1
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Kotsuka T, Hori Y. Stability Analysis for Large-Scale Multi-Agent Molecular Communication Systems. IEEE Trans Nanobioscience 2024; 23:507-517. [PMID: 38781070 DOI: 10.1109/tnb.2024.3404592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
Molecular communication (MC) is recently featured as a novel communication tool to connect individual biological nanorobots. It is expected that a large number of nanorobots can form large multi-agent MC systems through MC to accomplish complex and large-scale tasks that cannot be achieved by a single nanorobot. However, most previous models for MC systems assume a unidirectional diffusion communication channel and cannot capture the feedback between each nanorobot, which is important for multi-agent MC systems. In this paper, we introduce a system theoretic model for large-scale multi-agent MC systems using transfer functions, and then propose a method to analyze the stability for multi-agent MC systems. The proposed method decomposes the multi-agent MC system into multiple single-input and single-output (SISO) systems, which facilitates the application of simple analysis technique for SISO systems to the large-scale multi-agent MC system. Finally, we demonstrate the proposed method by analyzing the stability of a specific large-scale multi-agent MC system and clarify a parameter region to synchronize the states of nanorobots, which is important to make cooperative behaviors at a population level.
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2
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Tica J, Chen H, Luo S, Chen M, Isalan M. Engineering Tunable, Low Latency Spatial Computation with Dual Input Quorum Sensing Promoters. ACS Synth Biol 2024; 13:1750-1761. [PMID: 38781598 PMCID: PMC11197083 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.4c00068] [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: 01/31/2024] [Revised: 05/10/2024] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
Quorum sensing signals have evolved for population-level signaling in bacterial communities and are versatile tools for engineering cell-cell signaling in synthetic biology projects. Here, we characterize the spatial diffusion of a palette of quorum sensing signals and find that their diffusion in agar can be predicted from their molecular weight with a simple power law. We also engineer novel dual- and multi-input promoters that respond to quorum-sensing diffusive signals for use in engineered genetic systems. We engineer a promoter scaffold that can be adapted for activation and repression by multiple diffusers simultaneously. Lastly, we combine the knowledge on diffusion dynamics with the novel genetic components to build a new generation of spatial, stripe-forming systems with a simplified design, improved robustness, tuneability, and response time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jure Tica
- Department
of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, U.K.
| | - Haobin Chen
- Department
of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, U.K.
| | - Shulei Luo
- Department
of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, U.K.
| | - Manman Chen
- Department
of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, U.K.
| | - Mark Isalan
- Department
of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, U.K.
- Imperial
College Centre for Synthetic Biology, Imperial
College London, London SW7 2AZ, U.K.
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3
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Choudhary R, Mahadevan R. DyMMM-LEAPS: An ML-based framework for modulating evenness and stability in synthetic microbial communities. Biophys J 2024:S0006-3495(24)00320-5. [PMID: 38733081 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2024.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2024] [Revised: 04/22/2024] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
There have been a growing number of computational strategies to aid in the design of synthetic microbial consortia. A framework to identify regions in parametric space to maximize two essential properties, evenness and stability, is critical. In this study, we introduce DyMMM-LEAPS (dynamic multispecies metabolic modeling-locating evenness and stability in large parametric space), an extension of the DyMMM framework. Our method explores the large parametric space of genetic circuits in synthetic microbial communities to identify regions of evenness and stability. Due to the high computational costs of exhaustive sampling, we utilize adaptive sampling and surrogate modeling to reduce the number of simulations required to map the vast space. Our framework predicts engineering targets and computes their operating ranges to maximize the probability of the engineered community to have high evenness and stability. We demonstrate our approach by simulating five cocultures and one three-strain culture with different social interactions (cooperation, competition, and predation) employing quorum-sensing-based genetic circuits. In addition to guiding circuit tuning, our pipeline gives an opportunity for a detailed analysis of pockets of evenness and stability for the circuit under investigation, which can further help dissect the relationship between the two properties. DyMMM-LEAPS is easily customizable and can be expanded to a larger community with more complex interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruhi Choudhary
- University of Toronto, Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Radhakrishnan Mahadevan
- University of Toronto, Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, Toronto, ON, Canada.
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4
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Huang BD, Kim D, Yu Y, Wilson CJ. Engineering intelligent chassis cells via recombinase-based MEMORY circuits. Nat Commun 2024; 15:2418. [PMID: 38499601 PMCID: PMC10948884 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46755-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Synthetic biologists seek to engineer intelligent living systems capable of decision-making, communication, and memory. Separate technologies exist for each tenet of intelligence; however, the unification of all three properties in a living system has not been achieved. Here, we engineer completely intelligent Escherichia coli strains that harbor six orthogonal and inducible genome-integrated recombinases, forming Molecularly Encoded Memory via an Orthogonal Recombinase arraY (MEMORY). MEMORY chassis cells facilitate intelligence via the discrete multi-input regulation of recombinase functions enabling inheritable DNA inversions, deletions, and genomic insertions. MEMORY cells can achieve programmable and permanent gain (or loss) of functions extrachromosomally or from a specific genomic locus, without the loss or modification of the MEMORY platform - enabling the sequential programming and reprogramming of DNA circuits within the cell. We demonstrate all three tenets of intelligence via a probiotic (Nissle 1917) MEMORY strain capable of information exchange with the gastrointestinal commensal Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian D Huang
- Georgia Institute of Technology, School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, 311 Ferst Drive, Atlanta, GA, 30332-0100, Georgia
| | - Dowan Kim
- Georgia Institute of Technology, School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, 311 Ferst Drive, Atlanta, GA, 30332-0100, Georgia
| | - Yongjoon Yu
- Georgia Institute of Technology, School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, 311 Ferst Drive, Atlanta, GA, 30332-0100, Georgia
| | - Corey J Wilson
- Georgia Institute of Technology, School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, 311 Ferst Drive, Atlanta, GA, 30332-0100, Georgia.
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5
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Sun Y, Zhang F, Ouyang Q, Luo C. The dynamic-process characterization and prediction of synthetic gene circuits by dynamic delay model. iScience 2024; 27:109142. [PMID: 38384832 PMCID: PMC10879701 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109142] [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: 10/02/2023] [Revised: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Differential equation models are widely used to describe genetic regulations, predict multicomponent regulatory circuits, and provide quantitative insights. However, it is still challenging to quantitatively link the dynamic behaviors with measured parameters in synthetic circuits. Here, we propose a dynamic delay model (DDM) which includes two simple parts: the dynamic determining part and the doses-related steady-state-determining part. The dynamic determining part is usually supposed as the delay time but without a clear formula. For the first time, we give the detail formula of the dynamic determining function and provide a method for measuring all parameters of synthetic elements (include 8 activators and 5 repressors) by microfluidic system. Three synthetic circuits were built to show that the DDM can notably improve the prediction accuracy and can be used in various synthetic biology applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanhong Sun
- The State Key Laboratory for Artificial Microstructures and Mesoscopic Physics, School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Center for Quantitative Biology, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Fengyu Zhang
- Wenzhou Institute University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325001, China
| | - Qi Ouyang
- The State Key Laboratory for Artificial Microstructures and Mesoscopic Physics, School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Center for Quantitative Biology, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Chunxiong Luo
- The State Key Laboratory for Artificial Microstructures and Mesoscopic Physics, School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Center for Quantitative Biology, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Wenzhou Institute University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325001, China
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6
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Buson F, Gao Y, Wang B. Genetic Parts and Enabling Tools for Biocircuit Design. ACS Synth Biol 2024; 13:697-713. [PMID: 38427821 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.3c00691] [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: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
Synthetic biology aims to engineer biological systems for customized tasks through the bottom-up assembly of fundamental building blocks, which requires high-quality libraries of reliable, modular, and standardized genetic parts. To establish sets of parts that work well together, synthetic biologists created standardized part libraries in which every component is analyzed in the same metrics and context. Here we present a state-of-the-art review of the currently available part libraries for designing biocircuits and their gene expression regulation paradigms at transcriptional, translational, and post-translational levels in Escherichia coli. We discuss the necessary facets to integrate these parts into complex devices and systems along with the current efforts to catalogue and standardize measurement data. To better display the range of available parts and to facilitate part selection in synthetic biology workflows, we established biopartsDB, a curated database of well-characterized and useful genetic part and device libraries with detailed quantitative data validated by the published literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felipe Buson
- College of Chemical and Biological Engineering & ZJU-Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FF, U.K
| | - Yuanli Gao
- College of Chemical and Biological Engineering & ZJU-Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FF, U.K
| | - Baojun Wang
- College of Chemical and Biological Engineering & ZJU-Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
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7
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Boo A, Toth T, Yu Q, Pfotenhauer A, Fields BD, Lenaghan SC, Stewart CN, Voigt CA. Synthetic microbe-to-plant communication channels. Nat Commun 2024; 15:1817. [PMID: 38418817 PMCID: PMC10901793 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45897-6] [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: 02/10/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Plants and microbes communicate to collaborate to stop pests, scavenge nutrients, and react to environmental change. Microbiota consisting of thousands of species interact with each other and plants using a large chemical language that is interpreted by complex regulatory networks. In this work, we develop modular interkingdom communication channels, enabling bacteria to convey environmental stimuli to plants. We introduce a "sender device" in Pseudomonas putida and Klebsiella pneumoniae, that produces the small molecule p-coumaroyl-homoserine lactone (pC-HSL) when the output of a sensor or circuit turns on. This molecule triggers a "receiver device" in the plant to activate gene expression. We validate this system in Arabidopsis thaliana and Solanum tuberosum (potato) grown hydroponically and in soil, demonstrating its modularity by swapping bacteria that process different stimuli, including IPTG, aTc and arsenic. Programmable communication channels between bacteria and plants will enable microbial sentinels to transmit information to crops and provide the building blocks for designing artificial consortia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Boo
- Department of Biological Engineering, Synthetic Biology Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Tyler Toth
- Department of Biological Engineering, Synthetic Biology Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Qiguo Yu
- Department of Biological Engineering, Synthetic Biology Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Alexander Pfotenhauer
- Center for Agricultural Synthetic Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA
| | - Brandon D Fields
- Department of Biological Engineering, Synthetic Biology Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Scott C Lenaghan
- Center for Agricultural Synthetic Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA
| | - C Neal Stewart
- Center for Agricultural Synthetic Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA
| | - Christopher A Voigt
- Department of Biological Engineering, Synthetic Biology Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.
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8
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Zeng M, Sarker B, Rondthaler SN, Vu V, Andrews LB. Identifying LasR Quorum Sensors with Improved Signal Specificity by Mapping the Sequence-Function Landscape. ACS Synth Biol 2024; 13:568-589. [PMID: 38206199 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.3c00543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
Programmable intercellular signaling using components of naturally occurring quorum sensing can allow for coordinated functions to be engineered in microbial consortia. LuxR-type transcriptional regulators are widely used for this purpose and are activated by homoserine lactone (HSL) signals. However, they often suffer from imperfect molecular discrimination of structurally similar HSLs, causing misregulation within engineered consortia containing multiple HSL signals. Here, we studied one such example, the regulator LasR from Pseudomonas aeruginosa. We elucidated its sequence-function relationship for ligand specificity using targeted protein engineering and multiplexed high-throughput biosensor screening. A pooled combinatorial saturation mutagenesis library (9,486 LasR DNA sequences) was created by mutating six residues in LasR's β5 sheet with single, double, or triple amino acid substitutions. Sort-seq assays were performed in parallel using cognate and noncognate HSLs to quantify each corresponding sensor's response to each HSL signal, which identified hundreds of highly specific variants. Sensor variants identified were individually assayed and exhibited up to 60.6-fold (p = 0.0013) improved relative activation by the cognate signal compared to the wildtype. Interestingly, we uncovered prevalent mutational epistasis and previously unidentified residues contributing to signal specificity. The resulting sensors with negligible signal crosstalk could be broadly applied to engineer bacteria consortia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Zeng
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, United States
| | - Biprodev Sarker
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, United States
| | - Stephen N Rondthaler
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, United States
| | - Vanessa Vu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, United States
| | - Lauren B Andrews
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, United States
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, United States
- Biotechnology Training Program, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, United States
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9
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Zeng M, Sarker B, Howitz N, Shah I, Andrews LB. Synthetic Homoserine Lactone Sensors for Gram-Positive Bacillus subtilis Using LuxR-Type Regulators. ACS Synth Biol 2024; 13:282-299. [PMID: 38079538 PMCID: PMC10805106 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.3c00504] [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: 08/18/2023] [Revised: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
A universal biochemical signal for bacterial cell-cell communication could facilitate programming dynamic responses in diverse bacterial consortia. However, the classical quorum sensing paradigm is that Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria generally communicate via homoserine lactones (HSLs) or oligopeptide molecular signals, respectively, to elicit population responses. Here, we create synthetic HSL sensors for Gram-positive Bacillus subtilis 168 using allosteric LuxR-type regulators (RpaR, LuxR, RhlR, and CinR) and synthetic promoters. Promoters were combinatorially designed from different sequence elements (-35, -16, -10, and transcriptional start regions). We quantified the effects of these combinatorial promoters on sensor activity and determined how regulator expression affects its activation, achieving up to 293-fold activation. Using the statistical design of experiments, we identified significant effects of promoter regions and pairwise interactions on sensor activity, which helped to understand the sequence-function relationships for synthetic promoter design. We present the first known set of functional HSL sensors (≥20-fold dynamic range) in B. subtilis for four different HSL chemical signals: p-coumaroyl-HSL, 3-oxohexanoyl-HSL, n-butyryl-HSL, and n-(3-hydroxytetradecanoyl)-HSL. This set of synthetic HSL sensors for a Gram-positive bacterium can pave the way for designable interspecies communication within microbial consortia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Zeng
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts
Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, United States
| | - Biprodev Sarker
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts
Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, United States
| | - Nathaniel Howitz
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts
Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, United States
| | - Ishita Shah
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts
Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, United States
| | - Lauren B. Andrews
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts
Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, United States
- Molecular
and Cellular Biology Graduate Program, University
of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, United States
- Biotechnology
Training Program, University of Massachusetts
Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, United States
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10
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Lyu X, Nuhu M, Candry P, Wolfanger J, Betenbaugh M, Saldivar A, Zuniga C, Wang Y, Shrestha S. Top-down and bottom-up microbiome engineering approaches to enable biomanufacturing from waste biomass. J Ind Microbiol Biotechnol 2024; 51:kuae025. [PMID: 39003244 PMCID: PMC11287213 DOI: 10.1093/jimb/kuae025] [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: 04/11/2024] [Accepted: 07/12/2024] [Indexed: 07/15/2024]
Abstract
Growing environmental concerns and the need to adopt a circular economy have highlighted the importance of waste valorization for resource recovery. Microbial consortia-enabled biotechnologies have made significant developments in the biomanufacturing of valuable resources from waste biomass that serve as suitable alternatives to petrochemical-derived products. These microbial consortia-based processes are designed following a top-down or bottom-up engineering approach. The top-down approach is a classical method that uses environmental variables to selectively steer an existing microbial consortium to achieve a target function. While high-throughput sequencing has enabled microbial community characterization, the major challenge is to disentangle complex microbial interactions and manipulate the structure and function accordingly. The bottom-up approach uses prior knowledge of the metabolic pathway and possible interactions among consortium partners to design and engineer synthetic microbial consortia. This strategy offers some control over the composition and function of the consortium for targeted bioprocesses, but challenges remain in optimal assembly methods and long-term stability. In this review, we present the recent advancements, challenges, and opportunities for further improvement using top-down and bottom-up approaches for microbiome engineering. As the bottom-up approach is relatively a new concept for waste valorization, this review explores the assembly and design of synthetic microbial consortia, ecological engineering principles to optimize microbial consortia, and metabolic engineering approaches for efficient conversion. Integration of top-down and bottom-up approaches along with developments in metabolic modeling to predict and optimize consortia function are also highlighted. ONE-SENTENCE SUMMARY This review highlights the microbial consortia-driven waste valorization for biomanufacturing through top-down and bottom-up design approaches and describes strategies, tools, and unexplored opportunities to optimize the design and stability of such consortia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuejiao Lyu
- Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Mujaheed Nuhu
- Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Pieter Candry
- Laboratory of Systems and Synthetic Biology, Wageningen University & Research, 6708 WE Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Jenna Wolfanger
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Michael Betenbaugh
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Alexis Saldivar
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182-4614, USA
| | - Cristal Zuniga
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182-4614, USA
| | - Ying Wang
- Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Texas A&M University, TX 77843, USA
| | - Shilva Shrestha
- Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
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11
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Zong DM, Sadeghpour M, Molinari S, Alnahhas RN, Hirning AJ, Giannitsis C, Ott W, Josić K, Bennett MR. Tunable Dynamics in a Multistrain Transcriptional Pulse Generator. ACS Synth Biol 2023; 12:3531-3543. [PMID: 38016068 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.3c00434] [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: 11/30/2023]
Abstract
One challenge in synthetic biology is the tuning of regulatory components within gene circuits to elicit a specific behavior. This challenge becomes more difficult in synthetic microbial consortia since each strain's circuit must function at the intracellular level and their combination must operate at the population level. Here we demonstrate that circuit dynamics can be tuned in synthetic consortia through the manipulation of strain fractions within the community. To do this, we construct a microbial consortium comprised of three strains of engineered Escherichia coli that, when cocultured, use homoserine lactone-mediated intercellular signaling to create a multistrain incoherent type-1 feedforward loop (I1-FFL). Like naturally occurring I1-FFL motifs in gene networks, this engineered microbial consortium acts as a pulse generator of gene expression. We demonstrate that the amplitude of the pulse can be easily tuned by adjusting the relative population fractions of the strains. We also develop a mathematical model for the temporal dynamics of the microbial consortium. This model allows us to identify population fractions that produced desired pulse characteristics, predictions that were confirmed for all but extreme fractions. Our work demonstrates that intercellular gene circuits can be effectively tuned simply by adjusting the starting fractions of each strain in the consortium.
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Affiliation(s)
- David M Zong
- Graduate Program in Systems, Synthetic, and Physical Biology, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Mehdi Sadeghpour
- Department of Biosciences, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
- Department of Mathematics, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77004, United States
| | - Sara Molinari
- Department of Biosciences, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Razan N Alnahhas
- Department of Biosciences, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Andrew J Hirning
- Department of Biosciences, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Charilaos Giannitsis
- Graduate Program in Systems, Synthetic, and Physical Biology, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - William Ott
- Department of Mathematics, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77004, United States
| | - Krešimir Josić
- Department of Mathematics, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77004, United States
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77004, United States
| | - Matthew R Bennett
- Department of Biosciences, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
- Rice Synthetic Biology Institute, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
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12
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Jin X, Gao Y, Chen X, Wang S, Qi Q, Liang Q. The Construction of the Self-Induced Sal System and Its Application in Salicylic Acid Production. Molecules 2023; 28:7825. [PMID: 38067556 PMCID: PMC10708014 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28237825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2023] [Revised: 11/26/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The design and construction of more complex and delicate genetic control circuits suffer from poor orthogonality in quorum sensing (QS) systems. The Sal system, which relies on salicylic acid as a signaling molecule, is an artificially engineered regulatory system with a structure that differs significantly from that of natural QS signaling molecules. Salicylic acid is an important drug precursor, mainly used in the production of drugs such as aspirin and anti-HIV drugs. However, there have been no reports on the construction of a self-induced Sal system in single cells. In this study, a high-copy plasmid backbone was used to construct the regulatory proteins and a self-induced promoter of salicylic acid in E. coli by adjusting the precise regulation of key gene expression; the sensitivity and induction range of this system were improved. Subsequently, the exogenous gene pchBA was introduced in E. coli to extend the shikimate pathway and synthesize salicylic acid, resulting in the construction of the first complete self-induced Sal system. Finally, the self-induced Sal System was combined with artificial trans-encoded sRNAs (atsRNAs) to repress the growth-essential gene ppc and accumulate the precursor substance PEP, thereby increasing the titer of salicylic acid by 151%. This construction of a self-induced artificial system introduces a new tool for selecting communication tools and induction systems in synthetic biology and metabolic engineering, but also demonstrates a self-inducible pathway design strategy for salicylic acid biosynthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Quanfeng Liang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, China; (X.J.); (Y.G.); (X.C.); (S.W.); (Q.Q.)
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13
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Smith JM, Hartmann D, Booth MJ. Engineering cellular communication between light-activated synthetic cells and bacteria. Nat Chem Biol 2023; 19:1138-1146. [PMID: 37414974 PMCID: PMC10449621 DOI: 10.1038/s41589-023-01374-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023]
Abstract
Gene-expressing compartments assembled from simple, modular parts, are a versatile platform for creating minimal synthetic cells with life-like functions. By incorporating gene regulatory motifs into their encapsulated DNA templates, in situ gene expression and, thereby, synthetic cell function can be controlled according to specific stimuli. In this work, cell-free protein synthesis within synthetic cells was controlled using light by encoding genes of interest on light-activated DNA templates. Light-activated DNA contained a photocleavable blockade within the T7 promoter region that tightly repressed transcription until the blocking groups were removed with ultraviolet light. In this way, synthetic cells were activated remotely, in a spatiotemporally controlled manner. By applying this strategy to the expression of an acyl homoserine lactone synthase, BjaI, quorum-sensing-based communication between synthetic cells and bacteria was controlled with light. This work provides a framework for the remote-controlled production and delivery of small molecules from nonliving matter to living matter, with applications in biology and medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Denis Hartmann
- Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Michael J Booth
- Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
- Department of Chemistry, University College London, London, UK.
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14
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Zhang C, Liu H, Li X, Xu F, Li Z. Modularized synthetic biology enabled intelligent biosensors. Trends Biotechnol 2023; 41:1055-1065. [PMID: 36967259 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2023.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2022] [Revised: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023]
Abstract
Biosensors that sense the concentration of a specified target and produce a specific signal output have become important technology for biological analysis. Recently, intelligent biosensors have received great interest due to their adaptability to meet sophisticated demands. Advances in developing standard modules and carriers in synthetic biology have shed light on intelligent biosensors that can implement advanced analytical processing to better accommodate practical applications. This review focuses on intelligent synthetic biology-enabled biosensors (SBBs). First, we illustrate recent progress in intelligent SBBs with the capability of computation, memory storage, and self-calibration. Then, we discuss emerging applications of SBBs in point-of-care testing (POCT) and wearable monitoring. Finally, future perspectives on intelligent SBBs are proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Zhang
- The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, P.R. China; Bioinspired Engineering and Biomechanics Center (BEBC), Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, P.R. China
| | - Hao Liu
- The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, P.R. China; Bioinspired Engineering and Biomechanics Center (BEBC), Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, P.R. China
| | - Xiujun Li
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Texas at El Paso, 500 West University Ave, El Paso, TX 79968, USA
| | - Feng Xu
- The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, P.R. China; Bioinspired Engineering and Biomechanics Center (BEBC), Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, P.R. China.
| | - Zedong Li
- The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, P.R. China; Bioinspired Engineering and Biomechanics Center (BEBC), Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, P.R. China; TFX Group-Xi'an Jiaotong University Institute of Life Health, Xi'an 710049, P.R. China.
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15
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Zhang Y, Kang R, Zhang X, Pang G, Li L, Han C, Liu B, Xue X, Liu J, Sun T, Wang T, Liu P, Wang H. A programmable oral bacterial hydrogel for controllable production and release of nanovaccine for tumor immunotherapy. Biomaterials 2023; 299:122147. [PMID: 37182418 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2023.122147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Revised: 04/30/2023] [Accepted: 05/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Oral protein vaccines are mainly used to prevent the infection of intestinal pathogens in clinic due to their high safety and strong compliance. However, it is necessary to design the efficient delivery systems to overcome the harsh gastrointestinal environment in the application process. Here we established a programmable oral bacterial hydrogel system for spatiotemporally controllable production and release of nanovaccines. The system was divided into three parts: (1) Engineered bacteria were encapsulated in chitosan-sodium alginate microcapsules, which offered protection against the extreme acid conditions in the stomach. (2) Microcapsules were dissolved, and then engineered bacteria were released and colonized in the intestine. (3) The release of nanovaccines was controlled periodically by a synchronous lysis genetic circuit for tumor immunotherapy. Compared to control groups, tumor volume of subcutaneous tumor-bearing mice treated with bacterial microgels releasing optimized nanovaccine was almost inhibited by 75% and T cell response was activated at least 2-fold. We believe that this programmable bacterial hydrogel will offer a promising way for the application of oral nanovaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingying Zhang
- School of Medical Imaging, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221006, China
| | - Ruru Kang
- School of Life Sciences, Tianjin University and Tianjin Engineering Center of Micro-Nano Biomaterials and Detection-Treatment Technology, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Function and Application of Biological Macromolecular Structures, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Xinyu Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, Tianjin University and Tianjin Engineering Center of Micro-Nano Biomaterials and Detection-Treatment Technology, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Function and Application of Biological Macromolecular Structures, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Gaoju Pang
- School of Life Sciences, Tianjin University and Tianjin Engineering Center of Micro-Nano Biomaterials and Detection-Treatment Technology, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Function and Application of Biological Macromolecular Structures, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Lianyue Li
- School of Life Sciences, Tianjin University and Tianjin Engineering Center of Micro-Nano Biomaterials and Detection-Treatment Technology, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Function and Application of Biological Macromolecular Structures, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Chunli Han
- School of Life Sciences, Tianjin University and Tianjin Engineering Center of Micro-Nano Biomaterials and Detection-Treatment Technology, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Function and Application of Biological Macromolecular Structures, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Baona Liu
- School of Life Sciences, Tianjin University and Tianjin Engineering Center of Micro-Nano Biomaterials and Detection-Treatment Technology, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Function and Application of Biological Macromolecular Structures, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Xin Xue
- School of Life Sciences, Tianjin University and Tianjin Engineering Center of Micro-Nano Biomaterials and Detection-Treatment Technology, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Function and Application of Biological Macromolecular Structures, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Jing Liu
- School of Life Sciences, Tianjin University and Tianjin Engineering Center of Micro-Nano Biomaterials and Detection-Treatment Technology, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Function and Application of Biological Macromolecular Structures, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Tao Sun
- Center for Biosafety Research and Strategy, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China; Laboratory of Synthetic Microbiology, School of Chemical Engineering & Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Tao Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Tianjin University and Tianjin Engineering Center of Micro-Nano Biomaterials and Detection-Treatment Technology, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Function and Application of Biological Macromolecular Structures, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Peiyuan Liu
- School of Life Sciences, Tianjin University and Tianjin Engineering Center of Micro-Nano Biomaterials and Detection-Treatment Technology, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Function and Application of Biological Macromolecular Structures, Tianjin, 300072, China.
| | - Hanjie Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Tianjin University and Tianjin Engineering Center of Micro-Nano Biomaterials and Detection-Treatment Technology, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Function and Application of Biological Macromolecular Structures, Tianjin, 300072, China.
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16
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Zeng X, Zou Y, Zheng J, Qiu S, Liu L, Wei C. Quorum sensing-mediated microbial interactions: Mechanisms, applications, challenges and perspectives. Microbiol Res 2023; 273:127414. [PMID: 37236065 DOI: 10.1016/j.micres.2023.127414] [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] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Revised: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Microbial community in natural or artificial environments playes critical roles in substance cycles, products synthesis and species evolution. Although microbial community structures have been revealed via culture-dependent and culture-independent approaches, the hidden forces driving the microbial community are rarely systematically discussed. As a mode of cell-to-cell communication that modifies microbial interactions, quorum sensing can regulate biofilm formation, public goods secretion, and antimicrobial substances synthesis, directly or indirectly influencing microbial community to adapt to the changing environment. Therefore, the current review focuses on microbial community in the different habitats from the quorum sensing perspective. Firstly, the definition and classification of quorum sensing were simply introduced. Subsequently, the relationships between quorum sensing and microbial interactions were deeply explored. The latest progressives regarding the applications of quorum sensing in wastewater treatment, human health, food fermentation, and synthetic biology were summarized in detail. Finally, the bottlenecks and outlooks of quorum sensing driving microbial community were adequately discussed. To our knowledge, this current review is the first to reveal the driving force of microbial community from the quorum sensing perspective. Hopefully, this review provides a theoretical basis for developing effective and convenient approaches to control the microbial community with quorum sensing approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangyong Zeng
- School of Liquor and Food Engineering, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China; Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory of Fermentation and Biophomacy, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China.
| | - Yunman Zou
- School of Liquor and Food Engineering, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China; Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory of Fermentation and Biophomacy, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China
| | - Jia Zheng
- Wuliangye Yibin Co Ltd, No.150 Minjiang West Road, Yibin City 644007, China
| | - Shuyi Qiu
- School of Liquor and Food Engineering, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China; Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory of Fermentation and Biophomacy, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China
| | - Lanlan Liu
- School of Liquor and Food Engineering, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China; Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory of Fermentation and Biophomacy, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China
| | - Chaoyang Wei
- School of Liquor and Food Engineering, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China; Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory of Fermentation and Biophomacy, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China
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17
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Ma F, Liu H, Shi F, Xiang Y, Fan Z. Quorum sensing-mediated dynamic regulation of 4-hydroxyisoleucine biosynthesis in Corynebacterium glutamicum. World J Microbiol Biotechnol 2023; 39:181. [PMID: 37142865 DOI: 10.1007/s11274-023-03633-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
With the development of synthetic biology, some quorum sensing (QS) systems have been studied and applied to coordinate growth and production. Recently, a novel ComQXPA-PsrfA system with different response strengths was constructed in Corynebacterium glutamicum. However, the plasmid-harbored ComQXPA-PsrfA system lacks genetic stability, which restricts the application of this QS system. In this study, the comQXPA expression cassette was integrated into the chromosome of C. glutamicum SN01, resulting in QSc chassis strain. The green fluorescence protein (GFP) was expressed by the natural and mutant PsrfA promoters (PsrfAM) with various strengths in QSc. All the expressions of gfp were activated to the related level in a cell density-dependent manner. Therefore, ComQXPA-PsrfAM circuit was applied for modulating the dynamic biosynthesis of 4-hydroxyisoleucine (4-HIL). First, the expression of ido encoding α-ketoglutarate (α-KG)-dependent isoleucine dioxygenase was dynamically regulated by PsrfAM promoters, resulting in QSc/NI. The 4-HIL titer (125.18 ± 11.26 mM) increased by 45.1% compared to static ido expression strain. Then, to coordinate the α-KG supply between TCA cycle and 4-HIL synthesis, the activity of α-KG dehydrogenase complex (ODHC) was dynamically inhibited by regulating the expression of ODHC inhibitor gene odhI under QS-responsive PsrfAM promoters. The highest 4-HIL titer of QSc-11O/20I (145.20 ± 7.80 mM) increased by 23.2% compared to QSc/20I. This study modulated two critical genes expression in both cell growth and 4-HIL de novo synthesis pathways by the stable ComQXPA-PsrfAM system, and 4-HIL was produced responsively with the cell density. This strategy enhanced the 4-HIL biosynthesis efficiently without additional genetic regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fanqi Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Avenue, Wuxi, 214122, China
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, School of Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
| | - Haiyan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Avenue, Wuxi, 214122, China
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, School of Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
| | - Feng Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Avenue, Wuxi, 214122, China.
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, School of Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China.
- International Joint Laboratory on Food Safety, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China.
| | - Youhe Xiang
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Avenue, Wuxi, 214122, China
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, School of Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
| | - Zhengyu Fan
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Avenue, Wuxi, 214122, China
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, School of Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
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18
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Khakhar A. A roadmap for the creation of synthetic lichen. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2023; 654:87-93. [PMID: 36898228 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2023.02.079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023]
Abstract
Lichens represent a charismatic corner of biology that has a rich history of scientific exploration, but to which modern biological techniques have been sparsely applied. This has limited our understanding of phenomena unique to lichen, such as the emergent development of physically coupled microbial consortia or distributed metabolisms. The experimental intractability of natural lichens has prevented studies of the mechanistic underpinnings of their biology. Creating synthetic lichen from experimentally tractable, free-living microbes has the potential to overcome these challenges. They could also serve as powerful new chassis for sustainable biotechnology. In this review we will first briefly introduce what lichen are, what remains mysterious about their biology, and why. We will then articulate the scientific insights that creating a synthetic lichen will generate and lay out a roadmap for how this could be achieved using synthetic biology. Finally, we will explore the translational applications of synthetic lichen and detail what is needed to advance the pursuit of their creation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arjun Khakhar
- Biology Department, Colorado State University, 251 West Pitkin Drive, Fort Collins, CO, 80525, USA.
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19
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An B, Wang Y, Huang Y, Wang X, Liu Y, Xun D, Church GM, Dai Z, Yi X, Tang TC, Zhong C. Engineered Living Materials For Sustainability. Chem Rev 2023; 123:2349-2419. [PMID: 36512650 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.2c00512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Recent advances in synthetic biology and materials science have given rise to a new form of materials, namely engineered living materials (ELMs), which are composed of living matter or cell communities embedded in self-regenerating matrices of their own or artificial scaffolds. Like natural materials such as bone, wood, and skin, ELMs, which possess the functional capabilities of living organisms, can grow, self-organize, and self-repair when needed. They also spontaneously perform programmed biological functions upon sensing external cues. Currently, ELMs show promise for green energy production, bioremediation, disease treatment, and fabricating advanced smart materials. This review first introduces the dynamic features of natural living systems and their potential for developing novel materials. We then summarize the recent research progress on living materials and emerging design strategies from both synthetic biology and materials science perspectives. Finally, we discuss the positive impacts of living materials on promoting sustainability and key future research directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bolin An
- Center for Materials Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China.,CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Yanyi Wang
- Center for Materials Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China.,CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Yuanyuan Huang
- Center for Materials Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China.,CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Xinyu Wang
- Center for Materials Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China.,CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Yuzhu Liu
- Center for Materials Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China.,CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Dongmin Xun
- Center for Materials Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China.,CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - George M Church
- Center for Materials Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China.,Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston 02115, Massachusetts United States.,Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston 02115, Massachusetts United States
| | - Zhuojun Dai
- Center for Materials Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China.,CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Xiao Yi
- Center for Materials Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China.,CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Tzu-Chieh Tang
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston 02115, Massachusetts United States.,Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston 02115, Massachusetts United States
| | - Chao Zhong
- Center for Materials Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China.,CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
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20
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Chen X, Liu Z, Lou C, Guan Y, Ouyang Q, Xiang Y. Improving cooperativity of transcription activators by oligomerization domains in mammalian cells. Synth Syst Biotechnol 2023; 8:114-120. [PMID: 36605704 PMCID: PMC9804245 DOI: 10.1016/j.synbio.2022.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2022] [Revised: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Cooperative activation is critical for the applications of synthetic biology in mammalian cells. In this study, we have developed cooperative transcription factor by fusing oligomerization domain in mammalian cells. Firstly, we demonstrated that two oligomerized domains (CI434 and CI) successfully improved transcription factor cooperativity in bacterial cells but failed to increase cooperativity in mammalian cells, possibly because the additional mammalian activation domain disrupted their oligomerization capability. Therefore, we chose a different type of oligomerized domain (CarHC), whose ability to oligomerize is not dependent on its C-terminal domains, to fuse with a transcription factor (RpaR) and activation domain (VTR3), forming a potential cooperative transcription activator RpaR-CarH-VTR3 for mammalian regulatory systems. Compared with RpaR-VTR3, the cooperativity of RpaR-CarH-VTR3 was significantly improved with higher Hill coefficient and a narrower input range in the inducible switch system in mammalian cells. Moreover, a mathematical model based on statistical mechanics model was developed and the simulation results supported the hypothesis that the tetramer of the CarH domain in mammalian cells was the reason for the cooperative capacity of RpaR-CarH-VTR3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinmao Chen
- School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Ziming Liu
- Center for Cell and Gene Circuit Design, CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Chunbo Lou
- Center for Cell and Gene Circuit Design, CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Ying Guan
- School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100871, China
- Center for Cell and Gene Circuit Design, CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Qi Ouyang
- School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Yanhui Xiang
- Center for Cell and Gene Circuit Design, CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
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21
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Chen X, Wang T, Guan Y, Ouyang Q, Lou C, Qian L. The Topological Characteristics of Biological Ratio-Sensing Networks. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:life13020351. [PMID: 36836707 PMCID: PMC9965423 DOI: 10.3390/life13020351] [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: 12/28/2022] [Revised: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Ratio sensing is a fundamental biological function observed in signal transduction and decision making. In the synthetic biology context, ratio sensing presents one of the elementary functions for cellular multi-signal computation. To investigate the mechanism of the ratio-sensing behavior, we explored the topological characteristics of biological ratio-sensing networks. With exhaustive enumeration of three-node enzymatic and transcriptional regulatory networks, we found that robust ratio sensing was highly dependent on network structure rather than network complexity. Specifically, a set of seven minimal core topological structures and four motifs were deduced to be capable of robust ratio sensing. Further investigations on the evolutionary space of robust ratio-sensing networks revealed highly clustered domains surrounding the core motifs which suggested their evolutionary plausibility. Our study revealed the network topological design principles of ratio-sensing behavior and provided a design scheme for constructing regulatory circuits with ratio-sensing behavior in synthetic biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinmao Chen
- School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Tianze Wang
- Center for Quantitative Biology, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Ying Guan
- Center for Cell and Gene Circuit Design, CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Qi Ouyang
- School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Center for Quantitative Biology, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Correspondence: (Q.O.); (C.L.); (L.Q.)
| | - Chunbo Lou
- Center for Cell and Gene Circuit Design, CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
- Correspondence: (Q.O.); (C.L.); (L.Q.)
| | - Long Qian
- Center for Quantitative Biology, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Correspondence: (Q.O.); (C.L.); (L.Q.)
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22
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Li L, Deng A, Liu S, Wang J, Shi R, Wang T, Cui D, Bai H, Zhang Y, Wen T. A Universal Method for Developing Autoinduction Expression Systems Using AHL-Mediated Quorum-Sensing Circuits. ACS Synth Biol 2022; 11:3114-3119. [PMID: 36000977 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.2c00400] [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: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
A major challenge in engineering microorganisms for the desirable product is maintaining the rational balance between cell growth and production. Quorum sensing (QS)-based dynamic regulations provide a pathway-independent genetic control technology to rebalance metabolic flux for biomass and product synthesis. However, the lack of a universal method for screening QS elements and the complex design of autoinduction circuits limit their applications in metabolic engineering. Here, we developed a universal method for simple and rapid screening and evaluating various QS systems from Gram-negative bacteria, and the largest library containing 195 combinations of receiving device/signal molecules was constructed and evaluated in Escherichia coli. A simple logical circuit with different inducer synthesis rates was established to dynamically regulate gene expression levels, leading to efficient protein expression and product synthesis. The system was further applied in Pseudomonas putida, which indicated it could be widely accommodated in other microorganisms. Therefore, the method could be used in diverse Gram-negative strains for the desired biosynthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lai Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.,College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Aihua Deng
- CAS Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Shuwen Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.,China Innovation Academy for Green Manufacture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Junyue Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.,College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Ruilin Shi
- CAS Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.,College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Tiantian Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Di Cui
- CAS Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Hua Bai
- CAS Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Yun Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Tingyi Wen
- CAS Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.,China Innovation Academy for Green Manufacture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.,Savaid Medical School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
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23
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Fang H, Deng Y, Pan Y, Li C, Yu L. Distributive and collaborative push‐and‐pull in an artificial microbial consortium for improved consolidated bioprocessing. AIChE J 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/aic.17844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hao Fang
- ZJU‐Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, No.733 Jianshe San Road Hangzhou Zhejiang China
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, No.22 Xinong Road Yangling Shaanxi China
- College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, No.38 Zheda Road Hangzhou Zhejiang China
| | - Yuntao Deng
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, No.22 Xinong Road Yangling Shaanxi China
| | - Yingjie Pan
- ZJU‐Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, No.733 Jianshe San Road Hangzhou Zhejiang China
| | - Chaofeng Li
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, No.22 Xinong Road Yangling Shaanxi China
| | - Liang Yu
- Department of Biological Systems Engineering Washington State University Pullman Washington United States of America
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24
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Deter HS, Lu T. Engineering microbial consortia with rationally designed cellular interactions. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2022; 76:102730. [PMID: 35609504 PMCID: PMC10129393 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2022.102730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2021] [Revised: 03/22/2022] [Accepted: 04/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Synthetic microbial consortia represent a frontier of synthetic biology that promises versatile engineering of cellular functions. They are primarily developed through the design and construction of cellular interactions that coordinate individual dynamics and generate collective behaviors. Here we review recent advances in the engineering of synthetic communities through cellular-interaction programming. We first examine fundamental building blocks for intercellular communication and unidirectional positive and negative interactions. We then recap the assembly of the building blocks for creating bidirectional interactions in two-species ecosystems, which is followed by the discussion of engineering toward complex communities with increasing species numbers, under spatial contexts, and via model-guided design. We conclude by summarizing major challenges and future opportunities of engineered microbial ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather S Deter
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA; Intelligence Community Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Program, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Ting Lu
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA; Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA; Department of Physics, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA; Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA; National Center for Supercomputing Applications, Urbana, IL, USA.
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25
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Wang L, Zhang X, Tang C, Li P, Zhu R, Sun J, Zhang Y, Cui H, Ma J, Song X, Zhang W, Gao X, Luo X, You L, Chen Y, Dai Z. Engineering consortia by polymeric microbial swarmbots. Nat Commun 2022; 13:3879. [PMID: 35790722 PMCID: PMC9256712 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-31467-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 06/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Synthetic microbial consortia represent a new frontier for synthetic biology given that they can solve more complex problems than monocultures. However, most attempts to co-cultivate these artificial communities fail because of the winner-takes-all in nutrients competition. In soil, multiple species can coexist with a spatial organization. Inspired by nature, here we show that an engineered spatial segregation method can assemble stable consortia with both flexibility and precision. We create microbial swarmbot consortia (MSBC) by encapsulating subpopulations with polymeric microcapsules. The crosslinked structure of microcapsules fences microbes, but allows the transport of small molecules and proteins. MSBC method enables the assembly of various synthetic communities and the precise control over the subpopulations. These capabilities can readily modulate the division of labor and communication. Our work integrates the synthetic biology and material science to offer insights into consortia assembly and serve as foundation to diverse applications from biomanufacturing to engineered photosynthesis. Most attempts to co-cultivate the artificial microbial communities fail mostly due to the mismatched rates of consumption and production of nutrients among subpopulations. Here, the authors develop a microbial swarmbot mediated spatial segregation method to assemble stably coexisting consortia with both flexibility and precision.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Center for Materials Synthetic Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Xi Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Center for Materials Synthetic Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Chenwang Tang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Center for Materials Synthetic Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Pengcheng Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Center for Materials Synthetic Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Runtao Zhu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Center for Materials Synthetic Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Jing Sun
- Soft Bio-interface Electronics Lab, Center of Neural Engineering, CAS Key Laboratory of Human-Machine Intelligence-Synergy Systems, Shenzhen Institute of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics for Society, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Yunfeng Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Center for Materials Synthetic Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Hua Cui
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Center for Materials Synthetic Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Jiajia Ma
- Laboratory of Synthetic Microbiology, School of Chemical Engineering & Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Xinyu Song
- Laboratory of Synthetic Microbiology, School of Chemical Engineering & Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Weiwen Zhang
- Laboratory of Synthetic Microbiology, School of Chemical Engineering & Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Xiang Gao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Center for Materials Synthetic Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Xiaozhou Luo
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Center for Materials Synthetic Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Lingchong You
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
| | - Ye Chen
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Center for Materials Synthetic Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Zhuojun Dai
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Center for Materials Synthetic Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
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26
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Barbier I, Kusumawardhani H, Schaerli Y. Engineering synthetic spatial patterns in microbial populations and communities. Curr Opin Microbiol 2022; 67:102149. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2022.102149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Revised: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
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27
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Engineering of Synthetic Transcriptional Switches in Yeast. Life (Basel) 2022; 12:life12040557. [PMID: 35455048 PMCID: PMC9030632 DOI: 10.3390/life12040557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Revised: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 04/03/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Transcriptional switches can be utilized for many purposes in synthetic biology, including the assembly of complex genetic circuits to achieve sophisticated cellular systems and the construction of biosensors for real-time monitoring of intracellular metabolite concentrations. Although to date such switches have mainly been developed in prokaryotes, those for eukaryotes are increasingly being reported as both rational and random engineering technologies mature. In this review, we describe yeast transcriptional switches with different modes of action and how to alter their properties. We also discuss directed evolution technologies for the rapid and robust construction of yeast transcriptional switches.
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28
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Design of stable and self-regulated microbial consortia for chemical synthesis. Nat Commun 2022; 13:1554. [PMID: 35322005 PMCID: PMC8943006 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-29215-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Microbial coculture engineering has emerged as a promising strategy for biomanufacturing. Stability and self-regulation pose a significant challenge for the generation of intrinsically robust cocultures for large-scale applications. Here, we introduce the use of multi-metabolite cross-feeding (MMCF) to establish a close correlation between the strains and the design rules for selecting the appropriate metabolic branches. This leads to an intrinicially stable two-strain coculture where the population composition and the product titer are insensitive to the initial inoculation ratios. With an intermediate-responsive biosensor, the population of the microbial coculture is autonomously balanced to minimize intermediate accumulation. This static-dynamic strategy is extendable to three-strain cocultures, as demonstrated with de novo biosynthesis of silybin/isosilybin. This strategy is generally applicable, paving the way to the industrial application of microbial cocultures. Stability and tunability are two desirable properties of microbial consortia-based bioproduction. Here, the authors integrate a caffeate-responsive biosensor into two and three strains coculture system to achieve autonomous regulation of strain ratios for coniferol and silybin/isosiltbin production, respectively.
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29
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Carignano A, Chen DH, Mallory C, Wright RC, Seelig G, Klavins E. Modular, robust and extendible multicellular circuit design in yeast. eLife 2022; 11:74540. [PMID: 35312478 PMCID: PMC9000959 DOI: 10.7554/elife.74540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Accepted: 03/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Division of labor between cells is ubiquitous in biology but the use of multi-cellular consortia for engineering applications is only beginning to be explored. A significant advantage of multi-cellular circuits is their potential to be modular with respect to composition but this claim has not yet been extensively tested using experiments and quantitative modeling. Here, we construct a library of 24 yeast strains capable of sending, receiving or responding to three molecular signals, characterize them experimentally and build quantitative models of their input-output relationships. We then compose these strains into two- and three-strain cascades as well as a four-strain bistable switch and show that experimentally measured consortia dynamics can be predicted from the models of the constituent parts. To further explore the achievable range of behaviors, we perform a fully automated computational search over all two-, three- and four-strain consortia to identify combinations that realize target behaviors including logic gates, band-pass filters and time pulses. Strain combinations that are predicted to map onto a target behavior are further computationally optimized and then experimentally tested. Experiments closely track computational predictions. The high reliability of these model descriptions further strengthens the feasibility and highlights the potential for distributed computing in synthetic biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Carignano
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, United States
| | - Dai Hua Chen
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, United States
| | - Cannon Mallory
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, United States
| | | | - Georg Seelig
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, United States
| | - Eric Klavins
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, United States
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30
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Refactoring transcription factors for metabolic engineering. Biotechnol Adv 2022; 57:107935. [PMID: 35271945 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2022.107935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2021] [Revised: 02/04/2022] [Accepted: 03/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Due to the ability to regulate target metabolic pathways globally and dynamically, metabolic regulation systems composed of transcription factors have been widely used in metabolic engineering and synthetic biology. This review introduced the categories, action principles, prediction strategies, and related databases of transcription factors. Then, the application of global transcription machinery engineering technology and the transcription factor-based biosensors and quorum sensing systems are overviewed. In addition, strategies for optimizing the transcriptional regulatory tools' performance by refactoring transcription factors are summarized. Finally, the current limitations and prospects of constructing various regulatory tools based on transcription factors are discussed. This review will provide theoretical guidance for the rational design and construction of transcription factor-based metabolic regulation systems.
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31
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Billerbeck S, Cornish VW. Peptide-Dependent Growth in Yeast via Fine-Tuned Peptide/GPCR-Activated Essential Gene Expression. Biochemistry 2022; 61:150-159. [PMID: 35023728 PMCID: PMC8811955 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.1c00661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2021] [Revised: 12/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Building multicellular microbial consortia that communicate with each other and perform programmed functionalities is the next milestone for synthetic biology. Achieving cell-cell communication within these communities requires programming of the transduction of an extracellular signal into a customized intracellular response. G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are attractive candidates for engineering signal transduction as they can sense extracellular events with high sensitivity and specificity and transduce them into complex intracellular programs. We recently developed a scalable cell-cell communication language based on fungal mating GPCRs and their secreted peptide ligands. This language allows the assembly of engineered yeast strains into multicellular communication networks and allows them to be made interdependent by peptide signaling. In peptide signaling, one cell secretes a peptide that supports the growth of another cell at nanomolar concentrations, a scalable approach for engineering interdependence. Here we address the challenge of correlating the doubling time of Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells with an increasing external peptide concentration by linking GPCR activation to the expression of an essential gene. The required fine-tuning of downstream signaling is achieved via the transcriptional titration of a set of orthogonal GPCR-activated transcription factors, a series of corresponding promoters with different output dynamics, and the use of chemically recoded peptide ligands with varying activation potentials. As such, our work establishes three control points that allow the tuning of the basal and maximal activation of the GPCR response, fold change activation, and response sensitivity. The presented results enable the implementation of peptide-dependent and peptide-tunable growth but could also facilitate the design and calibration of more complex GPCR-controlled synthetic functionality in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonja Billerbeck
- Molecular
Microbiology, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, 9700 AB Groningen, The Netherlands
- Department
of Chemistry, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, United States
| | - Virginia W. Cornish
- Department
of Chemistry, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, United States
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32
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Smith JM, Chowdhry R, Booth MJ. Controlling Synthetic Cell-Cell Communication. Front Mol Biosci 2022; 8:809945. [PMID: 35071327 PMCID: PMC8766733 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2021.809945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2021] [Accepted: 12/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Synthetic cells, which mimic cellular function within a minimal compartment, are finding wide application, for instance in studying cellular communication and as delivery devices to living cells. However, to fully realise the potential of synthetic cells, control of their function is vital. An array of tools has already been developed to control the communication of synthetic cells to neighbouring synthetic cells or living cells. These tools use either chemical inputs, such as small molecules, or physical inputs, such as light. Here, we examine these current methods of controlling synthetic cell communication and consider alternative mechanisms for future use.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Michael J. Booth
- Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
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33
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Chen T, Ali Al-Radhawi M, Voigt CA, Sontag ED. A synthetic distributed genetic multi-bit counter. iScience 2021; 24:103526. [PMID: 34917900 PMCID: PMC8666654 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.103526] [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: 05/13/2021] [Revised: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
A design for genetically encoded counters is proposed via repressor-based circuits. An N-bit counter reads sequences of input pulses and displays the total number of pulses, modulo 2N. The design is based on distributed computation with specialized cell types allocated to specific tasks. This allows scalability and bypasses constraints on the maximal number of circuit genes per cell due to toxicity or failures due to resource limitations. The design starts with a single-bit counter. The N-bit counter is then obtained by interconnecting (using diffusible chemicals) a set of N single-bit counters and connector modules. An optimization framework is used to determine appropriate gate parameters and to compute bounds on admissible pulse widths and relaxation (inter-pulse) times, as well as to guide the construction of novel gates. This work can be viewed as a step toward obtaining circuits that are capable of finite automaton computation in analogy to digital central processing units. A single-bit counter is designed for a repressor-based genetic circuit A scalable multi-bit counter is enabled by distributing the design across cells A computational optimization framework is proposed to guide the design
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianchi Chen
- Department of Bioengineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - M Ali Al-Radhawi
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Christopher A Voigt
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Eduardo D Sontag
- Department of Bioengineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA.,Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA.,Laboratory of Systems Pharmacology, Program in Therapeutic Science, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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34
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Ma X, Ma L, Huo YX. Reconstructing the transcription regulatory network to optimize resource allocation for robust biosynthesis. Trends Biotechnol 2021; 40:735-751. [PMID: 34895933 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2021.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2021] [Revised: 11/07/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
An ideal microbial cell factory (MCF) should deliver maximal resources to production, which conflicts with the microbe's native growth-oriented resource allocation strategy and can therefore lead to early termination of the high-yield period. Reallocating resources from growth to production has become a critical factor in constructing robust MCFs. Instead of strengthening specific biosynthetic pathways, emerging endeavors are focused on rearranging the gene regulatory network to fundamentally reprogram the resource allocation pattern. Combining this idea with transcriptional regulation within the hierarchical regulatory network, this review discusses recent engineering strategies targeting the transcription machinery, module networks, regulatory edges, and bottom network layer. This global view will help to construct a production-oriented phenotype that fully harnesses the potential of MCFs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyan Ma
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, 5 South Zhongguancun Street, Haidian District, Beijing 100081, People's Republic of China
| | - Lianjie Ma
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, 5 South Zhongguancun Street, Haidian District, Beijing 100081, People's Republic of China
| | - Yi-Xin Huo
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, 5 South Zhongguancun Street, Haidian District, Beijing 100081, People's Republic of China; Tobacco Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Qingdao 266101, People's Republic of China.
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35
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Oliver Huidobro M, Tica J, Wachter GKA, Isalan M. Synthetic spatial patterning in bacteria: advances based on novel diffusible signals. Microb Biotechnol 2021; 15:1685-1694. [PMID: 34843638 PMCID: PMC9151330 DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.13979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2021] [Revised: 11/14/2021] [Accepted: 11/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Engineering multicellular patterning may help in the understanding of some fundamental laws of pattern formation and thus may contribute to the field of developmental biology. Furthermore, advanced spatial control over gene expression may revolutionize fields such as medicine, through organoid or tissue engineering. To date, foundational advances in spatial synthetic biology have often been made in prokaryotes, using artificial gene circuits. In this review, engineered patterns are classified into four levels of increasing complexity, ranging from spatial systems with no diffusible signals to systems with complex multi‐diffusor interactions. This classification highlights how the field was held back by a lack of diffusible components. Consequently, we provide a summary of both previously characterized and some new potential candidate small‐molecule signals that can regulate gene expression in Escherichia coli. These diffusive signals will help synthetic biologists to successfully engineer increasingly intricate, robust and tuneable spatial structures.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jure Tica
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Georg K A Wachter
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Mark Isalan
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
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36
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CRISPR-Based Genetic Switches and Other Complex Circuits: Research and Application. Life (Basel) 2021; 11:life11111255. [PMID: 34833131 PMCID: PMC8621321 DOI: 10.3390/life11111255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Revised: 11/14/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
CRISPR-based enzymes have offered a unique capability to the design of genetic switches, with advantages in designability, modularity and orthogonality. CRISPR-based genetic switches operate on multiple levels of life, including transcription and translation. In both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, deactivated CRISPR endonuclease and endoribonuclease have served in genetic switches for activating or repressing gene expression, at both transcriptional and translational levels. With these genetic switches, more complex circuits have been assembled to achieve sophisticated functions including inducible switches, non-linear response and logical biocomputation. As more CRISPR enzymes continue to be excavated, CRISPR-based genetic switches will be used in a much wider range of applications.
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37
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Duncker KE, Holmes ZA, You L. Engineered microbial consortia: strategies and applications. Microb Cell Fact 2021; 20:211. [PMID: 34784924 PMCID: PMC8597270 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-021-01699-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2021] [Accepted: 10/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Many applications of microbial synthetic biology, such as metabolic engineering and biocomputing, are increasing in design complexity. Implementing complex tasks in single populations can be a challenge because large genetic circuits can be burdensome and difficult to optimize. To overcome these limitations, microbial consortia can be engineered to distribute complex tasks among multiple populations. Recent studies have made substantial progress in programming microbial consortia for both basic understanding and potential applications. Microbial consortia have been designed through diverse strategies, including programming mutualistic interactions, using programmed population control to prevent overgrowth of individual populations, and spatial segregation to reduce competition. Here, we highlight the role of microbial consortia in the advances of metabolic engineering, biofilm production for engineered living materials, biocomputing, and biosensing. Additionally, we discuss the challenges for future research in microbial consortia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine E Duncker
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27705, USA
| | - Zachary A Holmes
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27705, USA
| | - Lingchong You
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27705, USA.
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38
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Gyorgy A. Context-Dependent Stability and Robustness of Genetic Toggle Switches with Leaky Promoters. Life (Basel) 2021; 11:life11111150. [PMID: 34833026 PMCID: PMC8624834 DOI: 10.3390/life11111150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Revised: 10/21/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Multistable switches are ubiquitous building blocks in both systems and synthetic biology. Given their central role, it is thus imperative to understand how their fundamental properties depend not only on the tunable biophysical properties of the switches themselves, but also on their genetic context. To this end, we reveal in this article how these factors shape the essential characteristics of toggle switches implemented using leaky promoters such as their stability and robustness to noise, both at single-cell and population levels. In particular, our results expose the roles that competition for scarce transcriptional and translational resources, promoter leakiness, and cell-to-cell heterogeneity collectively play. For instance, the interplay between protein expression from leaky promoters and the associated cost of relying on shared cellular resources can give rise to tristable dynamics even in the absence of positive feedback. Similarly, we demonstrate that while promoter leakiness always acts against multistability, resource competition can be leveraged to counteract this undesirable phenomenon. Underpinned by a mechanistic model, our results thus enable the context-aware rational design of multistable genetic switches that are directly translatable to experimental considerations, and can be further leveraged during the synthesis of large-scale genetic systems using computer-aided biodesign automation platforms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andras Gyorgy
- Division of Engineering, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi P.O. Box 129188, United Arab Emirates
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39
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Liu X, Wang W, Li J, Li Y, Zhang J, Tan H. A widespread response of Gram-negative bacterial acyl-homoserine lactone receptors to Gram-positive Streptomyces γ-butyrolactone signaling molecules. SCIENCE CHINA-LIFE SCIENCES 2021; 64:1575-1589. [PMID: 34319534 DOI: 10.1007/s11427-021-1956-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Cell-cell communication is critical for bacterial survival in natural habitats, in which miscellaneous regulatory networks are encompassed. However, elucidating the interaction networks of a microbial community has been hindered by the population complexity. This study reveals that γ-butyrolactone (GBL) molecules from Streptomyces species, the major antibiotic producers, can directly bind to the acyl-homoserine lactone (AHL) receptor of Chromobacterium violaceum and influence violacein production controlled by the quorum sensing (QS) system. Subsequently, the widespread responses of more Gram-negative bacterial AHL receptors to Gram-positive Streptomyces signaling molecules are unveiled. Based on the cross-talk between GBL and AHL signaling systems, combinatorial regulatory circuits (CRC) are designed and proved to be workable in Escherichia coli (E. coli). It is significant that the QS systems of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria can be bridged via native Streptomyces signaling molecules. These findings pave a new path for unlocking the comprehensive cell-cell communications in microbial communities and facilitate the exploitation of innovative regulatory elements for synthetic biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Wenxi Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Junyue Li
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yue Li
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Jihui Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
| | - Huarong Tan
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
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40
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Wu S, Xue Y, Yang S, Xu C, Liu C, Liu X, Liu J, Zhu H, Zhao GR, Yang A, Qiao J. Combinational quorum sensing devices for dynamic control in cross-feeding cocultivation. Metab Eng 2021; 67:186-197. [PMID: 34229080 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymben.2021.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2021] [Revised: 05/26/2021] [Accepted: 07/02/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Quorum sensing (QS) offers cell density dependent dynamic regulations in cell culture through devices such as synchronized lysis circuit (SLC) and metabolic toggle switch (MTS). However, there is still a lack of studies on cocultivation with a combination of different QS-based devices. Taking the production of isopropanol and salidroside as case studies, we have mathematically modeled a comprehensive set of QS-regulated cocultivation schemes and constructed experimental combinations of QS devices, respectively, to evaluate their feasibility and optimality for regulating growth competition and corporative production. Glucose split ratio is proposed for the analysis of competition between cell growth and targeted production. Results show that the combination of different QS devices across multiple members offers a new tool with the potential to effectively coordinate synthetic microbial consortia for achieving high product titer in cross-feeding cocultivation. It is also evident that the performance of such systems is significantly affected by dynamic characteristics of chosen QS devices, carbon source control and the operational settings. This study offers insights for future applications of combinational QS devices in synthetic microbial consortia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shengbo Wu
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China; State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Yanting Xue
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Shujuan Yang
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Chengyang Xu
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Chunjiang Liu
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China; State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China; Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Xue Liu
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China; Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering, Ministry of Education (Tianjin University), Tianjin, 300072, China; Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology (Ministry of Education), Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Jiaheng Liu
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China; Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering, Ministry of Education (Tianjin University), Tianjin, 300072, China; Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology (Ministry of Education), Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Hongji Zhu
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China; Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering, Ministry of Education (Tianjin University), Tianjin, 300072, China; Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology (Ministry of Education), Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Guang-Rong Zhao
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China; Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), Tianjin, 300072, China; Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering, Ministry of Education (Tianjin University), Tianjin, 300072, China; Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology (Ministry of Education), Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Aidong Yang
- Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PJ, UK.
| | - Jianjun Qiao
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China; Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), Tianjin, 300072, China; Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering, Ministry of Education (Tianjin University), Tianjin, 300072, China; Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology (Ministry of Education), Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China.
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Kelly EE, Fischer AM, Collins CH. Drawing up a collaborative contract: Amino acid cross-feeding between interspecies bacterial pairs. Biotechnol Bioeng 2021; 118:3138-3149. [PMID: 34027999 DOI: 10.1002/bit.27837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2020] [Revised: 04/09/2021] [Accepted: 05/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Synthetic microbial communities have the potential to enable new platforms for bioproduction of biofuels and biopharmaceuticals. However, using engineered communities is often assumed to be difficult because of anticipated challenges in establishing and controlling community composition. Cross-feeding between microbial auxotrophs has the potential to facilitate coculture growth and stability through a mutualistic ecological interaction. We assessed cross-feeding between 13 Escherichia coli amino acid auxotrophs paired with a leucine auxotroph of Bacillus megaterium. We developed a minimal medium capable of supporting the growth of both bacteria and used the media to study coculture growth of the 13 interspecies pairs of auxotrophs in batch and continuous culture, as well as on semi-solid media. In batch culture, 8 of 13 pairs of auxotrophs were observed to grow in coculture. We developed a new metric to quantify the impact of cross-feeding on coculture growth. Six pairs also showed long-term stability in continuous culture, where coculture growth at different dilution rates highlighted differences in cross-feeding amongst the pairs. Finally, we found that cross-feeding-dependent growth on semi-solid media is highly stringent and enables identification of the most efficient pairs. These results demonstrate that cross-feeding is a viable approach for controlling community composition within diverse synthetic communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin E Kelly
- Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York, USA.,Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York, USA
| | - Alexandria M Fischer
- Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York, USA.,Department of Biology, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York, USA
| | - Cynthia H Collins
- Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York, USA.,Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York, USA.,Department of Biology, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York, USA
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42
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Wagner HJ, Mohsenin H, Weber W. Synthetic Biology-Empowered Hydrogels for Medical Diagnostics. ADVANCES IN BIOCHEMICAL ENGINEERING/BIOTECHNOLOGY 2021; 178:197-226. [PMID: 33582837 DOI: 10.1007/10_2020_158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/10/2023]
Abstract
Synthetic biology is strongly inspired by concepts of engineering science and aims at the design and generation of artificial biological systems in different fields of research such as diagnostics, analytics, biomedicine, or chemistry. To this aim, synthetic biology uses an engineering approach relying on a toolbox of molecular sensors and switches that endows cellular hosts with non-natural computing functions and circuits. Importantly, this concept is not only limited to cellular approaches. Synthetic biological building blocks have also conferred sensing and switching capability to otherwise inactive materials. This principle has attracted high interest for the development of biohybrid materials capable of sensing and responding to specific molecular stimuli, such as disease biomarkers, antibiotics, or heavy metals. Moreover, the interconnection of individual sense-and-respond materials to complex materials systems has enabled the processing of, for example, multiple inputs or the amplification of signals using feedback topologies. Such systems holding high potential for applications in the analytical and diagnostic sectors will be described in this chapter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanna J Wagner
- Faculty of Biology, Signalling Research Centres BIOSS and CIBSS, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany.,Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Hasti Mohsenin
- Faculty of Biology, Signalling Research Centres BIOSS and CIBSS, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | - Wilfried Weber
- Faculty of Biology, Signalling Research Centres BIOSS and CIBSS, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany.
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Wu S, Xu C, Liu J, Liu C, Qiao J. Vertical and horizontal quorum-sensing-based multicellular communications. Trends Microbiol 2021; 29:1130-1142. [PMID: 34020859 DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2021.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2021] [Revised: 04/22/2021] [Accepted: 04/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Quorum sensing (QS) plays an important role in both natural and synthetic microbial systems. The complexity of QS entails multilayer controls, biomolecular crosstalk, and population-based interactions. In this review, we divide complex QS-based interactions into vertical and horizontal interactions. With respect to the former, we discuss QS-based interactions among phages, bacteria, and hosts in natural microbial systems, which are based on various QS signals and hormones. With regard to the latter, we highlight manipulations of QS-based interactions for multicomponent synthetic microbial consortia. We further present the recent and emerging applications of manipulating these interactions (collectively referred to as 'QS communication networks') in natural and synthetic microbiota. Finally, we identify key challenges in engineering diverse QS communication networks for various future applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shengbo Wu
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China; State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China; Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Chengyang Xu
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China; Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), Tianjin, 300072, China; Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering, Ministry of Education (Tianjin University), Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Jiaheng Liu
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China; Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), Tianjin, 300072, China; Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering, Ministry of Education (Tianjin University), Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Chunjiang Liu
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China; State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China; Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), Tianjin, 300072, China.
| | - Jianjun Qiao
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China; Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), Tianjin, 300072, China; Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering, Ministry of Education (Tianjin University), Tianjin, 300072, China.
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Yong C, Gyorgy A. Stability and Robustness of Unbalanced Genetic Toggle Switches in the Presence of Scarce Resources. Life (Basel) 2021; 11:271. [PMID: 33805212 PMCID: PMC8064337 DOI: 10.3390/life11040271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2021] [Revised: 03/17/2021] [Accepted: 03/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
While the vision of synthetic biology is to create complex genetic systems in a rational fashion, system-level behaviors are often perplexing due to the context-dependent dynamics of modules. One major source of context-dependence emerges due to the limited availability of shared resources, coupling the behavior of disconnected components. Motivated by the ubiquitous role of toggle switches in genetic circuits ranging from controlling cell fate differentiation to optimizing cellular performance, here we reveal how their fundamental dynamic properties are affected by competition for scarce resources. Combining a mechanistic model with nullcline-based stability analysis and potential landscape-based robustness analysis, we uncover not only the detrimental impacts of resource competition, but also how the unbalancedness of the switch further exacerbates them. While in general both of these factors undermine the performance of the switch (by pushing the dynamics toward monostability and increased sensitivity to noise), we also demonstrate that some of the unwanted effects can be alleviated by strategically optimized resource competition. Our results provide explicit guidelines for the context-aware rational design of toggle switches to mitigate our reliance on lengthy and expensive trial-and-error processes, and can be seamlessly integrated into the computer-aided synthesis of complex genetic systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chentao Yong
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA;
| | - Andras Gyorgy
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi 129188, United Arab Emirates
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46
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Billerbeck S. Directed evolution of synthetic coexistence: a new path towards ecosystem design? Synth Biol (Oxf) 2021; 5:ysaa025. [PMID: 33409374 PMCID: PMC7772472 DOI: 10.1093/synbio/ysaa025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2020] [Accepted: 11/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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47
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Autonomous and Assisted Control for Synthetic Microbiology. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21239223. [PMID: 33287299 PMCID: PMC7731081 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21239223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2020] [Revised: 11/17/2020] [Accepted: 11/25/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The control of microbes and microbial consortia to achieve specific functions requires synthetic circuits that can reliably cope with internal and external perturbations. Circuits that naturally evolved to regulate biological functions are frequently robust to alterations in their parameters. As the complexity of synthetic circuits increases, synthetic biologists need to implement such robust control "by design". This is especially true for intercellular signaling circuits for synthetic consortia, where robustness is highly desirable, but its mechanisms remain unclear. Cybergenetics, the interface between synthetic biology and control theory, offers two approaches to this challenge: external (computer-aided) and internal (autonomous) control. Here, we review natural and synthetic microbial systems with robustness, and outline experimental approaches to implement such robust control in microbial consortia through population-level cybergenetics. We propose that harnessing natural intercellular circuit topologies with robust evolved functions can help to achieve similar robust control in synthetic intercellular circuits. A "hybrid biology" approach, where robust synthetic microbes interact with natural consortia and-additionally-with external computers, could become a useful tool for health and environmental applications.
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48
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Xu P. Dynamics of microbial competition, commensalism, and cooperation and its implications for coculture and microbiome engineering. Biotechnol Bioeng 2020; 118:199-209. [PMID: 32915459 PMCID: PMC7821011 DOI: 10.1002/bit.27562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2020] [Revised: 07/28/2020] [Accepted: 09/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Microbial consortium is a complex adaptive system with higher‐order dynamic characteristics that are not present by individual members. To accurately predict the social interactions, we formulate a set of unstructured kinetic models to quantitatively capture the dynamic interactions of multiple microbial species. By introducing an interaction coefficient, we analytically derived the steady‐state solutions for the interacting species and the substrate‐depleting profile in the chemostat. We analyzed the stability of the possible coexisting states defined by competition, parasitism, amensalism, commensalism, and cooperation. Our model predicts that only parasitism, commensalism, and cooperation could lead to stable coexisting states. We also determined the optimal social interaction criteria of microbial coculture when sequential metabolic reactions are compartmentalized into two distinct species. Coupled with Luedeking–Piret and Michaelis–Menten equations, accumulation of metabolic intermediates in one species and formation of end‐product in another species could be derived and assessed. We discovered that parasitism consortia disfavor the bioconversion of intermediate to final product; and commensalism consortia could efficiently convert metabolic intermediates to final product and maintain metabolic homeostasis with a broad range of operational conditions (i.e., dilution rates); whereas cooperative consortia leads to highly nonlinear pattern of precursor accumulation and end‐product formation. The underlying dynamics and emergent properties of microbial consortia may provide critical knowledge for us to understand ecological coexisting states, engineer efficient bioconversion process, deliver effective gut therapeutics as well as elucidate probiotic‐pathogen or tumor‐host interactions in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Xu
- Department of Chemical, Biochemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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