering of Resident Bacteria in the Gut Microbiome. J Bacteriol 2023; 205:e0012723. [PMID: 37382533 PMCID: PMC10367592 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00127-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Techniques by which to genetically manipulate members of the microbiota enable both the evaluation of host-microbe interactions and an avenue by which to monitor and modulate human physiology. Genetic engineering applications have traditionally focused on model gut residents, such as Escherichia coli and lactic acid bacteria. However, emerging efforts by which to develop synthetic biology toolsets for "nonmodel" resident gut microbes could provide an improved foundation for microbiome engineering. As genome engineering tools come online, so too have novel applications for engineered gut microbes. Engineered resident gut bacteria facilitate investigations of the roles of microbes and their metabolites on host health and allow for potential live microbial biotherapeutics. Due to the rapid pace of discovery in this burgeoning field, this minireview highlights advancements in the genetic engineering of all resident gut microbes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack Arnold
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Joshua Glazier
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Mark Mimee
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Department of Microbiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
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32
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Jin X, Yu FB, Yan J, Weakley AM, Dubinkina V, Meng X, Pollard KS. Culturing of a complex gut microbial community in mucin-hydrogel carriers reveals strain- and gene-associated spatial organization. Nat Commun 2023; 14:3510. [PMID: 37316519 PMCID: PMC10267222 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39121-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Microbial community function depends on both taxonomic composition and spatial organization. While composition of the human gut microbiome has been deeply characterized, less is known about the organization of microbes between regions such as lumen and mucosa and the microbial genes regulating this organization. Using a defined 117 strain community for which we generate high-quality genome assemblies, we model mucosa/lumen organization with in vitro cultures incorporating mucin hydrogel carriers as surfaces for bacterial attachment. Metagenomic tracking of carrier cultures reveals increased diversity and strain-specific spatial organization, with distinct strains enriched on carriers versus liquid supernatant, mirroring mucosa/lumen enrichment in vivo. A comprehensive search for microbial genes associated with this spatial organization identifies candidates with known adhesion-related functions, as well as novel links. These findings demonstrate that carrier cultures of defined communities effectively recapitulate fundamental aspects of gut spatial organization, enabling identification of key microbial strains and genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaofan Jin
- Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | | | - Jia Yan
- Chan-Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | | | | | - Xiandong Meng
- Sarafan ChEM-H Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Katherine S Pollard
- Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- Chan-Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
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33
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Sen D, Mukhopadhyay P. Application of CRISPR Cas systems in DNA recorders and writers. Biosystems 2023; 225:104870. [PMID: 36842456 DOI: 10.1016/j.biosystems.2023.104870] [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: 12/04/2022] [Revised: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 02/26/2023]
Abstract
The necessity to record and store biological data is increasing in due course of time. However, it is quite difficult to understand biological mechanisms and keep a track of these events in some storage mediums. DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) is the best candidate for the storage of cellular events in the biological system. It is energy efficient as well as stable at the same time. DNA-based writers and memory devices are continually evolving and finding new avenues in terms of their wide range of applications. Among all the DNA-based storage devices that employ enzymes like recombinases, nucleases, integrases, and polymerases, one of the most popular tools used for these devices is the emerging and versatile CRISPR Cas technology. CRISPR Cas is a prokaryotic immune system that keeps a memory of viral attacks and protects prokaryotes from potential future infections. The main aim of this short review is to study such molecular recorders and writers that employ CRISPR Cas technologies and obtain an in-depth overview of the mechanisms involved and the applications of these molecular devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debmitra Sen
- Department of Microbiology, University of Kalyani, Nadia, West Bengal, 741235, India.
| | - Poulami Mukhopadhyay
- Department of Microbiology, Barrackpore Rastraguru Surendranath College, Barrackpore, Kolkata, West Bengal, 700120, India.
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34
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Hoces D, Greter G, Arnoldini M, Stäubli ML, Moresi C, Sintsova A, Berent S, Kolinko I, Bansept F, Woller A, Häfliger J, Martens E, Hardt WD, Sunagawa S, Loverdo C, Slack E. Fitness advantage of Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron capsular polysaccharide in the mouse gut depends on the resident microbiota. eLife 2023; 12:81212. [PMID: 36757366 PMCID: PMC10014078 DOI: 10.7554/elife.81212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2022] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Many microbiota-based therapeutics rely on our ability to introduce a microbe of choice into an already-colonized intestine. In this study, we used genetically barcoded Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron (B. theta) strains to quantify population bottlenecks experienced by a B. theta population during colonization of the mouse gut. As expected, this reveals an inverse relationship between microbiota complexity and the probability that an individual wildtype B. theta clone will colonize the gut. The polysaccharide capsule of B. theta is important for resistance against attacks from other bacteria, phage, and the host immune system, and correspondingly acapsular B. theta loses in competitive colonization against the wildtype strain. Surprisingly, the acapsular strain did not show a colonization defect in mice with a low-complexity microbiota, as we found that acapsular strains have an indistinguishable colonization probability to the wildtype strain on single-strain colonization. This discrepancy could be resolved by tracking in vivo growth dynamics of both strains: acapsular B.theta shows a longer lag phase in the gut lumen as well as a slightly slower net growth rate. Therefore, as long as there is no niche competitor for the acapsular strain, this has only a small influence on colonization probability. However, the presence of a strong niche competitor (i.e., wildtype B. theta, SPF microbiota) rapidly excludes the acapsular strain during competitive colonization. Correspondingly, the acapsular strain shows a similarly low colonization probability in the context of a co-colonization with the wildtype strain or a complete microbiota. In summary, neutral tagging and detailed analysis of bacterial growth kinetics can therefore quantify the mechanisms of colonization resistance in differently-colonized animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Hoces
- Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH ZurichZürichSwitzerland
| | - Giorgia Greter
- Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH ZurichZürichSwitzerland
| | - Markus Arnoldini
- Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH ZurichZürichSwitzerland
| | - Melanie L Stäubli
- Institute of Microbiology, Department of Biology, ETH ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Claudia Moresi
- Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH ZurichZürichSwitzerland
| | - Anna Sintsova
- Institute of Microbiology, Department of Biology, ETH ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Sara Berent
- Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH ZurichZürichSwitzerland
| | - Isabel Kolinko
- Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH ZurichZürichSwitzerland
| | - Florence Bansept
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine (IBPS), Laboratoire Jean Perrin (LJP)ParisFrance
| | - Aurore Woller
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine (IBPS), Laboratoire Jean Perrin (LJP)ParisFrance
| | - Janine Häfliger
- Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH ZurichZürichSwitzerland
| | - Eric Martens
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan Medical SchoolAnn ArborUnited States
| | - Wolf-Dietrich Hardt
- Institute of Microbiology, Department of Biology, ETH ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Shinichi Sunagawa
- Institute of Microbiology, Department of Biology, ETH ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Claude Loverdo
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine (IBPS), Laboratoire Jean Perrin (LJP)ParisFrance
| | - Emma Slack
- Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH ZurichZürichSwitzerland
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35
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Butler NL, Ito T, Foreman S, Morgan JE, Zagorevsky D, Malamy MH, Comstock LE, Barquera B. Bacteroides fragilis Maintains Concurrent Capability for Anaerobic and Nanaerobic Respiration. J Bacteriol 2023; 205:e0038922. [PMID: 36475831 PMCID: PMC9879120 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00389-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacteroides species can use fumarate and oxygen as terminal electron acceptors during cellular respiration. In the human gut, oxygen diffuses from intestinal epithelial cells supplying "nanaerobic" oxygen levels. Many components of the anaerobic respiratory pathway have been determined, but such analyses have not been performed for nanaerobic respiration. Here, we present genetic, biochemical, enzymatic, and mass spectrometry analyses to elucidate the nanaerobic respiratory pathway in Bacteroides fragilis. Under anaerobic conditions, the transfer of electrons from NADH to the quinone pool has been shown to be contributed by two enzymes, NQR and NDH2. We find that the activity contributed by each under nanaerobic conditions is 77 and 23%, respectively, similar to the activity levels under anaerobic conditions. Using mass spectrometry, we show that the quinone pool also does not differ under these two conditions and consists of a mixture of menaquinone-8 to menaquinone-11, with menaquinone-10 predominant under both conditions. Analysis of fumarate reductase showed that it is synthesized and active under anaerobic and nanaerobic conditions. Previous RNA sequencing data and new transcription reporter assays show that expression of the cytochrome bd oxidase gene does not change under these conditions. Under nanaerobic conditions, we find both increased CydA protein and increased cytochrome bd activity. Reduced-minus-oxidized spectra of membranes showed the presence of heme d when the bacteria were grown in the presence of protoporphyrin IX and iron under both anaerobic and nanaerobic conditions, suggesting that the active oxidase can be assembled with or without oxygen. IMPORTANCE By performing a comprehensive analysis of nanaerobic respiration in Bacteroides fragilis, we show that this organism maintains capabilities for anaerobic respiration on fumarate and nanaerobic respiration on oxygen simultaneously. The contribution of the two NADH:quinone oxidoreductases and the composition of the quinone pool are the same under both conditions. Fumarate reductase and cytochrome bd are both present, and which of these terminal enzymes is active in electron transfer depends on the availability of the final electron acceptor: fumarate or oxygen. The synthesis of cytochrome bd and fumarate reductase under both conditions serves as an adaptation to an environment with low oxygen concentrations so that the bacteria can maximize energy conservation during fluctuating environmental conditions or occupation of different spatial niches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole L. Butler
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York, USA
| | - Takeshi Ito
- Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York, USA
| | - Sara Foreman
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York, USA
| | - Joel E. Morgan
- Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York, USA
| | - Dmitry Zagorevsky
- Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York, USA
| | - Michael H. Malamy
- Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Laurie E. Comstock
- Duchossois Family Institute and Department of Microbiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Blanca Barquera
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York, USA
- Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York, USA
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36
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Modesto JL, Pearce VH, Townsend GE. Harnessing gut microbes for glycan detection and quantification. Nat Commun 2023; 14:275. [PMID: 36650134 PMCID: PMC9845299 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-35626-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Glycans facilitate critical biological functions and control the mammalian gut microbiota composition by supplying differentially accessible nutrients to distinct microbial subsets. Therefore, identifying unique glycan substrates that support defined microbial populations could inform therapeutic avenues to treat diseases via modulation of the gut microbiota composition and metabolism. However, examining heterogeneous glycan mixtures for individual microbial substrates is hindered by glycan structural complexity and diversity, which presents substantial challenges to glycomics approaches. Fortuitously, gut microbes encode specialized sensor proteins that recognize unique glycan structures and in-turn activate predictable, specific, and dynamic transcriptional responses. Here, we harness this microbial machinery to indicate the presence and abundance of compositionally similar, yet structurally distinct glycans, using a transcriptional reporter we develop. We implement these tools to examine glycan mixtures, isolate target molecules for downstream characterization, and quantify the recovered products. We assert that this toolkit could dramatically enhance our understanding of the mammalian intestinal environment and identify host-microbial interactions critical for human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer L Modesto
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, 17033, USA.,Penn State Microbiome Center, The Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, 16802, USA.,Center for Molecular Carcinogenesis and Toxicology, The Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Victoria H Pearce
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, 17033, USA.,Penn State Microbiome Center, The Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, 16802, USA.,Center for Molecular Carcinogenesis and Toxicology, The Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Guy E Townsend
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, 17033, USA. .,Penn State Microbiome Center, The Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, 16802, USA. .,Center for Molecular Carcinogenesis and Toxicology, The Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, 16802, USA.
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37
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Zhu Y, Dwidar M, Nemet I, Buffa JA, Sangwan N, Li XS, Anderson JT, Romano KA, Fu X, Funabashi M, Wang Z, Keranahalli P, Battle S, Tittle AN, Hajjar AM, Gogonea V, Fischbach MA, DiDonato JA, Hazen SL. Two distinct gut microbial pathways contribute to meta-organismal production of phenylacetylglutamine with links to cardiovascular disease. Cell Host Microbe 2023; 31:18-32.e9. [PMID: 36549300 PMCID: PMC9839529 DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2022.11.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2022] [Revised: 09/22/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Recent studies show gut microbiota-dependent metabolism of dietary phenylalanine into phenylacetic acid (PAA) is critical in phenylacetylglutamine (PAGln) production, a metabolite linked to atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). Accordingly, microbial enzymes involved in this transformation are of interest. Using genetic manipulation in selected microbes and monocolonization experiments in gnotobiotic mice, we identify two distinct gut microbial pathways for PAA formation; one is catalyzed by phenylpyruvate:ferredoxin oxidoreductase (PPFOR) and the other by phenylpyruvate decarboxylase (PPDC). PPFOR and PPDC play key roles in gut bacterial PAA production via oxidative and non-oxidative phenylpyruvate decarboxylation, respectively. Metagenomic analyses revealed a significantly higher abundance of both pathways in gut microbiomes of ASCVD patients compared with controls. The present studies show a role for these two divergent microbial catalytic strategies in the meta-organismal production of PAGln. Given the numerous links between PAGln and ASCVD, these findings will assist future efforts to therapeutically target PAGln formation in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yijun Zhu
- Department of Cardiovascular & Metabolic Sciences, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA; Center for Microbiome and Human Health, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Mohammed Dwidar
- Department of Cardiovascular & Metabolic Sciences, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA; Center for Microbiome and Human Health, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Ina Nemet
- Department of Cardiovascular & Metabolic Sciences, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA; Center for Microbiome and Human Health, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Jennifer A Buffa
- Department of Cardiovascular & Metabolic Sciences, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA; Center for Microbiome and Human Health, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Naseer Sangwan
- Department of Cardiovascular & Metabolic Sciences, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA; Center for Microbiome and Human Health, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Xinmin S Li
- Department of Cardiovascular & Metabolic Sciences, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA; Center for Microbiome and Human Health, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - James T Anderson
- Department of Cardiovascular & Metabolic Sciences, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA; Center for Microbiome and Human Health, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Kymberleigh A Romano
- Department of Cardiovascular & Metabolic Sciences, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA; Center for Microbiome and Human Health, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Xiaoming Fu
- Department of Cardiovascular & Metabolic Sciences, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA; Center for Microbiome and Human Health, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Masanori Funabashi
- Department of Bioengineering and ChEM-H, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Zeneng Wang
- Department of Cardiovascular & Metabolic Sciences, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA; Center for Microbiome and Human Health, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Pooja Keranahalli
- Department of Cardiovascular & Metabolic Sciences, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA; Case Western Reserve University, College of Arts and Sciences, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Shawna Battle
- Department of Cardiovascular & Metabolic Sciences, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Aaron N Tittle
- Department of Cardiovascular & Metabolic Sciences, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA; Center for Microbiome and Human Health, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Adeline M Hajjar
- Department of Cardiovascular & Metabolic Sciences, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA; Center for Microbiome and Human Health, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Valentin Gogonea
- Department of Chemistry, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Michael A Fischbach
- Department of Bioengineering and ChEM-H, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Joseph A DiDonato
- Department of Cardiovascular & Metabolic Sciences, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA; Center for Microbiome and Human Health, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Stanley L Hazen
- Department of Cardiovascular & Metabolic Sciences, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA; Center for Microbiome and Human Health, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA; Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Heart, Vascular and Thoracic Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA.
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38
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Pellegrino GM, Browne TS, Sharath K, Bari KA, Vancuren S, Allen-Vercoe E, Gloor GB, Edgell DR. Metabolically-targeted dCas9 expression in bacteria. Nucleic Acids Res 2023; 51:982-996. [PMID: 36629257 PMCID: PMC9881133 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac1248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2022] [Revised: 12/11/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The ability to restrict gene expression to a relevant bacterial species in a complex microbiome is an unsolved problem. In the context of the human microbiome, one desirable target metabolic activity are glucuronide-utilization enzymes (GUS) that are implicated in the toxic re-activation of glucuronidated compounds in the human gastrointestinal (GI) tract, including the chemotherapeutic drug irinotecan. Here, we take advantage of the variable distribution of GUS enzymes in bacteria as a means to distinguish between bacteria with GUS activity, and re-purpose the glucuronide-responsive GusR transcription factor as a biosensor to regulate dCas9 expression in response to glucuronide inducers. We fused the Escherichia coli gusA regulatory region to the dCas9 gene to create pGreg-dCas9, and showed that dCas9 expression is induced by glucuronides, but not other carbon sources. When conjugated from E. coli to Gammaproteobacteria derived from human stool, dCas9 expression from pGreg-dCas9 was restricted to GUS-positive bacteria. dCas9-sgRNAs targeted to gusA specifically down-regulated gus operon transcription in Gammaproteobacteria, with a resulting ∼100-fold decrease in GusA activity. Our data outline a general strategy to re-purpose bacterial transcription factors responsive to exogenous metabolites for precise ligand-dependent expression of genetic tools such as dCas9 in diverse bacterial species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory M Pellegrino
- Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Department of Biochemistry, London, Ontario N6A 5C1, Canada
| | - Tyler S Browne
- Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Department of Biochemistry, London, Ontario N6A 5C1, Canada
| | - Keerthana Sharath
- Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Department of Biochemistry, London, Ontario N6A 5C1, Canada
| | - Khaleda A Bari
- Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Department of Biochemistry, London, Ontario N6A 5C1, Canada
| | - Sarah J Vancuren
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Emma Allen-Vercoe
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Gregory B Gloor
- Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Department of Biochemistry, London, Ontario N6A 5C1, Canada
| | - David R Edgell
- To whom correspondence should be addressed. Tel: +1 519 661 3133; Fax: +1 519 661 3175;
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39
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Jeong SH, Lee HJ, Lee SJ. Recent Advances in CRISPR-Cas Technologies for Synthetic Biology. J Microbiol 2023; 61:13-36. [PMID: 36723794 PMCID: PMC9890466 DOI: 10.1007/s12275-022-00005-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Revised: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
With developments in synthetic biology, "engineering biology" has emerged through standardization and platformization based on hierarchical, orthogonal, and modularized biological systems. Genome engineering is necessary to manufacture and design synthetic cells with desired functions by using bioparts obtained from sequence databases. Among various tools, the CRISPR-Cas system is modularly composed of guide RNA and Cas nuclease; therefore, it is convenient for editing the genome freely. Recently, various strategies have been developed to accurately edit the genome at a single nucleotide level. Furthermore, CRISPR-Cas technology has been extended to molecular diagnostics for nucleic acids and detection of pathogens, including disease-causing viruses. Moreover, CRISPR technology, which can precisely control the expression of specific genes in cells, is evolving to find the target of metabolic biotechnology. In this review, we summarize the status of various CRISPR technologies that can be applied to synthetic biology and discuss the development of synthetic biology combined with CRISPR technology in microbiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Song Hee Jeong
- Department of Systems Biotechnology, Chung-Ang University, Anseong, 17546, Republic of Korea
| | - Ho Joung Lee
- Department of Systems Biotechnology, Chung-Ang University, Anseong, 17546, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang Jun Lee
- Department of Systems Biotechnology, Chung-Ang University, Anseong, 17546, Republic of Korea.
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40
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Arjes HA, Sun J, Liu H, Nguyen TH, Culver RN, Celis AI, Walton SJ, Vasquez KS, Yu FB, Xue KS, Newton D, Zermeno R, Weglarz M, Deutschbauer A, Huang KC, Shiver AL. Construction and characterization of a genome-scale ordered mutant collection of Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron. BMC Biol 2022; 20:285. [PMID: 36527020 PMCID: PMC9758874 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-022-01481-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 11/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ordered transposon-insertion collections, in which specific transposon-insertion mutants are stored as monocultures in a genome-scale collection, represent a promising tool for genetic dissection of human gut microbiota members. However, publicly available collections are scarce and the construction methodology remains in early stages of development. RESULTS Here, we describe the assembly of a genome-scale ordered collection of transposon-insertion mutants in the model gut anaerobe Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron VPI-5482 that we created as a resource for the research community. We used flow cytometry to sort single cells from a pooled library, located mutants within this initial progenitor collection by applying a pooling strategy with barcode sequencing, and re-arrayed specific mutants to create a condensed collection with single-insertion strains covering >2500 genes. To demonstrate the potential of the condensed collection for phenotypic screening, we analyzed growth dynamics and cell morphology. We identified both growth defects and altered cell shape in mutants disrupting sphingolipid synthesis and thiamine scavenging. Finally, we analyzed the process of assembling the B. theta condensed collection to identify inefficiencies that limited coverage. We demonstrate as part of this analysis that the process of assembling an ordered collection can be accurately modeled using barcode sequencing data. CONCLUSION We expect that utilization of this ordered collection will accelerate research into B. theta physiology and that lessons learned while assembling the collection will inform future efforts to assemble ordered mutant collections for an increasing number of gut microbiota members.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heidi A Arjes
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Jiawei Sun
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Hualan Liu
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Taylor H Nguyen
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Rebecca N Culver
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Arianna I Celis
- Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Sophie Jean Walton
- Biophysics Training Program, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Kimberly S Vasquez
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | | | - Katherine S Xue
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Daniel Newton
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Ricardo Zermeno
- Stanford Shared FACS Facility, Center for Molecular and Genetic Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Meredith Weglarz
- Stanford Shared FACS Facility, Center for Molecular and Genetic Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Adam Deutschbauer
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Kerwyn Casey Huang
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Biophysics Training Program, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA.
| | - Anthony L Shiver
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
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Huang Y, Lin X, Yu S, Chen R, Chen W. Intestinal Engineered Probiotics as Living Therapeutics: Chassis Selection, Colonization Enhancement, Gene Circuit Design, and Biocontainment. ACS Synth Biol 2022; 11:3134-3153. [PMID: 36094344 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.2c00314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [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
Intestinal probiotics are often used for the in situ treatment of diseases, such as metabolic disorders, tumors, and chronic inflammatory infections. Recently, there has been an increased emphasis on intelligent, customized treatments with a focus on long-term efficacy; however, traditional probiotic therapy has not kept up with this trend. The use of synthetic biology to construct gut-engineered probiotics as live therapeutics is a promising avenue in the treatment of specific diseases, such as phenylketonuria and inflammatory bowel disease. These studies generally involve a series of fundamental design issues: choosing an engineered chassis, improving the colonization ability of engineered probiotics, designing functional gene circuits, and ensuring the safety of engineered probiotics. In this review, we summarize the relevant past research, the progress of current research, and discuss the key issues that restrict the widespread application of intestinal engineered probiotic living therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Huang
- Team SZU-China at iGEM 2021, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Xiaojun Lin
- Team SZU-China at iGEM 2021, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Siyang Yu
- Team SZU-China at iGEM 2021, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Ruiyue Chen
- Team SZU-China at iGEM 2021, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Weizhao Chen
- Team SZU-China at iGEM 2021, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China.,Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Microbial Gene Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
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42
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Basavappa MG, Ferretti M, Dittmar M, Stoute J, Sullivan MC, Whig K, Shen H, Liu KF, Schultz DC, Beiting DP, Lynch KW, Henao-Mejia J, Cherry S. The lncRNA ALPHA specifically targets chikungunya virus to control infection. Mol Cell 2022; 82:3729-3744.e10. [PMID: 36167073 PMCID: PMC10464526 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2022.08.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2021] [Revised: 07/06/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Arthropod-borne viruses, including the alphavirus chikungunya virus (CHIKV), cause acute disease in millions of people and utilize potent mechanisms to antagonize and circumvent innate immune pathways including the type I interferon (IFN) pathway. In response, hosts have evolved antiviral counterdefense strategies that remain incompletely understood. Recent studies have found that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) regulate classical innate immune pathways; how lncRNAs contribute to additional antiviral counterdefenses remains unclear. Using high-throughput genetic screening, we identified a cytoplasmic antiviral lncRNA that we named antiviral lncRNA prohibiting human alphaviruses (ALPHA), which is transcriptionally induced by alphaviruses and functions independently of IFN to inhibit the replication of CHIKV and its closest relative, O'nyong'nyong virus (ONNV), but not other viruses. Furthermore, we showed that ALPHA interacts with CHIKV genomic RNA and restrains viral RNA replication. Together, our findings reveal that ALPHA and potentially other lncRNAs can mediate non-canonical antiviral immune responses against specific viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megha G Basavappa
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Institute for Immunology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Max Ferretti
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Mark Dittmar
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Institute for Immunology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Julian Stoute
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Megan C Sullivan
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Kanupriya Whig
- Institute for Immunology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; High-Throughput Screening Core, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Hui Shen
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Kathy Fange Liu
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - David C Schultz
- Institute for Immunology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; High-Throughput Screening Core, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Daniel P Beiting
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Kristen W Lynch
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Jorge Henao-Mejia
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Institute for Immunology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Division of Protective Immunity, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Children's Hospital of Pennsylvania, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
| | - Sara Cherry
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Institute for Immunology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; High-Throughput Screening Core, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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Russell BJ, Brown SD, Siguenza N, Mai I, Saran AR, Lingaraju A, Maissy ES, Dantas Machado AC, Pinto AFM, Sanchez C, Rossitto LA, Miyamoto Y, Richter RA, Ho SB, Eckmann L, Hasty J, Gonzalez DJ, Saghatelian A, Knight R, Zarrinpar A. Intestinal transgene delivery with native E. coli chassis allows persistent physiological changes. Cell 2022; 185:3263-3277.e15. [PMID: 35931082 PMCID: PMC9464905 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2022.06.050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Revised: 04/15/2022] [Accepted: 06/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Live bacterial therapeutics (LBTs) could reverse diseases by engrafting in the gut and providing persistent beneficial functions in the host. However, attempts to functionally manipulate the gut microbiome of conventionally raised (CR) hosts have been unsuccessful because engineered microbial organisms (i.e., chassis) have difficulty in colonizing the hostile luminal environment. In this proof-of-concept study, we use native bacteria as chassis for transgene delivery to impact CR host physiology. Native Escherichia coli bacteria isolated from the stool cultures of CR mice were modified to express functional genes. The reintroduction of these strains induces perpetual engraftment in the intestine. In addition, engineered native E. coli can induce functional changes that affect physiology of and reverse pathology in CR hosts months after administration. Thus, using native bacteria as chassis to “knock in” specific functions allows mechanistic studies of specific microbial activities in the microbiome of CR hosts and enables LBT with curative intent. Native E. coli strains isolated from mouse stool are genetically engineered for long-term engraftment in the conventional mouse gut and enable long-term systemic effects on the host, such as improvements in insulin sensitivity in mouse models of type 2 diabetes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baylee J Russell
- Division of Gastroenterology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Steven D Brown
- Division of Gastroenterology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Nicole Siguenza
- Division of Gastroenterology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Irene Mai
- Division of Gastroenterology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Anand R Saran
- Division of Gastroenterology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Amulya Lingaraju
- Division of Gastroenterology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Erica S Maissy
- Division of Gastroenterology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Ana C Dantas Machado
- Division of Gastroenterology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Antonio F M Pinto
- Clayton Foundation Laboratories for Peptide Biology, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Concepcion Sanchez
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Leigh-Ana Rossitto
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Yukiko Miyamoto
- Division of Gastroenterology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - R Alexander Richter
- Division of Gastroenterology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Samuel B Ho
- Division of Gastroenterology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; VA Health Sciences San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92161, USA
| | - Lars Eckmann
- Division of Gastroenterology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Jeff Hasty
- BioCircuits Institute, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Center for Microbiome Innovation, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - David J Gonzalez
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Center for Microbiome Innovation, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Alan Saghatelian
- Clayton Foundation Laboratories for Peptide Biology, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Rob Knight
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Center for Microbiome Innovation, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Amir Zarrinpar
- Division of Gastroenterology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; VA Health Sciences San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92161, USA; Center for Microbiome Innovation, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
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44
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Bousbaine D, Fisch LI, London M, Bhagchandani P, Rezende de Castro TB, Mimee M, Olesen S, Reis BS, VanInsberghe D, Bortolatto J, Poyet M, Cheloha RW, Sidney J, Ling J, Gupta A, Lu TK, Sette A, Alm EJ, Moon JJ, Victora GD, Mucida D, Ploegh HL, Bilate AM. A conserved Bacteroidetes antigen induces anti-inflammatory intestinal T lymphocytes. Science 2022; 377:660-666. [PMID: 35926021 PMCID: PMC9766740 DOI: 10.1126/science.abg5645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
The microbiome contributes to the development and maturation of the immune system. In response to commensal bacteria, intestinal CD4+ T lymphocytes differentiate into functional subtypes with regulatory or effector functions. The development of small intestine intraepithelial lymphocytes that coexpress CD4 and CD8αα homodimers (CD4IELs) depends on the microbiota. However, the identity of the microbial antigens recognized by CD4+ T cells that can differentiate into CD4IELs remains unknown. We identified β-hexosaminidase, a conserved enzyme across commensals of the Bacteroidetes phylum, as a driver of CD4IEL differentiation. In a mouse model of colitis, β-hexosaminidase-specific lymphocytes protected against intestinal inflammation. Thus, T cells of a single specificity can recognize a variety of abundant commensals and elicit a regulatory immune response at the intestinal mucosa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Djenet Bousbaine
- Microbiology Graduate Program, Massachussetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA, USA.,Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.,Center for Microbiome Informatics and Therapeutics, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Laura I Fisch
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Mariya London
- Laboratory of Mucosal Immunology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Preksha Bhagchandani
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.,Center for Microbiome Informatics and Therapeutics, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Tiago B Rezende de Castro
- Laboratory of Mucosal Immunology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA.,Laboratory of Lymphocyte Dynamics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Mark Mimee
- Center for Microbiome Informatics and Therapeutics, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Synthetic Biology Center, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Scott Olesen
- Center for Microbiome Informatics and Therapeutics, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Department of Biological Engineering, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Bernardo S Reis
- Laboratory of Mucosal Immunology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - David VanInsberghe
- Microbiology Graduate Program, Massachussetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA, USA.,Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Juliana Bortolatto
- Laboratory of Lymphocyte Dynamics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Mathilde Poyet
- Center for Microbiome Informatics and Therapeutics, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Department of Biological Engineering, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Ross W Cheloha
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - John Sidney
- Division of Vaccine Discovery, La Jolla Institute for Immunology, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Jingjing Ling
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Aaron Gupta
- Laboratory of Mucosal Immunology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Timothy K Lu
- Center for Microbiome Informatics and Therapeutics, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Synthetic Biology Center, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Alessandro Sette
- Division of Vaccine Discovery, La Jolla Institute for Immunology, La Jolla, CA, USA.,Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Eric J Alm
- Center for Microbiome Informatics and Therapeutics, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Department of Biological Engineering, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - James J Moon
- Center for Immunology and Inflammatory Diseases and Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Gabriel D Victora
- Laboratory of Lymphocyte Dynamics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Daniel Mucida
- Laboratory of Mucosal Immunology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The Rockefeller University, New York NY, USA
| | - Hidde L Ploegh
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.,Center for Microbiome Informatics and Therapeutics, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Angelina M Bilate
- Center for Microbiome Informatics and Therapeutics, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Laboratory of Mucosal Immunology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
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45
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Yang L, Hung LY, Zhu Y, Ding S, Margolis KG, Leong KW. Material Engineering in Gut Microbiome and Human Health. RESEARCH (WASHINGTON, D.C.) 2022; 2022:9804014. [PMID: 35958108 PMCID: PMC9343081 DOI: 10.34133/2022/9804014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2022] [Accepted: 06/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Tremendous progress has been made in the past decade regarding our understanding of the gut microbiome's role in human health. Currently, however, a comprehensive and focused review marrying the two distinct fields of gut microbiome and material research is lacking. To bridge the gap, the current paper discusses critical aspects of the rapidly emerging research topic of "material engineering in the gut microbiome and human health." By engaging scientists with diverse backgrounds in biomaterials, gut-microbiome axis, neuroscience, synthetic biology, tissue engineering, and biosensing in a dialogue, our goal is to accelerate the development of research tools for gut microbiome research and the development of therapeutics that target the gut microbiome. For this purpose, state-of-the-art knowledge is presented here on biomaterial technologies that facilitate the study, analysis, and manipulation of the gut microbiome, including intestinal organoids, gut-on-chip models, hydrogels for spatial mapping of gut microbiome compositions, microbiome biosensors, and oral bacteria delivery systems. In addition, a discussion is provided regarding the microbiome-gut-brain axis and the critical roles that biomaterials can play to investigate and regulate the axis. Lastly, perspectives are provided regarding future directions on how to develop and use novel biomaterials in gut microbiome research, as well as essential regulatory rules in clinical translation. In this way, we hope to inspire research into future biomaterial technologies to advance gut microbiome research and gut microbiome-based theragnostics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Letao Yang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Lin Y. Hung
- Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Yuefei Zhu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Suwan Ding
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Kara G. Margolis
- Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Kam W. Leong
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
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46
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Chen B, Cui M, Wang Y, Shi P, Wang H, Wang F. Recent advances in cellular optogenetics for photomedicine. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2022; 188:114457. [PMID: 35843507 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2022.114457] [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: 02/09/2022] [Revised: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Since the successful introduction of exogenous photosensitive proteins, channelrhodopsin, to neurons, optogenetics has enabled substantial understanding of profound brain function by selectively manipulating neural circuits. In an optogenetic system, optical stimulation can be precisely delivered to brain tissue to achieve regulation of cellular electrical activity with unprecedented spatio-temporal resolution in living organisms. In recent years, the development of various optical actuators and novel light-delivery techniques has greatly expanded the scope of optogenetics, enabling the control of other signal pathways in non-neuronal cells for different biomedical applications, such as phototherapy and immunotherapy. This review focuses on the recent advances in optogenetic regulation of cellular activities for photomedicine. We discuss emerging optogenetic tools and light-delivery platforms, along with a survey of optogenetic execution in mammalian and microbial cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bing Chen
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China; City University of Hong Kong Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen 518057, China
| | - Meihui Cui
- School of Life Sciences, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Yuan Wang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Peng Shi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China.
| | - Hanjie Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China.
| | - Feng Wang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China; City University of Hong Kong Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen 518057, China.
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47
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Abstract
Bacteroides species are prominent members of the human gut microbiota. The prevalence and stability of Bacteroides in humans make them ideal candidates to engineer as programmable living therapeutics. Here we report a biotic decision-making technology in a community of Bacteroides (consortium transcriptional programming) with genetic circuit compression. Circuit compression requires systematic pairing of engineered transcription factors with cognate regulatable promoters. In turn, we demonstrate the compression workflow by designing, building, and testing all fundamental two-input logic gates dependent on the inputs isopropyl-β-D-1-thiogalactopyranoside and D-ribose. We then deploy complete sets of logical operations in five human donor Bacteroides, with which we demonstrate sequential gain-of-function control in co-culture. Finally, we couple transcriptional programs with CRISPR interference to achieve loss-of-function regulation of endogenous genes-demonstrating complex control over community composition in co-culture. This work provides a powerful toolkit to program gene expression in Bacteroides for the development of bespoke therapeutic bacteria.
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48
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Liu X, Inda ME, Lai Y, Lu TK, Zhao X. Engineered Living Hydrogels. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2022; 34:e2201326. [PMID: 35243704 PMCID: PMC9250645 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202201326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Revised: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Living biological systems, ranging from single cells to whole organisms, can sense, process information, and actuate in response to changing environmental conditions. Inspired by living biological systems, engineered living cells and nonliving matrices are brought together, which gives rise to the technology of engineered living materials. By designing the functionalities of living cells and the structures of nonliving matrices, engineered living materials can be created to detect variability in the surrounding environment and to adjust their functions accordingly, thereby enabling applications in health monitoring, disease treatment, and environmental remediation. Hydrogels, a class of soft, wet, and biocompatible materials, have been widely used as matrices for engineered living cells, leading to the nascent field of engineered living hydrogels. Here, the interactions between hydrogel matrices and engineered living cells are described, focusing on how hydrogels influence cell behaviors and how cells affect hydrogel properties. The interactions between engineered living hydrogels and their environments, and how these interactions enable versatile applications, are also discussed. Finally, current challenges facing the field of engineered living hydrogels for their applications in clinical and environmental settings are highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyue Liu
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Maria Eugenia Inda
- Synthetic Biology Group, Research Laboratory of Electronics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Yong Lai
- Synthetic Biology Group, Research Laboratory of Electronics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Timothy K Lu
- Synthetic Biology Group, Research Laboratory of Electronics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Xuanhe Zhao
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
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49
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Antigen-bearing outer membrane vesicles as tumour vaccines produced in situ by ingested genetically engineered bacteria. Nat Biomed Eng 2022; 6:898-909. [PMID: 35501399 DOI: 10.1038/s41551-022-00886-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2021] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
The complex gastrointestinal environment and the intestinal epithelial barrier constrain the design and effectiveness of orally administered tumour vaccines. Here we show that outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) fused to a tumour antigen and produced in the intestine by ingested genetically engineered bacteria function as effective tumour vaccines in mice. We modified Escherichia coli to express, under the control of a promoter induced by the monosaccharide arabinose, a specific tumour antigen fused with the protein cytolysin A on the surface of OMVs released by the commensal bacteria. In mice, oral administration of arabinose and the genetically engineered E. coli led to the production of OMVs that crossed the intestinal epithelium into the lamina propria, where they stimulated dendritic cell maturation. In a mouse model of pulmonary metastatic melanoma and in mice bearing subcutaneous colon tumours, the antigen-bearing OMVs inhibited tumour growth and protected the animals against tumour re-challenge. The in situ production of OMVs by genetically modified commensal bacteria for the delivery of stimulatory molecules could be leveraged for the development of other oral vaccines and therapeutics.
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Lai Y, Hayashi N, Lu TK. Engineering the human gut commensal Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron with synthetic biology. Curr Opin Chem Biol 2022; 70:102178. [PMID: 35759819 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2022.102178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2022] [Revised: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 05/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The role of the microbiome in health and disease is attracting the attention of researchers seeking to engineer microorganisms for diagnostic and therapeutic applications. Recent progress in synthetic biology may enable the dissection of host-microbiota interactions. Sophisticated genetic circuits that can sense, compute, memorize, and respond to signals have been developed for the stable commensal bacterium Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron, dominant in the human gut. In this review, we highlight recent advances in expanding the genetic toolkit for B. thetaiotaomicron and foresee several applications of this species for microbiome engineering. We provide our perspective on the challenges and future opportunities for the engineering of human gut-associated bacteria as living therapeutic agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Lai
- Synthetic Biology Group, MIT Synthetic Biology Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Research Laboratory of Electronics, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Naoki Hayashi
- JSR-Keio University Medical and Chemical Innovation Center (JKiC), JSR Corp., 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan
| | - Timothy K Lu
- Synthetic Biology Group, MIT Synthetic Biology Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Research Laboratory of Electronics, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Department of Biological Engineering, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Senti Biosciences, 2 Corporate Drive South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA.
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