A synthetic metabolite-based mammalian inter-cell signaling system

Engineering a scalable and orthogonal platform for synthetic communication in mammalian cells

The rational design and implementation of synthetic mammalian communication systems can unravel fundamental design principles of cell communication circuits and offer a framework for engineering of designer cell consortia with potential applications in cell therapeutics. Here, we develop the foundations of an orthogonal, and scalable mammalian synthetic communication platform that exploits the programmability of synthetic receptors and selective affinity and tunability of diffusing coiled-coil peptides. Leveraging the ability of coiled-coils to exclusively bind to a cognate receptor, we demonstrate orthogonal receptor activation and Boolean logic operations at the receptor level. We show intercellular communication based on synthetic receptors and secreted multidomain coiled-coils and demonstrate a three-cell population system that can perform AND gate logic. Finally, we show CC-GEMS receptor-dependent therapeutic protein expression. Our work provides a modular and scalable framework for the engineering of complex cell consortia, with the potential to expand the aptitude of cell therapeutics and diagnostics.

Microbial methionine transporters and biotechnological applications

Methionine (Met) is an essential amino acid with commercial value in animal feed, human nutrition, and as a chemical precursor. Microbial production of Met has seen intensive investigation towards a more sustainable alternative to the chemical synthesis that currently meets the global Met demand. Indeed, efficient Met biosynthesis has been achieved in genetically modified bacteria that harbor engineered enzymes and streamlined metabolic pathways. Very recently, the export of Met as the final step during its fermentative production has been studied and optimized, primarily through identification and expression of microbial Met efflux transporters. In this mini-review, we summarize the current knowledge on four families of Met export and import transporters that have been harnessed for the production of Met and other valuable biomolecules. These families are discussed with respect to their function, gene regulation, and biotechnological applications. We cover methods for identification and characterization of Met transporters as the basis for the further engineering of these proteins and for exploration of other solute carrier families. The available arsenal of Met transporters from different species and protein families provides blueprints not only for fermentative production but also synthetic biology systems, such as molecular sensors and cell-cell communication systems. KEY POINTS: • Sustainable production of methionine (Met) using microbes is actively explored. • Met transporters of four families increase production yield and specificity. • Further applications include other biosynthetic pathways and synthetic biology.

Synthetic Biology: Engineering Mammalian Cells To Control Cell-to-Cell Communication at Will

Cell-to-cell communication plays a key role in the regulation of many natural biological processes. Recent advances in mammalian synthetic biology are making it possible to rationally engineer cell-to-cell communication for therapeutic and other purposes. Here, we review state-of-the-art engineering principles to control cell-to-cell communication, focusing on communication between mammalian cells with diffusible factors (e.g., small molecules or exosomes) or direct cell contact, and on interkingdom communication between mammalian cells and bacteria. Potential applications include construction of artificial tissues able to perform complex computations, sophisticated cell-based cancer therapies, use of mammalian cells as a new class of cargo delivery modality, development of design principles to control pattern formation of cell populations, and treatment of infectious diseases. We also discuss the challenges facing practical applications, and possible enabling technologies to overcome them.

Synthetic Quorum Sensing and Cell-Cell Communication in Gram-Positive Bacillus megaterium

The components of natural quorum-sensing (QS) systems can be used to engineer synthetic communication systems that regulate gene expression in response to chemical signals. We have used the machinery from the peptide-based agr QS system from Staphylococcus aureus to engineer a synthetic QS system in Bacillus megaterium to enable autoinduction of a target gene at high cell densities. Growth and gene expression from these synthetic QS cells were characterized in both complex and minimal media. We also split the signal production and sensing components between two strains of B. megaterium to produce sender and receiver cells and characterized the resulting communication in liquid media and on semisolid agar. The system described in this work represents the first synthetic QS and cell-cell communication system that has been engineered to function in a Gram-positive host, and it has the potential to enable the generation of dynamic gene regulatory networks in B. megaterium and other Gram-positive organisms.

Artificial cell-cell communication as an emerging tool in synthetic biology applications

Cell-cell communication is a widespread phenomenon in nature, ranging from bacterial quorum sensing and fungal pheromone communication to cellular crosstalk in multicellular eukaryotes. These communication modes offer the possibility to control the behavior of an entire community by modifying the performance of individual cells in specific ways. Synthetic biology, i.e., the implementation of artificial functions within biological systems, is a promising approach towards the engineering of sophisticated, autonomous devices based on specifically functionalized cells. With the growing complexity of the functions performed by such systems, both the risk of circuit crosstalk and the metabolic burden resulting from the expression of numerous foreign genes are increasing. Therefore, systems based on a single type of cells are no longer feasible. Synthetic biology approaches with multiple subpopulations of specifically functionalized cells, wired by artificial cell-cell communication systems, provide an attractive and powerful alternative. Here we review recent applications of synthetic cell-cell communication systems with a specific focus on recent advances with fungal hosts.

Co-culture systems and technologies: taking synthetic biology to the next level

Co-culture techniques find myriad applications in biology for studying natural or synthetic interactions between cell populations. Such techniques are of great importance in synthetic biology, as multi-species cell consortia and other natural or synthetic ecology systems are widely seen to hold enormous potential for foundational research as well as novel industrial, medical and environmental applications with many proof-of-principle studies in recent years. What is needed for co-cultures to fulfil their potential? Cell-cell interactions in co-cultures are strongly influenced by the extracellular environment, which is determined by the experimental set-up, which therefore needs to be given careful consideration. An overview of existing experimental and theoretical co-culture set-ups in synthetic biology and adjacent fields is given here, and challenges and opportunities involved in such experiments are discussed. Greater focus on foundational technology developments for co-cultures is needed for many synthetic biology systems to realize their potential in both applications and answering biological questions.

Systematic transfer of prokaryotic sensors and circuits to mammalian cells

Prokaryotic regulatory proteins respond to diverse signals and represent a rich resource for building synthetic sensors and circuits. The TetR family contains >10(5) members that use a simple mechanism to respond to stimuli and bind distinct DNA operators. We present a platform that enables the transfer of these regulators to mammalian cells, which is demonstrated using human embryonic kidney (HEK293) and Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. The repressors are modified to include nuclear localization signals (NLS) and responsive promoters are built by incorporating multiple operators. Activators are also constructed by modifying the protein to include a VP16 domain. Together, this approach yields 15 new regulators that demonstrate 19- to 551-fold induction and retain both the low levels of crosstalk in DNA binding specificity observed between the parent regulators in Escherichia coli, as well as their dynamic range of activity. By taking advantage of the DAPG small molecule sensing mediated by the PhlF repressor, we introduce a new inducible system with 50-fold induction and a threshold of 0.9 μM DAPG, which is comparable to the classic Dox-induced TetR system. A set of NOT gates is constructed from the new repressors and their response function quantified. Finally, the Dox- and DAPG- inducible systems and two new activators are used to build a synthetic enhancer (fuzzy AND gate), requiring the coordination of 5 transcription factors organized into two layers. This work introduces a generic approach for the development of mammalian genetic sensors and circuits to populate a toolbox that can be applied to diverse applications from biomanufacturing to living therapeutics.

Biomedically relevant circuit-design strategies in mammalian synthetic biology

The development and progress in synthetic biology has been remarkable. Although still in its infancy, synthetic biology has achieved much during the past decade. Improvements in genetic circuit design have increased the potential for clinical applicability of synthetic biology research. What began as simple transcriptional gene switches has rapidly developed into a variety of complex regulatory circuits based on the transcriptional, translational and post-translational regulation. Instead of compounds with potential pharmacologic side effects, the inducer molecules now used are metabolites of the human body and even members of native cell signaling pathways. In this review, we address recent progress in mammalian synthetic biology circuit design and focus on how novel designs push synthetic biology toward clinical implementation. Groundbreaking research on the implementation of optogenetics and intercellular communications is addressed, as particularly optogenetics provides unprecedented opportunities for clinical application. Along with an increase in synthetic network complexity, multicellular systems are now being used to provide a platform for next-generation circuit design.

Engineered cell-cell communication and its applications

Over the past several decades, biologists have become more appreciative of the fundamental role of intercellular communication in natural systems spanning prokaryotic biofilms to eukaryotic developmental systems and neurological networks. From an engineering perspective, the use of cell-cell communication provides an opportunity to engineer more complex and robust functions using cellular components. Indeed, this strategy has been adopted in synthetic biology in the creation of diverse gene circuits that program spatiotemporal dynamics in one or multiple populations. Gene circuits such as these may offer insights regarding basic biological questions and motifs or serve as a basis for novel applications.

Modular design of artificial tissue homeostasis: robust control through synthetic cellular heterogeneity

Synthetic biology efforts have largely focused on small engineered gene networks, yet understanding how to integrate multiple synthetic modules and interface them with endogenous pathways remains a challenge. Here we present the design, system integration, and analysis of several large scale synthetic gene circuits for artificial tissue homeostasis. Diabetes therapy represents a possible application for engineered homeostasis, where genetically programmed stem cells maintain a steady population of β-cells despite continuous turnover. We develop a new iterative process that incorporates modular design principles with hierarchical performance optimization targeted for environments with uncertainty and incomplete information. We employ theoretical analysis and computational simulations of multicellular reaction/diffusion models to design and understand system behavior, and find that certain features often associated with robustness (e.g., multicellular synchronization and noise attenuation) are actually detrimental for tissue homeostasis. We overcome these problems by engineering a new class of genetic modules for ‘synthetic cellular heterogeneity’ that function to generate beneficial population diversity. We design two such modules (an asynchronous genetic oscillator and a signaling throttle mechanism), demonstrate their capacity for enhancing robust control, and provide guidance for experimental implementation with various computational techniques. We found that designing modules for synthetic heterogeneity can be complex, and in general requires a framework for non-linear and multifactorial analysis. Consequently, we adapt a ‘phenotypic sensitivity analysis’ method to determine how functional module behaviors combine to achieve optimal system performance. We ultimately combine this analysis with Bayesian network inference to extract critical, causal relationships between a module's biochemical rate-constants, its high level functional behavior in isolation, and its impact on overall system performance once integrated.

Over the last decade several relatively small synthetic gene networks have been successfully implemented and characterized, including oscillators, toggle switches, and intercellular communication systems. However, the ability to engineer large-scale synthetic gene networks for controlling multicellular systems with predictable and robust behavior remains a challenge. Here we present a novel combination of computational methods to aid the iterative design and optimization of such synthetic biological systems. We apply these methods to the design and analysis of an artificial tissue homeostasis system that exhibits coordinated control of cellular proliferation, differentiation, and cell-death. Achieving artificial tissue homeostasis would be therapeutically relevant for diseases such as Type I diabetes, for instance by transplanting genetically engineered stem cells that stably maintain populations of insulin-producing beta-cells despite normal cell death and autoimmune attacks. To manage complexity in the design process, we employ principles of logic abstraction and modularity and investigate their limits in biological networks. In this work, we find factors often associated with robustness (e.g., multicellular synchronization and noise attenuation) to be actually detrimental, and overcome these problems by engineering genetic modules that generate beneficial population heterogeneity. A combination of computational methods elucidates how these modules function to enhance robust control, and provides guidance for experimental implementation.

Microfluidic technologies for studying synthetic circuits

Advances in synthetic biology have augmented the available toolkit of biomolecular modules, allowing engineering and manipulation of signaling in a variety of organisms, ranging in complexity from single bacteria and eukaryotic cells to multi-cellular systems. The richness of synthetic circuit outputs can be dramatically enhanced by sophisticated environmental control systems designed to precisely pattern spatial-temporally heterogeneous environmental stimuli controlling these circuits. Moreover, the performance of the synthetic modules and 'blocks' needed to assemble more complicated networks requires more complete characterization as a function of arbitrarily complex environmental inputs. Microfluidic technologies are poised to meet these needs through a variety of innovative designs capitalizing on the unique benefits of manipulating fluids on the micro-scales and nano-scales. This review discusses the utility of microfluidics for the study of synthetic circuits and highlights recent work in the area.

Synthetic biology: advancing biological frontiers by building synthetic systems

Advances in synthetic biology are contributing to diverse research areas, from basic biology to biomanufacturing and disease therapy. We discuss the theoretical foundation, applications, and potential of this emerging field.

Genetic aspects of cell line development from a synthetic biology perspective

Animal cells can be regarded as factories for the production of relevant proteins. The advances described in this chapter towards the development of cell lines with higher productivity capacities, certain metabolic and proliferation properties, reduced apoptosis and other features must be regarded in an integrative perspective. The systematic application of systems biology approaches in combination with a synthetic arsenal for targeted modification of endogenous networks are proposed to lead towards the achievement of a predictable and technologically advanced cell system with high biotechnological impact.

De novo design and construction of an inducible gene expression system in mammalian cells

Inducible expression systems represent the founding technology for the emergence of synthetic biology in mammalian cells. The core molecules in these systems are bacterial regulator proteins that bind to or dissociate from a cognate DNA operator sequence in response to an exogenous stimulus like a small-molecule inducer. In this chapter, we describe a generic protocol of how bacterial regulator proteins can be applied to the design, construction, and optimization of an inducible expression system in mammalian cells. By choosing regulator proteins with an appropriate small-molecule inducer, this protocol provides a straightforward approach for establishing biosensors, cell-to-cell communication systems, or tools to control gene expression in vivo.

Synthetic mammalian gene networks as a blueprint for the design of interactive biohybrid materials

Synthetic biology aims at the rational design and construction of devices, systems and organisms with desired functionality based on modular well-characterized biological building blocks. Based on first proof-of-concept studies in bacteria a decade ago, synthetic biology strategies have rapidly entered mammalian cell technology providing novel therapeutic solutions. Here we review how biological building blocks can be rewired to interactive regulatory genetic networks in mammalian cells and how these networks can be transformed into open- and closed-loop control configurations for autonomously managing disease phenotypes. In the second part of this tutorial review we describe how the regulatory biological sensors and switches can be transferred from mammalian cell synthetic biology to materials sciences in order to develop interactive biohybrid materials with similar (therapeutic) functionality as their synthetic biological archetypes. We develop a perspective of how the convergence of synthetic biology with materials sciences might contribute to the development of truly interactive and adaptive materials for autonomous operation in a complex environment.

The challenges of informatics in synthetic biology: from biomolecular networks to artificial organisms

The field of synthetic biology holds an inspiring vision for the future; it integrates computational analysis, biological data and the systems engineering paradigm in the design of new biological machines and systems. These biological machines are built from basic biomolecular components analogous to electrical devices, and the information flow among these components requires the augmentation of biological insight with the power of a formal approach to information management. Here we review the informatics challenges in synthetic biology along three dimensions: in silico, in vitro and in vivo. First, we describe state of the art of the in silico support of synthetic biology, from the specific data exchange formats, to the most popular software platforms and algorithms. Next, we cast in vitro synthetic biology in terms of information flow, and discuss genetic fidelity in DNA manipulation, development strategies of biological parts and the regulation of biomolecular networks. Finally, we explore how the engineering chassis can manipulate biological circuitries in vivo to give rise to future artificial organisms.