1
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Cardiff RAL, Carothers JM, Zalatan JG, Sauro HM. Systems-Level Modeling for CRISPR-Based Metabolic Engineering. ACS Synth Biol 2024. [PMID: 39119666 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.4c00053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/10/2024]
Abstract
The CRISPR-Cas system has enabled the development of sophisticated, multigene metabolic engineering programs through the use of guide RNA-directed activation or repression of target genes. To optimize biosynthetic pathways in microbial systems, we need improved models to inform design and implementation of transcriptional programs. Recent progress has resulted in new modeling approaches for identifying gene targets and predicting the efficacy of guide RNA targeting. Genome-scale and flux balance models have successfully been applied to identify targets for improving biosynthetic production yields using combinatorial CRISPR-interference (CRISPRi) programs. The advent of new approaches for tunable and dynamic CRISPR activation (CRISPRa) promises to further advance these engineering capabilities. Once appropriate targets are identified, guide RNA prediction models can lead to increased efficacy in gene targeting. Developing improved models and incorporating approaches from machine learning may be able to overcome current limitations and greatly expand the capabilities of CRISPR-Cas9 tools for metabolic engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan A L Cardiff
- Molecular Engineering & Sciences Institute and Center for Synthetic Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| | - James M Carothers
- Molecular Engineering & Sciences Institute and Center for Synthetic Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| | - Jesse G Zalatan
- Molecular Engineering & Sciences Institute and Center for Synthetic Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| | - Herbert M Sauro
- Molecular Engineering & Sciences Institute and Center for Synthetic Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
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2
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Wittmer J, Heidstra R. Appreciating animal induced pluripotent stem cells to shape plant cell reprogramming strategies. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2024; 75:4373-4393. [PMID: 38869461 PMCID: PMC11263491 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erae264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024]
Abstract
Animals and plants have developed resilience mechanisms to effectively endure and overcome physical damage and environmental challenges throughout their life span. To sustain their vitality, both animals and plants employ mechanisms to replenish damaged cells, either directly, involving the activity of adult stem cells, or indirectly, via dedifferentiation of somatic cells that are induced to revert to a stem cell state and subsequently redifferentiate. Stem cell research has been a rapidly advancing field in animal studies for many years, driven by its promising potential in human therapeutics, including tissue regeneration and drug development. A major breakthrough was the discovery of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), which are reprogrammed from somatic cells by expressing a limited set of transcription factors. This discovery enabled the generation of an unlimited supply of cells that can be differentiated into specific cell types and tissues. Equally, a keen interest in the connection between plant stem cells and regeneration has been developed in the last decade, driven by the demand to enhance plant traits such as yield, resistance to pathogens, and the opportunities provided by CRISPR/Cas-mediated gene editing. Here we discuss how knowledge of stem cell biology benefits regeneration technology, and we speculate on the creation of a universal genotype-independent iPSC system for plants to overcome regenerative recalcitrance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jana Wittmer
- Cell and Developmental Biology, cluster Plant Developmental Biology, Wageningen University & Research, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, 6708 PB, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Renze Heidstra
- Cell and Developmental Biology, cluster Plant Developmental Biology, Wageningen University & Research, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, 6708 PB, Wageningen, The Netherlands
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3
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Burbano DA, Kiattisewee C, Karanjia AV, Cardiff RAL, Faulkner ID, Sugianto W, Carothers JM. CRISPR Tools for Engineering Prokaryotic Systems: Recent Advances and New Applications. Annu Rev Chem Biomol Eng 2024; 15:389-430. [PMID: 38598861 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-chembioeng-100522-114706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/12/2024]
Abstract
In the past decades, the broad selection of CRISPR-Cas systems has revolutionized biotechnology by enabling multimodal genetic manipulation in diverse organisms. Rooted in a molecular engineering perspective, we recapitulate the different CRISPR components and how they can be designed for specific genetic engineering applications. We first introduce the repertoire of Cas proteins and tethered effectors used to program new biological functions through gene editing and gene regulation. We review current guide RNA (gRNA) design strategies and computational tools and how CRISPR-based genetic circuits can be constructed through regulated gRNA expression. Then, we present recent advances in CRISPR-based biosensing, bioproduction, and biotherapeutics across in vitro and in vivo prokaryotic systems. Finally, we discuss forthcoming applications in prokaryotic CRISPR technology that will transform synthetic biology principles in the near future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego Alba Burbano
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Molecular Engineering & Sciences Institute and Center for Synthetic Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA;
| | - Cholpisit Kiattisewee
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Molecular Engineering & Sciences Institute and Center for Synthetic Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA;
| | - Ava V Karanjia
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Molecular Engineering & Sciences Institute and Center for Synthetic Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA;
| | - Ryan A L Cardiff
- Molecular Engineering & Sciences Institute and Center for Synthetic Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA;
| | - Ian D Faulkner
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Molecular Engineering & Sciences Institute and Center for Synthetic Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA;
| | - Widianti Sugianto
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Molecular Engineering & Sciences Institute and Center for Synthetic Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA;
| | - James M Carothers
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Molecular Engineering & Sciences Institute and Center for Synthetic Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA;
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4
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Zhu X, Luo H, Yu X, Lv H, Su L, Zhang K, Wu J. Genome-Wide CRISPRi Screening of Key Genes for Recombinant Protein Expression in Bacillus Subtilis. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024:e2404313. [PMID: 38952047 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202404313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2024] [Revised: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 07/03/2024]
Abstract
Bacillus subtilis is an industrially important microorganism that is often used as a microbial cell factory for the production of recombinant proteins due to its food safety, rapid growth, and powerful secretory capacity. However, the lack of data on functional genes related to recombinant protein production has hindered the further development of B. subtilis cell factories. Here, a strategy combining genome-wide CRISPRi screening and targeted CRISPRa activation to enhance recombinant protein expression is proposed. First, a CRISPRi library covering a total of 4225 coding genes (99.7%) in the B. subtilis genome and built the corresponding high-throughput screening methods is constructed. Twelve key genes for recombinant protein expression are identified, including targets without relevant functional annotations. Meanwhile, the transcription of recombinant protein genes by CRISPRa is up-regulated. These screened or selected genes can be easily applied to metabolic engineering by constructing sgRNA arrays. The relationship between differential pathways and recombinant protein expression in engineered strains by transcriptome analysis is also revealed. High-density fermentation and generalisability validation results prove the reliability of the strategy. This method can be extended to other industrial hosts to support functional gene annotation and the design of novel cell factories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuyang Zhu
- School of Biotechnology and Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology Ministry of Education, State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Resources, International Joint Laboratory on Food Safety, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
| | - Hui Luo
- School of Biotechnology and Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology Ministry of Education, State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Resources, International Joint Laboratory on Food Safety, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
| | - Xinrui Yu
- School of Biotechnology and Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology Ministry of Education, State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Resources, International Joint Laboratory on Food Safety, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
| | - Huihui Lv
- School of Biotechnology and Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology Ministry of Education, State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Resources, International Joint Laboratory on Food Safety, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
| | - Lingqia Su
- School of Biotechnology and Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology Ministry of Education, State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Resources, International Joint Laboratory on Food Safety, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
| | - Kang Zhang
- School of Biotechnology and Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology Ministry of Education, State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Resources, International Joint Laboratory on Food Safety, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
| | - Jing Wu
- School of Biotechnology and Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology Ministry of Education, State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Resources, International Joint Laboratory on Food Safety, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
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5
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Gou Y, Li D, Zhao M, Li M, Zhang J, Zhou Y, Xiao F, Liu G, Ding H, Sun C, Ye C, Dong C, Gao J, Gao D, Bao Z, Huang L, Xu Z, Lian J. Intein-mediated temperature control for complete biosynthesis of sanguinarine and its halogenated derivatives in yeast. Nat Commun 2024; 15:5238. [PMID: 38898098 PMCID: PMC11186835 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49554-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: 01/01/2024] [Accepted: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
While sanguinarine has gained recognition for antimicrobial and antineoplastic activities, its complex conjugated structure and low abundance in plants impede broad applications. Here, we demonstrate the complete biosynthesis of sanguinarine and halogenated derivatives using highly engineered yeast strains. To overcome sanguinarine cytotoxicity, we establish a splicing intein-mediated temperature-responsive gene expression system (SIMTeGES), a simple strategy that decouples cell growth from product synthesis without sacrificing protein activity. To debottleneck sanguinarine biosynthesis, we identify two reticuline oxidases and facilitated functional expression of flavoproteins and cytochrome P450 enzymes via protein molecular engineering. After comprehensive metabolic engineering, we report the production of sanguinarine at a titer of 448.64 mg L-1. Additionally, our engineered strain enables the biosynthesis of fluorinated sanguinarine, showcasing the biotransformation of halogenated derivatives through more than 15 biocatalytic steps. This work serves as a blueprint for utilizing yeast as a scalable platform for biomanufacturing diverse benzylisoquinoline alkaloids and derivatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanwei Gou
- Key Laboratory of Biomass Chemical Engineering of Ministry of Education & National Key Laboratory of Biobased Transportation Fuel Technology, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- ZJU-Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Dongfang Li
- ZJU-Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Minghui Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Biomass Chemical Engineering of Ministry of Education & National Key Laboratory of Biobased Transportation Fuel Technology, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- ZJU-Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Mengxin Li
- Key Laboratory of Biomass Chemical Engineering of Ministry of Education & National Key Laboratory of Biobased Transportation Fuel Technology, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jiaojiao Zhang
- ZJU-Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yilian Zhou
- ZJU-Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Feng Xiao
- ZJU-Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Gaofei Liu
- ZJU-Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Haote Ding
- Key Laboratory of Biomass Chemical Engineering of Ministry of Education & National Key Laboratory of Biobased Transportation Fuel Technology, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- ZJU-Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Chenfan Sun
- ZJU-Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Cuifang Ye
- Key Laboratory of Biomass Chemical Engineering of Ministry of Education & National Key Laboratory of Biobased Transportation Fuel Technology, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Chang Dong
- ZJU-Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jucan Gao
- ZJU-Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Di Gao
- Key Laboratory of Biomass Chemical Engineering of Ministry of Education & National Key Laboratory of Biobased Transportation Fuel Technology, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zehua Bao
- Key Laboratory of Biomass Chemical Engineering of Ministry of Education & National Key Laboratory of Biobased Transportation Fuel Technology, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- ZJU-Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Lei Huang
- Key Laboratory of Biomass Chemical Engineering of Ministry of Education & National Key Laboratory of Biobased Transportation Fuel Technology, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- ZJU-Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zhinan Xu
- Key Laboratory of Biomass Chemical Engineering of Ministry of Education & National Key Laboratory of Biobased Transportation Fuel Technology, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jiazhang Lian
- Key Laboratory of Biomass Chemical Engineering of Ministry of Education & National Key Laboratory of Biobased Transportation Fuel Technology, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
- ZJU-Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
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6
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Yamada R, Yamamoto C, Sakaguchi R, Matsumoto T, Ogino H. Development of a metabolic engineering technology to simultaneously suppress the expression of multiple genes in yeast and application in carotenoid production. World J Microbiol Biotechnol 2024; 40:227. [PMID: 38822932 DOI: 10.1007/s11274-024-04034-7] [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: 04/09/2024] [Accepted: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/03/2024]
Abstract
In yeast metabolic engineering, there is a need for technologies that simultaneously suppress and regulate the expression of multiple genes and improve the production of target chemicals. In this study, we aimed to develop a novel technology that simultaneously suppresses the expression of multiple genes by combining RNA interference with global metabolic engineering strategy. Furthermore, using β-carotene as the target chemical, we attempted to improve its production by using the technology. First, we developed a technology to suppress the expression of the target genes with various strengths using RNA interference. Using this technology, total carotenoid production was successfully improved by suppressing the expression of a single gene out of 10 candidate genes. Then, using this technology, RNA interference strain targeting 10 candidate genes for simultaneous suppression was constructed. The total carotenoid production of the constructed RNA interference strain was 1.7 times compared with the parental strain. In the constructed strain, the expression of eight out of the 10 candidate genes was suppressed. We developed a novel technology that can simultaneously suppress the expression of multiple genes at various intensities and succeeded in improving carotenoid production in yeast. Because this technology can suppress the expression of any gene, even essential genes, using only gene sequence information, it is considered a useful technology that can suppress the formation of by-products during the production of various target chemicals by yeast.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryosuke Yamada
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Osaka Metropolitan University, 1-1 Gakuen-cho, Naka-ku, Sakai, Osaka, 599-8531, Japan.
| | - Chihiro Yamamoto
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Osaka Metropolitan University, 1-1 Gakuen-cho, Naka-ku, Sakai, Osaka, 599-8531, Japan
| | - Rumi Sakaguchi
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Osaka Metropolitan University, 1-1 Gakuen-cho, Naka-ku, Sakai, Osaka, 599-8531, Japan
| | - Takuya Matsumoto
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Osaka Metropolitan University, 1-1 Gakuen-cho, Naka-ku, Sakai, Osaka, 599-8531, Japan
| | - Hiroyasu Ogino
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Osaka Metropolitan University, 1-1 Gakuen-cho, Naka-ku, Sakai, Osaka, 599-8531, Japan
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7
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Pacalin NM, Steinhart Z, Shi Q, Belk JA, Dorovskyi D, Kraft K, Parker KR, Shy BR, Marson A, Chang HY. Bidirectional epigenetic editing reveals hierarchies in gene regulation. Nat Biotechnol 2024:10.1038/s41587-024-02213-3. [PMID: 38760566 DOI: 10.1038/s41587-024-02213-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/19/2024]
Abstract
CRISPR perturbation methods are limited in their ability to study non-coding elements and genetic interactions. In this study, we developed a system for bidirectional epigenetic editing, called CRISPRai, in which we apply activating (CRISPRa) and repressive (CRISPRi) perturbations to two loci simultaneously in the same cell. We developed CRISPRai Perturb-seq by coupling dual perturbation gRNA detection with single-cell RNA sequencing, enabling study of pooled perturbations in a mixed single-cell population. We applied this platform to study the genetic interaction between two hematopoietic lineage transcription factors, SPI1 and GATA1, and discovered novel characteristics of their co-regulation on downstream target genes, including differences in SPI1 and GATA1 occupancy at genes that are regulated through different modes. We also studied the regulatory landscape of IL2 (interleukin-2) in Jurkat T cells, primary T cells and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells and elucidated mechanisms of enhancer-mediated IL2 gene regulation. CRISPRai facilitates investigation of context-specific genetic interactions, provides new insights into gene regulation and will enable exploration of non-coding disease-associated variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naomi M Pacalin
- Center for Personal Dynamic Regulomes, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Zachary Steinhart
- Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Quanming Shi
- Center for Personal Dynamic Regulomes, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Julia A Belk
- Center for Personal Dynamic Regulomes, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Dmytro Dorovskyi
- Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Katerina Kraft
- Center for Personal Dynamic Regulomes, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Kevin R Parker
- Center for Personal Dynamic Regulomes, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Program in Epithelial Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Cartography Biosciences, Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Brian R Shy
- Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Alexander Marson
- Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Institute for Human Genetics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Diabetes Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Innovative Genomics Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Howard Y Chang
- Center for Personal Dynamic Regulomes, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
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8
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Wang H, Tan HY, Lian J, Zhou K. Nanopore sequencing improves construction of customized CRISPR-based gene activation libraries. Biotechnol Bioeng 2024; 121:1543-1553. [PMID: 38293815 DOI: 10.1002/bit.28664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Revised: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-based screening has emerged as a powerful tool for identifying new gene targets for desired cellular phenotypes. The construction of guide RNA (gRNA) pools largely determines library quality and is usually performed using Golden Gate assembly or Gibson assembly. To date, library construction methods have not been systematically compared, and the quality check of each batch has been slow. In this study, an in-house nanopore sequencing workflow was established for assessing the current methods of gRNA pool construction. The bias of pool construction was reduced by employing the polymerase-mediated non-amplifying method. Then, a small gRNA pool was utilized to characterize stronger activation domains, specifically MED2 (a subunit of mediator complex) and HAP4 (a heme activator protein), as well as to identify better gRNA choices for dCas12a-based gene activation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Furthermore, based on the better CRISPRa tool identified in this study, a custom gRNA pool, which consisted of 99 gRNAs targeting central metabolic pathways, was designed and employed to screen for gene targets that could improve ethanol utilization in S. cerevisiae. The nanopore sequencing-based workflow demonstrated here should provide a cost-effective approach for assessing the quality of customized gRNA library, leading to faster and more efficient genetic and metabolic engineering in S. cerevisiae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Handing Wang
- Key Laboratory of Biomass Chemical Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Heng Yih Tan
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Jiazhang Lian
- Key Laboratory of Biomass Chemical Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- ZJU-Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Kang Zhou
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Cluster of Food, Chemical and Biotechnology, Singapore Institute of Technology, Singapore
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9
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Yuan Y, Cao D, Zhang A, Liu Z, Deng Z, Zhang S. Targeted PLK1 suppression through RNA interference mediated by high-fidelity Cas13d mitigates osteosarcoma progression via TGF-β/Smad3 signalling. J Cell Mol Med 2024; 28:e18400. [PMID: 38780513 PMCID: PMC11114212 DOI: 10.1111/jcmm.18400] [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: 09/03/2023] [Revised: 04/01/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Osteosarcoma is the most common primary bone malignancy in children and adolescents. Overexpression of polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) is frequent in osteosarcoma and drives disease progression and metastasis, making it a promising therapeutic target. In this study, we explored PLK1 knockdown in osteosarcoma cells using RNA interference mediated by high-fidelity Cas13d (hfCas13d). PLK1 was found to be significantly upregulated in osteosarcoma tumour tissues compared to normal bone. sgRNA-mediated PLK1 suppression via hfCas13d transfection inhibited osteosarcoma cell proliferation, induced G2/M cell cycle arrest, promoted apoptosis, reduced cell invasion and increased expression of the epithelial marker E-cadherin. Proximity labelling by TurboID coupled with co-immunoprecipitation identified novel PLK1 interactions with Smad3, a key intracellular transducer of TGF-β signalling. PLK1 knockdown impaired Smad2/3 phosphorylation and modulated TGF-β/Smad3 pathway inactivation. Finally, in vivo delivery of hfCas13d vectors targeting PLK1 substantially attenuated osteosarcoma xenograft growth in nude mice. Taken together, this study highlights PLK1 as a potential therapeutic target and driver of disease progression in osteosarcoma. It also demonstrates the utility of hfCas13d-mediated gene knockdown as a strategy for targeted therapy. Further optimization of PLK1 suppression approaches may ultimately improve clinical outcomes for osteosarcoma patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Yuan
- Department of OrthopedicsChongqing General HospitalChongqingChina
- Department of Orthopedics, The Second Affiliated HospitalChongqing Medical UniversityChongqingChina
- Department of OrthopedicsDazhou Second People's Hospital of Sichuan ProvinceDazhouChina
| | - Daigui Cao
- Department of OrthopedicsChongqing General HospitalChongqingChina
| | - Anwei Zhang
- Department of OrthopedicsChongqing General HospitalChongqingChina
- Department of Orthopedics, The Second Affiliated HospitalChongqing Medical UniversityChongqingChina
| | - Zhiwei Liu
- Department of OrthopedicsChongqing General HospitalChongqingChina
| | - Zhongliang Deng
- Department of Orthopedics, The Second Affiliated HospitalChongqing Medical UniversityChongqingChina
| | - Shengli Zhang
- Department of OrthopedicsChongqing General HospitalChongqingChina
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10
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Jia YL, Zhang Y, Xu LW, Zhang ZX, Xu YS, Ma W, Gu Y, Sun XM. Enhanced fatty acid storage combined with the multi-factor optimization of fermentation for high-level production of docosahexaenoic acid in Schizochytrium sp. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2024; 398:130532. [PMID: 38447618 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2024.130532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2023] [Revised: 02/23/2024] [Accepted: 03/03/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024]
Abstract
Schizochytrium sp. hasreceived much attention for itsability to synthesize and accumulate high-level docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which can reach nearly 40 % of total fatty acids. In this study, the titer of DHA in Schizochytrium sp. was successfully improved by enhancing DHA storage through overexpressing the diacylglycerol acyltransferase (ScDGAT2C) gene, as well as optimizing the supply of precursors and cofactors required for DHA synthesis by response surface methodology. Notably, malic acid, citric acid, and biotin showed synergistic and time-dependent effects on DHA accumulation. The maximum lipid and DHA titers of the engineered Schizochytrium sp. strain reached 84.28 ± 1.02 g/L and 42.23 ± 0.69 g/L, respectively, with the optimal concentration combination (1.62 g/L malic acid + 0.37 g/L citric acid + 8.28 mg/L biotin) were added 48 h after inoculation. This study provides an effective strategy for improving lipid and DHA production in Schizochytrium sp.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Lei Jia
- School of Food Science and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210000, China
| | - Ying Zhang
- School of Food Science and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210000, China
| | - Lu-Wei Xu
- School of Food Science and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210000, China
| | - Zi-Xu Zhang
- School of Food Science and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210000, China
| | - Ying-Shuang Xu
- School of Food Science and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210000, China
| | - Wang Ma
- School of Food Science and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210000, China
| | - Yang Gu
- School of Food Science and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210000, China
| | - Xiao-Man Sun
- School of Food Science and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210000, China.
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11
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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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12
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Liang Y, Gao S, Qi X, Valentovich LN, An Y. Progress in Gene Editing and Metabolic Regulation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae with CRISPR/Cas9 Tools. ACS Synth Biol 2024; 13:428-448. [PMID: 38326929 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.3c00685] [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: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
The CRISPR/Cas9 systems have been developed as tools for genetic engineering and metabolic engineering in various organisms. In this review, various aspects of CRISPR/Cas9 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, from basic principles to practical applications, have been summarized. First, a comprehensive review has been conducted on the history of CRISPR/Cas9, successful cases of gene disruptions, and efficiencies of multiple DNA fragment insertions. Such advanced systems have accelerated the development of microbial engineering by reducing time and labor, and have enhanced the understanding of molecular genetics. Furthermore, the research progress of the CRISPR/Cas9-based systems in the production of high-value-added chemicals and the improvement of stress tolerance in S. cerevisiae have been summarized, which should have an important reference value for genetic and synthetic biology studies based on S. cerevisiae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaokun Liang
- College of Biosciences and Biotechnology, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang 110065, China
| | - Song Gao
- College of Biosciences and Biotechnology, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang 110065, China
| | - Xianghui Qi
- School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou University, Guangdong 511370, China
| | - Leonid N Valentovich
- Institute of Microbiology, National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, Minsk 220072, Belarus
| | - Yingfeng An
- College of Biosciences and Biotechnology, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang 110065, China
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13
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Cautereels C, Smets J, Bircham P, De Ruysscher D, Zimmermann A, De Rijk P, Steensels J, Gorkovskiy A, Masschelein J, Verstrepen KJ. Combinatorial optimization of gene expression through recombinase-mediated promoter and terminator shuffling in yeast. Nat Commun 2024; 15:1112. [PMID: 38326309 PMCID: PMC10850122 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-44997-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Microbes are increasingly employed as cell factories to produce biomolecules. This often involves the expression of complex heterologous biosynthesis pathways in host strains. Achieving maximal product yields and avoiding build-up of (toxic) intermediates requires balanced expression of every pathway gene. However, despite progress in metabolic modeling, the optimization of gene expression still heavily relies on trial-and-error. Here, we report an approach for in vivo, multiplexed Gene Expression Modification by LoxPsym-Cre Recombination (GEMbLeR). GEMbLeR exploits orthogonal LoxPsym sites to independently shuffle promoter and terminator modules at distinct genomic loci. This approach facilitates creation of large strain libraries, in which expression of every pathway gene ranges over 120-fold and each strain harbors a unique expression profile. When applied to the biosynthetic pathway of astaxanthin, an industrially relevant antioxidant, a single round of GEMbLeR improved pathway flux and doubled production titers. Together, this shows that GEMbLeR allows rapid and efficient gene expression optimization in heterologous biosynthetic pathways, offering possibilities for enhancing the performance of microbial cell factories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Cautereels
- VIB Laboratory for Systems Biology, VIB-KU Leuven Center for Microbiology, Leuven, 3001, Belgium
- Laboratory of Genetics and Genomics, Center of Microbial and Plant Genetics, Department M2S, KU Leuven, Gaston Geenslaan 1, Leuven, 3001, Belgium
| | - Jolien Smets
- VIB Laboratory for Systems Biology, VIB-KU Leuven Center for Microbiology, Leuven, 3001, Belgium
- Laboratory of Genetics and Genomics, Center of Microbial and Plant Genetics, Department M2S, KU Leuven, Gaston Geenslaan 1, Leuven, 3001, Belgium
| | - Peter Bircham
- VIB Laboratory for Systems Biology, VIB-KU Leuven Center for Microbiology, Leuven, 3001, Belgium
- Laboratory of Genetics and Genomics, Center of Microbial and Plant Genetics, Department M2S, KU Leuven, Gaston Geenslaan 1, Leuven, 3001, Belgium
| | - Dries De Ruysscher
- Molecular Biotechnology of Plants and Micro-organisms, Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 31, box 2438, Leuven, 3001, Belgium
- Laboratory for Biomolecular Discovery & Engineering, VIB-KU Leuven Center for Microbiology, Leuven, 3001, Belgium
| | - Anna Zimmermann
- VIB Laboratory for Systems Biology, VIB-KU Leuven Center for Microbiology, Leuven, 3001, Belgium
- Laboratory of Genetics and Genomics, Center of Microbial and Plant Genetics, Department M2S, KU Leuven, Gaston Geenslaan 1, Leuven, 3001, Belgium
| | - Peter De Rijk
- Neuromics Support Facility, VIB Center for Molecular Neurology, VIB, Antwerp, 2610, Belgium
- Neuromics Support Facility, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, 2610, Belgium
| | - Jan Steensels
- VIB Laboratory for Systems Biology, VIB-KU Leuven Center for Microbiology, Leuven, 3001, Belgium
- Laboratory of Genetics and Genomics, Center of Microbial and Plant Genetics, Department M2S, KU Leuven, Gaston Geenslaan 1, Leuven, 3001, Belgium
| | - Anton Gorkovskiy
- VIB Laboratory for Systems Biology, VIB-KU Leuven Center for Microbiology, Leuven, 3001, Belgium
- Laboratory of Genetics and Genomics, Center of Microbial and Plant Genetics, Department M2S, KU Leuven, Gaston Geenslaan 1, Leuven, 3001, Belgium
| | - Joleen Masschelein
- Molecular Biotechnology of Plants and Micro-organisms, Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 31, box 2438, Leuven, 3001, Belgium
- Laboratory for Biomolecular Discovery & Engineering, VIB-KU Leuven Center for Microbiology, Leuven, 3001, Belgium
| | - Kevin J Verstrepen
- VIB Laboratory for Systems Biology, VIB-KU Leuven Center for Microbiology, Leuven, 3001, Belgium.
- Laboratory of Genetics and Genomics, Center of Microbial and Plant Genetics, Department M2S, KU Leuven, Gaston Geenslaan 1, Leuven, 3001, Belgium.
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14
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Yu Y, Gawlitt S, de Andrade E Sousa LB, Merdivan E, Piraud M, Beisel CL, Barquist L. Improved prediction of bacterial CRISPRi guide efficiency from depletion screens through mixed-effect machine learning and data integration. Genome Biol 2024; 25:13. [PMID: 38200565 PMCID: PMC10782694 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-023-03153-y] [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: 06/19/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
CRISPR interference (CRISPRi) is the leading technique to silence gene expression in bacteria; however, design rules remain poorly defined. We develop a best-in-class prediction algorithm for guide silencing efficiency by systematically investigating factors influencing guide depletion in genome-wide essentiality screens, with the surprising discovery that gene-specific features substantially impact prediction. We develop a mixed-effect random forest regression model that provides better estimates of guide efficiency. We further apply methods from explainable AI to extract interpretable design rules from the model. This study provides a blueprint for predictive models for CRISPR technologies where only indirect measurements of guide activity are available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanying Yu
- Helmholtz Institute for RNA-Based Infection Research (HIRI), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Würzburg, 97080, Germany
| | - Sandra Gawlitt
- Helmholtz Institute for RNA-Based Infection Research (HIRI), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Würzburg, 97080, Germany
| | | | - Erinc Merdivan
- Helmholtz AI, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, 85764, Germany
| | - Marie Piraud
- Helmholtz AI, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, 85764, Germany
| | - Chase L Beisel
- Helmholtz Institute for RNA-Based Infection Research (HIRI), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Würzburg, 97080, Germany
- Medical Faculty, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, 97080, Germany
| | - Lars Barquist
- Helmholtz Institute for RNA-Based Infection Research (HIRI), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Würzburg, 97080, Germany.
- Medical Faculty, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, 97080, Germany.
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15
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Gaikani HK, Stolar M, Kriti D, Nislow C, Giaever G. From beer to breadboards: yeast as a force for biological innovation. Genome Biol 2024; 25:10. [PMID: 38178179 PMCID: PMC10768129 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-023-03156-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024] Open
Abstract
The history of yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, aka brewer's or baker's yeast, is intertwined with our own. Initially domesticated 8,000 years ago to provide sustenance to our ancestors, for the past 150 years, yeast has served as a model research subject and a platform for technology. In this review, we highlight many ways in which yeast has served to catalyze the fields of functional genomics, genome editing, gene-environment interaction investigation, proteomics, and bioinformatics-emphasizing how yeast has served as a catalyst for innovation. Several possible futures for this model organism in synthetic biology, drug personalization, and multi-omics research are also presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hamid Kian Gaikani
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Department of Chemistry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Monika Stolar
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Divya Kriti
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Corey Nislow
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
| | - Guri Giaever
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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16
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Boob AG, Chen J, Zhao H. Enabling pathway design by multiplex experimentation and machine learning. Metab Eng 2024; 81:70-87. [PMID: 38040110 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymben.2023.11.006] [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: 09/14/2023] [Revised: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/25/2023] [Indexed: 12/03/2023]
Abstract
The remarkable metabolic diversity observed in nature has provided a foundation for sustainable production of a wide array of valuable molecules. However, transferring the biosynthetic pathway to the desired host often runs into inherent failures that arise from intermediate accumulation and reduced flux resulting from competing pathways within the host cell. Moreover, the conventional trial and error methods utilized in pathway optimization struggle to fully grasp the intricacies of installed pathways, leading to time-consuming and labor-intensive experiments, ultimately resulting in suboptimal yields. Considering these obstacles, there is a pressing need to explore the enzyme expression landscape and identify the optimal pathway configuration for enhanced production of molecules. This review delves into recent advancements in pathway engineering, with a focus on multiplex experimentation and machine learning techniques. These approaches play a pivotal role in overcoming the limitations of traditional methods, enabling exploration of a broader design space and increasing the likelihood of discovering optimal pathway configurations for enhanced production of molecules. We discuss several tools and strategies for pathway design, construction, and optimization for sustainable and cost-effective microbial production of molecules ranging from bulk to fine chemicals. We also highlight major successes in academia and industry through compelling case studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aashutosh Girish Boob
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, United States; Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, United States; DOE Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Junyu Chen
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, United States; Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, United States; DOE Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Huimin Zhao
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, United States; Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, United States; Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, United States; DOE Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.
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17
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Teng Y, Jiang T, Yan Y. The expanded CRISPR toolbox for constructing microbial cell factories. Trends Biotechnol 2024; 42:104-118. [PMID: 37500408 PMCID: PMC10808275 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2023.06.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Revised: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Microbial cell factories (MCFs) convert low-cost carbon sources into valuable compounds. The CRISPR/Cas9 system has revolutionized MCF construction as a remarkable genome editing tool with unprecedented programmability. Recently, the CRISPR toolbox has been significantly expanded through the exploration of new CRISPR systems, the engineering of Cas effectors, and the incorporation of other effectors, enabling multi-level regulation and gene editing free of double-strand breaks. This expanded CRISPR toolbox powerfully promotes MCF construction by facilitating pathway construction, enzyme engineering, flux redistribution, and metabolic burden control. In this article, we summarize different CRISPR tool designs and their applications in MCF construction for gene editing, transcriptional regulation, and enzyme modulation. Finally, we also discuss future perspectives for the development and application of the CRISPR toolbox.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuxi Teng
- School of Chemical, Materials and Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Tian Jiang
- School of Chemical, Materials and Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Yajun Yan
- School of Chemical, Materials and Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA.
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18
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Bureau JA, Oliva ME, Dong Y, Ignea C. Engineering yeast for the production of plant terpenoids using synthetic biology approaches. Nat Prod Rep 2023; 40:1822-1848. [PMID: 37523210 DOI: 10.1039/d3np00005b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/01/2023]
Abstract
Covering: 2011-2022The low amounts of terpenoids produced in plants and the difficulty in synthesizing these complex structures have stimulated the production of terpenoid compounds in microbial hosts by metabolic engineering and synthetic biology approaches. Advances in engineering yeast for terpenoid production will be covered in this review focusing on four directions: (1) manipulation of host metabolism, (2) rewiring and reconstructing metabolic pathways, (3) engineering the catalytic activity, substrate selectivity and product specificity of biosynthetic enzymes, and (4) localizing terpenoid production via enzymatic fusions and scaffolds, or subcellular compartmentalization.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Yueming Dong
- Department of Bioengineering, McGill University, Montreal, QC, H3A 0C3, Canada.
| | - Codruta Ignea
- Department of Bioengineering, McGill University, Montreal, QC, H3A 0C3, Canada.
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19
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Lv X, Li Y, Xiu X, Liao C, Xu Y, Liu Y, Li J, Du G, Liu L. CRISPR genetic toolkits of classical food microorganisms: Current state and future prospects. Biotechnol Adv 2023; 69:108261. [PMID: 37741424 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2023.108261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2023] [Revised: 09/17/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/25/2023]
Abstract
Production of food-related products using microorganisms in an environmentally friendly manner is a crucial solution to global food safety and environmental pollution issues. Traditional microbial modification methods rely on artificial selection or natural mutations, which require time for repeated screening and reproduction, leading to unstable results. Therefore, it is imperative to develop rapid, efficient, and precise microbial modification technologies. This review summarizes recent advances in the construction of gene editing and metabolic regulation toolkits based on the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) and CRISPR-associated proteins (CRISPR-Cas) systems and their applications in reconstructing food microorganism metabolic networks. The development and application of gene editing toolkits from single-site gene editing to multi-site and genome-scale gene editing was also introduced. Moreover, it presented a detailed introduction to CRISPR interference, CRISPR activation, and logic circuit toolkits for metabolic network regulation. Moreover, the current challenges and future prospects for developing CRISPR genetic toolkits were also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueqin Lv
- Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China; Science Center for Future Foods, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Yang Li
- Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China; Science Center for Future Foods, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Xiang Xiu
- Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China; Science Center for Future Foods, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Chao Liao
- Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China; Science Center for Future Foods, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Yameng Xu
- Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China; Science Center for Future Foods, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Yanfeng Liu
- Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China; Science Center for Future Foods, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Jianghua Li
- Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China; Science Center for Future Foods, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Guocheng Du
- Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China; Science Center for Future Foods, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Long Liu
- Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China; Science Center for Future Foods, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China; Food Laboratory of Zhongyuan, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China.
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20
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Bai W, Huang M, Li C, Li J. The biological principles and advanced applications of DSB repair in CRISPR-mediated yeast genome editing. Synth Syst Biotechnol 2023; 8:584-596. [PMID: 37711546 PMCID: PMC10497738 DOI: 10.1016/j.synbio.2023.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2023] [Revised: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023] Open
Abstract
To improve the performance of yeast cell factories for industrial production, extensive CRISPR-mediated genome editing systems have been applied by artificially creating double-strand breaks (DSBs) to introduce mutations with the assistance of intracellular DSB repair. Diverse strategies of DSB repair are required to meet various demands, including precise editing or random editing with customized gRNAs or a gRNA library. Although most yeasts remodeling techniques have shown rewarding performance in laboratory verification, industrial yeast strain manipulation relies only on very limited strategies. Here, we comprehensively reviewed the molecular mechanisms underlying recent industrial applications to provide new insights into DSB cleavage and repair pathways in both Saccharomyces cerevisiae and other unconventional yeast species. The discussion of DSB repair covers the most frequently used homologous recombination (HR) and nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ) strategies to the less well-studied illegitimate recombination (IR) pathways, such as single-strand annealing (SSA) and microhomology-mediated end joining (MMEJ). Various CRISPR-based genome editing tools and corresponding gene editing efficiencies are described. Finally, we summarize recently developed CRISPR-based strategies that use optimized DSB repair for genome-scale editing, providing a direction for further development of yeast genome editing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenxin Bai
- Institute of Biochemical Engineering, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, 100081, Beijing, PR China
- The BIT-QUB International Joint Laboratory in Synthetic Biology, Beijing, 100081, PR China
| | - Meilan Huang
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, David Keir Building, Queen's University Belfast, Stranmillis Road, Northern Ireland, BT9 5AG, Belfast, United Kingdom
- The BIT-QUB International Joint Laboratory in Synthetic Biology, Beijing, 100081, PR China
| | - Chun Li
- Institute of Biochemical Engineering, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, 100081, Beijing, PR China
- Key Lab for Industrial Biocatalysis, Ministry of Education, Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, PR China
| | - Jun Li
- Institute of Biochemical Engineering, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, 100081, Beijing, PR China
- The BIT-QUB International Joint Laboratory in Synthetic Biology, Beijing, 100081, PR China
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21
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Barbier I, Kusumawardhani H, Chauhan L, Harlapur PV, Jolly MK, Schaerli Y. Synthetic Gene Circuits Combining CRISPR Interference and CRISPR Activation in E. coli: Importance of Equal Guide RNA Binding Affinities to Avoid Context-Dependent Effects. ACS Synth Biol 2023; 12:3064-3071. [PMID: 37813387 PMCID: PMC10594877 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.3c00375] [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: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/11/2023]
Abstract
Gene expression control based on clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) has emerged as a powerful approach for constructing synthetic gene circuits. While the use of CRISPR interference (CRISPRi) is already well-established in prokaryotic circuits, CRISPR activation (CRISPRa) is less mature, and a combination of the two in the same circuits is only just emerging. Here, we report that combining CRISPRi with SoxS-based CRISPRa in Escherichia coli can lead to context-dependent effects due to different affinities in the formation of CRISPRa and CRISPRi complexes, resulting in loss of predictable behavior. We show that this effect can be avoided by using the same scaffold guide RNA structure for both complexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Içvara Barbier
- Department
of Fundamental Microbiology, University
of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | | | - Lakshya Chauhan
- Department
of Fundamental Microbiology, University
of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
- Department
of Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Science, 560012 Bengaluru, India
| | | | - Mohit Kumar Jolly
- Department
of Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Science, 560012 Bengaluru, India
| | - Yolanda Schaerli
- Department
of Fundamental Microbiology, University
of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
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22
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Xia Y, Li Y, Shen W, Yang H, Chen X. CRISPR-Cas Technology for Bioengineering Conventional and Non-Conventional Yeasts: Progress and New Challenges. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:15310. [PMID: 37894990 PMCID: PMC10607330 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242015310] [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: 08/24/2023] [Revised: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) and CRISPR-associated protein (CRISPR-Cas) system has undergone substantial and transformative progress. Simultaneously, a spectrum of derivative technologies has emerged, spanning both conventional and non-conventional yeast strains. Non-conventional yeasts, distinguished by their robust metabolic pathways, formidable resilience against diverse stressors, and distinctive regulatory mechanisms, have emerged as a highly promising alternative for diverse industrial applications. This comprehensive review serves to encapsulate the prevailing gene editing methodologies and their associated applications within the traditional industrial microorganism, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Additionally, it delineates the current panorama of non-conventional yeast strains, accentuating their latent potential in the realm of industrial and biotechnological utilization. Within this discourse, we also contemplate the potential value these tools offer alongside the attendant challenges they pose.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanyuan Xia
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Avenue, Wuxi 214122, China; (Y.X.); (Y.L.); (W.S.); (H.Y.)
- School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Yujie Li
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Avenue, Wuxi 214122, China; (Y.X.); (Y.L.); (W.S.); (H.Y.)
- School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Wei Shen
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Avenue, Wuxi 214122, China; (Y.X.); (Y.L.); (W.S.); (H.Y.)
- School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Haiquan Yang
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Avenue, Wuxi 214122, China; (Y.X.); (Y.L.); (W.S.); (H.Y.)
- School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Xianzhong Chen
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Avenue, Wuxi 214122, China; (Y.X.); (Y.L.); (W.S.); (H.Y.)
- School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
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23
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Wu Y, Feng S, Sun Z, Hu Y, Jia X, Zeng B. An outlook to sophisticated technologies and novel developments for metabolic regulation in the Saccharomyces cerevisiae expression system. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2023; 11:1249841. [PMID: 37869712 PMCID: PMC10586203 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1249841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Saccharomyces cerevisiae is one of the most extensively used biosynthetic systems for the production of diverse bioproducts, especially biotherapeutics and recombinant proteins. Because the expression and insertion of foreign genes are always impaired by the endogenous factors of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and nonproductive procedures, various technologies have been developed to enhance the strength and efficiency of transcription and facilitate gene editing procedures. Thus, the limitations that block heterologous protein secretion have been overcome. Highly efficient promoters responsible for the initiation of transcription and the accurate regulation of expression have been developed that can be precisely regulated with synthetic promoters and double promoter expression systems. Appropriate codon optimization and harmonization for adaption to the genomic codon abundance of S. cerevisiae are expected to further improve the transcription and translation efficiency. Efficient and accurate translocation can be achieved by fusing a specifically designed signal peptide to an upstream foreign gene to facilitate the secretion of newly synthesized proteins. In addition to the widely applied promoter engineering technology and the clear mechanism of the endoplasmic reticulum secretory pathway, the innovative genome editing technique CRISPR/Cas (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPR-associated system) and its derivative tools allow for more precise and efficient gene disruption, site-directed mutation, and foreign gene insertion. This review focuses on sophisticated engineering techniques and emerging genetic technologies developed for the accurate metabolic regulation of the S. cerevisiae expression system.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Bin Zeng
- College of Pharmacy, Shenzhen Technology University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
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24
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Naseri G, Raasch H, Charpentier E, Erhardt M. A versatile regulatory toolkit of arabinose-inducible artificial transcription factors for Enterobacteriaceae. Commun Biol 2023; 6:1005. [PMID: 37789111 PMCID: PMC10547716 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05363-3] [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: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The Gram-negative bacteria Salmonella enterica and Escherichia coli are important model organisms, powerful prokaryotic expression platforms for biotechnological applications, and pathogenic strains constitute major public health threats. To facilitate new approaches for research and biotechnological applications, we here develop a set of arabinose-inducible artificial transcription factors (ATFs) using CRISPR/dCas9 and Arabidopsis-derived DNA-binding proteins to control gene expression in E. coli and Salmonella over a wide inducer concentration range. The transcriptional output of the different ATFs, in particular when expressed in Salmonella rewired for arabinose catabolism, varies over a wide spectrum (up to 35-fold gene activation). As a proof-of-concept, we use the developed ATFs to engineer a Salmonella two-input biosensor strain, SALSOR 0.2 (SALmonella biosenSOR 0.2), which detects and quantifies alkaloid drugs through a measurable fluorescent output. Moreover, we use plant-derived ATFs to regulate β-carotene biosynthesis in E. coli, resulting in ~2.1-fold higher β-carotene production compared to expression of the biosynthesis pathway using a strong constitutive promoter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gita Naseri
- Max Planck Unit for the Science of Pathogens, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany.
- Institut für Biologie, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Philippstrasse 13, 10115, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Hannah Raasch
- Institut für Biologie, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Philippstrasse 13, 10115, Berlin, Germany
| | - Emmanuelle Charpentier
- Max Planck Unit for the Science of Pathogens, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany
- Institut für Biologie, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Philippstrasse 13, 10115, Berlin, Germany
| | - Marc Erhardt
- Max Planck Unit for the Science of Pathogens, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany.
- Institut für Biologie, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Philippstrasse 13, 10115, Berlin, Germany.
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25
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Qiao S, Bai F, Cai P, Zhou YJ, Yao L. An improved CRISPRi system in Pichia pastoris. Synth Syst Biotechnol 2023; 8:479-485. [PMID: 37692202 PMCID: PMC10485788 DOI: 10.1016/j.synbio.2023.06.008] [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: 02/21/2023] [Revised: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023] Open
Abstract
CRISPR interference (CRISPRi) has been developed and widely used for gene repression in various hosts. Here we report an improved CRISPRi system in Pichia pastoris by fusing dCas9 with endogenous transcriptional repressor domains. The CRISPRi system shows strong repression of eGFP, with the highest efficiency of 85%. Repression of native genes is demonstrated by targeting AOX1 promoter. AOX1 is efficiently repressed and the mutant strains show much slower growth in methanol medium. Effects of gRNA expression and processing on CRISPRi efficiency is also investigated. It is found that gRNA processing by HH/HDV ribozymes or Csy4 endoribonuclease generating clean gRNA is critical to achieve strong repression, and Csy4 cleavage shows higher repression efficiency. However, gRNA expression using native tRNA transcription and processing systems results in relatively weaker repression of eGFP. By expression of two gRNAs targeting promoters of eGFP and AOX1 in an array together with Cys4 recognition sites, both genes can be repressed simultaneously. Cys4-mediated gRNA array processing is further applied to repress fatty acyl-CoA synthetase genes (FAA1 and FAA2). Both genes are efficiently repressed, demonstrating that Cys4 endoribonuclease has the ability to cleave gRNAs array and can be can be used for multiplexed gene repression in P. pastoris.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shujing Qiao
- Division of Biotechnology, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 457 Zhongshan Road, Dalian, 116023, PR China
- Dalian Key Laboratory of Energy Biotechnology, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, CAS, 457 Zhongshan Road, Dalian, 116023, PR China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Fan Bai
- Division of Biotechnology, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 457 Zhongshan Road, Dalian, 116023, PR China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Separation Science for Analytical Chemistry, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, 116023, PR China
| | - Peng Cai
- Division of Biotechnology, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 457 Zhongshan Road, Dalian, 116023, PR China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Separation Science for Analytical Chemistry, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, 116023, PR China
| | - Yongjin J. Zhou
- Division of Biotechnology, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 457 Zhongshan Road, Dalian, 116023, PR China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Separation Science for Analytical Chemistry, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, 116023, PR China
- Dalian Key Laboratory of Energy Biotechnology, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, CAS, 457 Zhongshan Road, Dalian, 116023, PR China
| | - Lun Yao
- Division of Biotechnology, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 457 Zhongshan Road, Dalian, 116023, PR China
- Dalian Key Laboratory of Energy Biotechnology, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, CAS, 457 Zhongshan Road, Dalian, 116023, PR China
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26
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Stepchenkova EI, Zadorsky SP, Shumega AR, Aksenova AY. Practical Approaches for the Yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae Genome Modification. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:11960. [PMID: 37569333 PMCID: PMC10419131 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241511960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Revised: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/22/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The yeast S. cerevisiae is a unique genetic object for which a wide range of relatively simple, inexpensive, and non-time-consuming methods have been developed that allow the performing of a wide variety of genome modifications. Among the latter, one can mention point mutations, disruptions and deletions of particular genes and regions of chromosomes, insertion of cassettes for the expression of heterologous genes, targeted chromosomal rearrangements such as translocations and inversions, directed changes in the karyotype (loss or duplication of particular chromosomes, changes in the level of ploidy), mating-type changes, etc. Classical yeast genome manipulations have been advanced with CRISPR/Cas9 technology in recent years that allow for the generation of multiple simultaneous changes in the yeast genome. In this review we discuss practical applications of both the classical yeast genome modification methods as well as CRISPR/Cas9 technology. In addition, we review methods for ploidy changes, including aneuploid generation, methods for mating type switching and directed DSB. Combined with a description of useful selective markers and transformation techniques, this work represents a nearly complete guide to yeast genome modification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena I. Stepchenkova
- Department of Genetics and Biotechnology, St. Petersburg State University, 199034 St. Petersburg, Russia; (E.I.S.); (S.P.Z.); (A.R.S.)
- Vavilov Institute of General Genetics, St. Petersburg Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 199034 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Sergey P. Zadorsky
- Department of Genetics and Biotechnology, St. Petersburg State University, 199034 St. Petersburg, Russia; (E.I.S.); (S.P.Z.); (A.R.S.)
- Vavilov Institute of General Genetics, St. Petersburg Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 199034 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Andrey R. Shumega
- Department of Genetics and Biotechnology, St. Petersburg State University, 199034 St. Petersburg, Russia; (E.I.S.); (S.P.Z.); (A.R.S.)
| | - Anna Y. Aksenova
- Laboratory of Amyloid Biology, St. Petersburg State University, 199034 St. Petersburg, Russia
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27
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Alba Burbano D, Cardiff RAL, Tickman BI, Kiattisewee C, Maranas CJ, Zalatan JG, Carothers JM. Engineering activatable promoters for scalable and multi-input CRISPRa/i circuits. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2220358120. [PMID: 37463216 PMCID: PMC10374173 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2220358120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Dynamic, multi-input gene regulatory networks (GRNs) are ubiquitous in nature. Multilayer CRISPR-based genetic circuits hold great promise for building GRNs akin to those found in naturally occurring biological systems. We develop an approach for creating high-performing activatable promoters that can be assembled into deep, wide, and multi-input CRISPR-activation and -interference (CRISPRa/i) GRNs. By integrating sequence-based design and in vivo screening, we engineer activatable promoters that achieve up to 1,000-fold dynamic range in an Escherichia coli-based cell-free system. These components enable CRISPRa GRNs that are six layers deep and four branches wide. We show the generalizability of the promoter engineering workflow by improving the dynamic range of the light-dependent EL222 optogenetic system from 6-fold to 34-fold. Additionally, high dynamic range promoters enable CRISPRa systems mediated by small molecules and protein-protein interactions. We apply these tools to build input-responsive CRISPRa/i GRNs, including feedback loops, logic gates, multilayer cascades, and dynamic pulse modulators. Our work provides a generalizable approach for the design of high dynamic range activatable promoters and enables classes of gene regulatory functions in cell-free systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego Alba Burbano
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
- Center for Synthetic Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
| | - Ryan A. L. Cardiff
- Center for Synthetic Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
- Molecular Engineering & Sciences Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
| | - Benjamin I. Tickman
- Center for Synthetic Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
- Molecular Engineering & Sciences Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
| | - Cholpisit Kiattisewee
- Center for Synthetic Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
- Molecular Engineering & Sciences Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
| | - Cassandra J. Maranas
- Center for Synthetic Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
- Molecular Engineering & Sciences Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
| | - Jesse G. Zalatan
- Center for Synthetic Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
- Molecular Engineering & Sciences Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
| | - James M. Carothers
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
- Center for Synthetic Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
- Molecular Engineering & Sciences Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
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28
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Jiao X, Bian Q, Feng T, Lyu X, Yu H, Ye L. Efficient Secretory Production of δ-Tocotrienol by Combining Pathway Modularization and Transportation Engineering. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2023. [PMID: 37262183 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.3c01743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
The vitamin E component δ-tocotrienol has shown impressive activities in radioprotection, neuroprotection, and cholesterol reduction. Its production is limited by the low content in plants and difficulty in separation from other tocotrienols. Fermentative production using a microbial cell factory that exclusively produces and secretes δ-tocotrienol is a promising alternative approach. Assembly of the δ-tocotrienol synthetic pathway in Saccharomyces cerevisiae followed by comprehensive pathway engineering led to the production of 73.45 mg/L δ-tocotrienol. Subsequent addition of 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (CD) and overexpression of the transcription factor PDR1 significantly elevated δ-tocotrienol titer to 241.7 mg/L (63.65 mg/g dry cell weight) in shake flasks, with 30.4% secreted. By properly adding CD and the in situ extractant olive oil, 181.12 mg/L of δ-tocotrienol was collected as an extracellular product, accounting for 85.6% of the total δ-tocotrienol production. This process provides not only a promising δ-tocotrienol cell factory but also insights into yeast engineering toward secretory production of other terpenoids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue Jiao
- Key Laboratory of Biomass Chemical Engineering (Education Ministry), College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Qi Bian
- Key Laboratory of Biomass Chemical Engineering (Education Ministry), College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- ZJU-Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, Hangzhou 311200, China
| | - Taotao Feng
- Key Laboratory of Biomass Chemical Engineering (Education Ministry), College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Xiaomei Lyu
- School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Hongwei Yu
- Key Laboratory of Biomass Chemical Engineering (Education Ministry), College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Lidan Ye
- Key Laboratory of Biomass Chemical Engineering (Education Ministry), College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- ZJU-Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, Hangzhou 311200, China
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29
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Jiang C, Geng L, Wang J, Liang Y, Guo X, Liu C, Zhao Y, Jin J, Liu Z, Mu Y. Multiplexed Gene Engineering Based on dCas9 and gRNA-tRNA Array Encoded on Single Transcript. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24108535. [PMID: 37239880 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24108535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Revised: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Simultaneously, multiplexed genome engineering and targeting multiple genomic loci are valuable to elucidating gene interactions and characterizing genetic networks that affect phenotypes. Here, we developed a general CRISPR-based platform to perform four functions and target multiple genome loci encoded in a single transcript. To establish multiple functions for multiple loci targets, we fused four RNA hairpins, MS2, PP7, com and boxB, to stem-loops of gRNA (guide RNA) scaffolds, separately. The RNA-hairpin-binding domains MCP, PCP, Com and λN22 were fused with different functional effectors. These paired combinations of cognate-RNA hairpins and RNA-binding proteins generated the simultaneous, independent regulation of multiple target genes. To ensure that all proteins and RNAs are expressed in one transcript, multiple gRNAs were constructed in a tandemly arrayed tRNA (transfer RNA)-gRNA architecture, and the triplex sequence was cloned between the protein-coding sequences and the tRNA-gRNA array. By leveraging this system, we illustrate the transcriptional activation, transcriptional repression, DNA methylation and DNA demethylation of endogenous targets using up to 16 individual CRISPR gRNAs delivered on a single transcript. This system provides a powerful platform to investigate synthetic biology questions and engineer complex-phenotype medical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chaoqian Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Cellular and Genetic Engineering of Heilongjiang Province, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
- College of Life Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Lishuang Geng
- Key Laboratory of Animal Cellular and Genetic Engineering of Heilongjiang Province, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
- College of Life Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Jinpeng Wang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Cellular and Genetic Engineering of Heilongjiang Province, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Yingjuan Liang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Cellular and Genetic Engineering of Heilongjiang Province, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Xiaochen Guo
- Key Laboratory of Animal Cellular and Genetic Engineering of Heilongjiang Province, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Chang Liu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Cellular and Genetic Engineering of Heilongjiang Province, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Yunjing Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Animal Cellular and Genetic Engineering of Heilongjiang Province, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Junxue Jin
- Key Laboratory of Animal Cellular and Genetic Engineering of Heilongjiang Province, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
- College of Life Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Zhonghua Liu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Cellular and Genetic Engineering of Heilongjiang Province, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
- College of Life Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Yanshuang Mu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Cellular and Genetic Engineering of Heilongjiang Province, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
- College of Life Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
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30
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Xu S, Gao S, An Y. Research progress of engineering microbial cell factories for pigment production. Biotechnol Adv 2023; 65:108150. [PMID: 37044266 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2023.108150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2022] [Revised: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2023]
Abstract
Pigments are widely used in people's daily life, such as food additives, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, textiles, etc. In recent years, the natural pigments produced by microorganisms have attracted increased attention because these processes cannot be affected by seasons like the plant extraction methods, and can also avoid the environmental pollution problems caused by chemical synthesis. Synthetic biology and metabolic engineering have been used to construct and optimize metabolic pathways for production of natural pigments in cellular factories. Building microbial cell factories for synthesis of natural pigments has many advantages, including well-defined genetic background of the strains, high-density and rapid culture of cells, etc. Until now, the technical means about engineering microbial cell factories for pigment production and metabolic regulation processes have not been systematically analyzed and summarized. Therefore, the studies about construction, modification and regulation of synthetic pathways for microbial synthesis of pigments in recent years have been reviewed, aiming to provide an up-to-date summary of engineering strategies for microbial synthesis of natural pigments including carotenoids, melanins, riboflavins, azomycetes and quinones. This review should provide new ideas for further improving microbial production of natural pigments in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shumin Xu
- College of Biosciences and Biotechnology, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, China; College of Food Science, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, China
| | - Song Gao
- College of Biosciences and Biotechnology, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, China
| | - Yingfeng An
- College of Biosciences and Biotechnology, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, China; College of Food Science, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, China; Shenyang Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources Mining and Molecular Breeding, Shenyang, China; Liaoning Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural Biotechnology, Shenyang, China.
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31
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Pham NN, Chang CW, Chang YH, Tu Y, Chou JY, Wang HY, Hu YC. Rational genome and metabolic engineering of Candida viswanathii by split CRISPR to produce hundred grams of dodecanedioic acid. Metab Eng 2023; 77:76-88. [PMID: 36948241 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymben.2023.03.007] [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: 06/09/2022] [Revised: 01/29/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/24/2023]
Abstract
Candida viswanathii is a promising cell factory for producing dodecanedioic acid (DDA) and other long chain dicarboxylic acids. However, metabolic engineering of C. viswanathii is difficult partly due to the lack of synthetic biology toolkits. Here we developed CRISPR-based approaches for rational genome and metabolic engineering of C. viswanathii. We first optimized the CRISPR system and protocol to promote the homozygous gene integration efficiency to >60%. We also designed a split CRISPR system for one-step integration of multiple genes into C. viswanathii. We uncovered that co-expression of CYP52A19, CPRb and FAO2 that catalyze different steps in the biotransformation enhances DDA production and abolishes accumulation of intermediates. We also unveiled that co-expression of additional enzyme POS5 further promotes DDA production and augments cell growth. We harnessed the split CRISPR system to co-integrate these 4 genes (13.6 kb) into C. viswanathii and generated a stable strain that doubles the DDA titer (224 g/L), molar conversion (83%) and productivity (1.87 g/L/h) when compared with the parent strain. This study altogether identifies appropriate enzymes/promoters to augment dodecane conversion to DDA and implicates the potential of split CRISPR system for metabolic engineering of C. viswanathii.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nam Ngoc Pham
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Chin-Wei Chang
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Hao Chang
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Yi Tu
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - June-Yen Chou
- Innovation and R&D Division, Chang Chun Group, Taipei, Taiwan; Dairen Chemical Corp, Taipei, Taiwan
| | | | - Yu-Chen Hu
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan; Frontier Research Center on Fundamental and Applied Sciences of Matters, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan.
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32
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González-Arrué N, Inostroza I, Conejeros R, Rivas-Astroza M. Phenotype-specific estimation of metabolic fluxes using gene expression data. iScience 2023; 26:106201. [PMID: 36915687 PMCID: PMC10006673 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106201] [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: 09/22/2022] [Revised: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
A cell's genome influences its metabolism via the expression of enzyme-related genes, but transcriptome and fluxome are not perfectly correlated as post-transcriptional mechanisms also regulate reaction's kinetics. Here, we addressed the question: given a transcriptome, how unobserved mechanisms of reaction kinetics should be systematically accounted for when inferring the fluxome? To infer the most likely and least biased fluxome, we present Pheflux, a constraint-based model maximizing Shannon's entropy of fluxes per mRNA. Benchmarked against 13C fluxes of yeast and bacteria, Pheflux accurately estimates the carbon core metabolism. We applied Pheflux to thousands of normal and tumor cell transcriptomes obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas. Pheflux showed statistically significantly higher glucose yields on lactate in breast, kidney, and bronchus-lung tumoral cells than their normal counterparts. Results are consistent with the Warburg effect, a hallmark of cancer metabolism, suggesting that Pheflux can be efficiently used to study the metabolism of eukaryotic cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolás González-Arrué
- Universidad Tecnológica Metropolitana, Departamento de Biotecnología, Ñuñoa, Santiago 7800003, Chile
| | - Isidora Inostroza
- Universidad Tecnológica Metropolitana, Departamento de Biotecnología, Ñuñoa, Santiago 7800003, Chile
| | - Raúl Conejeros
- Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Escuela de Ingeniería Bioquímica, Valparaíso, 2362803, Chile
| | - Marcelo Rivas-Astroza
- Universidad Tecnológica Metropolitana, Departamento de Biotecnología, Ñuñoa, Santiago 7800003, Chile
- Corresponding author
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33
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Meng J, Qiu Y, Zhang Y, Zhao H, Shi S. CMI: CRISPR/Cas9 Based Efficient Multiplexed Integration in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. ACS Synth Biol 2023; 12:1408-1414. [PMID: 36853024 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.2c00591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/01/2023]
Abstract
Genomic integration is the preferred method for gene expression in microbial industrial production. However, traditional homologous recombination based multiplexed integration methods often suffer from low integration efficiency and complex experimental procedures. Here, we report a CRISPR/Cas9 based multiplexed integration (CMI) system in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which can achieve quadruple integration at an individual locus without pre-engineering the host. A fused protein, Cas9-Brex27, was used as a bait to attract Rad51 recombinase to the proximity of the double-strand breaks introduced by the CRISPR/Cas9 system. The efficiency of quadruple integration was increased to 53.9% with 40 bp homology arms (HAs) and 78% with 100 bp HAs. CMI was applied to integrate a heterologous mogrol biosynthetic pathway consisting of four genes in a one-step transformation and offered an efficient solution for multiplexed integration. This method expands the synthetic biology toolbox of S. cerevisiae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Meng
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Yue Qiu
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Yueping Zhang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Huimin Zhao
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Shuobo Shi
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
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34
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Zhou S, Fatma Z, Xue P, Mishra S, Cao M, Zhao H, Sweedler JV. Mass Spectrometry-Based High-Throughput Quantification of Bioproducts in Liquid Culture. Anal Chem 2023; 95:4067-4076. [PMID: 36790390 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.2c04845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/16/2023]
Abstract
To meet the ever-increasing need for high-throughput screening in metabolic engineering, information-rich, fast screening methods are needed. Mass spectrometry (MS) provides an efficient and general approach for metabolite screening and offers the capability of characterizing a broad range of analytes in a label-free manner, but often requires a range of sample clean-up and extraction steps. Liquid extraction surface analysis (LESA) coupled MS is an image-guided MS surface analysis approach that directly samples and introduces metabolites from a surface to MS. Here, we combined the advantages of LESA-MS and an acoustic liquid handler with stable isotope-labeled internal standards. This approach provides absolute quantitation of target chemicals from liquid culture-dried droplets and enables high-throughput quantitative screening for microbial metabolites. In this study, LESA-MS was successfully applied to quantify several different metabolites (itaconic acid, triacetic acid lactone, and palmitic acid) from different yeast strains in different mediums, demonstrating its versatility, accuracy, and efficiency across a range of microbial engineering applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuaizhen Zhou
- Department of Energy Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Zia Fatma
- Department of Energy Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Pu Xue
- Department of Energy Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Shekhar Mishra
- Department of Energy Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Mingfeng Cao
- Department of Energy Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Huimin Zhao
- Department of Energy Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Jonathan V Sweedler
- Department of Energy Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
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35
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Bian Q, Jiao X, Chen Y, Yu H, Ye L. Hierarchical dynamic regulation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae for enhanced lutein biosynthesis. Biotechnol Bioeng 2023; 120:536-552. [PMID: 36369967 DOI: 10.1002/bit.28286] [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: 07/27/2022] [Revised: 10/26/2022] [Accepted: 11/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Lutein, as a carotenoid with strong antioxidant capacity and an important component of macular pigment in the retina, has wide applications in pharmaceutical, food, feed, and cosmetics industries. Besides extraction from plant and algae, microbial fermentation using engineered cell factories to produce lutein has emerged as a promising route. However, intra-pathway competition between the lycopene cyclases and the conflict between cell growth and production are two major challenges. In our previous study, de novo synthesis of lutein had been achieved in Saccharomyces cerevisiae by dividing the pathway into two stages (δ-carotene formation and conversion) using temperature as the input signal to realize sequential cyclation of lycopene. However, lutein production was limited to microgram level, which is still too low to meet industrial demand. In this study, a dual-signal hierarchical dynamic regulation system was developed and applied to divide lutein biosynthesis into three stages in response to glucose concentration and culture temperature. By placing the genes involved in δ-carotene formation under the glucose-responsive ADH2 promoter and genes involved in the conversion of δ-carotene to lutein under temperature-responsive GAL promoters, the growth-production conflict and intra-pathway competition were simultaneously resolved. Meanwhile, the rate-limiting lycopene ε-cyclation and carotene hydroxylation reactions were improved by screening for lycopene ε-cyclase with higher activity and fine tuning of the P450 enzymes and their redox partners. Finally, a lutein titer of 19.92 mg/L (4.53 mg/g DCW) was obtained in shake-flask cultures using the engineered yeast strain YLutein-3S-6, which is the highest lutein titer ever reported in heterologous production systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Bian
- Institute of Bioengineering, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.,ZJU-Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xue Jiao
- Institute of Bioengineering, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Ye Chen
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Genetic and Developmental Disorders, Institute of Genetics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Hongwei Yu
- Institute of Bioengineering, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Lidan Ye
- Institute of Bioengineering, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.,ZJU-Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, Hangzhou, China
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36
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Xu Z, Park TJ, Cao H. Advances in mining and expressing microbial biosynthetic gene clusters. Crit Rev Microbiol 2023; 49:18-37. [PMID: 35166616 DOI: 10.1080/1040841x.2022.2036099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Natural products (NPs) especially the secondary metabolites originated from microbes exhibit great importance in biomedical, industrial and agricultural applications. However, mining biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) to produce novel NPs has been hindered owing that a large population of environmental microbes are unculturable. In the past decade, strategies to explore BGCs directly from (meta)genomes have been established along with the fast development of high-throughput sequencing technologies and the powerful bioinformatics data-processing tools, which greatly expedited the exploitations of novel BGCs from unculturable microbes including the extremophilic microbes. In this review, we firstly summarized the popular bioinformatics tools and databases available to mine novel BGCs from (meta)genomes based on either pure cultures or pristine environmental samples. Noticeably, approaches rooted from machine learning and deep learning with focuses on the prediction of ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs) were dramatically increased in recent years. Moreover, synthetic biology techniques to express the novel BGCs in culturable native microbes or heterologous hosts were introduced. This working pipeline including the discovery and biosynthesis of novel NPs will greatly advance the exploitations of the abundant but unexplored microbial BGCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zeling Xu
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Signals and Disease Control, Integrative Microbiology Research Center, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Tae-Jin Park
- HME Healthcare Co., Ltd, Suwon-si, Republic of Korea
| | - Huiluo Cao
- Department of Microbiology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
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37
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Yeom J, Park JS, Jung SW, Lee S, Kwon H, Yoo SM. High-throughput genetic engineering tools for regulating gene expression in a microbial cell factory. Crit Rev Biotechnol 2023; 43:82-99. [PMID: 34957867 DOI: 10.1080/07388551.2021.2007351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
With the rapid advances in biotechnological tools and strategies, microbial cell factory-constructing strategies have been established for the production of value-added compounds. However, optimizing the tradeoff between the biomass, yield, and titer remains a challenge in microbial production. Gene regulation is necessary to optimize and control metabolic fluxes in microorganisms for high-production performance. Various high-throughput genetic engineering tools have been developed for achieving rational gene regulation and genetic perturbation, diversifying the cellular phenotype and enhancing bioproduction performance. In this paper, we review the current high-throughput genetic engineering tools for gene regulation. In particular, technological approaches used in a diverse range of genetic tools for constructing microbial cell factories are introduced, and representative applications of these tools are presented. Finally, the prospects for high-throughput genetic engineering tools for gene regulation are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinho Yeom
- School of Integrative Engineering, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jong Seong Park
- School of Integrative Engineering, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Seung-Woon Jung
- School of Integrative Engineering, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Sumin Lee
- School of Integrative Engineering, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyukjin Kwon
- School of Integrative Engineering, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Seung Min Yoo
- School of Integrative Engineering, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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38
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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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39
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Current status and future prospects in cannabinoid production through in vitro culture and synthetic biology. Biotechnol Adv 2023; 62:108074. [PMID: 36481387 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2022.108074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2022] [Revised: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
For centuries, cannabis has been a rich source of fibrous, pharmaceutical, and recreational ingredients. Phytocannabinoids are the most important and well-known class of cannabis-derived secondary metabolites and display a broad range of health-promoting and psychoactive effects. The unique characteristics of phytocannabinoids (e.g., metabolite likeness, multi-target spectrum, and safety profile) have resulted in the development and approval of several cannabis-derived drugs. While most work has focused on the two main cannabinoids produced in the plant, over 150 unique cannabinoids have been identified. To meet the rapidly growing phytocannabinoid demand, particularly many of the minor cannabinoids found in low amounts in planta, biotechnology offers promising alternatives for biosynthesis through in vitro culture and heterologous systems. In recent years, the engineered production of phytocannabinoids has been obtained through synthetic biology both in vitro (cell suspension culture and hairy root culture) and heterologous systems. However, there are still several bottlenecks (e.g., the complexity of the cannabinoid biosynthetic pathway and optimizing the bioprocess), hampering biosynthesis and scaling up the biotechnological process. The current study reviews recent advances related to in vitro culture-mediated cannabinoid production. Additionally, an integrated overview of promising conventional approaches to cannabinoid production is presented. Progress toward cannabinoid production in heterologous systems and possible avenues for avoiding autotoxicity are also reviewed and highlighted. Machine learning is then introduced as a powerful tool to model, and optimize bioprocesses related to cannabinoid production. Finally, regulation and manipulation of the cannabinoid biosynthetic pathway using CRISPR- mediated metabolic engineering is discussed.
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40
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Žun G, Doberšek K, Petrovič U. Construction and evaluation of gRNA arrays for multiplex CRISPR-Cas9. Yeast 2023; 40:32-41. [PMID: 36536407 PMCID: PMC10107897 DOI: 10.1002/yea.3833] [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: 07/02/2022] [Revised: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Endonuclease system CRISPR-Cas9 represents a powerful toolbox for the budding yeast's Saccharomyces cerevisiae genome perturbation. The resulting double-strand breaks are preferentially repaired via highly efficient homologous recombination, which subsequently leads to marker-free genome editing. The goal of this study was to evaluate precise targeting of multiple loci simultaneously. To construct an array of independently expressing guide RNAs (gRNAs), the genes encoding them were assembled through a BioBrick construction procedure. We designed a multiplex CRISPR-Cas9 system for targeting 6 marker genes, whereby the gRNA array was expressed from a single plasmid. To evaluate the performance of the gRNA array, the activity of the designed system was assessed by the success rate of the introduction of perturbations within the target loci: successful gRNA expression, followed by target DNA double-strand breaks formation and their repair by homologous recombination led to premature termination of the coding sequence of the marker genes, resulting in the prevention of growth of the transformants on the corresponding selection media. In conclusion, we successfully introduced up to five simultaneous perturbations within single cells of yeast S. cerevisiae using the multiplex CRISPR-Cas9 system. While this has been done before, we here present an alternative sequential BioBrick assembly with the capability to accommodate many highly similar gRNA-expression cassettes, and an exhaustive evaluation of their performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gašper Žun
- Department of Molecular and Biomedical SciencesJožef Stefan InstituteLjubljanaSlovenia
- Department of Biology, Biotechnical FacultyUniversity of LjubljanaLjubljanaSlovenia
| | - Katja Doberšek
- Department of Molecular and Biomedical SciencesJožef Stefan InstituteLjubljanaSlovenia
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical TechnologyUniversity of LjubljanaLjubljanaSlovenia
| | - Uroš Petrovič
- Department of Molecular and Biomedical SciencesJožef Stefan InstituteLjubljanaSlovenia
- Department of Biology, Biotechnical FacultyUniversity of LjubljanaLjubljanaSlovenia
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41
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Volk MJ, Tran VG, Tan SI, Mishra S, Fatma Z, Boob A, Li H, Xue P, Martin TA, Zhao H. Metabolic Engineering: Methodologies and Applications. Chem Rev 2022; 123:5521-5570. [PMID: 36584306 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.2c00403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Metabolic engineering aims to improve the production of economically valuable molecules through the genetic manipulation of microbial metabolism. While the discipline is a little over 30 years old, advancements in metabolic engineering have given way to industrial-level molecule production benefitting multiple industries such as chemical, agriculture, food, pharmaceutical, and energy industries. This review describes the design, build, test, and learn steps necessary for leading a successful metabolic engineering campaign. Moreover, we highlight major applications of metabolic engineering, including synthesizing chemicals and fuels, broadening substrate utilization, and improving host robustness with a focus on specific case studies. Finally, we conclude with a discussion on perspectives and future challenges related to metabolic engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J Volk
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,DOE Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Vinh G Tran
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,DOE Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Shih-I Tan
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,DOE Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,Department of Chemical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan
| | - Shekhar Mishra
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,DOE Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Zia Fatma
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,DOE Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Aashutosh Boob
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,DOE Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Hongxiang Li
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Pu Xue
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,DOE Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Teresa A Martin
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,DOE Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Huimin Zhao
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,DOE Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
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42
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Holland K, Blazeck J. High throughput mutagenesis and screening for yeast engineering. J Biol Eng 2022; 16:37. [PMID: 36575525 PMCID: PMC9793380 DOI: 10.1186/s13036-022-00315-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2022] [Accepted: 12/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The eukaryotic yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a model host utilized for whole cell biocatalytic conversions, protein evolution, and scientific inquiries into the pathogenesis of human disease. Over the past decade, the scale and pace of such studies has drastically increased alongside the advent of novel tools for both genome-wide studies and targeted genetic mutagenesis. In this review, we will detail past and present (e.g., CRISPR/Cas) genome-scale screening platforms, typically employed in the context of growth-based selections for improved whole cell phenotype or for mechanistic interrogations. We will further highlight recent advances that enable the rapid and often continuous evolution of biomolecules with improved function. Additionally, we will detail the corresponding advances in high throughput selection and screening strategies that are essential for assessing or isolating cellular and protein improvements. Finally, we will describe how future developments can continue to advance yeast high throughput engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kendreze Holland
- grid.213917.f0000 0001 2097 4943Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia USA ,grid.213917.f0000 0001 2097 4943Bioengineering Program, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia USA
| | - John Blazeck
- grid.213917.f0000 0001 2097 4943Bioengineering Program, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia USA ,grid.213917.f0000 0001 2097 4943School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia USA
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43
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Scott L, Wigglesworth MJ, Siewers V, Davis AM, David F. Genetically Encoded Whole Cell Biosensor for Drug Discovery of HIF-1 Interaction Inhibitors. ACS Synth Biol 2022; 11:3182-3189. [PMID: 36223492 PMCID: PMC9594322 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.2c00274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
The heterodimeric transcription factor, hypoxia inducible factor-1 (HIF-1), is an important anticancer target as it supports the adaptation and response of tumors to hypoxia. Here, we optimized the repressed transactivator yeast two-hybrid system to further develop it as part of a versatile yeast-based drug discovery platform and validated it using HIF-1. We demonstrate both fluorescence-based and auxotrophy-based selections that could detect HIF-1α/HIF-1β dimerization inhibition. The engineered genetic selection is tunable and able to differentiate between strong and weak interactions, shows a large dynamic range, and is stable over different growth phases. Furthermore, we engineered mechanisms to control for cellular activity and off-target drug effects. We thoroughly characterized all parts of the biosensor system and argue this tool will be generally applicable to a wide array of protein-protein interaction targets. We anticipate this biosensor will be useful as part of a drug discovery platform, particularly when screening DNA-encoded new modality drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louis
H. Scott
- Discovery
Sciences, Biopharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, SE-41320 Gothenburg, Sweden,Department
of Biology and Biological Engineering, Division of Systems and Synthetic
Biology, Chalmers University of Technology, SE-41296 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Mark J. Wigglesworth
- Discovery
Sciences, Biopharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, Alderley Park SK10 2NA, U.K.
| | - Verena Siewers
- Department
of Biology and Biological Engineering, Division of Systems and Synthetic
Biology, Chalmers University of Technology, SE-41296 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Andrew M. Davis
- Discovery
Sciences, Biopharmaceutical R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, CB2 0AA, U.K.
| | - Florian David
- Department
of Biology and Biological Engineering, Division of Systems and Synthetic
Biology, Chalmers University of Technology, SE-41296 Gothenburg, Sweden,
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44
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Cai G, Lin Z, Shi S. Development and expansion of the CRISPR/Cas9 toolboxes for powerful genome engineering in yeast. Enzyme Microb Technol 2022; 159:110056. [PMID: 35561628 DOI: 10.1016/j.enzmictec.2022.110056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Revised: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Yeasts represent a group of the microorganisms most frequently seen in biotechnology. Recently, the class 2 type II CRISPR system (CRISPR/Cas9) has become the principal toolbox for genome editing. By efficiently implementing genetic manipulations such as gene integration/knockout, base editor, and transcription regulation, the development of biotechnological applications in yeasts has been extensively promoted. The genome-level tools based on CRISPR/Cas9, used for screening and identifying functional genes/gene clusters, are also advancing. In general, CRISPR/Cas9-assisted editing tools have gradually become standardized and function as host-orthogonal genetic systems, which results in time-saving for strain engineering and biotechnological application processes. In this review, we summarize the key points of the basic elements in the CRISPR/Cas9 system, including Cas9 variants, guide RNA, donors, and effectors. With a focus on yeast, we have also introduced the development of various CRISPR/Cas9 systems and discussed their future possibilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guang Cai
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, PR China
| | - Zhenquan Lin
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, PR China
| | - Shuobo Shi
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, PR China.
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45
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Xiu X, Sun Y, Wu Y, Jin K, Qu L, Liu Y, Li J, Du G, Lv X, Liu L. Modular remodeling of sterol metabolism for overproduction of 7-dehydrocholesterol in engineered yeast. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2022; 360:127572. [PMID: 35792326 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2022.127572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Revised: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 06/30/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Vitamin D3 is a fat-soluble vitamin essential for the human body, and the biosynthesis of its precursor, 7-dehydrocholesterol (7-DHC), gains extensive attention. In this work, six genes (tHMG1, IDI1, ERG1, ERG11, ADH2, ERG7) and a transcription factor mutant UPC2G888A were overexpressed, increasing the 7-DHC titer from 1.2 to 115.3 mg/L. The CRISPR-mediated activation and repression systems were constructed and applied to the synthesis of 7-DHC, increasing the 7-DHC titer to 312.4 mg/L. Next, enzymes were compartmentalized into the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and the ER lumen was enlarged by overexpressing INO2. The 7-DHC titer of the finally engineered yeast reached 455.6 mg/L in a shake flask and 2870 mg/L in a 5 L bioreactor, the highest 7-DHC titer reported so far. Overall, this study achieved a highly efficient 7-DHC synthesis by remodeling the complicated sterol synthesis modules, paving the way for large-scale 7-DHC bioproduction in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang Xiu
- Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China; Science Center for Future Foods, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Yi Sun
- Richen Bioengineering Co., Ltd, Nantong 226000, China
| | - Yaokang Wu
- Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China; Science Center for Future Foods, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Ke Jin
- Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China; Science Center for Future Foods, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Lisha Qu
- Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China; Science Center for Future Foods, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Yanfeng Liu
- Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China; Science Center for Future Foods, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Jianghua Li
- Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China; Science Center for Future Foods, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Guocheng Du
- Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China; Science Center for Future Foods, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Xueqin Lv
- Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China; Science Center for Future Foods, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Long Liu
- Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China; Science Center for Future Foods, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China.
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46
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Downes DJ, Hughes JR. Natural and Experimental Rewiring of Gene Regulatory Regions. Annu Rev Genomics Hum Genet 2022; 23:73-97. [PMID: 35472292 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-genom-112921-010715] [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: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The successful development and ongoing functioning of complex organisms depend on the faithful execution of the genetic code. A critical step in this process is the correct spatial and temporal expression of genes. The highly orchestrated transcription of genes is controlled primarily by cis-regulatory elements: promoters, enhancers, and insulators. The medical importance of this key biological process can be seen by the frequency with which mutations and inherited variants that alter cis-regulatory elements lead to monogenic and complex diseases and cancer. Here, we provide an overview of the methods available to characterize and perturb gene regulatory circuits. We then highlight mechanisms through which regulatory rewiring contributes to disease, and conclude with a perspective on how our understanding of gene regulation can be used to improve human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damien J Downes
- MRC Molecular Haematology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom;
| | - Jim R Hughes
- MRC Molecular Haematology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom;
- MRC WIMM Centre for Computational Biology, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom;
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Shaw WM, Studená L, Roy K, Hapeta P, McCarty NS, Graham AE, Ellis T, Ledesma-Amaro R. Inducible expression of large gRNA arrays for multiplexed CRISPRai applications. Nat Commun 2022; 13:4984. [PMID: 36008396 PMCID: PMC9411621 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-32603-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
CRISPR gene activation and inhibition (CRISPRai) has become a powerful synthetic tool for influencing the expression of native genes for foundational studies, cellular reprograming, and metabolic engineering. Here we develop a method for near leak-free, inducible expression of a polycistronic array containing up to 24 gRNAs from two orthogonal CRISPR/Cas systems to increase CRISPRai multiplexing capacity and target gene flexibility. To achieve strong inducibility, we create a technology to silence gRNA expression within the array in the absence of the inducer, since we found that long gRNA arrays for CRISPRai can express themselves even without promoter. Using this method, we create a highly tuned and easy-to-use CRISPRai toolkit in the industrially relevant yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, establishing the first system to combine simultaneous activation and repression, large multiplexing capacity, and inducibility. We demonstrate this toolkit by targeting 11 genes in central metabolism in a single transformation, achieving a 45-fold increase in succinic acid, which could be precisely controlled in an inducible manner. Our method offers a highly effective way to regulate genes and rewire metabolism in yeast, with principles of gRNA array construction and inducibility that should extend to other chassis organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- William M Shaw
- Imperial College Centre for Synthetic Biology, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Lucie Studená
- Imperial College Centre for Synthetic Biology, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Kyler Roy
- Imperial College Centre for Synthetic Biology, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Piotr Hapeta
- Imperial College Centre for Synthetic Biology, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Nicholas S McCarty
- Imperial College Centre for Synthetic Biology, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Alicia E Graham
- Imperial College Centre for Synthetic Biology, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Tom Ellis
- Imperial College Centre for Synthetic Biology, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Rodrigo Ledesma-Amaro
- Imperial College Centre for Synthetic Biology, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK.
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK.
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48
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Li W, Cui L, Mai J, Shi TQ, Lin L, Zhang ZG, Ledesma-Amaro R, Dong W, Ji XJ. Advances in Metabolic Engineering Paving the Way for the Efficient Biosynthesis of Terpenes in Yeasts. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2022; 70:9246-9261. [PMID: 35854404 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.2c03917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Terpenes are a large class of secondary metabolites with diverse structures and functions that are commonly used as valuable raw materials in food, cosmetics, and medicine. With the development of metabolic engineering and emerging synthetic biology tools, these important terpene compounds can be sustainably produced using different microbial chassis. Currently, yeasts such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Yarrowia lipolytica have received extensive attention as potential hosts for the production of terpenes due to their clear genetic background and endogenous mevalonate pathway. In this review, we summarize the natural terpene biosynthesis pathways and various engineering strategies, including enzyme engineering, pathway engineering, and cellular engineering, to further improve the terpene productivity and strain stability in these two widely used yeasts. In addition, the future prospects of yeast-based terpene production are discussed in light of the current progress, challenges, and trends in this field. Finally, guidelines for future studies are also emphasized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenjuan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, No. 30 South Puzhu Road, Nanjing 211816, People's Republic of China
| | - Liuwei Cui
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, No. 30 South Puzhu Road, Nanjing 211816, People's Republic of China
| | - Jie Mai
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, No. 30 South Puzhu Road, Nanjing 211816, People's Republic of China
| | - Tian-Qiong Shi
- School of Food Science and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, No. 1 Wenyuan Road, Nanjing 210046, People's Republic of China
| | - Lu Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, No. 30 South Puzhu Road, Nanjing 211816, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhi-Gang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, No. 30 South Puzhu Road, Nanjing 211816, People's Republic of China
| | - Rodrigo Ledesma-Amaro
- Department of Bioengineering and Imperial College Centre for Synthetic Biology, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
| | - Weiliang Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, No. 30 South Puzhu Road, Nanjing 211816, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiao-Jun Ji
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, No. 30 South Puzhu Road, Nanjing 211816, People's Republic of China
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49
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He BT, Liu ZH, Li BZ, Yuan YJ. Advances in biosynthesis of scopoletin. Microb Cell Fact 2022; 21:152. [PMID: 35918699 PMCID: PMC9344664 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-022-01865-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Scopoletin is a typical example of coumarins, which can be produced in plants. Scopoletin acts as a precursor for pharmaceutical and health care products, and also possesses promising biological properties, including antibacterial, anti-tubercular, anti-hypertensive, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, and anti-hyperuricemic activity. Despite the potential benefits, the production of scopoletin using traditional extraction processes from plants is unsatisfactory. In recent years, synthetic biology has developed rapidly and enabled the effective construction of microbial cell factories for production of high value-added chemicals. Herein, this review summarizes the progress of scopoletin biosynthesis in artificial microbial cell factories. The two main pathways of scopoletin biosynthesis are summarized firstly. Then, synthetic microbial cell factories are reviewed as an attractive improvement strategy for biosynthesis. Emerging techniques in synthetic biology and metabolic engineering are introduced as innovative tools for the efficient synthesis of scopoletin. This review showcases the potential of biosynthesis of scopoletin in artificial microbial cell factories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo-Tao He
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhi-Hua Liu
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, People's Republic of China
| | - Bing-Zhi Li
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, People's Republic of China.
| | - Ying-Jin Yuan
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, People's Republic of China
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50
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Li M, Zhou P, Chen M, Yu H, Ye L. Spatiotemporal Regulation of Astaxanthin Synthesis in S. cerevisiae. ACS Synth Biol 2022; 11:2636-2649. [PMID: 35914247 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.2c00044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
As a high-valued antioxidant, astaxanthin biosynthesis using microbial cell factories has attracted increasing attention. However, its lipophilic nature conflicts with the limited storage capacity for lipophilic substances of model microorganisms such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Expansion of lipid droplets by enhancing lipid synthesis provides more storage room while diverting the metabolic flux from the target pathway. Therefore, proper spatial regulation is required. In this study, a library of genes related to lipid metabolism were screened using the trifunctional CRISPR system, identifying opi3 and hrd1 as new engineering targets to promote astaxanthin synthesis by moderately rather than excessively upregulating lipid synthesis. The astaxanthin yield reached 9.79 mg/g DCW after lipid engineering and was further improved to 10.21 mg/g DCW by balancing the expression of β-carotene hydroxylase and ketolase. Finally, by combining spatial regulation through lipid droplet engineering and temporal regulation via temperature-responsive pathway expression, 446.4 mg/L astaxanthin was produced in fed-batch fermentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Li
- Institute of Bioengineering, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
| | - Pingping Zhou
- Institute of Bioengineering, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China.,College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Mingkai Chen
- Institute of Bioengineering, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
| | - Hongwei Yu
- Institute of Bioengineering, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
| | - Lidan Ye
- Institute of Bioengineering, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China.,ZJU-Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, Hangzhou 311200, China
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