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Bai S, Luo H, Tong H, Wu Y, Yuan Y. Advances on transfer and maintenance of large DNA in bacteria, fungi, and mammalian cells. Biotechnol Adv 2024; 76:108421. [PMID: 39127411 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2024.108421] [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: 03/24/2023] [Revised: 05/07/2024] [Accepted: 08/04/2024] [Indexed: 08/12/2024]
Abstract
Advances in synthetic biology allow the design and manipulation of DNA from the scale of genes to genomes, enabling the engineering of complex genetic information for application in biomanufacturing, biomedicine and other areas. The transfer and subsequent maintenance of large DNA are two core steps in large scale genome rewriting. Compared to small DNA, the high molecular weight and fragility of large DNA make its transfer and maintenance a challenging process. This review outlines the methods currently available for transferring and maintaining large DNA in bacteria, fungi, and mammalian cells. It highlights their mechanisms, capabilities and applications. The transfer methods are categorized into general methods (e.g., electroporation, conjugative transfer, induced cell fusion-mediated transfer, and chemical transformation) and specialized methods (e.g., natural transformation, mating-based transfer, virus-mediated transfection) based on their applicability to recipient cells. The maintenance methods are classified into genomic integration (e.g., CRISPR/Cas-assisted insertion) and episomal maintenance (e.g., artificial chromosomes). Additionally, this review identifies the major technological advantages and disadvantages of each method and discusses the development for large DNA transfer and maintenance technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Song Bai
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, 300072 Tianjin, China; Frontiers Research Institute for Synthetic Biology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Han Luo
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, 300072 Tianjin, China; Frontiers Research Institute for Synthetic Biology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Hanze Tong
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, 300072 Tianjin, China; Frontiers Research Institute for Synthetic Biology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Yi Wu
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, 300072 Tianjin, China; Frontiers Research Institute for Synthetic Biology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China. @tju.edu.cn
| | - Yingjin Yuan
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, 300072 Tianjin, China; Frontiers Research Institute for Synthetic Biology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
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2
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Zhang Y, Ba F, Huang S, Liu WQ, Li J. Orthogonal Serine Integrases Enable Scalable Gene Storage Cascades in Bacterial Genome. ACS Synth Biol 2024. [PMID: 39238421 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.4c00505] [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: 09/07/2024]
Abstract
Genome integration enables host organisms to stably carry heterologous DNA messages, introducing new genotypes and phenotypes for expanded applications. While several genome integration approaches have been reported, a scalable tool for DNA message storage within site-specific genome landing pads is still lacking. Here, we introduce an iterative genome integration method utilizing orthogonal serine integrases, enabling the stable storage of multiple heterologous genes in the chromosome of Escherichia coli MG1655. By leveraging serine integrases TP901-1, Bxb1, and PhiC31, along with engineered integration vectors, we demonstrate high-efficiency, marker-free integration of DNA fragments up to 13 kb in length. To further simplify the procedure, we then develop a streamlined integration method and showcase the system's versatility by constructing an engineered E. coli strain capable of storing and expressing multiple genes from diverse species. Additionally, we illustrate the potential utility of these engineered strains for synthetic biology applications, including in vivo and in vitro protein expression. Our work extends the application scope of serine integrases for scalable gene integration cascades, with implications for genome manipulation and gene storage applications in synthetic biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yufei Zhang
- School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Fang Ba
- School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Shuhui Huang
- School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Wan-Qiu Liu
- School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Jian Li
- School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
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3
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Li G, Long TF, Zhou SY, Xia LJ, Gao A, Wan L, Diao XY, He YZ, Sun RY, Yang JT, Tang SQ, Ren H, Fang LX, Liao XP, Liu YH, Chen L, Sun J. CRISPR-AMRtracker: A novel toolkit to monitor the antimicrobial resistance gene transfer in fecal microbiota. Drug Resist Updat 2024; 77:101142. [PMID: 39214042 DOI: 10.1016/j.drup.2024.101142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2023] [Revised: 08/04/2024] [Accepted: 08/17/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
The spread of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), particularly those carried on plasmids, poses a major risk to global health. However, the extent and frequency of ARGs transfer in microbial communities among human, animal, and environmental sectors is not well understood due to a lack of effective tracking tools. We have developed a novel fluorescent tracing tool, CRISPR-AMRtracker, to study ARG transfer. It combines CRISPR/Cas9 fluorescence tagging, fluorescence-activated cell sorting, 16S rRNA gene sequencing, and microbial community analysis. CRISPR-AMRtracker integrates a fluorescent tag immediately downstream of ARGs, enabling the tracking of ARG transfer without compromising the host cell's antibiotic susceptibility, fitness, conjugation, and transposition. Notably, our experiments demonstrate that sfGFP-tagged plasmid-borne mcr-1 can transfer across diverse bacterial species within fecal samples. This innovative approach holds the potential to illuminate the dynamics of ARG dissemination and provide valuable insights to shape effective strategies in mitigating the escalating threat of antibiotic resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gong Li
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, PR China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Utilization and Conservation of Food and Medicinal Resources in Northern Region, Shaoguan University, Shaoguan, PR China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Veterinary Pharmaceutics Development and Safety Evaluation, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, PR China
| | - Teng-Fei Long
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, PR China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Veterinary Pharmaceutics Development and Safety Evaluation, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, PR China
| | - Shi-Ying Zhou
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, PR China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Veterinary Pharmaceutics Development and Safety Evaluation, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, PR China
| | - Li-Juan Xia
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, PR China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Veterinary Pharmaceutics Development and Safety Evaluation, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, PR China
| | - Ang Gao
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, PR China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Veterinary Pharmaceutics Development and Safety Evaluation, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, PR China
| | - Lei Wan
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, PR China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Veterinary Pharmaceutics Development and Safety Evaluation, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, PR China
| | - Xiao-Yuan Diao
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, PR China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Veterinary Pharmaceutics Development and Safety Evaluation, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, PR China
| | - Yu-Zhang He
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, PR China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Veterinary Pharmaceutics Development and Safety Evaluation, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, PR China
| | - Ruan-Yang Sun
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, PR China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Veterinary Pharmaceutics Development and Safety Evaluation, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, PR China
| | - Jin-Tao Yang
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, PR China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Veterinary Pharmaceutics Development and Safety Evaluation, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, PR China
| | - Sheng-Qiu Tang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Utilization and Conservation of Food and Medicinal Resources in Northern Region, Shaoguan University, Shaoguan, PR China
| | - Hao Ren
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, PR China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Veterinary Pharmaceutics Development and Safety Evaluation, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, PR China
| | - Liang-Xing Fang
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, PR China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Veterinary Pharmaceutics Development and Safety Evaluation, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, PR China
| | - Xiao-Ping Liao
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, PR China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Veterinary Pharmaceutics Development and Safety Evaluation, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, PR China
| | - Ya-Hong Liu
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, PR China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Veterinary Pharmaceutics Development and Safety Evaluation, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, PR China
| | - Liang Chen
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14214, United States.
| | - Jian Sun
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, PR China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Veterinary Pharmaceutics Development and Safety Evaluation, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, PR China.
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Kozaeva E, Eida AA, Gunady EF, Dangl JL, Conway JM, Brophy JA. Roots of synthetic ecology: microbes that foster plant resilience in the changing climate. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2024; 88:103172. [PMID: 39029405 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2024.103172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2024] [Revised: 06/11/2024] [Accepted: 06/26/2024] [Indexed: 07/21/2024]
Abstract
Microbes orchestrate nearly all major biogeochemical processes. The ability to program their influence on plant growth and development is attractive for sustainable agriculture. However, the complexity of microbial ecosystems and our limited understanding of the mechanisms by which plants and microbes interact with each other and the environment make it challenging to use microbiomes to influence plant growth. Novel technologies at the intersection of microbial ecology, systems biology, and bioengineering provide new tools to probe the role of plant microbiomes across environments. Here, we summarize recent studies on plant and microbe responses to abiotic stresses, showcasing key molecules and micro-organisms that are important for plant health. We highlight opportunities to use synthetic microbial communities to understand the complexity of plant-microbial interactions and discuss future avenues of programming ecology to improve plant and ecosystem health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ekaterina Kozaeva
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA; Section of Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Abdul Aziz Eida
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Ella F Gunady
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Jeffery L Dangl
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
| | - Jonathan M Conway
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.
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Wippold JA, Chu M, Renberg R, Li Y, Adams B, Han A. XPORT ENTRAP: A droplet microfluidic platform for enhanced DNA transfer between microbial species. N Biotechnol 2024; 81:10-19. [PMID: 38408724 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbt.2024.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2023] [Revised: 02/20/2024] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024]
Abstract
A significant hurdle for the widespread implementation and use of synthetic biology is the challenge of highly efficient introduction of DNA into microorganisms. This is especially a barrier for the utilization of non-model organisms and/or novel chassis species for a variety of applications, ranging from molecular biology to biotechnology and biomanufacturing applications. Common approaches to episomal and chromosomal gene editing, which employ techniques such as chemical competence and electroporation, are typically only amenable to a small subset of microbial species while leaving the vast majority of microorganisms in nature genetically inaccessible. To address this challenge, we have employed the previously described B. subtilis broad-host conjugation strain, XPORT, which was modularly designed for loading DNA cargo and conjugating such DNA into recalcitrant microbes. In this current work, we have leveraged and adapted the XPORT strain for use in a droplet microfluidic platform to enable increased efficiency of conjugation-based DNA transfer. The system named DNA ENTRAP (DNA ENhanced TRAnsfer Platform) utilizes cell-encapsulated water-in-oil emulsion droplets as pico-liter-volume bioreactors that allows controlled contacts between the donor and receiver cells within the emulsion bioreactor. This allowed enhanced XPORT-mediated genetic transfer over the current benchtop XPORT process, demonstrated using two different Bacillus subtilis strains (donor and receiver), as well as increased throughput (e.g., number of successfully conjugated cells) due to the automated assay steps inherent to microfluidic lab-on-a-chip systems. DNA ENTRAP paves the way for a streamlined automation of culturing and XPORT-mediated genetic transfer processes as well as future high-throughput cell engineering and screening applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jose A Wippold
- United States Combat Capabilities Development Command Army Research Laboratory - DEVCOM ARL, Adelphi, MD, USA
| | - Monica Chu
- United States Combat Capabilities Development Command Army Research Laboratory - DEVCOM ARL, Adelphi, MD, USA
| | - Rebecca Renberg
- United States Combat Capabilities Development Command Army Research Laboratory - DEVCOM ARL, Adelphi, MD, USA
| | - Yuwen Li
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, USA
| | - Bryn Adams
- United States Combat Capabilities Development Command Army Research Laboratory - DEVCOM ARL, Adelphi, MD, USA.
| | - Arum Han
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, USA; Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA.
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6
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Benjamin KN, Goyal A, Nair RV, Endy D. Genome-wide transcription response of Staphylococcus epidermidis to heat shock and medically relevant glucose levels. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1408796. [PMID: 39104585 PMCID: PMC11298487 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1408796] [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: 03/28/2024] [Accepted: 06/24/2024] [Indexed: 08/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Skin serves as both barrier and interface between body and environment. Skin microbes are intermediaries evolved to respond, transduce, or act in response to changing environmental or physiological conditions. We quantified genome-wide changes in gene expression levels for one abundant skin commensal, Staphylococcus epidermidis, in response to an internal physiological signal, glucose levels, and an external environmental signal, temperature. We found 85 of 2,354 genes change up to ~34-fold in response to medically relevant changes in glucose concentration (0-17 mM; adj p ≤0.05). We observed carbon catabolite repression in response to a range of glucose spikes, as well as upregulation of genes involved in glucose utilization in response to persistent glucose. We observed 366 differentially expressed genes in response to a physiologically relevant change in temperature (37-45°C; adj p ≤ 0.05) and an S. epidermidis heat-shock response that mostly resembles the heat-shock response of related staphylococcal species. DNA motif analysis revealed CtsR and CIRCE operator sequences arranged in tandem upstream of dnaK and groESL operons. We identified and curated 38 glucose-responsive genes as candidate ON or OFF switches for use in controlling synthetic genetic systems. Such systems might be used to instrument the in-situ skin microbiome or help control microbes bioengineered to serve as embedded diagnostics, monitoring, or treatment platforms.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Aditi Goyal
- Biomedical Data Science, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Ramesh V. Nair
- Stanford Center for Genomics and Personalized Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Drew Endy
- Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
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Won C, Yim SS. Emerging methylation-based approaches in microbiome engineering. BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR BIOFUELS AND BIOPRODUCTS 2024; 17:96. [PMID: 38987811 PMCID: PMC11238421 DOI: 10.1186/s13068-024-02529-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 07/12/2024]
Abstract
Bacterial epigenetics, particularly through DNA methylation, exerts significant influence over various biological processes such as DNA replication, uptake, and gene regulation in bacteria. In this review, we explore recent advances in characterizing bacterial epigenomes, accompanied by emerging strategies that harness bacterial epigenetics to elucidate and engineer diverse bacterial species with precision and effectiveness. Furthermore, we delve into the potential of epigenetic modifications to steer microbial functions and influence community dynamics, offering promising opportunities for understanding and modulating microbiomes. Additionally, we investigate the extensive diversity of DNA methyltransferases and emphasize their potential utility in the context of the human microbiome. In summary, this review highlights the potential of DNA methylation as a powerful toolkit for engineering microbiomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Changhee Won
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Sung Sun Yim
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, Republic of Korea.
- Graduate School of Engineering Biology, KAIST, Daejeon, Republic of Korea.
- KAIST Institute for BioCentury, KAIST, Daejeon, Republic of Korea.
- Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Daejeon, Republic of Korea.
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Joshi SHN, Jenkins C, Ulaeto D, Gorochowski TE. Accelerating Genetic Sensor Development, Scale-up, and Deployment Using Synthetic Biology. BIODESIGN RESEARCH 2024; 6:0037. [PMID: 38919711 PMCID: PMC11197468 DOI: 10.34133/bdr.0037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Living cells are exquisitely tuned to sense and respond to changes in their environment. Repurposing these systems to create engineered biosensors has seen growing interest in the field of synthetic biology and provides a foundation for many innovative applications spanning environmental monitoring to improved biobased production. In this review, we present a detailed overview of currently available biosensors and the methods that have supported their development, scale-up, and deployment. We focus on genetic sensors in living cells whose outputs affect gene expression. We find that emerging high-throughput experimental assays and evolutionary approaches combined with advanced bioinformatics and machine learning are establishing pipelines to produce genetic sensors for virtually any small molecule, protein, or nucleic acid. However, more complex sensing tasks based on classifying compositions of many stimuli and the reliable deployment of these systems into real-world settings remain challenges. We suggest that recent advances in our ability to precisely modify nonmodel organisms and the integration of proven control engineering principles (e.g., feedback) into the broader design of genetic sensing systems will be necessary to overcome these hurdles and realize the immense potential of the field.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Christopher Jenkins
- CBR Division, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Porton Down, Wiltshire SP4 0JQ, UK
| | - David Ulaeto
- CBR Division, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Porton Down, Wiltshire SP4 0JQ, UK
| | - Thomas E. Gorochowski
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
- BrisEngBio,
School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TS, UK
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Stindt KR, McClean MN. Tuning interdomain conjugation to enable in situ population modification in yeasts. mSystems 2024; 9:e0005024. [PMID: 38747597 PMCID: PMC11326116 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00050-24] [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: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The ability to modify and control natural and engineered microbiomes is essential for biotechnology and biomedicine. Fungi are critical members of most microbiomes, yet technology for modifying the fungal members of a microbiome has lagged far behind that for bacteria. Interdomain conjugation (IDC) is a promising approach, as DNA transfer from bacterial cells to yeast enables in situ modification. While such genetic transfers have been known to naturally occur in a wide range of eukaryotes and are thought to contribute to their evolution, IDC has been understudied as a technique to control fungal or fungal-bacterial consortia. One major obstacle to the widespread use of IDC is its limited efficiency. In this work, we manipulated metabolic and physical interactions between genetically tractable Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae to control the incidence of IDC. We test the landscape of population interactions between the bacterial donors and yeast recipients to find that bacterial commensalism leads to maximized IDC, both in culture and in mixed colonies. We demonstrate the capacity of cell-to-cell binding via mannoproteins to assist both IDC incidence and bacterial commensalism in culture and model how these tunable controls can predictably yield a range of IDC outcomes. Furthermore, we demonstrate that these controls can be utilized to irreversibly alter a recipient yeast population, by both "rescuing" a poor-growing recipient population and collapsing a stable population via a novel IDC-mediated CRISPR/Cas9 system.IMPORTANCEFungi are important but often unaddressed members of most natural and synthetic microbial communities. This work highlights opportunities for modifying yeast microbiome populations through bacterial conjugation. While conjugation has been recognized for its capacity to deliver engineerable DNA to a range of cells, its dependence on cell contact has limited its efficiency. Here, we find "knobs" to control DNA transfer, by engineering the metabolic dependence between bacterial donors and yeast recipients and by changing their ability to physically adhere to each other. Importantly, we functionally validate these "knobs" by irreversibly altering yeast populations. We use these controls to "rescue" a failing yeast population, demonstrate the capacity of conjugated CRISPR/Cas9 to depress or collapse populations, and show that conjugation can be easily interrupted by disrupting cell-to-cell binding. These results offer building blocks toward in situ mycobiome editing, with significant implications for clinical treatments of fungal pathogens and other fungal system engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin R Stindt
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
- Doctoral Program in Biophysics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Megan N McClean
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
- University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
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Pfotenhauer AC, Lenaghan SC. Phytosensors: harnessing plants to understand the world around us. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2024; 87:103134. [PMID: 38705091 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2024.103134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2024] [Revised: 04/04/2024] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024]
Abstract
Although plants are sessile, their ubiquitous distribution, ability to harness energy from the sun, and ability to sense above and belowground signals make them ideal candidates for biosensor development. Synthetic biology has allowed scientists to reimagine biosensors as engineered devices that are focused on accomplishing novel tasks. As such, a new wave of plant-based sensors, phytosensors, are being engineered as multi-component sense-and-report devices that can alert human operators to a variety of hazards. While phytosensors are intrinsically tied to agriculture, a new generation of phytosensors has been envisioned to function in the built environment and even in austere environments, such as space. In this review, we will explore the current state of the art with regard to phytosensor engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Scott C Lenaghan
- Center for Agricultural Synthetic Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA; Department of Food Science, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, USA.
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Van Den Berghe M, Walworth NG, Dalvie NC, Dupont CL, Springer M, Andrews MG, Romaniello SJ, Hutchins DA, Montserrat F, Silver PA, Nealson KH. Microbial Catalysis for CO 2 Sequestration: A Geobiological Approach. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol 2024; 16:a041673. [PMID: 37788887 PMCID: PMC11065169 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a041673] [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: 10/05/2023]
Abstract
One of the greatest threats facing the planet is the continued increase in excess greenhouse gasses, with CO2 being the primary driver due to its rapid increase in only a century. Excess CO2 is exacerbating known climate tipping points that will have cascading local and global effects including loss of biodiversity, global warming, and climate migration. However, global reduction of CO2 emissions is not enough. Carbon dioxide removal (CDR) will also be needed to avoid the catastrophic effects of global warming. Although the drawdown and storage of CO2 occur naturally via the coupling of the silicate and carbonate cycles, they operate over geological timescales (thousands of years). Here, we suggest that microbes can be used to accelerate this process, perhaps by orders of magnitude, while simultaneously producing potentially valuable by-products. This could provide both a sustainable pathway for global drawdown of CO2 and an environmentally benign biosynthesis of materials. We discuss several different approaches, all of which involve enhancing the rate of silicate weathering. We use the silicate mineral olivine as a case study because of its favorable weathering properties, global abundance, and growing interest in CDR applications. Extensive research is needed to determine both the upper limit of the rate of silicate dissolution and its potential to economically scale to draw down significant amounts (Mt/Gt) of CO2 Other industrial processes have successfully cultivated microbial consortia to provide valuable services at scale (e.g., wastewater treatment, anaerobic digestion, fermentation), and we argue that similar economies of scale could be achieved from this research.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nathan G Walworth
- Vesta, San Francisco, California 94114, USA
- University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90007, USA
- Department of Environment and Sustainability, J. Craig Venter Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, USA
| | - Neil C Dalvie
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
| | - Chris L Dupont
- Department of Environment and Sustainability, J. Craig Venter Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, USA
- Department of Human Biology and Genomic Medicine, J. Craig Venter Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, USA
| | - Michael Springer
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
| | | | | | - David A Hutchins
- University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90007, USA
| | | | - Pamela A Silver
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
| | - Kenneth H Nealson
- Vesta, San Francisco, California 94114, USA
- University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90007, USA
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12
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Zheng L, Shen J, Chen R, Hu Y, Zhao W, Leung ELH, Dai L. Genome engineering of the human gut microbiome. J Genet Genomics 2024; 51:479-491. [PMID: 38218395 DOI: 10.1016/j.jgg.2024.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2023] [Revised: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 01/15/2024]
Abstract
The human gut microbiome, a complex ecosystem, significantly influences host health, impacting crucial aspects such as metabolism and immunity. To enhance our comprehension and control of the molecular mechanisms orchestrating the intricate interplay between gut commensal bacteria and human health, the exploration of genome engineering for gut microbes is a promising frontier. Nevertheless, the complexities and diversities inherent in the gut microbiome pose substantial challenges to the development of effective genome engineering tools for human gut microbes. In this comprehensive review, we provide an overview of the current progress and challenges in genome engineering of human gut commensal bacteria, whether executed in vitro or in situ. A specific focus is directed towards the advancements and prospects in cargo DNA delivery and high-throughput techniques. Additionally, we elucidate the immense potential of genome engineering methods to enhance our understanding of the human gut microbiome and engineer the microorganisms to enhance human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linggang Zheng
- Dr Neher's Biophysics Laboratory for Innovative Drug Discovery/State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Taipa, Macau 999078, China; CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Juntao Shen
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Ruiyue Chen
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yucan Hu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Wei Zhao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Elaine Lai-Han Leung
- Cancer Center, Faculty of Health Science, University of Macau, Macau 999078, China; MOE Frontiers Science Center for Precision Oncology, University of Macau, Macau 999078, China.
| | - Lei Dai
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
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13
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Li X, Zheng X, Yadav N, Saha S, Salama ES, Li X, Wang L, Jeon BH. Rational management of the plant microbiome for the Second Green Revolution. PLANT COMMUNICATIONS 2024; 5:100812. [PMID: 38213028 PMCID: PMC11009158 DOI: 10.1016/j.xplc.2024.100812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2023] [Revised: 11/06/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 01/13/2024]
Abstract
The Green Revolution of the mid-20th century transformed agriculture worldwide and has resulted in environmental challenges. A new approach, the Second Green Revolution, seeks to enhance agricultural productivity while minimizing negative environmental impacts. Plant microbiomes play critical roles in plant growth and stress responses, and understanding plant-microbiome interactions is essential for developing sustainable agricultural practices that meet food security and safety challenges, which are among the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. This review provides a comprehensive exploration of key deterministic processes crucial for developing microbiome management strategies, including the host effect, the facilitator effect, and microbe-microbe interactions. A hierarchical framework for plant microbiome modulation is proposed to bridge the gap between basic research and agricultural applications. This framework emphasizes three levels of modulation: single-strain, synthetic community, and in situ microbiome modulation. Overall, rational management of plant microbiomes has wide-ranging applications in agriculture and can potentially be a core technology for the Second Green Revolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaofang Li
- Center for Agricultural Resources Research, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shijiazhuang 050021, China
| | - Xin Zheng
- Center for Agricultural Resources Research, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shijiazhuang 050021, China
| | - Nikita Yadav
- Department of Earth Resources and Environmental Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, South Korea
| | - Shouvik Saha
- Natural Resources Research Institute, University of Minnesota Duluth, Hermantown, MN 55811, USA; Department of Biotechnology, Brainware University, Barasat, Kolkata 700125, West Bengal, India
| | - El-Sayed Salama
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China
| | - Xiangkai Li
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Cell Activities and Stress Adaptations, School of Life Science, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China
| | - Likun Wang
- Center for Agricultural Resources Research, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shijiazhuang 050021, China.
| | - Byong-Hun Jeon
- Department of Earth Resources and Environmental Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, South Korea.
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14
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Bombaywala S, Bajaj A, Dafale NA. Oxygen mediated mobilization and co-occurrence of antibiotic resistance in lab-scale bioreactor using metagenomic binning. World J Microbiol Biotechnol 2024; 40:142. [PMID: 38519761 DOI: 10.1007/s11274-024-03952-w] [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: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024]
Abstract
Sub-lethal levels of antibiotic stimulate bacteria to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) that promotes emergence and spread of antibiotic resistance mediated by mobile genetic elements (MGEs). Nevertheless, the influence of dissolved oxygen (DO) levels on mobility of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in response to ROS-induced stress remains elusive. Thus, the study employs metagenomic assembly and binning approaches to decipher mobility potential and co-occurrence frequency of ARGs and MGEs under hyperoxic (5.5-7 mgL- 1), normoxic (2.5-4 mgL- 1), and hypoxic (0.5-1 mgL- 1) conditions in lab-scale bioreactor for 6 months. Among 163 high-quality metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) recovered from 13 metagenomes, 42 MAGs harboured multiple ARGs and were assigned to priority pathogen group. Total ARG count increased by 4.3 and 2.5% in hyperoxic and normoxic, but decreased by 0.53% in hypoxic conditions after 150 days. On contrary, MGE count increased by 7.3-1.3% in all the DO levels, with only two ARGs showed positive correlation with MGEs in hypoxic compared to 20 ARGs under hyperoxic conditions. Opportunistic pathogens (Escherichia, Klebsiella, Clostridium, and Proteus) were detected as potential hosts of ARGs wherein co-localisation of critical ARG gene cassette (sul1, dfr1,adeF, and qacC) were identified in class 1 integron/Tn1 family transposons. Thus, enhanced co-occurrence frequency of ARGs with MGEs in pathogens suggested promotion of ARGs mobility under oxidative stress. The study offers valuable insights into ARG dissemination and hosts dynamics that is essential for controlling oxygen-related stress for mitigating MGEs and ARGs in the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sakina Bombaywala
- Environmental Biotechnology & Genomics Division, CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), Nehru Marg, Nagpur, 440020, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, India
| | - Abhay Bajaj
- Environmental Biotechnology & Genomics Division, CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), Nehru Marg, Nagpur, 440020, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, India
- Environmental Toxicology Group, FEST Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research, 31 Mahatma Gandhi Marg, Lucknow, 226001, India
| | - Nishant A Dafale
- Environmental Biotechnology & Genomics Division, CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), Nehru Marg, Nagpur, 440020, India.
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, India.
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15
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Law SR, Mathes F, Paten AM, Alexandre PA, Regmi R, Reid C, Safarchi A, Shaktivesh S, Wang Y, Wilson A, Rice SA, Gupta VVSR. Life at the borderlands: microbiomes of interfaces critical to One Health. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2024; 48:fuae008. [PMID: 38425054 PMCID: PMC10977922 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuae008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Revised: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Microbiomes are foundational components of the environment that provide essential services relating to food security, carbon sequestration, human health, and the overall well-being of ecosystems. Microbiota exert their effects primarily through complex interactions at interfaces with their plant, animal, and human hosts, as well as within the soil environment. This review aims to explore the ecological, evolutionary, and molecular processes governing the establishment and function of microbiome-host relationships, specifically at interfaces critical to One Health-a transdisciplinary framework that recognizes that the health outcomes of people, animals, plants, and the environment are tightly interconnected. Within the context of One Health, the core principles underpinning microbiome assembly will be discussed in detail, including biofilm formation, microbial recruitment strategies, mechanisms of microbial attachment, community succession, and the effect these processes have on host function and health. Finally, this review will catalogue recent advances in microbiology and microbial ecology methods that can be used to profile microbial interfaces, with particular attention to multi-omic, advanced imaging, and modelling approaches. These technologies are essential for delineating the general and specific principles governing microbiome assembly and functions, mapping microbial interconnectivity across varying spatial and temporal scales, and for the establishment of predictive frameworks that will guide the development of targeted microbiome-interventions to deliver One Health outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon R Law
- CSIRO MOSH-Future Science Platform, Australia
- CSIRO Agriculture and Food, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Falko Mathes
- CSIRO MOSH-Future Science Platform, Australia
- CSIRO Environment, Floreat, WA 6014, Australia
| | - Amy M Paten
- CSIRO MOSH-Future Science Platform, Australia
- CSIRO Environment, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Pamela A Alexandre
- CSIRO MOSH-Future Science Platform, Australia
- CSIRO Agriculture and Food, St Lucia, Qld 4072, Australia
| | - Roshan Regmi
- CSIRO MOSH-Future Science Platform, Australia
- CSIRO Agriculture and Food, Urrbrae, SA 5064, Australia
| | - Cameron Reid
- CSIRO MOSH-Future Science Platform, Australia
- CSIRO Environment, Urrbrae, SA 5064, Australia
| | - Azadeh Safarchi
- CSIRO MOSH-Future Science Platform, Australia
- CSIRO Health and Biosecurity, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia
| | - Shaktivesh Shaktivesh
- CSIRO MOSH-Future Science Platform, Australia
- CSIRO Data 61, Clayton, Vic 3168, Australia
| | - Yanan Wang
- CSIRO MOSH-Future Science Platform, Australia
- CSIRO Health and Biosecurity, Adelaide SA 5000, Australia
| | - Annaleise Wilson
- CSIRO MOSH-Future Science Platform, Australia
- CSIRO Health and Biosecurity, Geelong, Vic 3220, Australia
| | - Scott A Rice
- CSIRO MOSH-Future Science Platform, Australia
- CSIRO Agriculture, and Food, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia
| | - Vadakattu V S R Gupta
- CSIRO MOSH-Future Science Platform, Australia
- CSIRO Agriculture and Food, Urrbrae, SA 5064, Australia
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16
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Ragland CJ, Shih KY, Dinneny JR. Choreographing root architecture and rhizosphere interactions through synthetic biology. Nat Commun 2024; 15:1370. [PMID: 38355570 PMCID: PMC10866969 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45272-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Climate change is driving extreme changes to the environment, posing substantial threats to global food security and bioenergy. Given the direct role of plant roots in mediating plant-environment interactions, engineering the form and function of root systems and their associated microbiota may mitigate these effects. Synthetic genetic circuits have enabled sophisticated control of gene expression in microbial systems for years and a surge of advances has heralded the extension of this approach to multicellular plant species. Targeting these tools to affect root structure, exudation, and microbe activity on root surfaces provide multiple strategies for the advancement of climate-ready crops.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carin J Ragland
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Kevin Y Shih
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - José R Dinneny
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
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17
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Tao X, Yang Z, Feng J, Jian S, Yang Y, Bates CT, Wang G, Guo X, Ning D, Kempher ML, Liu XJA, Ouyang Y, Han S, Wu L, Zeng Y, Kuang J, Zhang Y, Zhou X, Shi Z, Qin W, Wang J, Firestone MK, Tiedje JM, Zhou J. Experimental warming accelerates positive soil priming in a temperate grassland ecosystem. Nat Commun 2024; 15:1178. [PMID: 38331994 PMCID: PMC10853207 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45277-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Unravelling biosphere feedback mechanisms is crucial for predicting the impacts of global warming. Soil priming, an effect of fresh plant-derived carbon (C) on native soil organic carbon (SOC) decomposition, is a key feedback mechanism that could release large amounts of soil C into the atmosphere. However, the impacts of climate warming on soil priming remain elusive. Here, we show that experimental warming accelerates soil priming by 12.7% in a temperate grassland. Warming alters bacterial communities, with 38% of unique active phylotypes detected under warming. The functional genes essential for soil C decomposition are also stimulated, which could be linked to priming effects. We incorporate lab-derived information into an ecosystem model showing that model parameter uncertainty can be reduced by 32-37%. Model simulations from 2010 to 2016 indicate an increase in soil C decomposition under warming, with a 9.1% rise in priming-induced CO2 emissions. If our findings can be generalized to other ecosystems over an extended period of time, soil priming could play an important role in terrestrial C cycle feedbacks and climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuanyu Tao
- Institute for Environmental Genomics, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 73019, USA
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 73019, USA
| | - Zhifeng Yang
- Institute for Environmental Genomics, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 73019, USA
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 73019, USA
| | - Jiajie Feng
- Institute for Environmental Genomics, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 73019, USA
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 73019, USA
| | - Siyang Jian
- Institute for Environmental Genomics, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 73019, USA
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 73019, USA
| | - Yunfeng Yang
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, 100084, Beijing, China.
| | - Colin T Bates
- Institute for Environmental Genomics, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 73019, USA
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 73019, USA
| | - Gangsheng Wang
- Institute for Water-Carbon Cycles and Carbon Neutrality, and State Key Laboratory of Water Resources Engineering and Management, Wuhan University, 430072, Wuhan, China
| | - Xue Guo
- Institute for Environmental Genomics, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 73019, USA
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 73019, USA
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, 100084, Beijing, China
| | - Daliang Ning
- Institute for Environmental Genomics, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 73019, USA
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 73019, USA
| | - Megan L Kempher
- Institute for Environmental Genomics, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 73019, USA
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 73019, USA
| | - Xiao Jun A Liu
- Institute for Environmental Genomics, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 73019, USA
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 73019, USA
| | - Yang Ouyang
- Institute for Environmental Genomics, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 73019, USA
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 73019, USA
| | - Shun Han
- Institute for Environmental Genomics, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 73019, USA
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 73019, USA
| | - Linwei Wu
- Institute for Environmental Genomics, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 73019, USA
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 73019, USA
| | - Yufei Zeng
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, 100084, Beijing, China
| | - Jialiang Kuang
- Institute for Environmental Genomics, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 73019, USA
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 73019, USA
| | - Ya Zhang
- Institute for Environmental Genomics, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 73019, USA
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 73019, USA
| | - Xishu Zhou
- Institute for Environmental Genomics, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 73019, USA
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 73019, USA
| | - Zheng Shi
- Institute for Environmental Genomics, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 73019, USA
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 73019, USA
| | - Wei Qin
- Institute for Environmental Genomics, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 73019, USA
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 73019, USA
| | - Jianjun Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Lake Science and Environment, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academic of Sciences, 210008, Nanjing, China
| | - Mary K Firestone
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, CA, 94720, USA
- Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - James M Tiedje
- Center for Microbial Ecology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | - Jizhong Zhou
- Institute for Environmental Genomics, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 73019, USA.
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 73019, USA.
- Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.
- School of Civil Engineering and Environmental Sciences, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 73019, USA.
- School of Computer Sciences, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 73019, USA.
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18
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Nou XA, Voigt CA. Sentinel cells programmed to respond to environmental DNA including human sequences. Nat Chem Biol 2024; 20:211-220. [PMID: 37770697 DOI: 10.1038/s41589-023-01431-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/30/2023]
Abstract
Monitoring environmental DNA can track the presence of organisms, from viruses to animals, but requires continuous sampling of transient sequences from a complex milieu. Here we designed living sentinels using Bacillus subtilis to report the uptake of a DNA sequence after matching it to a preencoded target. Overexpression of ComK increased DNA uptake 3,000-fold, allowing for femtomolar detection in samples dominated by background DNA. This capability was demonstrated using human sequences containing single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with facial features. Sequences were recorded with high efficiency and were protected from nucleases for weeks. The SNP could be determined by sequencing or in vivo using CRISPR interference to turn on reporter expression in response to a specific base. Multiple SNPs were recorded by one cell or through a consortium in which each member recorded a different sequence. Sentinel cells could surveil for specific sequences over long periods of time for applications spanning forensics, ecology and epidemiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuefei Angelina Nou
- Synthetic Biology Center, Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Christopher A Voigt
- Synthetic Biology Center, Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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19
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Tripathi S, Voogdt CGP, Bassler SO, Anderson M, Huang PH, Sakenova N, Capraz T, Jain S, Koumoutsi A, Bravo AM, Trotter V, Zimmerman M, Sonnenburg JL, Buie C, Typas A, Deutschbauer AM, Shiver AL, Huang KC. Randomly barcoded transposon mutant libraries for gut commensals I: Strategies for efficient library construction. Cell Rep 2024; 43:113517. [PMID: 38142397 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Revised: 10/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Randomly barcoded transposon mutant libraries are powerful tools for studying gene function and organization, assessing gene essentiality and pathways, discovering potential therapeutic targets, and understanding the physiology of gut bacteria and their interactions with the host. However, construction of high-quality libraries with uniform representation can be challenging. In this review, we survey various strategies for barcoded library construction, including transposition systems, methods of transposon delivery, optimal library size, and transconjugant selection schemes. We discuss the advantages and limitations of each approach, as well as factors to consider when selecting a strategy. In addition, we highlight experimental and computational advances in arraying condensed libraries from mutant pools. We focus on examples of successful library construction in gut bacteria and their application to gene function studies and drug discovery. Given the need for understanding gene function and organization in gut bacteria, we provide a comprehensive guide for researchers to construct randomly barcoded transposon mutant libraries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Surya Tripathi
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Carlos Geert Pieter Voogdt
- Genome Biology Unit, EMBL Heidelberg, Meyerhofstraße 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany; Structural and Computational Biology Unit, EMBL Meyerhofstraße 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Stefan Oliver Bassler
- Genome Biology Unit, EMBL Heidelberg, Meyerhofstraße 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany; Faculty of Biosciences, Heidelberg University, Grabengasse 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Mary Anderson
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Po-Hsun Huang
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Nazgul Sakenova
- Genome Biology Unit, EMBL Heidelberg, Meyerhofstraße 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Tümay Capraz
- Genome Biology Unit, EMBL Heidelberg, Meyerhofstraße 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany; Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Sunit Jain
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Alexandra Koumoutsi
- Genome Biology Unit, EMBL Heidelberg, Meyerhofstraße 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Afonso Martins Bravo
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Valentine Trotter
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Michael Zimmerman
- Structural and Computational Biology Unit, EMBL Meyerhofstraße 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Justin L Sonnenburg
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Cullen Buie
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Athanasios Typas
- Genome Biology Unit, EMBL Heidelberg, Meyerhofstraße 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany; Structural and Computational Biology Unit, EMBL Meyerhofstraße 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Adam M Deutschbauer
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
| | - Anthony L Shiver
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
| | - Kerwyn Casey Huang
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
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20
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Bai S, Luo H, Tong H, Wu Y. Application and Technical Challenges in Design, Cloning, and Transfer of Large DNA. Bioengineering (Basel) 2023; 10:1425. [PMID: 38136016 PMCID: PMC10740618 DOI: 10.3390/bioengineering10121425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2023] [Revised: 11/23/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
In the field of synthetic biology, rapid advancements in DNA assembly and editing have made it possible to manipulate large DNA, even entire genomes. These advancements have facilitated the introduction of long metabolic pathways, the creation of large-scale disease models, and the design and assembly of synthetic mega-chromosomes. Generally, the introduction of large DNA in host cells encompasses three critical steps: design-cloning-transfer. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the three key steps involved in large DNA transfer to advance the field of synthetic genomics and large DNA engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Song Bai
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
- Frontiers Research Institute for Synthetic Biology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Han Luo
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
- Frontiers Research Institute for Synthetic Biology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Hanze Tong
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
- Frontiers Research Institute for Synthetic Biology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Yi Wu
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
- Frontiers Research Institute for Synthetic Biology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
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21
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Jansson JK, McClure R, Egbert RG. Soil microbiome engineering for sustainability in a changing environment. Nat Biotechnol 2023; 41:1716-1728. [PMID: 37903921 DOI: 10.1038/s41587-023-01932-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 11/01/2023]
Abstract
Recent advances in microbial ecology and synthetic biology have the potential to mitigate damage caused by anthropogenic activities that are deleteriously impacting Earth's soil ecosystems. Here, we discuss challenges and opportunities for harnessing natural and synthetic soil microbial communities, focusing on plant growth promotion under different scenarios. We explore current needs for microbial solutions in soil ecosystems, how these solutions are being developed and applied, and the potential for new biotechnology breakthroughs to tailor and target microbial products for specific applications. We highlight several scientific and technological advances in soil microbiome engineering, including characterization of microbes that impact soil ecosystems, directing how microbes assemble to interact in soil environments, and the developing suite of gene-engineering approaches. This Review underscores the need for an interdisciplinary approach to understand the composition, dynamics and deployment of beneficial soil microbiomes to drive efforts to mitigate or reverse environmental damage by restoring and protecting healthy soil ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janet K Jansson
- Earth and Biological Sciences Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, USA.
| | - Ryan McClure
- Earth and Biological Sciences Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, USA
| | - Robert G Egbert
- Earth and Biological Sciences Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, USA
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22
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Chen Z, Jin W, Hoover A, Chao Y, Ma Y. Decoding the microbiome: advances in genetic manipulation for gut bacteria. Trends Microbiol 2023; 31:1143-1161. [PMID: 37394299 DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2023.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Revised: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
Studies of the gut microbiota have revealed associations between specific bacterial species or community compositions with health and disease, yet the causal mechanisms underlying microbiota gene-host interactions remain poorly understood. This is partly due to limited genetic manipulation (GM) tools for gut bacteria. Here, we review current advances and challenges in the development of GM approaches, including clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-Cas and transposase-based systems in either model or non-model gut bacteria. By overcoming barriers to 'taming' the gut microbiome, GM tools allow molecular understanding of host-microbiome associations and accelerate microbiome engineering for clinical treatment of cancer and metabolic disorders. Finally, we provide perspectives on the future development of GM for gut microbiome species, where more effort should be placed on assembling a generalized GM pipeline to accelerate the application of groundbreaking GM tools in non-model gut bacteria towards both basic understanding and clinical translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziying Chen
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200031, China; Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200031, China; The Center for Microbes, Development and Health (CMDH), CAS Key Laboratory of Molecular Virology and Immunology, Institut Pasteur of Shanghai, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Wenbing Jin
- Jill Roberts Institute for Research in Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY 10021, USA; Friedman Center for Nutrition and Inflammation, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - Alex Hoover
- Ben May Department for Cancer Research, the University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Yanjie Chao
- The Center for Microbes, Development and Health (CMDH), CAS Key Laboratory of Molecular Virology and Immunology, Institut Pasteur of Shanghai, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China.
| | - Yanlei Ma
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200031, China; Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200031, China.
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23
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Stindt KR, McClean MN. Tuning Interdomain Conjugation Toward in situ Population Modification in Yeast. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.09.12.557379. [PMID: 37745509 PMCID: PMC10515866 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.12.557379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
The ability to modify and control natural and engineered microbiomes is essential for biotechnology and biomedicine. Fungi are critical members of most microbiomes, yet technology for modifying the fungal members of a microbiome has lagged far behind that for bacteria. Interdomain conjugation (IDC) is a promising approach, as DNA transfer from bacterial cells to yeast enables in situ modification. While such genetic transfers have been known to naturally occur in a wide range of eukaryotes, and are thought to contribute to their evolution, IDC has been understudied as a technique to control fungal or fungal-bacterial consortia. One major obstacle to widespread use of IDC is its limited efficiency. In this work, we utilize interactions between genetically tractable Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae to control the incidence of IDC. We test the landscape of population interactions between the bacterial donors and yeast recipients to find that bacterial commensalism leads to maximized IDC, both in culture and in mixed colonies. We demonstrate the capacity of cell-to-cell binding via mannoproteins to assist both IDC incidence and bacterial commensalism in culture, and model how these tunable controls can predictably yield a range of IDC outcomes. Further, we demonstrate that these lessons can be utilized to lastingly alter a recipient yeast population, by both "rescuing" a poor-growing recipient population and collapsing a stable population via a novel IDC-mediated CRISPR/Cas9 system.
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24
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Marsh JW, Kirk C, Ley RE. Toward Microbiome Engineering: Expanding the Repertoire of Genetically Tractable Members of the Human Gut Microbiome. Annu Rev Microbiol 2023; 77:427-449. [PMID: 37339736 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-micro-032421-112304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/22/2023]
Abstract
Genetic manipulation is necessary to interrogate the functions of microbes in their environments, such as the human gut microbiome. Yet, the vast majority of human gut microbiome species are not genetically tractable. Here, we review the hurdles to seizing genetic control of more species. We address the barriers preventing the application of genetic techniques to gut microbes and report on genetic systems currently under development. While methods aimed at genetically transforming many species simultaneously in situ show promise, they are unable to overcome many of the same challenges that exist for individual microbes. Unless a major conceptual breakthrough emerges, the genetic tractability of the microbiome will remain an arduous task. Increasing the list of genetically tractable organisms from the human gut remains one of the highest priorities for microbiome research and will provide the foundation for microbiome engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- James W Marsh
- Department of Microbiome Science, Max Planck Institute for Biology, Tübingen, Germany;
| | - Christian Kirk
- Department of Microbiome Science, Max Planck Institute for Biology, Tübingen, Germany;
| | - Ruth E Ley
- Department of Microbiome Science, Max Planck Institute for Biology, Tübingen, Germany;
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25
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Dorado-Morales P, Lambérioux M, Mazel D. Unlocking the potential of microbiome editing: A review of conjugation-based delivery. Mol Microbiol 2023. [PMID: 37658686 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.15147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2023] [Revised: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 09/03/2023]
Abstract
In recent decades, there has been a rapid increase in the prevalence of multidrug-resistant pathogens, posing a challenge to modern antibiotic-based medicine. This has highlighted the need for novel treatments that can specifically affect the target microorganism without disturbing other co-inhabiting species, thus preventing the development of dysbiosis in treated patients. Moreover, there is a pressing demand for tools to effectively manipulate complex microbial populations. One of the approaches suggested to address both issues was to use conjugation as a tool to modify the microbiome by either editing the genome of specific bacterial species and/or the removal of certain taxonomic groups. Conjugation involves the transfer of DNA from one bacterium to another, which opens up the possibility of introducing, modifying or deleting specific genes in the recipient. In response to this proposal, there has been a significant increase in the number of studies using this method for gene delivery in bacterial populations. This MicroReview aims to provide a detailed overview on the use of conjugation for microbiome engineering, and at the same time, to initiate a discussion on the potential, limitations and possible future directions of this approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro Dorado-Morales
- Institut Pasteur, Université de Paris, Unité Plasticité du Génome Bactérien, et CNRS, UMR3525, Paris, France
| | - Morgan Lambérioux
- Institut Pasteur, Université de Paris, Unité Plasticité du Génome Bactérien, et CNRS, UMR3525, Paris, France
| | - Didier Mazel
- Institut Pasteur, Université de Paris, Unité Plasticité du Génome Bactérien, et CNRS, UMR3525, Paris, France
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26
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Elston KM, Phillips LE, Leonard SP, Young E, Holley JAC, Ahsanullah T, McReynolds B, Moran NA, Barrick JE. The Pathfinder plasmid toolkit for genetically engineering newly isolated bacteria enables the study of Drosophila-colonizing Orbaceae. ISME COMMUNICATIONS 2023; 3:49. [PMID: 37225918 PMCID: PMC10209150 DOI: 10.1038/s43705-023-00255-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2023] [Revised: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Toolkits of plasmids and genetic parts streamline the process of assembling DNA constructs and engineering microbes. Many of these kits were designed with specific industrial or laboratory microbes in mind. For researchers interested in non-model microbial systems, it is often unclear which tools and techniques will function in newly isolated strains. To address this challenge, we designed the Pathfinder toolkit for quickly determining the compatibility of a bacterium with different plasmid components. Pathfinder plasmids combine three different broad-host-range origins of replication with multiple antibiotic resistance cassettes and reporters, so that sets of parts can be rapidly screened through multiplex conjugation. We first tested these plasmids in Escherichia coli, a strain of Sodalis praecaptivus that colonizes insects, and a Rosenbergiella isolate from leafhoppers. Then, we used the Pathfinder plasmids to engineer previously unstudied bacteria from the family Orbaceae that were isolated from several fly species. Engineered Orbaceae strains were able to colonize Drosophila melanogaster and could be visualized in fly guts. Orbaceae are common and abundant in the guts of wild-caught flies but have not been included in laboratory studies of how the Drosophila microbiome affects fly health. Thus, this work provides foundational genetic tools for studying microbial ecology and host-associated microbes, including bacteria that are a key constituent of the gut microbiome of a model insect species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine M Elston
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Laila E Phillips
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Sean P Leonard
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Eleanor Young
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Jo-Anne C Holley
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
- Freshman Research Initiative, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Tasneem Ahsanullah
- Freshman Research Initiative, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Braydin McReynolds
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Nancy A Moran
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Jeffrey E Barrick
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA.
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27
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Chen S, Fu J, Yu B, Wang L. Development of a Conjugation-Based Genome Editing System in an Undomesticated Bacillus subtilis Strain for Poly-γ-glutamic Acid Production with Diverse Molecular Masses. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2023; 71:7734-7743. [PMID: 37186794 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.3c01505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Poly-γ-glutamic acid (γ-PGA) is a biodegradable polymer produced by microorganisms. Biosynthesizing γ-PGA with diverse molecular masses (Mw) is an urgent industrial technical problem to be solved. Bacillus subtilis KH2, a high-Mw γ-PGA producer, is an ideal candidate for de novo production of γ-PGA with diverse Mw values. However, the inability to transfer DNA to this strain has limited its industrial use. In this study, a conjugation-based genetic operating system was developed in strain KH2. This system enabled us to modify the promoter of γ-PGA hydrolase PgdS in strain KH2 chromosome to de novo biosynthesize γ-PGA with diverse Mws. The conjugation efficiency was improved to 1.23 × 10-4 by establishing a plasmid replicon sharing strategy. A further increase to 3.15 × 10-3 was achieved after knocking out two restriction endonucleases. To demonstrate the potential of our newly established system, the pgdS promoter was replaced by different phase-dependent promoters. A series of strains producing γ-PGA with specific Mws of 411.73, 1356.80, 2233.30, and 2411.87 kDa, respectively, were obtained. The maximum yield of γ-PGA was 23.28 g/L. Therefore, we have successfully constructed ideal candidate strains for efficient γ-PGA production with a specific Mw value, which provides an important research basis for sustainable production of desirable γ-PGA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shengbao Chen
- CAS Key Laboratory of Microbial Physiological & Metabolic Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Jiaming Fu
- College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China
| | - Bo Yu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Microbial Physiological & Metabolic Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Limin Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Microbial Physiological & Metabolic Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
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28
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Marken JP, Murray RM. Addressable and adaptable intercellular communication via DNA messaging. Nat Commun 2023; 14:2358. [PMID: 37095088 PMCID: PMC10126159 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37788-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2022] [Accepted: 03/31/2023] [Indexed: 04/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Engineered consortia are a major research focus for synthetic biologists because they can implement sophisticated behaviors inaccessible to single-strain systems. However, this functional capacity is constrained by their constituent strains' ability to engage in complex communication. DNA messaging, by enabling information-rich channel-decoupled communication, is a promising candidate architecture for implementing complex communication. But its major advantage, its messages' dynamic mutability, is still unexplored. We develop a framework for addressable and adaptable DNA messaging that leverages all three of these advantages and implement it using plasmid conjugation in E. coli. Our system can bias the transfer of messages to targeted receiver strains by 100- to 1000-fold, and their recipient lists can be dynamically updated in situ to control the flow of information through the population. This work lays the foundation for future developments that further utilize the unique advantages of DNA messaging to engineer previously-inaccessible levels of complexity into biological systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- John P Marken
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA.
| | - Richard M Murray
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
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29
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Elmore JR, Dexter GN, Baldino H, Huenemann JD, Francis R, Peabody GL, Martinez-Baird J, Riley LA, Simmons T, Coleman-Derr D, Guss AM, Egbert RG. High-throughput genetic engineering of nonmodel and undomesticated bacteria via iterative site-specific genome integration. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eade1285. [PMID: 36897939 PMCID: PMC10005180 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.ade1285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Efficient genome engineering is critical to understand and use microbial functions. Despite recent development of tools such as CRISPR-Cas gene editing, efficient integration of exogenous DNA with well-characterized functions remains limited to model bacteria. Here, we describe serine recombinase-assisted genome engineering, or SAGE, an easy-to-use, highly efficient, and extensible technology that enables selection marker-free, site-specific genome integration of up to 10 DNA constructs, often with efficiency on par with or superior to replicating plasmids. SAGE uses no replicating plasmids and thus lacks the host range limitations of other genome engineering technologies. We demonstrate the value of SAGE by characterizing genome integration efficiency in five bacteria that span multiple taxonomy groups and biotechnology applications and by identifying more than 95 heterologous promoters in each host with consistent transcription across environmental and genetic contexts. We anticipate that SAGE will rapidly expand the number of industrial and environmental bacteria compatible with high-throughput genetics and synthetic biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua R. Elmore
- Biological Science Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA 99354, USA
| | - Gara N. Dexter
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, One Bethel Valley Road, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA
| | - Henri Baldino
- Biological Science Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA 99354, USA
| | - Jay D. Huenemann
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, One Bethel Valley Road, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA
- Bredesen Center for Interdisciplinary Research, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996,USA
| | - Ryan Francis
- Biological Science Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA 99354, USA
| | - George L. Peabody
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, One Bethel Valley Road, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA
| | - Jessica Martinez-Baird
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, One Bethel Valley Road, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA
| | - Lauren A. Riley
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, One Bethel Valley Road, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA
- Bredesen Center for Interdisciplinary Research, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996,USA
| | - Tuesday Simmons
- Plant and Microbial Biology Department, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94701, USA
| | - Devin Coleman-Derr
- Plant and Microbial Biology Department, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94701, USA
- Plant Gene Expression Center, USDA-ARS, Albany, CA 94710, USA
| | - Adam M. Guss
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, One Bethel Valley Road, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA
| | - Robert G. Egbert
- Biological Science Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA 99354, USA
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30
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Dundas CM, Keitz BK. Tapping the potential of Gram-positive bacteria for bioelectrochemical applications. Trends Biotechnol 2023; 41:273-275. [PMID: 36535817 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2022.12.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Revised: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Bacteria that perform extracellular electron transfer (EET) are central to redox-driven biotechnologies, including microbial fuel cells, bioremediation, and bioelectrosynthesis. However, engineerable EET strains have been restricted to well-characterized, Gram-negative model species. Light et al. identified a previously unknown but widely conserved EET pathway in the Gram-positive bacterium Listeria monocytogenes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Benjamin K Keitz
- McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
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31
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Elston KM, Phillips LE, Leonard SP, Young E, Holley JAC, Ahsanullah T, McReynolds B, Moran NA, Barrick JE. The Pathfinder plasmid toolkit for genetically engineering newly isolated bacteria enables the study of Drosophila -colonizing Orbaceae. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.02.15.528778. [PMID: 36824770 PMCID: PMC9949093 DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.15.528778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/18/2023]
Abstract
Toolkits of plasmids and genetic parts streamline the process of assembling DNA constructs and engineering microbes. Many of these kits were designed with specific industrial or laboratory microbes in mind. For researchers interested in non-model microbial systems, it is often unclear which tools and techniques will function in newly isolated strains. To address this challenge, we designed the Pathfinder toolkit for quickly determining the compatibility of a bacterium with different plasmid components. Pathfinder plasmids combine three different broad-host-range origins of replication with multiple antibiotic resistance cassettes and reporters, so that sets of parts can be rapidly screened through multiplex conjugation. We first tested these plasmids in Escherichia coli , a strain of Sodalis praecaptivus that colonizes insects, and a Rosenbergiella isolate from leafhoppers. Then, we used the Pathfinder plasmids to engineer previously unstudied bacteria from the family Orbaceae that were isolated from several fly species. Engineered Orbaceae strains were able to colonize Drosophila melanogaster and could be visualized in fly guts. Orbaceae are common and abundant in the guts of wild-caught flies but have not been included in laboratory studies of how the Drosophila microbiome affects fly health. Thus, this work provides foundational genetic tools for studying new host-associated microbes, including bacteria that are a key constituent of the gut microbiome of a model insect species. IMPORTANCE To fully understand how microbes have evolved to interact with their environments, one must be able to modify their genomes. However, it can be difficult and laborious to discover which genetic tools and approaches work for a new isolate. Bacteria from the recently described Orbaceae family are common in the microbiomes of insects. We developed the Pathfinder plasmid toolkit for testing the compatibility of different genetic parts with newly cultured bacteria. We demonstrate its utility by engineering Orbaceae strains isolated from flies to express fluorescent proteins and characterizing how they colonize the Drosophila melanogaster gut. Orbaceae are widespread in Drosophila in the wild but have not been included in laboratory studies examining how the gut microbiome affects fly nutrition, health, and longevity. Our work establishes a path for genetic studies aimed at understanding and altering interactions between these and other newly isolated bacteria and their hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine M. Elston
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Laila E. Phillips
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Sean P. Leonard
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Eleanor Young
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Jo-anne C. Holley
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
- Freshman Research Initiative, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Tasneem Ahsanullah
- Freshman Research Initiative, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Braydin McReynolds
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Nancy A. Moran
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Jeffrey E. Barrick
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
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32
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Arbel-Goren R, McKeithen-Mead SA, Voglmaier D, Afremov I, Teza G, Grossman AD, Stavans J. Target search by an imported conjugative DNA element for a unique integration site along a bacterial chromosome during horizontal gene transfer. Nucleic Acids Res 2023; 51:3116-3129. [PMID: 36762480 PMCID: PMC10123120 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2022] [Revised: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Integrative and conjugative elements (ICEs) are mobile genetic elements that can transfer by conjugation to recipient cells. Some ICEs integrate into a unique site in the genome of their hosts. We studied quantitatively the process by which an ICE searches for its unique integration site in the Bacillus subtilis chromosome. We followed the motion of both ICEBs1 and the chromosomal integration site in real time within individual cells. ICEBs1 exhibited a wide spectrum of dynamical behaviors, ranging from rapid sub-diffusive displacements crisscrossing the cell, to kinetically trapped states. The chromosomal integration site moved sub-diffusively and exhibited pronounced dynamical asymmetry between longitudinal and transversal motions, highlighting the role of chromosomal structure and the heterogeneity of the bacterial interior in the search. The successful search for and subsequent recombination into the integration site is a key step in the acquisition of integrating mobile genetic elements. Our findings provide new insights into intracellular transport processes involving large DNA molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rinat Arbel-Goren
- Department of Physics of Complex Systems, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | | | - Dominik Voglmaier
- Department of Physics of Complex Systems, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Idana Afremov
- Department of Physics of Complex Systems, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Gianluca Teza
- Department of Physics of Complex Systems, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Alan D Grossman
- Department of Biology Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Joel Stavans
- Department of Physics of Complex Systems, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
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33
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Hirose J. Diversity and Evolution of Integrative and Conjugative Elements Involved in Bacterial Aromatic Compound Degradation and Their Utility in Environmental Remediation. Microorganisms 2023; 11:microorganisms11020438. [PMID: 36838403 PMCID: PMC9960961 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11020438] [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: 12/29/2022] [Revised: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Integrative and conjugative elements (ICEs) are mobile DNA molecules that can be transferred through excision, conjugation, and integration into chromosomes. They contribute to the horizontal transfer of genomic islands across bacterial species. ICEs carrying genes encoding aromatic compound degradation pathways are of interest because of their contribution to environmental remediation. Recent advances in DNA sequencing technology have increased the number of newly discovered ICEs in bacterial genomes and have enabled comparative analysis of their evolution. The two different families of ICEs carry various aromatic compound degradation pathway genes. ICEclc and its related ICEs contain a number of members with diverse catabolic capabilities. In addition, the Tn4371 family, which includes ICEs that carry the chlorinated biphenyl catabolic pathway, has been identified. It is apparent that they underwent evolution through the acquisition, deletion, or exchange of modules to adapt to an environmental niche. ICEs have the property of both stability and mobility in the chromosome. Perspectives on the use of ICEs in environmental remediation are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Hirose
- Department of Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Engineering, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki 889-2192, Japan
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34
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McKeithen-Mead SA, Grossman AD. Timing of integration into the chromosome is critical for the fitness of an integrative and conjugative element and its bacterial host. PLoS Genet 2023; 19:e1010524. [PMID: 36780569 PMCID: PMC9956884 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2022] [Revised: 02/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Integrative and conjugative elements (ICEs) are major contributors to genome plasticity in bacteria. ICEs reside integrated in the chromosome of a host bacterium and are passively propagated during chromosome replication and cell division. When activated, ICEs excise from the chromosome and may be transferred through the ICE-encoded conjugation machinery into a recipient cell. Integration into the chromosome of the new host generates a stable transconjugant. Although integration into the chromosome of a new host is critical for the stable acquisition of ICEs, few studies have directly investigated the molecular events that occur in recipient cells during generation of a stable transconjugant. We found that integration of ICEBs1, an ICE of Bacillus subtilis, occurred several generations after initial transfer to a new host. Premature integration in new hosts led to cell death and hence decreased fitness of the ICE and transconjugants. Host lethality due to premature integration was caused by rolling circle replication that initiated in the integrated ICEBs1 and extended into the host chromosome, resulting in catastrophic genome instability. Our results demonstrate that the timing of integration of an ICE is linked to cessation of autonomous replication of the ICE, and that perturbing this linkage leads to a decrease in ICE and host fitness due to a loss of viability of transconjugants. Linking integration to cessation of autonomous replication appears to be a conserved regulatory scheme for mobile genetic elements that both replicate and integrate into the chromosome of their host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saria A. McKeithen-Mead
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Alan D. Grossman
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
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35
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Aggarwal N, Kitano S, Puah GRY, Kittelmann S, Hwang IY, Chang MW. Microbiome and Human Health: Current Understanding, Engineering, and Enabling Technologies. Chem Rev 2023; 123:31-72. [PMID: 36317983 PMCID: PMC9837825 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.2c00431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 54.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
The human microbiome is composed of a collection of dynamic microbial communities that inhabit various anatomical locations in the body. Accordingly, the coevolution of the microbiome with the host has resulted in these communities playing a profound role in promoting human health. Consequently, perturbations in the human microbiome can cause or exacerbate several diseases. In this Review, we present our current understanding of the relationship between human health and disease development, focusing on the microbiomes found across the digestive, respiratory, urinary, and reproductive systems as well as the skin. We further discuss various strategies by which the composition and function of the human microbiome can be modulated to exert a therapeutic effect on the host. Finally, we examine technologies such as multiomics approaches and cellular reprogramming of microbes that can enable significant advancements in microbiome research and engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikhil Aggarwal
- NUS
Synthetic Biology for Clinical and Technological Innovation (SynCTI), National University of Singapore, Singapore 117456, Singapore
- Synthetic
Biology Translational Research Programme, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117456, Singapore
| | - Shohei Kitano
- NUS
Synthetic Biology for Clinical and Technological Innovation (SynCTI), National University of Singapore, Singapore 117456, Singapore
- Synthetic
Biology Translational Research Programme, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117456, Singapore
| | - Ginette Ru Ying Puah
- NUS
Synthetic Biology for Clinical and Technological Innovation (SynCTI), National University of Singapore, Singapore 117456, Singapore
- Synthetic
Biology Translational Research Programme, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117456, Singapore
- Wilmar-NUS
(WIL@NUS) Corporate Laboratory, National
University of Singapore, Singapore 117599, Singapore
- Wilmar
International Limited, Singapore 138568, Singapore
| | - Sandra Kittelmann
- Wilmar-NUS
(WIL@NUS) Corporate Laboratory, National
University of Singapore, Singapore 117599, Singapore
- Wilmar
International Limited, Singapore 138568, Singapore
| | - In Young Hwang
- NUS
Synthetic Biology for Clinical and Technological Innovation (SynCTI), National University of Singapore, Singapore 117456, Singapore
- Synthetic
Biology Translational Research Programme, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117456, Singapore
- Department
of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117596, Singapore
- Singapore
Institute of Technology, Singapore 138683, Singapore
| | - Matthew Wook Chang
- NUS
Synthetic Biology for Clinical and Technological Innovation (SynCTI), National University of Singapore, Singapore 117456, Singapore
- Synthetic
Biology Translational Research Programme, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117456, Singapore
- Wilmar-NUS
(WIL@NUS) Corporate Laboratory, National
University of Singapore, Singapore 117599, Singapore
- Department
of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117596, Singapore
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36
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Spoto M, Riera Puma JP, Fleming E, Guan C, Ondouah Nzutchi Y, Kim D, Oh J. Large-Scale CRISPRi and Transcriptomics of Staphylococcus epidermidis Identify Genetic Factors Implicated in Lifestyle Versatility. mBio 2022; 13:e0263222. [PMID: 36409086 PMCID: PMC9765180 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02632-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Staphylococcus epidermidis is a ubiquitous human commensal skin bacterium that is also one of the most prevalent nosocomial pathogens. The genetic factors underlying this remarkable lifestyle plasticity are incompletely understood, mainly due to the difficulties of genetic manipulation, precluding high-throughput functional profiling of this species. To probe the versatility of S. epidermidis to survive across a diversity of environmental conditions, we developed a large-scale CRISPR interference (CRISPRi) screen complemented by transcriptional profiling (RNA sequencing) across 24 diverse conditions and piloted a droplet-based CRISPRi approach to enhance throughput and sensitivity. We identified putative essential genes, importantly revealing amino acid metabolism as crucial to survival across diverse environments, and demonstrated the importance of trace metal uptake for survival under multiple stress conditions. We identified pathways significantly enriched and repressed across our range of stress and nutrient-limited conditions, demonstrating the considerable plasticity of S. epidermidis in responding to environmental stressors. Additionally, we postulate a mechanism by which nitrogen metabolism is linked to lifestyle versatility in response to hyperosmotic challenges, such as those encountered on human skin. Finally, we examined the survival of S. epidermidis under acid stress and hypothesize a role for cell wall modification as a vital component of the survival response under acidic conditions. Taken together, this study integrates large-scale CRISPRi and transcriptomics data across multiple environments to provide insights into a keystone member of the human skin microbiome. Our results additionally provide a valuable benchmarking analysis for CRISPRi screens and are a rich resource for other staphylococcal researchers. IMPORTANCE Staphylococcus epidermidis is a bacteria that broadly inhabits healthy human skin, yet it is also a common cause of skin infections and bloodstream infections associated with implanted medical devices. Because human skin has many different types of S. epidermidis, each containing different genes, our goal is to determine how these different genes allow S. epidermidis to switch from healthy growth in the skin to being an infectious pathogen. Understanding this switch is critical to developing new strategies to prevent and treat S. epidermidis infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle Spoto
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, Connecticut, USA
- The University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, Connecticut, USA
| | | | - Elizabeth Fleming
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, Connecticut, USA
| | - Changhui Guan
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, Connecticut, USA
| | | | - Dean Kim
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, Connecticut, USA
| | - Julia Oh
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, Connecticut, USA
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Chemla Y, Dorfan Y, Yannai A, Meng D, Cao P, Glaven S, Gordon DB, Elbaz J, Voigt CA. Parallel engineering of environmental bacteria and performance over years under jungle-simulated conditions. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0278471. [PMID: 36516154 PMCID: PMC9750038 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0278471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Engineered bacteria could perform many functions in the environment, for example, to remediate pollutants, deliver nutrients to crops or act as in-field biosensors. Model organisms can be unreliable in the field, but selecting an isolate from the thousands that naturally live there and genetically manipulating them to carry the desired function is a slow and uninformed process. Here, we demonstrate the parallel engineering of isolates from environmental samples by using the broad-host-range XPORT conjugation system (Bacillus subtilis mini-ICEBs1) to transfer a genetic payload to many isolates in parallel. Bacillus and Lysinibacillus species were obtained from seven soil and water samples from different locations in Israel. XPORT successfully transferred a genetic function (reporter expression) into 25 of these isolates. They were then screened to identify the best-performing chassis based on the expression level, doubling time, functional stability in soil, and environmentally-relevant traits of its closest annotated reference species, such as the ability to sporulate and temperature tolerance. From this library, we selected Bacillus frigoritolerans A3E1, re-introduced it to soil, and measured function and genetic stability in a contained environment that replicates jungle conditions. After 21 months of storage, the engineered bacteria were viable, could perform their function, and did not accumulate disruptive mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yonatan Chemla
- Synthetic Biology Center, Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Yuval Dorfan
- Synthetic Biology Center, Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Adi Yannai
- School of Molecular Cell Biology & Biotechnology, Faculty of Life Science, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Dechuan Meng
- Synthetic Biology Center, Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Paul Cao
- The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Sarah Glaven
- Center for Bio/Molecular Science and Engineering, Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC, United States of America
| | - D. Benjamin Gordon
- Synthetic Biology Center, Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
- The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Johann Elbaz
- School of Molecular Cell Biology & Biotechnology, Faculty of Life Science, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Christopher A. Voigt
- Synthetic Biology Center, Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
- The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
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38
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Kim MS, Jeong DE, Choi SK. Bacillus integrative plasmid system combining a synthetic gene circuit for efficient genetic modifications of undomesticated Bacillus strains. Microb Cell Fact 2022; 21:259. [PMID: 36517844 PMCID: PMC9753358 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-022-01989-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Owing to CRISPR-Cas9 and derivative technologies, genetic studies on microorganisms have dramatically increased. However, the CRISPR-Cas9 system is still difficult to utilize in many wild-type Bacillus strains owing to Cas9 toxicity. Moreover, less toxic systems, such as cytosine base editors, generate unwanted off-target mutations that can interfere with the genetic studies of wild-type strains. Therefore, a convenient alternative system is required for genetic studies and genome engineering of wild-type Bacillus strains. Because wild-type Bacillus strains have poor transformation efficiencies, the new system should be based on broad-host-range plasmid-delivery systems. RESULTS Here, we developed a Bacillus integrative plasmid system in which plasmids without the replication initiator protein gene (rep) of Bacillus are replicated in a donor Bacillus strain by Rep proteins provided in trans but not in Bacillus recipients. The plasmids were transferred to recipients through a modified integrative and conjugative element, which is a wide host range plasmid-delivery system. Genetic mutations were generated in recipients through homologous recombination between the transferred plasmid and the genome. The system was improved by adding a synthetic gene circuit for efficient screening of the desired mutations by double crossover recombination in recipient strains. The improved system exhibited a mutation efficiency of the target gene of approximately 100% in the tested wild-type Bacillus strains. CONCLUSION The Bacillus integrative plasmid system developed in this study can generate target mutations with high efficiency when combined with a synthetic gene circuit in wild-type Bacillus strains. The system is free of toxicity and unwanted off-target mutations as it generates the desired mutations by traditional double crossover recombination. Therefore, our system could be a powerful tool for genetic studies and genome editing of Cas9-sensitive wild-type Bacillus strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Man Su Kim
- grid.249967.70000 0004 0636 3099Infectious Disease Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Daejeon, 34141 South Korea ,grid.412786.e0000 0004 1791 8264Department of Biosystems and Bioengineering, KRIBB School of Biotechnology, University of Science and Technology (UST), Daejeon, 34113 South Korea
| | - Da-Eun Jeong
- grid.249967.70000 0004 0636 3099Infectious Disease Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Daejeon, 34141 South Korea
| | - Soo-Keun Choi
- grid.249967.70000 0004 0636 3099Infectious Disease Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Daejeon, 34141 South Korea ,grid.412786.e0000 0004 1791 8264Department of Biosystems and Bioengineering, KRIBB School of Biotechnology, University of Science and Technology (UST), Daejeon, 34113 South Korea
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39
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Robledo M, Álvarez B, Cuevas A, González S, Ruano-Gallego D, Fernández L, de la Cruz F. Targeted bacterial conjugation mediated by synthetic cell-to-cell adhesions. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:12938-12950. [PMID: 36511856 PMCID: PMC9825185 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac1164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2022] [Revised: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetic interventions on microbiomes, for clinical or biotechnological purposes, remain challenging. Conjugation-based delivery of genetic cargo is still unspecific and limited by low conjugation rates. Here we report an approach to overcome these problems, based on a synthetic bacterial adhesion system. Mating assemblers consist on a synthetic adhesion formed by the expression on the surface of donor and target cells of specific nanobodies (Nb) and their cognate antigen (Ag). The Nb-Ag bridge increased 1-3 logs transfer of a variety of plasmids, especially in liquid media, confirming that cell-cell docking is a main determinant limiting mating efficiency. Synthetic cell-to-cell adhesion allows efficient conjugation to targeted recipients, enhancing delivery of desired genes to a predefined subset of prey species, or even specific pathogenic strains such as enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC), within a bacterial community. The synthetic conjugation enhancer presented here optimizes plasmid delivery by selecting the target hosts with high selectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Robledo
- Correspondence may also be addressed to Marta Robledo.
| | - Beatriz Álvarez
- Department of Microbial Biotechnology, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CNB-CSIC), Campus UAM Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Ana Cuevas
- Intergenomics Group, Instituto de Biomedicina y Biotecnología de Cantabria (IBBTEC), CSIC-Universidad de Cantabria, 39011, Santander, Spain
| | - Sheila González
- Intergenomics Group, Instituto de Biomedicina y Biotecnología de Cantabria (IBBTEC), CSIC-Universidad de Cantabria, 39011, Santander, Spain
| | - David Ruano-Gallego
- Department of Microbial Biotechnology, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CNB-CSIC), Campus UAM Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Luis Ángel Fernández
- Department of Microbial Biotechnology, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CNB-CSIC), Campus UAM Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain
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40
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McLellan LK, Anderson ME, Grossman AD. TnSmu1 is a functional integrative and conjugative element in Streptococcus mutans that when expressed causes growth arrest of host bacteria. Mol Microbiol 2022; 118:652-669. [PMID: 36268794 PMCID: PMC10098952 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2022] [Revised: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Integrative and conjugative elements (ICEs) are major drivers of horizontal gene transfer in bacteria. They mediate their own transfer from host cells (donors) to recipients and allow bacteria to acquire new phenotypes, including pathogenic and metabolic capabilities and drug resistances. Streptococcus mutans, a major causative agent of dental caries, contains a putative ICE, TnSmu1, integrated at the 3' end of a leucyl tRNA gene. We found that TnSmu1 is a functional ICE, containing all the genes necessary for ICE function. It excised from the chromosome and excision was stimulated by DNA damage. We identified the DNA junctions generated by excision of TnSmu1, defined the ends of the element, and detected the extrachromosomal circle. We found that TnSmu1 can transfer from S. mutans donors to recipients when co-cultured on solid medium. The presence of TnSmu1 in recipients inhibited successful acquisition of another copy and this inhibition was mediated, at least in part, by the likely transcriptional repressor encoded by the element. Using microscopy to track individual cells, we found that activation of TnSmu1 caused an arrest of cell growth. Our results demonstrate that TnSmu1 is a functional ICE that affects the biology of its host cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa K McLellan
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Mary E Anderson
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Alan D Grossman
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
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41
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Gonçalves OS, de Assis JCS, Santana MF. Breaking the ICE: an easy workflow for identifying and analyzing integrative and conjugative elements in bacterial genomes. Funct Integr Genomics 2022; 22:1139-1145. [PMID: 36149586 DOI: 10.1007/s10142-022-00903-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2022] [Revised: 09/13/2022] [Accepted: 09/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Osiel Silva Gonçalves
- Grupo de Genômica Evolutiva Microbiana, Laboratório de Genética Molecular de Microrganismos, Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Biotecnologia Aplicada à Agropecuária, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Jessica Catarine Silva de Assis
- Grupo de Genômica Evolutiva Microbiana, Laboratório de Genética Molecular de Microrganismos, Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Biotecnologia Aplicada à Agropecuária, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Mateus Ferreira Santana
- Grupo de Genômica Evolutiva Microbiana, Laboratório de Genética Molecular de Microrganismos, Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Biotecnologia Aplicada à Agropecuária, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
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42
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Moon TS. SynMADE: synthetic microbiota across diverse ecosystems. Trends Biotechnol 2022; 40:1405-1414. [PMID: 36117027 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2022.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Revised: 08/12/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
The past two decades have witnessed rapid advances in engineering individual microbial strains to produce biochemicals and biomaterials. However, engineering microbial consortia has been relatively slow. Using systems and synthetic biology approaches, researchers have been developing tools for engineering complex microbiota. In this opinion article, I discuss future directions and visions regarding developing microbiota as a biomanufacturing host. Specifically, I propose that we can develop the soil microbial community itself as a huge bioreactor. Ultimately, researchers will provide a generalizable system that enables us to understand a microbial consortium's interaction and metabolism on diverse temporal and spatial scales to address global problems, including the climate crisis, food inequality, the issue of waste, and sustainable bioproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tae Seok Moon
- Department of Energy, Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO 63130, USA.
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43
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Bean EL, McLellan LK, Grossman AD. Activation of the integrative and conjugative element Tn916 causes growth arrest and death of host bacteria. PLoS Genet 2022; 18:e1010467. [PMID: 36279314 PMCID: PMC9632896 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2022] [Revised: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Integrative and conjugative elements (ICEs) serve as major drivers of bacterial evolution. These elements often confer some benefit to host cells, including antibiotic resistance, metabolic capabilities, or pathogenic determinants. ICEs can also have negative effects on host cells. Here, we investigated the effects of the ICE (conjugative transposon) Tn916 on host cells. Because Tn916 is active in a relatively small subpopulation of host cells, we developed a fluorescent reporter system for monitoring activation of Tn916 in single cells. Using this reporter, we found that cell division was arrested in cells of Bacillus subtilis and Enterococcus faecalis (a natural host for Tn916) that contained an activated (excised) Tn916. Furthermore, most of the cells with the activated Tn916 subsequently died. We also observed these phenotypes on the population level in B. subtilis utilizing a modified version of Tn916 that can be activated in the majority of cells. We identified two genes (orf17 and orf16) in Tn916 that were sufficient to cause growth defects in B. subtilis and identified a single gene, yqaR, that is in a defective phage (skin) in the B. subtilis chromosome that was required for this phenotype. These three genes were only partially responsible for the growth defect caused by Tn916, indicating that Tn916 possesses multiple mechanisms to affect growth and viability of host cells. These results highlight the complex relationships that conjugative elements have with their host cells and the interplay between mobile genetic elements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily L. Bean
- Department of Biology Massachusetts, Institute of Technology Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Lisa K. McLellan
- Department of Biology Massachusetts, Institute of Technology Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Alan D. Grossman
- Department of Biology Massachusetts, Institute of Technology Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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44
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Sridhar S, Ajo-Franklin CM, Masiello CA. A Framework for the Systematic Selection of Biosensor Chassis for Environmental Synthetic Biology. ACS Synth Biol 2022; 11:2909-2916. [PMID: 35961652 PMCID: PMC9486965 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.2c00079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Microbial biosensors sense and report exposures to stimuli, thereby facilitating our understanding of environmental processes. Successful design and deployment of biosensors hinge on the persistence of the microbial host of the genetic circuit, termed the chassis. However, model chassis organisms may persist poorly in environmental conditions. In contrast, non-model organisms persist better in environmental conditions but are limited by other challenges, such as genetic intractability and part unavailability. Here we identify ecological, metabolic, and genetic constraints for chassis development and propose a conceptual framework for the systematic selection of environmental biosensor chassis. We identify key challenges with using current model chassis and delineate major points of conflict in choosing the most suitable organisms as chassis for environmental biosensing. This framework provides a way forward in the selection of biosensor chassis for environmental synthetic biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Swetha Sridhar
- Systems,
Synthetic, and Physical Biology Graduate Program, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, MS-180, Houston, Texas 77005, United
States
| | - Caroline M. Ajo-Franklin
- Department
of BioSciences, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, MS-140, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Caroline A. Masiello
- Department
of BioSciences, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, MS-140, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
- Department
of Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences, Rice University, 6100 Main St, MS-126, Houston, Texas 77005, United
States
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45
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Dundas CM, Dinneny JR. Genetic Circuit Design in Rhizobacteria. BIODESIGN RESEARCH 2022; 2022:9858049. [PMID: 37850138 PMCID: PMC10521742 DOI: 10.34133/2022/9858049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/31/2022] [Indexed: 10/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Genetically engineered plants hold enormous promise for tackling global food security and agricultural sustainability challenges. However, construction of plant-based genetic circuitry is constrained by a lack of well-characterized genetic parts and circuit design rules. In contrast, advances in bacterial synthetic biology have yielded a wealth of sensors, actuators, and other tools that can be used to build bacterial circuitry. As root-colonizing bacteria (rhizobacteria) exert substantial influence over plant health and growth, genetic circuit design in these microorganisms can be used to indirectly engineer plants and accelerate the design-build-test-learn cycle. Here, we outline genetic parts and best practices for designing rhizobacterial circuits, with an emphasis on sensors, actuators, and chassis species that can be used to monitor/control rhizosphere and plant processes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - José R. Dinneny
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
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46
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Cho JS, Kim GB, Eun H, Moon CW, Lee SY. Designing Microbial Cell Factories for the Production of Chemicals. JACS AU 2022; 2:1781-1799. [PMID: 36032533 PMCID: PMC9400054 DOI: 10.1021/jacsau.2c00344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2022] [Revised: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
The sustainable production of chemicals from renewable, nonedible biomass has emerged as an essential alternative to address pressing environmental issues arising from our heavy dependence on fossil resources. Microbial cell factories are engineered microorganisms harboring biosynthetic pathways streamlined to produce chemicals of interests from renewable carbon sources. The biosynthetic pathways for the production of chemicals can be defined into three categories with reference to the microbial host selected for engineering: native-existing pathways, nonnative-existing pathways, and nonnative-created pathways. Recent trends in leveraging native-existing pathways, discovering nonnative-existing pathways, and designing de novo pathways (as nonnative-created pathways) are discussed in this Perspective. We highlight key approaches and successful case studies that exemplify these concepts. Once these pathways are designed and constructed in the microbial cell factory, systems metabolic engineering strategies can be used to improve the performance of the strain to meet industrial production standards. In the second part of the Perspective, current trends in design tools and strategies for systems metabolic engineering are discussed with an eye toward the future. Finally, we survey current and future challenges that need to be addressed to advance microbial cell factories for the sustainable production of chemicals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jae Sung Cho
- Metabolic
and Biomolecular Engineering National Research Laboratory and Systems
Metabolic Engineering and Systems Healthcare Cross-Generation Collaborative
Laboratory, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (BK21
four), Korea Advanced Institute of Science
and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
- KAIST
Institute for the BioCentury and KAIST Institute for Artificial Intelligence, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology
(KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
- BioProcess
Engineering Research Center and BioInformatics Research Center, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology
(KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Gi Bae Kim
- Metabolic
and Biomolecular Engineering National Research Laboratory and Systems
Metabolic Engineering and Systems Healthcare Cross-Generation Collaborative
Laboratory, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (BK21
four), Korea Advanced Institute of Science
and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
- KAIST
Institute for the BioCentury and KAIST Institute for Artificial Intelligence, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology
(KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyunmin Eun
- Metabolic
and Biomolecular Engineering National Research Laboratory and Systems
Metabolic Engineering and Systems Healthcare Cross-Generation Collaborative
Laboratory, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (BK21
four), Korea Advanced Institute of Science
and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
- KAIST
Institute for the BioCentury and KAIST Institute for Artificial Intelligence, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology
(KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Cheon Woo Moon
- Metabolic
and Biomolecular Engineering National Research Laboratory and Systems
Metabolic Engineering and Systems Healthcare Cross-Generation Collaborative
Laboratory, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (BK21
four), Korea Advanced Institute of Science
and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
- KAIST
Institute for the BioCentury and KAIST Institute for Artificial Intelligence, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology
(KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang Yup Lee
- Metabolic
and Biomolecular Engineering National Research Laboratory and Systems
Metabolic Engineering and Systems Healthcare Cross-Generation Collaborative
Laboratory, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (BK21
four), Korea Advanced Institute of Science
and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
- KAIST
Institute for the BioCentury and KAIST Institute for Artificial Intelligence, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology
(KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
- BioProcess
Engineering Research Center and BioInformatics Research Center, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology
(KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
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47
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Russell BJ, Brown SD, Siguenza N, Mai I, Saran AR, Lingaraju A, Maissy ES, Dantas Machado AC, Pinto AFM, Sanchez C, Rossitto LA, Miyamoto Y, Richter RA, Ho SB, Eckmann L, Hasty J, Gonzalez DJ, Saghatelian A, Knight R, Zarrinpar A. Intestinal transgene delivery with native E. coli chassis allows persistent physiological changes. Cell 2022; 185:3263-3277.e15. [PMID: 35931082 PMCID: PMC9464905 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2022.06.050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Revised: 04/15/2022] [Accepted: 06/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Live bacterial therapeutics (LBTs) could reverse diseases by engrafting in the gut and providing persistent beneficial functions in the host. However, attempts to functionally manipulate the gut microbiome of conventionally raised (CR) hosts have been unsuccessful because engineered microbial organisms (i.e., chassis) have difficulty in colonizing the hostile luminal environment. In this proof-of-concept study, we use native bacteria as chassis for transgene delivery to impact CR host physiology. Native Escherichia coli bacteria isolated from the stool cultures of CR mice were modified to express functional genes. The reintroduction of these strains induces perpetual engraftment in the intestine. In addition, engineered native E. coli can induce functional changes that affect physiology of and reverse pathology in CR hosts months after administration. Thus, using native bacteria as chassis to “knock in” specific functions allows mechanistic studies of specific microbial activities in the microbiome of CR hosts and enables LBT with curative intent. Native E. coli strains isolated from mouse stool are genetically engineered for long-term engraftment in the conventional mouse gut and enable long-term systemic effects on the host, such as improvements in insulin sensitivity in mouse models of type 2 diabetes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baylee J Russell
- Division of Gastroenterology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Steven D Brown
- Division of Gastroenterology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Nicole Siguenza
- Division of Gastroenterology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Irene Mai
- Division of Gastroenterology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Anand R Saran
- Division of Gastroenterology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Amulya Lingaraju
- Division of Gastroenterology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Erica S Maissy
- Division of Gastroenterology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Ana C Dantas Machado
- Division of Gastroenterology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Antonio F M Pinto
- Clayton Foundation Laboratories for Peptide Biology, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Concepcion Sanchez
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Leigh-Ana Rossitto
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Yukiko Miyamoto
- Division of Gastroenterology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - R Alexander Richter
- Division of Gastroenterology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Samuel B Ho
- Division of Gastroenterology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; VA Health Sciences San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92161, USA
| | - Lars Eckmann
- Division of Gastroenterology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Jeff Hasty
- BioCircuits Institute, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Center for Microbiome Innovation, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - David J Gonzalez
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Center for Microbiome Innovation, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Alan Saghatelian
- Clayton Foundation Laboratories for Peptide Biology, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Rob Knight
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Center for Microbiome Innovation, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Amir Zarrinpar
- Division of Gastroenterology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; VA Health Sciences San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92161, USA; Center for Microbiome Innovation, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
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48
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Biology and engineering of integrative and conjugative elements: Construction and analyses of hybrid ICEs reveal element functions that affect species-specific efficiencies. PLoS Genet 2022; 18:e1009998. [PMID: 35584135 PMCID: PMC9154091 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Revised: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Integrative and conjugative elements (ICEs) are mobile genetic elements that reside in a bacterial host chromosome and are prominent drivers of bacterial evolution. They are also powerful tools for genetic analyses and engineering. Transfer of an ICE to a new host involves many steps, including excision from the chromosome, DNA processing and replication, transfer across the envelope of the donor and recipient, processing of the DNA, and eventual integration into the chromosome of the new host (now a stable transconjugant). Interactions between an ICE and its host throughout the life cycle likely influence the efficiencies of acquisition by new hosts. Here, we investigated how different functional modules of two ICEs, Tn916 and ICEBs1, affect the transfer efficiencies into different host bacteria. We constructed hybrid elements that utilize the high-efficiency regulatory and excision modules of ICEBs1 and the conjugation genes of Tn916. These elements produced more transconjugants than Tn916, likely due to an increase in the number of cells expressing element genes and a corresponding increase in excision. We also found that several Tn916 and ICEBs1 components can substitute for one another. Using B. subtilis donors and three Enterococcus species as recipients, we found that different hybrid elements were more readily acquired by some species than others, demonstrating species-specific interactions in steps of the ICE life cycle. This work demonstrates that hybrid elements utilizing the efficient regulatory functions of ICEBs1 can be built to enable efficient transfer into and engineering of a variety of other species. Horizontal gene transfer helps drive microbial evolution, enabling bacteria to rapidly acquire new genes and traits. Integrative and conjugative elements (ICEs) are mobile genetic elements that reside in a bacterial host chromosome and are prominent drivers of horizontal gene transfer. They are also powerful tools for genetic analyses and engineering. Some ICEs carry genes that confer obvious properties to host bacteria, including antibiotic resistances, symbiosis, and pathogenesis. When activated, an ICE-encoded machine is made that can transfer the element to other cells, where it then integrates into the chromosome of the new host. Specific ICEs transfer more effectively into some bacterial species compared to others, yet little is known about the determinants of the efficiencies and specificity of acquisition by different bacterial species. We made and utilized hybrid ICEs, composed of parts of two different elements, to investigate determinants of transfer efficiencies. Our findings demonstrate that there are species-specific interactions that help determine efficiencies of stable acquisition, and that this explains, in part, the efficiencies of different ICEs. These hybrid elements are also useful in genetic engineering and synthetic biology to move genes and pathways into different bacterial species with greater efficiencies than can be achieved with naturally occurring ICEs.
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49
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Jeong DE, Kim MS, Kim HR, Choi SK. Cell Factory Engineering of Undomesticated Bacillus Strains Using a Modified Integrative and Conjugative Element for Efficient Plasmid Delivery. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:802040. [PMID: 35558120 PMCID: PMC9086855 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.802040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
A large number of Bacillus strains have been isolated from various environments and many of them have great potential as cell factories. However, they have been rarely developed as cell factories due to their poor transformation efficiency. In this study, we developed a highly efficient plasmid delivery system for undomesticated Bacillus strains using a modified integrative and conjugative element (MICE), which was designed to be activated by an inducer, prevent self-transfer, and deliver desired plasmids to the recipient cells. The MICE system was demonstrated to successfully introduce a gfp-containing plasmid into all 41 undomesticated Bacillus subtilis strains tested and eight other Bacillus species. The MICE was used to deliver a cytosine base editor (CBE)-based multiplex genome-editing tool for the cell factory engineering of the Bacillus species. The introduced CBE enabled one-step inactivation of the major extracellular protease genes of the tested strains. The engineered strains were used as hosts for heterologous expression of nattokinase, which resulted in various enzyme expression levels. The results suggested that the MICE and CBE systems can be powerful tools for genetic engineering of undomesticated Bacillus strains, and greatly contribute to the expansion of the Bacillus cell factory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Da-Eun Jeong
- Infectious Disease Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Daejeon, South Korea
| | - Man Su Kim
- Infectious Disease Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Daejeon, South Korea.,Department of Biosystems and Bioengineering, KRIBB School of Biotechnology, University of Science and Technology (UST), Daejeon, South Korea
| | - Ha-Rim Kim
- Infectious Disease Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Daejeon, South Korea
| | - Soo-Keun Choi
- Infectious Disease Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Daejeon, South Korea.,Department of Biosystems and Bioengineering, KRIBB School of Biotechnology, University of Science and Technology (UST), Daejeon, South Korea
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50
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Harden MM, Anderson ME, Grossman AD. A
CRISPR
interference screen reveals a role for cell wall teichoic acids in conjugation in
Bacillus subtilis. Mol Microbiol 2022; 117:1366-1383. [PMID: 35490406 PMCID: PMC9324163 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2021] [Revised: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Conjugative elements are widespread in bacteria and include plasmids and integrative and conjugative elements (ICEs). They transfer from donor to recipient cells via an element‐encoded type IV secretion system. These elements interact with and utilize host functions for their lifecycles. We sought to identify essential host genes involved in the lifecycle of the integrative and conjugative element ICEBs1 of Bacillus subtilis. We constructed a library of strains for inducible knockdown of essential B. subtilis genes using CRISPR interference. Each strain expressed one guide RNA in ICEBs1. We induced partial interference of essential genes and identified those that caused an acute defect in acquisition of ICEBs1 by recipient cells. This screen revealed that reducing expression of genes needed for synthesis of cell wall teichoic acids caused a decrease in conjugation. Using three different ways to reduce their synthesis, we found that wall teichoic acids were necessary in both donors and recipients for efficient conjugative transfer of ICEBs1. Further, we found that depletion of wall teichoic acids caused cells involved in ICEBs1 conjugation to die, most likely from damage to the cell envelope. Our results indicate that wall teichoic acids help protect against envelope stress caused by active conjugation machines.
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Affiliation(s)
- M. Michael Harden
- Department of Biology Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MA 02139
| | - Mary E. Anderson
- Department of Biology Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MA 02139
| | - Alan D. Grossman
- Department of Biology Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MA 02139
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