1
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Tansley C, Patron NJ, Guiziou S. Engineering Plant Cell Fates and Functions for Agriculture and Industry. ACS Synth Biol 2024; 13:998-1005. [PMID: 38573786 PMCID: PMC11036505 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.4c00047] [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: 01/25/2024] [Revised: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024]
Abstract
Many plant species are grown to enable access to specific organs or tissues, such as seeds, fruits, or stems. In some cases, a value is associated with a molecule that accumulates in a single type of cell. Domestication and subsequent breeding have often increased the yields of these target products by increasing the size, number, and quality of harvested organs and tissues but also via changes to overall plant growth architecture to suit large-scale cultivation. Many of the mutations that underlie these changes have been identified in key regulators of cellular identity and function. As key determinants of yield, these regulators are key targets for synthetic biology approaches to engineer new forms and functions. However, our understanding of many plant developmental programs and cell-type specific functions is still incomplete. In this Perspective, we discuss how advances in cellular genomics together with synthetic biology tools such as biosensors and DNA-recording devices are advancing our understanding of cell-specific programs and cell fates. We then discuss advances and emerging opportunities for cell-type-specific engineering to optimize plant morphology, responses to the environment, and the production of valuable compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Connor Tansley
- Engineering
Biology, Earlham Institute, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7UZ United Kingdom
- Department
of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EA United
Kingdom
| | - Nicola J. Patron
- Engineering
Biology, Earlham Institute, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7UZ United Kingdom
- Department
of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EA United
Kingdom
| | - Sarah Guiziou
- Engineering
Biology, Earlham Institute, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7UZ United Kingdom
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2
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Abstract
Synthetic biology (SynBio) has attracted like no other recent development the attention not only of Life Science researchers and engineers but also of intellectuals, technology think-tanks, and private and public investors. This is largely due to its promise to propel biotechnology beyond its traditional realms in medicine, agriculture, and environment toward new territories historically dominated by the chemical and manufacturing industries─but now claimed to be amenable to complete biologization. For this to happen, it is crucial for the field to remain true to its foundational engineering drive, which relies on mathematics and quantitative tools to construct practical solutions to real-world problems. This article highlights several SynBio themes that, in our view, come with somewhat precarious promises that need to be tackled. First, SynBio must critically examine whether enough basic information is available to enable the design or redesign of life processes and turn biology from a descriptive science into a prescriptive one. Second, unlike circuit boards, cells are built with soft matter and possess inherent abilities to mutate and evolve, even without external cues. Third, the field cannot be presented as the one technical solution to many grave world problems and so must avoid exaggerated claims and hype. Finally, SynBio should pay heed to public sensitivities and involve social science in its development and growth, and thus change the technology narrative from sheer domination of the living world to conversation and win-win partnership.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew D. Hanson
- Horticultural
Sciences Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611, United States
| | - Víctor de Lorenzo
- Systems
Biology Department, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología-CSIC, Campus de Cantoblanco, Madrid 28049, Spain
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3
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Amack S, Ferreira SS, Antunes MS. Tuning the Transcriptional Activity of the CaMV 35S Promoter in Plants by Single-Nucleotide Changes in the TATA Box. ACS Synth Biol 2023; 12:178-185. [PMID: 36563338 PMCID: PMC9872816 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.2c00457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Synthetic biology uses genetically encoded devices and circuits to implement novel complex functions in living cells and organisms. A hallmark of these genetic circuits is the interaction among their individual parts, according to predefined rules, to process cellular information and produce a circuit output or response. As the number of individual components in a genetic circuit increases, so does the number of interactions needed to achieve the correct behavior, and hence, a greater need to fine-tune the levels of expression of each component. Transcriptional promoters play a key regulatory role in genetic circuits, as they influence the levels of RNA and proteins produced. In multicellular organisms, such as plants, they can also determine developmental, spatial, and tissue-specific patterns of gene expression. The 35S promoter from the Cauliflower Mosaic Virus (CaMV 35S) is widely used in plant biotechnology to direct high levels of gene expression in a variety of plant species. We produced a library of 21 variants of the CaMV 35S promoter by introducing all single nucleotide substitutions to the promoter's TATA box sequence. We then characterized the activity of all variants in homozygous transgenic plants and showed that some of these variants have lower activity than the wild type in plants. These promoter variants could be used to fine-tune the behavior of synthetic genetic circuits in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie
C. Amack
- Department
of Biology, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas 76203, United States
- BioDiscovery
Institute, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas 76203, United States
| | - Savio S. Ferreira
- Department
of Biology, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas 76203, United States
- BioDiscovery
Institute, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas 76203, United States
| | - Mauricio S. Antunes
- Department
of Biology, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas 76203, United States
- BioDiscovery
Institute, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas 76203, United States
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4
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Bowman JL, Arteaga-Vazquez M, Berger F, Briginshaw LN, Carella P, Aguilar-Cruz A, Davies KM, Dierschke T, Dolan L, Dorantes-Acosta AE, Fisher TJ, Flores-Sandoval E, Futagami K, Ishizaki K, Jibran R, Kanazawa T, Kato H, Kohchi T, Levins J, Lin SS, Nakagami H, Nishihama R, Romani F, Schornack S, Tanizawa Y, Tsuzuki M, Ueda T, Watanabe Y, Yamato KT, Zachgo S. The renaissance and enlightenment of Marchantia as a model system. THE PLANT CELL 2022; 34:3512-3542. [PMID: 35976122 PMCID: PMC9516144 DOI: 10.1093/plcell/koac219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2022] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
The liverwort Marchantia polymorpha has been utilized as a model for biological studies since the 18th century. In the past few decades, there has been a Renaissance in its utilization in genomic and genetic approaches to investigating physiological, developmental, and evolutionary aspects of land plant biology. The reasons for its adoption are similar to those of other genetic models, e.g. simple cultivation, ready access via its worldwide distribution, ease of crossing, facile genetics, and more recently, efficient transformation, genome editing, and genomic resources. The haploid gametophyte dominant life cycle of M. polymorpha is conducive to forward genetic approaches. The lack of ancient whole-genome duplications within liverworts facilitates reverse genetic approaches, and possibly related to this genomic stability, liverworts possess sex chromosomes that evolved in the ancestral liverwort. As a representative of one of the three bryophyte lineages, its phylogenetic position allows comparative approaches to provide insights into ancestral land plants. Given the karyotype and genome stability within liverworts, the resources developed for M. polymorpha have facilitated the development of related species as models for biological processes lacking in M. polymorpha.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mario Arteaga-Vazquez
- Instituto de Biotecnología y Ecología Aplicada, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa VER 91090, México
| | - Frederic Berger
- Gregor Mendel Institute (GMI), Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna Biocenter (VBC), Vienna 1030, Austria
| | - Liam N Briginshaw
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne VIC 3800, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Plant Success in Nature and Agriculture, Monash University, Melbourne VIC 3800, Australia
| | - Philip Carella
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK
| | - Adolfo Aguilar-Cruz
- Instituto de Biotecnología y Ecología Aplicada, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa VER 91090, México
| | - Kevin M Davies
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand
| | - Tom Dierschke
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne VIC 3800, Australia
| | - Liam Dolan
- Gregor Mendel Institute (GMI), Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna Biocenter (VBC), Vienna 1030, Austria
| | - Ana E Dorantes-Acosta
- Instituto de Biotecnología y Ecología Aplicada, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa VER 91090, México
| | - Tom J Fisher
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne VIC 3800, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Plant Success in Nature and Agriculture, Monash University, Melbourne VIC 3800, Australia
| | - Eduardo Flores-Sandoval
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne VIC 3800, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Plant Success in Nature and Agriculture, Monash University, Melbourne VIC 3800, Australia
| | - Kazutaka Futagami
- Department of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan
| | | | - Rubina Jibran
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
| | - Takehiko Kanazawa
- Division of Cellular Dynamics, National Institute for Basic Biology, Myodaiji, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8585, Japan
- The Department of Basic Biology, SOKENDAI (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), Okazaki, Aichi 444-8585, Japan
| | - Hirotaka Kato
- Graduate School of Science, Kobe University, Kobe 657-8501, Japan
- Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Ehime University, Matsuyama, Ehime 790-8577, Japan
| | - Takayuki Kohchi
- Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
| | - Jonathan Levins
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne VIC 3800, Australia
| | - Shih-Shun Lin
- Institute of Biotechnology, National Taiwan University, Taipei 106, Taiwan
| | - Hirofumi Nakagami
- Basic Immune System of Plants, Max-Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, 50829 Cologne, Germany
| | - Ryuichi Nishihama
- Department of Applied Biological Science, Tokyo University of Science, Noda, Chiba 278-8510, Japan
| | - Facundo Romani
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EA, UK
| | | | - Yasuhiro Tanizawa
- Department of Informatics, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Shizuoka 411-8540, Japan
| | - Masayuki Tsuzuki
- Department of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan
| | - Takashi Ueda
- Division of Cellular Dynamics, National Institute for Basic Biology, Myodaiji, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8585, Japan
- The Department of Basic Biology, SOKENDAI (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), Okazaki, Aichi 444-8585, Japan
| | - Yuichiro Watanabe
- Department of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan
| | - Katsuyuki T Yamato
- Faculty of Biology-Oriented Science and Technology, Kindai University, Kinokawa, Wakayama 649-6493, Japan
| | - Sabine Zachgo
- Division of Botany, School of Biology and Chemistry, Osnabrück University, Osnabrück 49076, Germany
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5
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Strauss S, Runions A, Lane B, Eschweiler D, Bajpai N, Trozzi N, Routier-Kierzkowska AL, Yoshida S, Rodrigues da Silveira S, Vijayan A, Tofanelli R, Majda M, Echevin E, Le Gloanec C, Bertrand-Rakusova H, Adibi M, Schneitz K, Bassel G, Kierzkowski D, Stegmaier J, Tsiantis M, Smith RS. Using positional information to provide context for biological image analysis with MorphoGraphX 2.0. eLife 2022; 11:72601. [PMID: 35510843 PMCID: PMC9159754 DOI: 10.7554/elife.72601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2021] [Accepted: 05/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Positional information is a central concept in developmental biology. In developing organs, positional information can be idealized as a local coordinate system that arises from morphogen gradients controlled by organizers at key locations. This offers a plausible mechanism for the integration of the molecular networks operating in individual cells into the spatially coordinated multicellular responses necessary for the organization of emergent forms. Understanding how positional cues guide morphogenesis requires the quantification of gene expression and growth dynamics in the context of their underlying coordinate systems. Here, we present recent advances in the MorphoGraphX software (Barbier de Reuille et al., 2015) that implement a generalized framework to annotate developing organs with local coordinate systems. These coordinate systems introduce an organ-centric spatial context to microscopy data, allowing gene expression and growth to be quantified and compared in the context of the positional information thought to control them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sören Strauss
- Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Cologne, Germany
| | - Adam Runions
- Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Cologne, Germany
| | | | - Dennis Eschweiler
- Institute of Imaging and Computer Vision, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Namrata Bajpai
- Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Cologne, Germany
| | | | | | - Saiko Yoshida
- Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Cologne, Germany
| | | | - Athul Vijayan
- School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Rachele Tofanelli
- School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | | | - Emillie Echevin
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Montreal, Montreal, Canada
| | | | | | - Milad Adibi
- Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Cologne, Germany
| | - Kay Schneitz
- School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - George Bassel
- School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom
| | - Daniel Kierzkowski
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Montreal, Montreal, Canada
| | - Johannes Stegmaier
- Institute of Imaging and Computer Vision, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Miltos Tsiantis
- Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Cologne, Germany
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6
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Frangedakis E, Guzman-Chavez F, Rebmann M, Markel K, Yu Y, Perraki A, Tse SW, Liu Y, Rever J, Sauret-Gueto S, Goffinet B, Schneider H, Haseloff J. Construction of DNA Tools for Hyperexpression in Marchantia Chloroplasts. ACS Synth Biol 2021; 10:1651-1666. [PMID: 34097383 PMCID: PMC8296666 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.0c00637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Chloroplasts are attractive platforms for synthetic biology applications since they are capable of driving very high levels of transgene expression, if mRNA production and stability are properly regulated. However, plastid transformation is a slow process and currently limited to a few plant species. The liverwort Marchantia polymorpha is a simple model plant that allows rapid transformation studies; however, its potential for protein hyperexpression has not been fully exploited. This is partially due to the fact that chloroplast post-transcriptional regulation is poorly characterized in this plant. We have mapped patterns of transcription in Marchantia chloroplasts. Furthermore, we have obtained and compared sequences from 51 bryophyte species and identified putative sites for pentatricopeptide repeat protein binding that are thought to play important roles in mRNA stabilization. Candidate binding sites were tested for their ability to confer high levels of reporter gene expression in Marchantia chloroplasts, and levels of protein production and effects on growth were measured in homoplastic transformed plants. We have produced novel DNA tools for protein hyperexpression in this facile plant system that is a test-bed for chloroplast engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eftychios Frangedakis
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EA, U.K
| | - Fernando Guzman-Chavez
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EA, U.K
| | - Marius Rebmann
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EA, U.K
| | - Kasey Markel
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EA, U.K
| | - Ying Yu
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 311121, China
| | - Artemis Perraki
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EA, U.K
| | - Sze Wai Tse
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EA, U.K
| | - Yang Liu
- Fairy Lake Botanical Garden & Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518004, China
| | - Jenna Rever
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EA, U.K
| | - Susanna Sauret-Gueto
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EA, U.K
| | - Bernard Goffinet
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269-3043, United States
| | - Harald Schneider
- Center for Integrative Conservation, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Menglun, Yunnan 666303, China
| | - Jim Haseloff
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EA, U.K
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7
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Engineering pattern formation and morphogenesis. Biochem Soc Trans 2021; 48:1177-1185. [PMID: 32510150 PMCID: PMC7329343 DOI: 10.1042/bst20200013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2020] [Revised: 05/14/2020] [Accepted: 05/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The development of natural tissues, organs and bodies depends on mechanisms of patterning and of morphogenesis, typically (but not invariably) in that order, and often several times at different final scales. Using synthetic biology to engineer patterning and morphogenesis will both enhance our basic understanding of how development works, and provide important technologies for advanced tissue engineering. Focusing on mammalian systems built to date, this review describes patterning systems, both contact-mediated and reaction-diffusion, and morphogenetic effectors. It also describes early attempts to connect the two to create self-organizing physical form. The review goes on to consider how these self-organized systems might be modified to increase the complexity and scale of the order they produce, and outlines some possible directions for future research and development.
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8
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Patron NJ. Beyond natural: synthetic expansions of botanical form and function. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2020; 227:295-310. [PMID: 32239523 PMCID: PMC7383487 DOI: 10.1111/nph.16562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2019] [Accepted: 03/03/2020] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Powered by developments that enabled genome-scale investigations, systems biology emerged as a field aiming to understand how phenotypes emerge from network functions. These advances fuelled a new engineering discipline focussed on synthetic reconstructions of complex biological systems with the goal of predictable rational design and control. Initially, progress in the nascent field of synthetic biology was slow due to the ad hoc nature of molecular biology methods such as cloning. The application of engineering principles such as standardisation, together with several key technical advances, enabled a revolution in the speed and accuracy of genetic manipulation. Combined with mathematical and statistical modelling, this has improved the predictability of engineering biological systems of which nonlinearity and stochasticity are intrinsic features leading to remarkable achievements in biotechnology as well as novel insights into biological function. In the past decade, there has been slow but steady progress in establishing foundations for synthetic biology in plant systems. Recently, this has enabled model-informed rational design to be successfully applied to the engineering of plant gene regulation and metabolism. Synthetic biology is now poised to transform the potential of plant biotechnology. However, reaching full potential will require conscious adjustments to the skillsets and mind sets of plant scientists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicola J. Patron
- Engineering BiologyEarlham InstituteNorwich Research Park, NorwichNorfolkNR4 7UZUK
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9
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Leydon AR, Gala HP, Guiziou S, Nemhauser JL. Engineering Synthetic Signaling in Plants. ANNUAL REVIEW OF PLANT BIOLOGY 2020; 71:767-788. [PMID: 32092279 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-arplant-081519-035852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Synthetic signaling is a branch of synthetic biology that aims to understand native genetic regulatory mechanisms and to use these insights to engineer interventions and devices that achieve specified design parameters. Applying synthetic signaling approaches to plants offers the promise of mitigating the worst effects of climate change and providing a means to engineer crops for entirely novel environments, such as those in space travel. The ability to engineer new traits using synthetic signaling methods will require standardized libraries of biological parts and methods to assemble them; the decoupling of complex processes into simpler subsystems; and mathematical models that can accelerate the design-build-test-learn cycle. The field of plant synthetic signaling is relatively new, but it is poised for rapid advancement. Translation from the laboratory to the field is likely to be slowed, however, by the lack of constructive dialogue between researchers and other stakeholders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander R Leydon
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA; , , ,
| | - Hardik P Gala
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA; , , ,
| | - Sarah Guiziou
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA; , , ,
| | - Jennifer L Nemhauser
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA; , , ,
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10
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Sauret-Güeto S, Frangedakis E, Silvestri L, Rebmann M, Tomaselli M, Markel K, Delmans M, West A, Patron NJ, Haseloff J. Systematic Tools for Reprogramming Plant Gene Expression in a Simple Model, Marchantia polymorpha. ACS Synth Biol 2020; 9:864-882. [PMID: 32163700 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.9b00511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
We present the OpenPlant toolkit, a set of interlinked resources and techniques to develop Marchantia as testbed for bioengineering in plants. Marchantia is a liverwort, a simple plant with an open form of development that allows direct visualization of gene expression and dynamics of cellular growth in living tissues. We describe new techniques for simple and efficient axenic propagation and maintenance of Marchantia lines with no requirement for glasshouse facilities. Marchantia plants spontaneously produce clonal propagules within a few weeks of regeneration, and lines can be amplified million-fold in a single generation by induction of the sexual phase of growth, crossing, and harvesting of progeny spores. The plant has a simple morphology and genome with reduced gene redundancy, and the dominant phase of its life cycle is haploid, making genetic analysis easier. We have built robust Loop assembly vector systems for nuclear and chloroplast transformation and genome editing. These have provided the basis for building and testing a modular library of standardized DNA elements with highly desirable properties. We have screened transcriptomic data to identify a range of candidate genes, extracted putative promoter sequences, and tested them in vivo to identify new constitutive promoter elements. The resources have been combined into a toolkit for plant bioengineering that is accessible for laboratories without access to traditional facilities for plant biology research. The toolkit is being made available under the terms of the OpenMTA and will facilitate the establishment of common standards and the use of this simple plant as testbed for synthetic biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanna Sauret-Güeto
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EA, U.K
| | - Eftychios Frangedakis
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EA, U.K
| | - Linda Silvestri
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EA, U.K
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EG, U.K
| | - Marius Rebmann
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EA, U.K
| | - Marta Tomaselli
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EA, U.K
| | - Kasey Markel
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EA, U.K
| | - Mihails Delmans
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EA, U.K
| | | | | | - Jim Haseloff
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EA, U.K
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11
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Vavitsas K, Crozet P, Vinde MH, Davies F, Lemaire SD, Vickers CE. The Synthetic Biology Toolkit for Photosynthetic Microorganisms. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2019; 181:14-27. [PMID: 31262955 PMCID: PMC6716251 DOI: 10.1104/pp.19.00345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2019] [Accepted: 06/09/2019] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Photosynthetic microorganisms offer novel characteristics as synthetic biology chassis, and the toolbox of components and techniques for cyanobacteria and algae is rapidly increasing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Konstantinos Vavitsas
- Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) Synthetic Biology Future Science Platform, CSIRO Land & Water, Brisbane, Queensland 4001, Australia
| | - Pierre Crozet
- Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique, Unité Mixte de Recherche 8226, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Sorbonne Université, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Marcos Hamborg Vinde
- Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) Synthetic Biology Future Science Platform, CSIRO Land & Water, Brisbane, Queensland 4001, Australia
| | - Fiona Davies
- Department of Chemistry, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado 80401
| | - Stéphane D Lemaire
- Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique, Unité Mixte de Recherche 8226, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Sorbonne Université, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Claudia E Vickers
- Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) Synthetic Biology Future Science Platform, CSIRO Land & Water, Brisbane, Queensland 4001, Australia
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12
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Boehm CR, Bock R. Recent Advances and Current Challenges in Synthetic Biology of the Plastid Genetic System and Metabolism. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2019; 179:794-802. [PMID: 30181342 PMCID: PMC6393795 DOI: 10.1104/pp.18.00767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2018] [Accepted: 08/27/2018] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Building on recombinant DNA technology, leaps in synthesis, assembly, and analysis of DNA have revolutionized genetics and molecular biology over the past two decades (Kosuri and Church, 2014). These technological advances have accelerated the emergence of synthetic biology as a new discipline (Cameron et al., 2014). Synthetic biology is characterized by efforts targeted at the modification of existing and the design of novel biological systems based on principles adopted from information technology and engineering (Andrianantoandro et al., 2006; Khalil and Collins, 2010). As in more traditional engineering disciplines such as mechanical, electrical and civil engineering, synthetic biologists utilize abstraction, decoupling and standardization to make the design of biological systems more efficient and scalable. To facilitate the management of complexity, synthetic biology relies on an abstraction hierarchy composed of multiple levels (Endy, 2005): DNA as genetic material, "parts" as elements of DNA encoding basic biological functions (e.g. promoter, ribosome-binding site, terminator sequence), "devices" as any combination of parts implementing a human-defined function, and "systems" as any combination of devices fulfilling a predefined purpose. Parts are designated to perform predictable and modular functions in the context of higher-level devices or systems, which are successively refined through a cycle of designing, building, and testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian R Boehm
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Am Mühlenberg 1, D-14476 Potsdam-Golm, Germany
| | - Ralph Bock
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Am Mühlenberg 1, D-14476 Potsdam-Golm, Germany
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Amthor JS, Bar-Even A, Hanson AD, Millar AH, Stitt M, Sweetlove LJ, Tyerman SD. Engineering Strategies to Boost Crop Productivity by Cutting Respiratory Carbon Loss. THE PLANT CELL 2019; 31:297-314. [PMID: 30670486 PMCID: PMC6447004 DOI: 10.1105/tpc.18.00743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2018] [Revised: 12/04/2018] [Accepted: 01/09/2019] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Roughly half the carbon that crop plants fix by photosynthesis is subsequently lost by respiration. Nonessential respiratory activity leading to unnecessary CO2 release is unlikely to have been minimized by natural selection or crop breeding, and cutting this large loss could complement and reinforce the currently dominant yield-enhancement strategy of increasing carbon fixation. Until now, however, respiratory carbon losses have generally been overlooked by metabolic engineers and synthetic biologists because specific target genes have been elusive. We argue that recent advances are at last pinpointing individual enzyme and transporter genes that can be engineered to (1) slow unnecessary protein turnover, (2) replace, relocate, or reschedule metabolic activities, (3) suppress futile cycles, and (4) make ion transport more efficient, all of which can reduce respiratory costs. We identify a set of engineering strategies to reduce respiratory carbon loss that are now feasible and model how implementing these strategies singly or in tandem could lead to substantial gains in crop productivity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Arren Bar-Even
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, D-14476 Potsdam-Golm, Germany
| | - Andrew D Hanson
- Horticultural Sciences Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611
| | - A Harvey Millar
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology, School of Molecular Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley 6009 WA, Australia
| | - Mark Stitt
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, D-14476 Potsdam-Golm, Germany
| | - Lee J Sweetlove
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3RB, United Kingdom
| | - Stephen D Tyerman
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology, Department of Plant Science, School of Agriculture, Food, and Wine, Waite Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Glen Osmond SA 5064, Australia
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Kassaw TK, Donayre-Torres AJ, Antunes MS, Morey KJ, Medford JI. Engineering synthetic regulatory circuits in plants. PLANT SCIENCE : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL PLANT BIOLOGY 2018; 273:13-22. [PMID: 29907304 DOI: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2018.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2018] [Revised: 04/05/2018] [Accepted: 04/07/2018] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Plant synthetic biology is a rapidly emerging field that aims to engineer genetic circuits to function in plants with the same reliability and precision as electronic circuits. These circuits can be used to program predictable plant behavior, producing novel traits to improve crop plant productivity, enable biosensors, and serve as platforms to synthesize chemicals and complex biomolecules. Herein we introduce the importance of developing orthogonal plant parts and the need for quantitative part characterization for mathematical modeling of complex circuits. In particular, transfer functions are important when designing electronic-like genetic controls such as toggle switches, positive/negative feedback loops, and Boolean logic gates. We then discuss potential constraints and challenges in synthetic regulatory circuit design and integration when using plants. Finally, we highlight current and potential plant synthetic regulatory circuit applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tessema K Kassaw
- Department of Biology, 1878 Campus Delivery, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1878, USA
| | - Alberto J Donayre-Torres
- Department of Biology, 1878 Campus Delivery, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1878, USA
| | - Mauricio S Antunes
- Department of Biology, 1878 Campus Delivery, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1878, USA
| | - Kevin J Morey
- Department of Biology, 1878 Campus Delivery, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1878, USA
| | - June I Medford
- Department of Biology, 1878 Campus Delivery, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1878, USA.
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The Multiplanetary Future of Plant Synthetic Biology. Genes (Basel) 2018; 9:genes9070348. [PMID: 29996548 PMCID: PMC6071031 DOI: 10.3390/genes9070348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2018] [Revised: 07/06/2018] [Accepted: 07/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The interest in human space journeys to distant planets and moons has been re-ignited in recent times and there are ongoing plans for sending the first manned missions to Mars in the near future. In addition to generating oxygen, fixing carbon, and recycling waste and water, plants could play a critical role in producing food and biomass feedstock for the microbial manufacture of materials, chemicals, and medicines in long-term interplanetary outposts. However, because life on Earth evolved under the conditions of the terrestrial biosphere, plants will not perform optimally in different planetary habitats. The construction or transportation of plant growth facilities and the availability of resources, such as sunlight and liquid water, may also be limiting factors, and would thus impose additional challenges to efficient farming in an extraterrestrial destination. Using the framework of the forthcoming human missions to Mars, here we discuss a series of bioengineering endeavors that will enable us to take full advantage of plants in the context of a Martian greenhouse. We also propose a roadmap for research on adapting life to Mars and outline our opinion that synthetic biology efforts towards this goal will contribute to solving some of the main agricultural and industrial challenges here on Earth.
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Yu Z, Boehm CR, Hibberd JM, Abell C, Haseloff J, Burgess SJ, Reyna-Llorens I. Droplet-based microfluidic analysis and screening of single plant cells. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0196810. [PMID: 29723275 PMCID: PMC5933695 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0196810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2018] [Accepted: 04/22/2018] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Droplet-based microfluidics has been used to facilitate high-throughput analysis of individual prokaryote and mammalian cells. However, there is a scarcity of similar workflows applicable to rapid phenotyping of plant systems where phenotyping analyses typically are time-consuming and low-throughput. We report on-chip encapsulation and analysis of protoplasts isolated from the emergent plant model Marchantia polymorpha at processing rates of >100,000 cells per hour. We use our microfluidic system to quantify the stochastic properties of a heat-inducible promoter across a population of transgenic protoplasts to demonstrate its potential for assessing gene expression activity in response to environmental conditions. We further demonstrate on-chip sorting of droplets containing YFP-expressing protoplasts from wild type cells using dielectrophoresis force. This work opens the door to droplet-based microfluidic analysis of plant cells for applications ranging from high-throughput characterisation of DNA parts to single-cell genomics to selection of rare plant phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziyi Yu
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Christian R. Boehm
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Julian M. Hibberd
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Chris Abell
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Jim Haseloff
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Steven J. Burgess
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- * E-mail: (SJB); (IR-L)
| | - Ivan Reyna-Llorens
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- * E-mail: (SJB); (IR-L)
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Flores-Sandoval E, Romani F, Bowman JL. Co-expression and Transcriptome Analysis of Marchantia polymorpha Transcription Factors Supports Class C ARFs as Independent Actors of an Ancient Auxin Regulatory Module. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2018; 9:1345. [PMID: 30327658 PMCID: PMC6174852 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2018.01345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2018] [Accepted: 08/27/2018] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
We performed differential gene expression (DGE) and co-expression analyses with genes encoding components of hormonal signaling pathways and the ∼400 annotated transcription factors (TFs) of M. polymorpha across multiple developmental stages of the life cycle. We identify a putative auxin-related co-expression module that has significant overlap with transcripts induced in auxin-treated tissues. Consistent with phylogenetic and functional studies, the class C ARF, MpARF3, is not part of the auxin-related co-expression module and instead is associated with transcripts enriched in gamete-producing gametangiophores. We analyze the Mparf3 and MpmiR160 mutant transcriptomes in the context of coexpression to suggest that MpARF3 may antagonize the reproductive transition via activating the MpMIR11671 and MpMIR529c precursors whose encoded microRNAs target SQUAMOSA-PROMOTER BINDING PROTEIN-LIKE (SPL) transcripts of MpSPL1 and MpSPL2. Both MpSPL genes are part of the MpARF3 co-expression group corroborating their functional significance. We provide evidence of the independence of MpARF3 from the auxin-signaling module and provide new testable hypotheses on the role of auxin-related genes in patterning meristems and differentiation events in liverworts.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Facundo Romani
- Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas, Centro Científico Tecnológico CONICET Santa Fe, Instituto de Agrobiotecnología del Litoral, Universidad Nacional del Litoral – CONICET, Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - John L. Bowman
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- *Correspondence: John L. Bowman,
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Jackson MDB, Duran-Nebreda S, Bassel GW. Network-based approaches to quantify multicellular development. J R Soc Interface 2017; 14:20170484. [PMID: 29021161 PMCID: PMC5665831 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2017.0484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2017] [Accepted: 09/14/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Multicellularity and cellular cooperation confer novel functions on organs following a structure-function relationship. How regulated cell migration, division and differentiation events generate cellular arrangements has been investigated, providing insight into the regulation of genetically encoded patterning processes. Much less is known about the higher-order properties of cellular organization within organs, and how their functional coordination through global spatial relations shape and constrain organ function. Key questions to be addressed include: why are cells organized in the way they are? What is the significance of the patterns of cellular organization selected for by evolution? What other configurations are possible? These may be addressed through a combination of global cellular interaction mapping and network science to uncover the relationship between organ structure and function. Using this approach, global cellular organization can be discretized and analysed, providing a quantitative framework to explore developmental processes. Each of the local and global properties of integrated multicellular systems can be analysed and compared across different tissues and models in discrete terms. Advances in high-resolution microscopy and image analysis continue to make cellular interaction mapping possible in an increasing variety of biological systems and tissues, broadening the further potential application of this approach. Understanding the higher-order properties of complex cellular assemblies provides the opportunity to explore the evolution and constraints of cell organization, establishing structure-function relationships that can guide future organ design.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - George W Bassel
- School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
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