1
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Wang X, Wang L, Wang Y, Fu X, Wang X, Wu H, Wang H, Lu Z. sRNA molecules participate in hyperosmotic stress response regulation in Sphingomonas melonis TY. Appl Environ Microbiol 2024; 90:e0215823. [PMID: 38289134 PMCID: PMC10880617 DOI: 10.1128/aem.02158-23] [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: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Drought and salinity are ubiquitous environmental factors that pose hyperosmotic threats to microorganisms and impair their efficiency in performing environmental functions. However, bacteria have developed various responses and regulatory systems to cope with these abiotic challenges. Posttranscriptional regulation plays vital roles in regulating gene expression and cellular homeostasis, as hyperosmotic stress conditions can lead to the induction of specific small RNA molecules (sRNAs) that participate in stress response regulation. Here, we report a candidate functional sRNA landscape of Sphingomonas melonis TY under hyperosmotic stress, and 18 sRNAs were found with a clear response to hyperosmotic stress. These findings will help in the comprehensive analysis of sRNA regulation in Sphingomonas species. Weighted correlation network analysis revealed a 263 nucleotide sRNA, SNC251, which was transcribed from its own promoter and showed the most significant correlation with hyperosmotic response factors. Deletion of snc251 affected biofilm formation and multiple cellular processes, including ribosome-related pathways, aromatic compound degradation, and the nicotine degradation capacity of S. melonis TY, while overexpression of SNC251 facilitated biofilm formation by TY under hyperosmotic stress. Two genes involved in the TonB system were further verified to be activated by SNC251, which also indicated that SNC251 is a trans-acting sRNA. Briefly, this research reports a landscape of sRNAs participating in the hyperosmotic stress response in S. melonis and reveals a novel sRNA, SNC251, which contributes to the S. melonis TY biofilm formation and thus enhances its hyperosmotic stress response ability.IMPORTANCESphingomonas species play a vital role in plant defense and pollutant degradation and survive extensively under drought or salinity. Previous studies have focused on the transcriptional and translational responses of Sphingomonas under hyperosmotic stress, but the posttranscriptional regulation of small RNA molecules (sRNAs) is also crucial for quickly modulating cellular processes to adapt dynamically to osmotic environments. In addition, the current knowledge of sRNAs in Sphingomonas is extremely scarce. This research revealed a novel sRNA landscape of Sphingomonas melonis and will greatly enhance our understanding of sRNAs' acting mechanisms in the hyperosmotic stress response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyu Wang
- MOE Laboratory of Biosystem Homeostasis and Protection, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Cancer Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Lvjing Wang
- MOE Laboratory of Biosystem Homeostasis and Protection, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Cancer Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yihan Wang
- MOE Laboratory of Biosystem Homeostasis and Protection, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Cancer Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xueni Fu
- MOE Laboratory of Biosystem Homeostasis and Protection, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Cancer Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xuejun Wang
- MOE Laboratory of Biosystem Homeostasis and Protection, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Hao Wu
- MOE Laboratory of Biosystem Homeostasis and Protection, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Cancer Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Haixia Wang
- MOE Laboratory of Biosystem Homeostasis and Protection, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zhenmei Lu
- MOE Laboratory of Biosystem Homeostasis and Protection, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Cancer Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
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2
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Márquez-Costa R, Montagud-Martínez R, Marqués MC, Albert E, Navarro D, Daròs JA, Ruiz R, Rodrigo G. Multiplexable and Biocomputational Virus Detection by CRISPR-Cas9-Mediated Strand Displacement. Anal Chem 2023; 95:9564-9574. [PMID: 37204239 PMCID: PMC10255568 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.3c01041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Recurrent disease outbreaks caused by different viruses, including the novel respiratory virus SARS-CoV-2, are challenging our society at a global scale; so versatile virus detection methods would enable a calculated and faster response. Here, we present a novel nucleic acid detection strategy based on CRISPR-Cas9, whose mode of action relies on strand displacement rather than on collateral catalysis, using the Streptococcus pyogenes Cas9 nuclease. Given a preamplification process, a suitable molecular beacon interacts with the ternary CRISPR complex upon targeting to produce a fluorescent signal. We show that SARS-CoV-2 DNA amplicons generated from patient samples can be detected with CRISPR-Cas9. We also show that CRISPR-Cas9 allows the simultaneous detection of different DNA amplicons with the same nuclease, either to detect different SARS-CoV-2 regions or different respiratory viruses. Furthermore, we demonstrate that engineered DNA logic circuits can process different SARS-CoV-2 signals detected by the CRISPR complexes. Collectively, this CRISPR-Cas9 R-loop usage for the molecular beacon opening (COLUMBO) platform allows a multiplexed detection in a single tube, complements the existing CRISPR-based methods, and displays diagnostic and biocomputing potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosa Márquez-Costa
- Institute
for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio), CSIC − University
of Valencia, 46980 Paterna, Spain
| | - Roser Montagud-Martínez
- Institute
for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio), CSIC − University
of Valencia, 46980 Paterna, Spain
| | - María-Carmen Marqués
- Institute
for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio), CSIC − University
of Valencia, 46980 Paterna, Spain
| | - Eliseo Albert
- Microbiology
Service, Clinic University Hospital, INCLIVA
Biomedical Research Institute, 46010 Valencia, Spain
| | - David Navarro
- Microbiology
Service, Clinic University Hospital, INCLIVA
Biomedical Research Institute, 46010 Valencia, Spain
- Department
of Microbiology, School of Medicine, University
of Valencia, 46010 Valencia, Spain
| | - José-Antonio Daròs
- Instituto
de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas (IBMCP), CSIC − Universitat Politècnica de València, 46022 Valencia, Spain
| | - Raúl Ruiz
- Institute
for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio), CSIC − University
of Valencia, 46980 Paterna, Spain
| | - Guillermo Rodrigo
- Institute
for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio), CSIC − University
of Valencia, 46980 Paterna, Spain
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3
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Yarra SS, Ashok G, Mohan U. "Toehold Switches; a foothold for Synthetic Biology". Biotechnol Bioeng 2023; 120:932-952. [PMID: 36527224 DOI: 10.1002/bit.28309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2022] [Revised: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Toehold switches are de novo designed riboregulators that contain two RNA components interacting through linear-linear RNA interactions, regulating the gene expression. These are highly versatile, exhibit excellent orthogonality, wide dynamic range, and are highly programmable, so can be used for various applications in synthetic biology. In this review, we summarized and discussed the design characteristics and benefits of toehold switch riboregulators over conventional riboregulators. We also discussed applications and recent advancements of toehold switch riboregulators in various fields like gene editing, DNA nanotechnology, translational repression, and diagnostics (detection of microRNAs and some pathogens). Toehold switches, therefore, furnished advancement in synthetic biology applications in various fields with their prominent features.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sai Sumanjali Yarra
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education & Research (NIPER) Kolkata, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
| | - Ganapathy Ashok
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education & Research (NIPER) Kolkata, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
| | - Utpal Mohan
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education & Research (NIPER) Kolkata, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
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4
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Automated Biocircuit Design with SYNBADm. Methods Mol Biol 2021. [PMID: 33405218 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1032-9_4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register]
Abstract
SYNBADm is a Matlab toolbox for the automated design of biocircuits using a model-based optimization approach. It enables the design of biocircuits with pre-defined functions starting from libraries of biological parts. SYNBADm makes use of mixed integer global optimization and allows both single and multi-objective design problems. Here we describe a basic protocol for the design of synthetic gene regulatory circuits. We illustrate step-by-step how to solve two different problems: (1) the (single objective) design of a synthetic oscillator and (2) the (multi-objective) design of a circuit with switch-like behavior upon induction, with a good compromise between performance and protein production cost.
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5
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Synthetic small regulatory RNAs in microbial metabolic engineering. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2020; 105:1-12. [PMID: 33201273 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-020-10971-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2020] [Revised: 10/15/2020] [Accepted: 10/21/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Small regulatory RNAs (sRNAs) finely control gene expression in prokaryotes and synthetic sRNA has become a useful high-throughput approach to tackle current challenges in metabolic engineering because of its many advantages compared to conventional gene knockouts. In this review, we first focus on the modular structures of sRNAs and rational design strategies of synthetic sRNAs on the basis of their modular structures. The wide applications of synthetic sRNAs in bacterial metabolic engineering, with or without the aid of heterogeneously expressed Hfq protein, were also covered. In addition, we give attention to the improvements in implementing synthetic sRNAs, which make the synthetic sRNA strategy universally applicable in metabolic engineering and synthetic biology. KEY POINTS: • Synthetic sRNAs can be rationally designed based on modular structures of natural sRNAs. • Synthetic sRNAs were widely used for metabolic engineering in various microorganisms. • Several technological improvements made the synthetic sRNA strategy more applicable.
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6
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Li J, Rong L, Zhao Y, Li S, Zhang C, Xiao D, Foo JL, Yu A. Next-generation metabolic engineering of non-conventional microbial cell factories for carboxylic acid platform chemicals. Biotechnol Adv 2020; 43:107605. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2020.107605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2020] [Revised: 06/30/2020] [Accepted: 07/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
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7
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Advances in engineered trans-acting regulatory RNAs and their application in bacterial genome engineering. J Ind Microbiol Biotechnol 2019; 46:819-830. [PMID: 30887255 DOI: 10.1007/s10295-019-02160-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2018] [Accepted: 03/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Small noncoding RNAs, a large class of ancient posttranscriptional regulators, are increasingly recognized and utilized as key modulators of gene expression in a broad range of microorganisms. Owing to their small molecular size and the central role of Watson-Crick base pairing in defining their interactions, structure and function, numerous diverse types of trans-acting RNA regulators that are functional at the DNA, mRNA and protein levels have been experimentally characterized. It has become increasingly clear that most small RNAs play critical regulatory roles in many processes and are, therefore, considered to be powerful tools for genetic engineering and synthetic biology. The trans-acting regulatory RNAs accelerate this ability to establish potential framework for genetic engineering and genome-scale engineering, which allows RNA structure characterization, easier to design and model compared to DNA or protein-based systems. In this review, we summarize recent advances in engineered trans-acting regulatory RNAs that are used in bacterial genome-scale engineering and in novel cellular capabilities as well as their implementation in wide range of biotechnological, biological and medical applications.
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8
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Leistra AN, Curtis NC, Contreras LM. Regulatory non-coding sRNAs in bacterial metabolic pathway engineering. Metab Eng 2018; 52:190-214. [PMID: 30513348 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymben.2018.11.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2018] [Revised: 10/31/2018] [Accepted: 11/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) are versatile and powerful controllers of gene expression that have been increasingly linked to cellular metabolism and phenotype. In bacteria, identified and characterized ncRNAs range from trans-acting, multi-target small non-coding RNAs to dynamic, cis-encoded regulatory untranslated regions and riboswitches. These native regulators have inspired the design and construction of many synthetic RNA devices. In this work, we review the design, characterization, and impact of ncRNAs in engineering both native and exogenous metabolic pathways in bacteria. We also consider the opportunities afforded by recent high-throughput approaches for characterizing sRNA regulators and their corresponding networks to showcase their potential applications and impact in engineering bacterial metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abigail N Leistra
- McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, 200 E. Dean Keeton Street Stop C0400, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Nicholas C Curtis
- McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, 200 E. Dean Keeton Street Stop C0400, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Lydia M Contreras
- McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, 200 E. Dean Keeton Street Stop C0400, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
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9
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Binary addition in a living cell based on riboregulation. PLoS Genet 2018; 14:e1007548. [PMID: 30024870 PMCID: PMC6067762 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1007548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2018] [Revised: 07/31/2018] [Accepted: 07/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Synthetic biology aims at (re-)programming living cells like computers to perform new functions for a variety of applications. Initial work rested on transcription factors, but regulatory RNAs have recently gained much attention due to their high programmability. However, functional circuits mainly implemented with regulatory RNAs are quite limited. Here, we report the engineering of a fundamental arithmetic logic unit based on de novo riboregulation to sum two bits of information encoded in molecular concentrations. Our designer circuit robustly performs the intended computation in a living cell encoding the result as fluorescence amplitudes. The whole system exploits post-transcriptional control to switch on tightly silenced genes with small RNAs, together with allosteric transcription factors to sense the molecular signals. This important result demonstrates that regulatory RNAs can be key players in synthetic biology, and it paves the way for engineering more complex RNA-based biocomputers using this designer circuit as a building block.
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10
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Lee YJ, Moon TS. Design rules of synthetic non-coding RNAs in bacteria. Methods 2018; 143:58-69. [PMID: 29309838 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymeth.2018.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2017] [Revised: 12/31/2017] [Accepted: 01/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
One of the long-term goals of synthetic biology is to develop designable genetic parts with predictable behaviors that can be utilized to implement diverse cellular functions. The discovery of non-coding RNAs and their importance in cellular processing have rapidly attracted researchers' attention towards designing functional non-coding RNA molecules. These synthetic non-coding RNAs have simple design principles governed by Watson-Crick base pairing, but exhibit increasingly complex functions. Importantly, due to their specific and modular behaviors, synthetic non-coding RNAs have been widely adopted to modulate transcription and translation of target genes. In this review, we summarize various design rules and strategies employed to engineer synthetic non-coding RNAs. Specifically, we discuss how RNA molecules can be transformed into powerful regulators and utilized to control target gene expression. With the establishment of generalizable non-coding RNA design rules, the research community will shift its focus to RNA regulators from protein regulators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Young Je Lee
- Department of Energy, Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Tae Seok Moon
- Department of Energy, Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA.
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11
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Zandi K, Butler G, Kharma N. An Adaptive Defect Weighted Sampling Algorithm to Design Pseudoknotted RNA Secondary Structures. Front Genet 2016; 7:129. [PMID: 27499762 PMCID: PMC4956659 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2016.00129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2016] [Accepted: 07/06/2016] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Computational design of RNA sequences that fold into targeted secondary structures has many applications in biomedicine, nanotechnology and synthetic biology. An RNA molecule is made of different types of secondary structure elements and an important RNA element named pseudoknot plays a key role in stabilizing the functional form of the molecule. However, due to the computational complexities associated with characterizing pseudoknotted RNA structures, most of the existing RNA sequence designer algorithms generally ignore this important structural element and therefore limit their applications. In this paper we present a new algorithm to design RNA sequences for pseudoknotted secondary structures. We use NUPACK as the folding algorithm to compute the equilibrium characteristics of the pseudoknotted RNAs, and describe a new adaptive defect weighted sampling algorithm named Enzymer to design low ensemble defect RNA sequences for targeted secondary structures including pseudoknots. We used a biological data set of 201 pseudoknotted structures from the Pseudobase library to benchmark the performance of our algorithm. We compared the quality characteristics of the RNA sequences we designed by Enzymer with the results obtained from the state of the art MODENA and antaRNA. Our results show our method succeeds more frequently than MODENA and antaRNA do, and generates sequences that have lower ensemble defect, lower probability defect and higher thermostability. Finally by using Enzymer and by constraining the design to a naturally occurring and highly conserved Hammerhead motif, we designed 8 sequences for a pseudoknotted cis-acting Hammerhead ribozyme. Enzymer is available for download at https://bitbucket.org/casraz/enzymer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kasra Zandi
- Computer Science Department, Concordia UniversityMontreal, QC, Canada
| | - Gregory Butler
- Computer Science Department, Concordia UniversityMontreal, QC, Canada
- Centre for Structural and Functional Genomics, Concordia UniversityMontreal, QC, Canada
| | - Nawwaf Kharma
- Centre for Structural and Functional Genomics, Concordia UniversityMontreal, QC, Canada
- Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, Concordia UniversityMontreal, QC, Canada
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12
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Rodrigo G, Majer E, Prakash S, Daròs JA, Jaramillo A, Poyatos JF. Exploring the Dynamics and Mutational Landscape of Riboregulation with a Minimal Synthetic Circuit in Living Cells. Biophys J 2016; 109:1070-6. [PMID: 26331264 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2015.07.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2015] [Revised: 06/26/2015] [Accepted: 07/17/2015] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The regulation of gene expression, triggered by conformational changes in RNA molecules, is widely observed in cellular systems. Here, we examine this mode of control by means of a model-based design and construction of a fully synthetic riboregulatory device. We present a theoretical framework that rests on a simple energy model to predict the dynamic response of such a system. Following an equilibrium description, our framework integrates thermodynamic properties—anticipated with an RNA physicochemical model—with a detailed description of the intermolecular interaction. The theoretical calculations are confirmed with an experimental characterization of the action of the riboregulatory device within living cells. This illustrates, more broadly, the predictability of genetic robustness on synthetic systems, and the faculty to engineer gene expression programs from a minimal set of first principles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillermo Rodrigo
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia, Spain; Institute of Systems and Synthetic Biology, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique-Université d'Evry-Val d'Essonne, Évry, France.
| | - Eszter Majer
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia, Spain
| | - Satya Prakash
- School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom
| | - José-Antonio Daròs
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia, Spain
| | - Alfonso Jaramillo
- Institute of Systems and Synthetic Biology, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique-Université d'Evry-Val d'Essonne, Évry, France; School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom
| | - Juan F Poyatos
- Centro Nacional Biotecnología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Madrid, Spain
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13
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Tools and Principles for Microbial Gene Circuit Engineering. J Mol Biol 2016; 428:862-88. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2015.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2015] [Revised: 10/05/2015] [Accepted: 10/06/2015] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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14
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Espah Borujeni A, Mishler DM, Wang J, Huso W, Salis HM. Automated physics-based design of synthetic riboswitches from diverse RNA aptamers. Nucleic Acids Res 2016; 44:1-13. [PMID: 26621913 PMCID: PMC4705656 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkv1289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 163] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2015] [Revised: 10/30/2015] [Accepted: 11/05/2015] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Riboswitches are shape-changing regulatory RNAs that bind chemicals and regulate gene expression, directly coupling sensing to cellular actuation. However, it remains unclear how their sequence controls the physics of riboswitch switching and activation, particularly when changing the ligand-binding aptamer domain. We report the development of a statistical thermodynamic model that predicts the sequence-structure-function relationship for translation-regulating riboswitches that activate gene expression, characterized inside cells and within cell-free transcription-translation assays. Using the model, we carried out automated computational design of 62 synthetic riboswitches that used six different RNA aptamers to sense diverse chemicals (theophylline, tetramethylrosamine, fluoride, dopamine, thyroxine, 2,4-dinitrotoluene) and activated gene expression by up to 383-fold. The model explains how aptamer structure, ligand affinity, switching free energy and macromolecular crowding collectively control riboswitch activation. Our model-based approach for engineering riboswitches quantitatively confirms several physical mechanisms governing ligand-induced RNA shape-change and enables the development of cell-free and bacterial sensors for diverse applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amin Espah Borujeni
- Department of Chemical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Dennis M Mishler
- Department of Biological Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Jingzhi Wang
- Department of Biological Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Walker Huso
- Department of Chemical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Howard M Salis
- Department of Chemical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA Department of Chemistry, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
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15
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16
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Chaudhary AK, Na D, Lee EY. Rapid and high-throughput construction of microbial cell-factories with regulatory noncoding RNAs. Biotechnol Adv 2015; 33:914-30. [PMID: 26027891 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2015.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2015] [Revised: 05/27/2015] [Accepted: 05/27/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Due to global crises such as pollution and depletion of fossil fuels, sustainable technologies based on microbial cell-factories have been garnering great interest as an alternative to chemical factories. The development of microbial cell-factories is imperative in cutting down the overall manufacturing cost. Thus, diverse metabolic engineering strategies and engineering tools have been established to obtain a preferred genotype and phenotype displaying superior productivity. However, these tools are limited to only a handful of genes with permanent modification of a genome and significant labor costs, and this is one of the bottlenecks associated with biofactory construction. Therefore, a groundbreaking rapid and high-throughput engineering tool is needed for efficient construction of microbial cell-factories. During the last decade, copious small noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) have been discovered in bacteria. These are involved in substantial regulatory roles like transcriptional and post-transcriptional gene regulation by modulating mRNA elongation, stability, or translational efficiency. Because of their vulnerability, ncRNAs can be used as another layer of conditional control over gene expression without modifying chromosomal sequences, and hence would be a promising high-throughput tool for metabolic engineering. Here, we review successful design principles and applications of ncRNAs for high-throughput metabolic engineering or physiological studies of diverse industrially important microorganisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amit Kumar Chaudhary
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Kyung Hee University, Gyeonggi-do 446-701, Republic of Korea
| | - Dokyun Na
- School of Integrative Engineering, Chung-Ang University, 84 Heukseok-ro, Dongjak-gu, Seoul 156-756, Republic of Korea.
| | - Eun Yeol Lee
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Kyung Hee University, Gyeonggi-do 446-701, Republic of Korea.
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17
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Shen S, Rodrigo G, Prakash S, Majer E, Landrain TE, Kirov B, Daròs JA, Jaramillo A. Dynamic signal processing by ribozyme-mediated RNA circuits to control gene expression. Nucleic Acids Res 2015; 43:5158-70. [PMID: 25916845 PMCID: PMC4446421 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkv287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2014] [Accepted: 03/24/2015] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Organisms have different circuitries that allow converting signal molecule levels to changes in gene expression. An important challenge in synthetic biology involves the de novo design of RNA modules enabling dynamic signal processing in live cells. This requires a scalable methodology for sensing, transmission, and actuation, which could be assembled into larger signaling networks. Here, we present a biochemical strategy to design RNA-mediated signal transduction cascades able to sense small molecules and small RNAs. We design switchable functional RNA domains by using strand-displacement techniques. We experimentally characterize the molecular mechanism underlying our synthetic RNA signaling cascades, show the ability to regulate gene expression with transduced RNA signals, and describe the signal processing response of our systems to periodic forcing in single live cells. The engineered systems integrate RNA–RNA interaction with available ribozyme and aptamer elements, providing new ways to engineer arbitrary complex gene circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shensi Shen
- Institute of Systems and Synthetic Biology, Université d'Évry-Val-d'Essonne, CNRS, F-91000 Évry, France
| | - Guillermo Rodrigo
- Institute of Systems and Synthetic Biology, Université d'Évry-Val-d'Essonne, CNRS, F-91000 Évry, France
| | - Satya Prakash
- School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK
| | - Eszter Majer
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas, CSIC - Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, 46022 Valencia, Spain
| | - Thomas E Landrain
- Institute of Systems and Synthetic Biology, Université d'Évry-Val-d'Essonne, CNRS, F-91000 Évry, France
| | - Boris Kirov
- Institute of Systems and Synthetic Biology, Université d'Évry-Val-d'Essonne, CNRS, F-91000 Évry, France
| | - José-Antonio Daròs
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas, CSIC - Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, 46022 Valencia, Spain
| | - Alfonso Jaramillo
- Institute of Systems and Synthetic Biology, Université d'Évry-Val-d'Essonne, CNRS, F-91000 Évry, France School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK
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Singh V. Recent advances and opportunities in synthetic logic gates engineering in living cells. SYSTEMS AND SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY 2014; 8:271-82. [PMID: 26396651 DOI: 10.1007/s11693-014-9154-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2014] [Revised: 08/09/2014] [Accepted: 08/23/2014] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Recently, a number of synthetic biologic gates including AND, OR, NOR, NOT, XOR and NAND have been engineered and characterized in a wide range of hosts. The hope in the emerging synthetic biology community is to construct an inventory of well-characterized parts and install distinct gene and circuit behaviours that are externally controllable. Though the field is still growing and major successes are yet to emerge, the payoffs are predicted to be significant. In this review, we highlight specific examples of logic gates engineering with applications towards fundamental understanding of network complexity and generating a novel socially useful applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vijai Singh
- Department of Biotechnology, Invertis University, Bareilly- Lucknow National Highway-24, Bareilly, 243123 India ; Synthetic Biology Laboratory, School of Energy and Chemical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, Ulju-gun, Ulsan, 689-798 Republic of Korea
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19
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Farasat I, Kushwaha M, Collens J, Easterbrook M, Guido M, Salis HM. Efficient search, mapping, and optimization of multi-protein genetic systems in diverse bacteria. Mol Syst Biol 2014; 10:731. [PMID: 24952589 PMCID: PMC4265053 DOI: 10.15252/msb.20134955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 172] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Developing predictive models of multi-protein genetic systems to understand and optimize their behavior remains a combinatorial challenge, particularly when measurement throughput is limited. We developed a computational approach to build predictive models and identify optimal sequences and expression levels, while circumventing combinatorial explosion. Maximally informative genetic system variants were first designed by the RBS Library Calculator, an algorithm to design sequences for efficiently searching a multi-protein expression space across a > 10,000-fold range with tailored search parameters and well-predicted translation rates. We validated the algorithm's predictions by characterizing 646 genetic system variants, encoded in plasmids and genomes, expressed in six gram-positive and gram-negative bacterial hosts. We then combined the search algorithm with system-level kinetic modeling, requiring the construction and characterization of 73 variants to build a sequence-expression-activity map (SEAMAP) for a biosynthesis pathway. Using model predictions, we designed and characterized 47 additional pathway variants to navigate its activity space, find optimal expression regions with desired activity response curves, and relieve rate-limiting steps in metabolism. Creating sequence-expression-activity maps accelerates the optimization of many protein systems and allows previous measurements to quantitatively inform future designs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iman Farasat
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Manish Kushwaha
- Department of Biological Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Jason Collens
- Department of Biological Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Michael Easterbrook
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Matthew Guido
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Howard M Salis
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA Department of Biological Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
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Rodrigo G, Jaramillo A. RiboMaker: computational design of conformation-based riboregulation. Bioinformatics 2014; 30:2508-10. [PMID: 24833802 DOI: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btu335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
MOTIVATION The ability to engineer control systems of gene expression is instrumental for synthetic biology. Thus, bioinformatic methods that assist such engineering are appealing because they can guide the sequence design and prevent costly experimental screening. In particular, RNA is an ideal substrate to de novo design regulators of protein expression by following sequence-to-function models. RESULTS We have implemented a novel algorithm, RiboMaker, aimed at the computational, automated design of bacterial riboregulation. RiboMaker reads the sequence and structure specifications, which codify for a gene regulatory behaviour, and optimizes the sequences of a small regulatory RNA and a 5'-untranslated region for an efficient intermolecular interaction. To this end, it implements an evolutionary design strategy, where random mutations are selected according to a physicochemical model based on free energies. The resulting sequences can then be tested experimentally, providing a new tool for synthetic biology, and also for investigating the riboregulation principles in natural systems. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION Web server is available at http://ribomaker.jaramillolab.org/. Source code, instructions and examples are freely available for download at http://sourceforge.net/projects/ribomaker/.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillermo Rodrigo
- Institute of Systems and Synthetic Biology, CNRS - Université d'Évry Val d'Essonne, F-91000 Évry, France and School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, United Kingdom
| | - Alfonso Jaramillo
- Institute of Systems and Synthetic Biology, CNRS - Université d'Évry Val d'Essonne, F-91000 Évry, France and School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, United Kingdom Institute of Systems and Synthetic Biology, CNRS - Université d'Évry Val d'Essonne, F-91000 Évry, France and School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, United Kingdom
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Kang Z, Zhang C, Zhang J, Jin P, Zhang J, Du G, Chen J. Small RNA regulators in bacteria: powerful tools for metabolic engineering and synthetic biology. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2014; 98:3413-24. [DOI: 10.1007/s00253-014-5569-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2013] [Revised: 01/22/2014] [Accepted: 01/23/2014] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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Singh V. Recent advancements in synthetic biology: Current status and challenges. Gene 2014; 535:1-11. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2013.11.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2013] [Revised: 11/06/2013] [Accepted: 11/12/2013] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Caschera F, Noireaux V. Synthesis of 2.3 mg/ml of protein with an all Escherichia coli cell-free transcription-translation system. Biochimie 2013; 99:162-8. [PMID: 24326247 DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2013.11.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 161] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2013] [Accepted: 11/29/2013] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Cell-free protein synthesis is becoming a useful technique for synthetic biology. As more applications are developed, the demand for novel and more powerful in vitro expression systems is increasing. In this work, an all Escherichia coli cell-free system, that uses the endogenous transcription and translation molecular machineries, is optimized to synthesize up to 2.3 mg/ml of a reporter protein in batch mode reactions. A new metabolism based on maltose allows recycling of inorganic phosphate through its incorporation into newly available glucose molecules, which are processed through the glycolytic pathway to produce more ATP. As a result, the ATP regeneration is more efficient and cell-free protein synthesis lasts up to 10 h. Using a commercial E. coli strain, we show for the first time that more than 2 mg/ml of protein can be synthesized in run-off cell-free transcription-translation reactions by optimizing the energy regeneration and waste products recycling. This work suggests that endogenous enzymes present in the cytoplasmic extract can be used to implement new metabolic pathways for increasing protein yields. This system is the new basis of a cell-free gene expression platform used to construct and to characterize complex biochemical processes in vitro such as gene circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filippo Caschera
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Minnesota, 116 Church Street SE, Minneapolis 55455, Minnesota, United States
| | - Vincent Noireaux
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Minnesota, 116 Church Street SE, Minneapolis 55455, Minnesota, United States.
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