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Duan M, Dev I, Lu A, Ayrapetyan G, You MY, Shapiro MG. SEMPER: Stoichiometric expression of mRNA polycistrons by eukaryotic ribosomes for compact, ratio-tunable multi-gene expression. Cell Syst 2024; 15:597-609.e4. [PMID: 38971149 DOI: 10.1016/j.cels.2024.06.001] [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: 06/07/2023] [Revised: 04/01/2024] [Accepted: 06/12/2024] [Indexed: 07/08/2024]
Abstract
Here, we present a method for expressing multiple open reading frames (ORFs) from single transcripts using the leaky scanning model of translation initiation. In this approach termed "stoichiometric expression of mRNA polycistrons by eukaryotic ribosomes" (SEMPER), adjacent ORFs are translated from a single mRNA at tunable ratios determined by their order in the sequence and the strength of their translation initiation sites. We validate this approach by expressing up to three fluorescent proteins from one plasmid in two different cell lines. We then use it to encode a stoichiometrically tuned polycistronic construct encoding gas vesicle acoustic reporter genes that enables efficient formation of the multi-protein complex while minimizing cellular toxicity. We also demonstrate that SEMPER enables polycistronic expression of recombinant monoclonal antibodies from plasmid DNA and of two fluorescent proteins from single mRNAs made through in vitro transcription. Finally, we provide a probabilistic model to elucidate the mechanisms underlying SEMPER. A record of this paper's transparent peer review process is included in the supplemental information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengtong Duan
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, Caltech, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Ishaan Dev
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Caltech, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Andrew Lu
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, Caltech, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA; UCLA-Caltech Medical Scientist Training Program, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Goar Ayrapetyan
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Caltech, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Mei Yi You
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, Caltech, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Mikhail G Shapiro
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Caltech, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA; Andrew and Peggy Cherng Department of Medical Engineering, Caltech, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA.
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2
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Ferreira SS, Antunes MS. Genetically encoded Boolean logic operators to sense and integrate phenylpropanoid metabolite levels in plants. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2024; 243:674-687. [PMID: 38752334 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
Synthetic biology has the potential to revolutionize biotechnology, public health, and agriculture. Recent studies have shown the enormous potential of plants as chassis for synthetic biology applications. However, tools to precisely manipulate metabolic pathways for bioproduction in plants are still needed. We used bacterial allosteric transcription factors (aTFs) that control gene expression in a ligand-specific manner and tested their ability to repress semi-synthetic promoters in plants. We also tested the modulation of their repression activity in response to specific plant metabolites, especially phenylpropanoid-related molecules. Using these aTFs, we also designed synthetic genetic circuits capable of computing Boolean logic operations. Three aTFs, CouR, FapR, and TtgR, achieved c. 95% repression of their respective target promoters. For TtgR, a sixfold de-repression could be triggered by inducing its ligand accumulation, showing its use as biosensor. Moreover, we designed synthetic genetic circuits that use AND, NAND, IMPLY, and NIMPLY Boolean logic operations and integrate metabolite levels as input to the circuit. We showed that biosensors can be implemented in plants to detect phenylpropanoid-related metabolites and activate a genetic circuit that follows a predefined logic, demonstrating their potential as tools for exerting control over plant metabolic pathways and facilitating the bioproduction of natural products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Savio S Ferreira
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Texas, Denton, TX, 76203, USA
- BioDiscovery Institute, University of North Texas, Denton, TX, 76203, USA
| | - Mauricio S Antunes
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Texas, Denton, TX, 76203, USA
- BioDiscovery Institute, University of North Texas, Denton, TX, 76203, USA
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3
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Anastassov S, Filo M, Khammash M. Inteins: A Swiss army knife for synthetic biology. Biotechnol Adv 2024; 73:108349. [PMID: 38552727 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2024.108349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2023] [Revised: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 03/23/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024]
Abstract
Inteins are proteins found in nature that execute protein splicing. Among them, split inteins stand out for their versatility and adaptability, presenting creative solutions for addressing intricate challenges in various biological applications. Their exquisite attributes, including compactness, reliability, orthogonality, low toxicity, and irreversibility, make them of interest to various fields including synthetic biology, biotechnology and biomedicine. In this review, we delve into the inherent challenges of using inteins, present approaches for overcoming these challenges, and detail their reliable use for specific cellular tasks. We will discuss the use of conditional inteins in areas like cancer therapy, drug screening, patterning, infection treatment, diagnostics and biocontainment. Additionally, we will underscore the potential of inteins in executing basic logical operations with practical implications. We conclude by showcasing their potential in crafting complex genetic circuits for performing computations and feedback control that achieves robust perfect adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stanislav Anastassov
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zürich, Basel 4056, Switzerland
| | - Maurice Filo
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zürich, Basel 4056, Switzerland
| | - Mustafa Khammash
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zürich, Basel 4056, Switzerland.
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4
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Yuan H, Jia L, Xie X, Li Q, Peng Y, Ma Q, Guo T, Meng T. Microbially Inspired Calcium Carbonate Precipitation Pathway Integrated Polyelectrolyte Capsules (MICPC) for Biomolecules Release. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2024; 20:e2306877. [PMID: 38415820 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202306877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Revised: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024]
Abstract
Complexation between oppositely charged polyelectrolytes offers a facile single-step strategy for assembling functional micro-nano carriers for efficient drug and vaccine delivery. However, the stability of the delivery system within the physiological environment is compromised due to the swelling of the polyelectrolyte complex, driven by the charge shielding effect, and consequently leads to uncontrollable burst release, thereby limiting its potential applications. In a pioneering approach, cellular pathway-inspired calcium carbonate precipitation pathways are developed that are integrated into polyelectrolyte capsules (MICPC). These innovative capsules are fabricated at the interface of all-aqueous microfluidic droplets, resulting in a precisely controllable and sustained release profile in physiological conditions. Unlike single-step polyelectrolyte assembly capsules which always perform rapid burst release, the MICPC exhibits a sustainable and tunable release pattern, releasing biomolecules at an average rate of 3-10% per day. Remarkably, the degree of control over MICPC's release kinetics can be finely tuned by adjusting the quantity of synthesized calcium carbonate particles within the polyelectrolyte complex. This groundbreaking work not only deepens the insights into polyelectrolyte complexation but also significantly enhances the overall stability of these complexes, opening up new avenues for expanding the range of applications involving polyelectrolyte complex-related materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Yuan
- School of Life Sciences and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, 610031, P. R. China
| | - Lufan Jia
- School of Life Sciences and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, 610031, P. R. China
| | - Xin Xie
- School of Life Sciences and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, 610031, P. R. China
| | - Qinyuan Li
- School of Life Sciences and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, 610031, P. R. China
| | - Yali Peng
- School of Life Sciences and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, 610031, P. R. China
| | - Qingming Ma
- School of Pharmacy, Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266071, P. R. China
| | - Ting Guo
- School of Life Sciences and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, 610031, P. R. China
| | - Tao Meng
- School of Life Sciences and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, 610031, P. R. China
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5
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Deng X, Peng D, Yao Y, Huang K, Wang J, Ma Z, Fu J, Xu Y. Optogenetic therapeutic strategies for diabetes mellitus. J Diabetes 2024; 16:e13557. [PMID: 38751366 PMCID: PMC11096815 DOI: 10.1111/1753-0407.13557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Revised: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a common chronic disease affecting humans globally. It is characterized by abnormally elevated blood glucose levels due to the failure of insulin production or reduction of insulin sensitivity and functionality. Insulin and glucagon-like peptide (GLP)-1 replenishment or improvement of insulin resistance are the two major strategies to treat diabetes. Recently, optogenetics that uses genetically encoded light-sensitive proteins to precisely control cell functions has been regarded as a novel therapeutic strategy for diabetes. Here, we summarize the latest development of optogenetics and its integration with synthetic biology approaches to produce light-responsive cells for insulin/GLP-1 production, amelioration of insulin resistance and neuromodulation of insulin secretion. In addition, we introduce the development of cell encapsulation and delivery methods and smart bioelectronic devices for the in vivo application of optogenetics-based cell therapy in diabetes. The remaining challenges for optogenetics-based cell therapy in the clinical translational study are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Deng
- Department of EndocrinologyChildren's Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Child HealthHangzhouChina
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, MOE Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Cardio‐Cerebral Vascular Detection Technology and Medicinal Effectiveness Appraisal, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine for Clinical Evaluation and Translational ResearchZhejiang UniversityHangzhouChina
| | - Dandan Peng
- Department of EndocrinologyChildren's Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Child HealthHangzhouChina
| | - Yuanfa Yao
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, MOE Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Cardio‐Cerebral Vascular Detection Technology and Medicinal Effectiveness Appraisal, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine for Clinical Evaluation and Translational ResearchZhejiang UniversityHangzhouChina
| | - Ke Huang
- Department of EndocrinologyChildren's Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Child HealthHangzhouChina
| | - Jinling Wang
- Department of EndocrinologyChildren's Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Child HealthHangzhouChina
| | - Zhihao Ma
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, MOE Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Cardio‐Cerebral Vascular Detection Technology and Medicinal Effectiveness Appraisal, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine for Clinical Evaluation and Translational ResearchZhejiang UniversityHangzhouChina
| | - Junfen Fu
- Department of EndocrinologyChildren's Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Child HealthHangzhouChina
| | - Yingke Xu
- Department of EndocrinologyChildren's Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Child HealthHangzhouChina
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, MOE Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Cardio‐Cerebral Vascular Detection Technology and Medicinal Effectiveness Appraisal, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine for Clinical Evaluation and Translational ResearchZhejiang UniversityHangzhouChina
- Binjiang Institute of Zhejiang UniversityHangzhouChina
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6
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Sun J, Yang R, Li Q, Zhu R, Jiang Y, Zang L, Zhang Z, Tong W, Zhao H, Li T, Li H, Qi D, Li G, Chen X, Dai Z, Liu Z. Living Synthelectronics: A New Era for Bioelectronics Powered by Synthetic Biology. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2024; 36:e2400110. [PMID: 38494761 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202400110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2024] [Revised: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
Bioelectronics, which converges biology and electronics, has attracted great attention due to their vital applications in human-machine interfaces. While traditional bioelectronic devices utilize nonliving organic and/or inorganic materials to achieve flexibility and stretchability, a biological mismatch is often encountered because human tissues are characterized not only by softness and stretchability but also by biodynamic and adaptive properties. Recently, a notable paradigm shift has emerged in bioelectronics, where living cells, and even viruses, modified via gene editing within synthetic biology, are used as core components in a new hybrid electronics paradigm. These devices are defined as "living synthelectronics," and they offer enhanced potential for interfacing with human tissues at informational and substance exchange levels. In this Perspective, the recent advances in living synthelectronics are summarized. First, opportunities brought to electronics by synthetic biology are briefly introduced. Then, strategic approaches to designing and making electronic devices using living cells/viruses as the building blocks, sensing components, or power sources are reviewed. Finally, the challenges faced by living synthelectronics are raised. It is believed that this paradigm shift will significantly contribute to the real integration of bioelectronics with human tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Sun
- Soft Bio-interface Electronics Lab, Center of Neural Engineering, CAS Key Laboratory of Human-Machine Intelligence-Synergy Systems, Shenzhen Institute of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics for Society, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
- MIIT Key Laboratory of Critical Materials Technology for New Energy Conversion and Storage, National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Synthesis, Transformation and Separation of Extreme Environmental Nutrients, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150001, P. R. China
| | - Ruofan Yang
- Soft Bio-interface Electronics Lab, Center of Neural Engineering, CAS Key Laboratory of Human-Machine Intelligence-Synergy Systems, Shenzhen Institute of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics for Society, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Qingsong Li
- Soft Bio-interface Electronics Lab, Center of Neural Engineering, CAS Key Laboratory of Human-Machine Intelligence-Synergy Systems, Shenzhen Institute of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics for Society, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Runtao Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Quantitative Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Ying Jiang
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore, 639798, Singapore
| | - Lei Zang
- Key Laboratory of Quantitative Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Zhibo Zhang
- Soft Bio-interface Electronics Lab, Center of Neural Engineering, CAS Key Laboratory of Human-Machine Intelligence-Synergy Systems, Shenzhen Institute of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics for Society, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Wei Tong
- Soft Bio-interface Electronics Lab, Center of Neural Engineering, CAS Key Laboratory of Human-Machine Intelligence-Synergy Systems, Shenzhen Institute of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics for Society, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Hang Zhao
- Soft Bio-interface Electronics Lab, Center of Neural Engineering, CAS Key Laboratory of Human-Machine Intelligence-Synergy Systems, Shenzhen Institute of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics for Society, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Tengfei Li
- Soft Bio-interface Electronics Lab, Center of Neural Engineering, CAS Key Laboratory of Human-Machine Intelligence-Synergy Systems, Shenzhen Institute of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics for Society, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Hanfei Li
- Soft Bio-interface Electronics Lab, Center of Neural Engineering, CAS Key Laboratory of Human-Machine Intelligence-Synergy Systems, Shenzhen Institute of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics for Society, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Dianpeng Qi
- MIIT Key Laboratory of Critical Materials Technology for New Energy Conversion and Storage, National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Synthesis, Transformation and Separation of Extreme Environmental Nutrients, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150001, P. R. China
| | - Guanglin Li
- Soft Bio-interface Electronics Lab, Center of Neural Engineering, CAS Key Laboratory of Human-Machine Intelligence-Synergy Systems, Shenzhen Institute of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics for Society, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Xiaodong Chen
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore, 639798, Singapore
| | - Zhuojun Dai
- Key Laboratory of Quantitative Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Zhiyuan Liu
- Soft Bio-interface Electronics Lab, Center of Neural Engineering, CAS Key Laboratory of Human-Machine Intelligence-Synergy Systems, Shenzhen Institute of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics for Society, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
- Standard Robots Co.,Ltd,Room 405, Building D, Huafeng International Robot Fusen Industrial Park, Hangcheng Avenue, Guxing Community, Xixiang Street, Baoan District, Shenzhen, 518055, China
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7
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Chen R, Ren S, Li S, Zhou H, Jia X, Han D, Gao Z. Synthetic biology for the food industry: advances and challenges. Crit Rev Biotechnol 2024:1-25. [PMID: 38797660 DOI: 10.1080/07388551.2024.2340530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
As global environmental pollution increases, climate change worsens, and population growth continues, the challenges of securing a safe, nutritious, and sustainable food supply have become enormous. This has led to new requirements for future food supply methods and functions. The use of synthetic biology technology to create cell factories suitable for food industry production and renewable raw material conversion into: important food components, functional food additives, and nutritional chemicals, represents an important method of solving the problems faced by the food industry. Here, we review the recent progress and applications of synthetic biology in the food industry, including alternatives to: traditional (artificial pigments, meat, starch, and milk), functional (sweeteners, sugar substitutes, nutrients, flavoring agents), and green (green fiber, degradable packing materials, green packaging materials and food traceability) foods. Furthermore, we discuss the future prospects of synthetic biology-based applications in the food industry. Thus, this review may serve as a reference for research on synthetic biology in the: food safety, food nutrition, public health, and health-related fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruipeng Chen
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Risk Assessment and Control Technology for Environment and Food Safety, Tianjin Institute of Environmental and Operational Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Shuyue Ren
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Risk Assessment and Control Technology for Environment and Food Safety, Tianjin Institute of Environmental and Operational Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Shuang Li
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Risk Assessment and Control Technology for Environment and Food Safety, Tianjin Institute of Environmental and Operational Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Huanying Zhou
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Risk Assessment and Control Technology for Environment and Food Safety, Tianjin Institute of Environmental and Operational Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Xuexia Jia
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Risk Assessment and Control Technology for Environment and Food Safety, Tianjin Institute of Environmental and Operational Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Dianpeng Han
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Risk Assessment and Control Technology for Environment and Food Safety, Tianjin Institute of Environmental and Operational Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Zhixian Gao
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Risk Assessment and Control Technology for Environment and Food Safety, Tianjin Institute of Environmental and Operational Medicine, Tianjin, China
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8
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Xia S, Lu AC, Tobin V, Luo K, Moeller L, Shon DJ, Du R, Linton JM, Sui M, Horns F, Elowitz MB. Synthetic protein circuits for programmable control of mammalian cell death. Cell 2024; 187:2785-2800.e16. [PMID: 38657604 PMCID: PMC11127782 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.03.031] [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: 11/03/2023] [Revised: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
Natural cell death pathways such as apoptosis and pyroptosis play dual roles: they eliminate harmful cells and modulate the immune system by dampening or stimulating inflammation. Synthetic protein circuits capable of triggering specific death programs in target cells could similarly remove harmful cells while appropriately modulating immune responses. However, cells actively influence their death modes in response to natural signals, making it challenging to control death modes. Here, we introduce naturally inspired "synpoptosis" circuits that proteolytically regulate engineered executioner proteins and mammalian cell death. These circuits direct cell death modes, respond to combinations of protease inputs, and selectively eliminate target cells. Furthermore, synpoptosis circuits can be transmitted intercellularly, offering a foundation for engineering synthetic killer cells that induce desired death programs in target cells without self-destruction. Together, these results lay the groundwork for programmable control of mammalian cell death.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiyu Xia
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Andrew C Lu
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA; UCLA-Caltech Medical Scientist Training Program, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Victoria Tobin
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA; UC Davis-Caltech Veterinary Scientist Training Program, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Kaiwen Luo
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Lukas Moeller
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - D Judy Shon
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Rongrong Du
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - James M Linton
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Margaret Sui
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Felix Horns
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Michael B Elowitz
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA.
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9
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Guo QR, Cao YJ. Applications of genetic code expansion technology in eukaryotes. Protein Cell 2024; 15:331-363. [PMID: 37847216 PMCID: PMC11074999 DOI: 10.1093/procel/pwad051] [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: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Unnatural amino acids (UAAs) have gained significant attention in protein engineering and drug development owing to their ability to introduce new chemical functionalities to proteins. In eukaryotes, genetic code expansion (GCE) enables the incorporation of UAAs and facilitates posttranscriptional modification (PTM), which is not feasible in prokaryotic systems. GCE is also a powerful tool for cell or animal imaging, the monitoring of protein interactions in target cells, drug development, and switch regulation. Therefore, there is keen interest in utilizing GCE in eukaryotic systems. This review provides an overview of the application of GCE in eukaryotic systems and discusses current challenges that need to be addressed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiao-ru Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomic, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Genomics, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Yu J Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomic, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Genomics, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen 518055, China
- Institute of Chemical Biology, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen 518132, China
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10
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Dai A, Zhang X, Wang X, Liu G, Wang Q, Yu F. Transcription factors in chimeric antigen receptor T-cell development. Hum Cell 2024; 37:571-581. [PMID: 38436882 DOI: 10.1007/s13577-024-01040-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy is a new and innovative approach to treating cancers that has shown promising results in the treatment of lymphoma. However, it has been found to be less effective in the treatment of solid tumors. To overcome the limitation, researchers have explored the use of combined CAR-T therapy with other complementary regimens that target specific genes or biomarkers, which would enhance the synergistic therapeutic effects. Transcription factors (TFs) have been identified as potential markers that can regulate gene expression in CAR-T cells to enhance their cytotoxicity and safety. TFs are known to bind DNA specifically and recruit cofactor proteins to regulate the expression of target genes. By targeting TFs, it is possible to improve the anti-tumor response of CAR-T cells by altering their phenotype and transcriptional map, thereby increasing their effector function, such as reducing the exhaustion, enhancing the survival, and cytotoxicity of CAR-T cells. This review summarizes the application of transcription factors in CART therapy to enhance the synergistic therapeutic effect of CAR-T cells in the treatment of solid tumors and improve their anti-tumor responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anran Dai
- School of Life Sciences, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212013, China
| | - Xiangzhi Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212013, China
| | - Xiaoyan Wang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Suqian First People's Hospital, Suqian, 223800, Jiangsu, China
| | - Guodong Liu
- Department of General Surgery, Suqian First People's Hospital, Suqian, 223800, Jiangsu, China
| | - Qiang Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212013, China
| | - Feng Yu
- School of Life Sciences, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212013, China.
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11
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Wang X, Kang L, Kong D, Wu X, Zhou Y, Yu G, Dai D, Ye H. A programmable protease-based protein secretion platform for therapeutic applications. Nat Chem Biol 2024; 20:432-442. [PMID: 37872400 DOI: 10.1038/s41589-023-01433-z] [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: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/25/2023]
Abstract
Cell-based therapies represent potent enabling technologies in biomedical science. However, current genetic control systems for engineered-cell therapies are predominantly based on the transcription or translation of therapeutic outputs. Here we report a protease-based rapid protein secretion system (PASS) that regulates the secretion of pretranslated proteins retained in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) owing to an ER-retrieval signal. Upon cleavage by inducible proteases, these proteins are secreted. Three PASS variants (chemPASS, antigenPASS and optoPASS) are developed. With chemPASS, we demonstrate the reversal of hyperglycemia in diabetic mice within minutes via drug-induced insulin secretion. AntigenPASS-equipped cells recognize the tumor antigen and secrete granzyme B and perforin, inducing targeted cell apoptosis. Finally, results from mouse models of diabetes, hypertension and inflammatory pain demonstrate light-induced, optoPASS-mediated therapeutic peptide secretion within minutes, conferring anticipated therapeutic benefits. PASS is a flexible platform for rapid delivery of therapeutic proteins that can facilitate the development and adoption of cell-based precision therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyi Wang
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Genome Editing and Cell Therapy, Biomedical Synthetic Biology Research Center, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Liping Kang
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Genome Editing and Cell Therapy, Biomedical Synthetic Biology Research Center, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Deqiang Kong
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Genome Editing and Cell Therapy, Biomedical Synthetic Biology Research Center, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xin Wu
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Genome Editing and Cell Therapy, Biomedical Synthetic Biology Research Center, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yang Zhou
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Genome Editing and Cell Therapy, Biomedical Synthetic Biology Research Center, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
- Wuhu Hospital, Health Science Center, East China Normal University, Wuhu City, China
| | - Guiling Yu
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Genome Editing and Cell Therapy, Biomedical Synthetic Biology Research Center, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Di Dai
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Genome Editing and Cell Therapy, Biomedical Synthetic Biology Research Center, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Haifeng Ye
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Genome Editing and Cell Therapy, Biomedical Synthetic Biology Research Center, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China.
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12
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Liu X, Zhang X, Cui S, Xu S, Liu R, Wang B, Wei X, Zhang Q. A signal transmission strategy driven by gap-regulated exonuclease hydrolysis for hierarchical molecular networks. Commun Biol 2024; 7:335. [PMID: 38493265 PMCID: PMC10944543 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-06036-5] [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: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Exonucleases serve as efficient tools for signal processing and play an important role in biochemical reactions. Here, we identify the mechanism of cooperative exonuclease hydrolysis, offering a method to regulate the cooperative hydrolysis driven by exonucleases through the modulation of the number of bases in gap region. A signal transmission strategy capable of producing amplified orthogonal DNA signal is proposed to resolve the polarity of signals and byproducts, which provides a solution to overcome the signal attenuation. The gap-regulated mechanism combined with DNA strand displacement (DSD) reduces the unpredictable secondary structures, allowing for the coexistence of similar structures in hierarchical molecular networks. For the application of the strategy, a molecular computing model is constructed to solve the maximum weight clique problems (MWCP). This work enhances for our knowledge of these important enzymes and promises application prospects in molecular computing, signal detection, and nanomachines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Liu
- School of Computer Science and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, 116024, Liaoning, China
| | - Xun Zhang
- School of Computer Science and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, 116024, Liaoning, China
| | - Shuang Cui
- School of Computer Science and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, 116024, Liaoning, China
| | - Shujuan Xu
- Key Lab of Biotechnology and Bioresources Utilization of Ministry of Education, College of Life Science, Dalian Minzu University, Dalian, 116600, Liaoning, China
| | - Rongming Liu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Bio-Intelligent Manufacturing, School of Bioengineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, 116024, Liaoning, China
| | - Bin Wang
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Design and Intelligent Computing, Ministry of Education, School of Software Engineering, Dalian University, Dalian, 116622, Liaoning, China
| | - Xiaopeng Wei
- School of Computer Science and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, 116024, Liaoning, China
| | - Qiang Zhang
- School of Computer Science and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, 116024, Liaoning, China.
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13
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Bacsa B, Hopl V, Derler I. Synthetic Biology Meets Ca 2+ Release-Activated Ca 2+ Channel-Dependent Immunomodulation. Cells 2024; 13:468. [PMID: 38534312 DOI: 10.3390/cells13060468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2024] [Revised: 02/27/2024] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Many essential biological processes are triggered by the proximity of molecules. Meanwhile, diverse approaches in synthetic biology, such as new biological parts or engineered cells, have opened up avenues to precisely control the proximity of molecules and eventually downstream signaling processes. This also applies to a main Ca2+ entry pathway into the cell, the so-called Ca2+ release-activated Ca2+ (CRAC) channel. CRAC channels are among other channels are essential in the immune response and are activated by receptor-ligand binding at the cell membrane. The latter initiates a signaling cascade within the cell, which finally triggers the coupling of the two key molecular components of the CRAC channel, namely the stromal interaction molecule, STIM, in the ER membrane and the plasma membrane Ca2+ ion channel, Orai. Ca2+ entry, established via STIM/Orai coupling, is essential for various immune cell functions, including cytokine release, proliferation, and cytotoxicity. In this review, we summarize the tools of synthetic biology that have been used so far to achieve precise control over the CRAC channel pathway and thus over downstream signaling events related to the immune response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernadett Bacsa
- Division of Medical Physics und Biophysics, Medical University of Graz, A-8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Valentina Hopl
- Institute of Biophysics, JKU Life Science Center, Johannes Kepler University Linz, A-4020 Linz, Austria
| | - Isabella Derler
- Institute of Biophysics, JKU Life Science Center, Johannes Kepler University Linz, A-4020 Linz, Austria
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14
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Gao Y, Zhou Y, Ji X, Graham AJ, Dundas CM, Miniel Mahfoud IE, Tibbett BM, Tan B, Partipilo G, Dodabalapur A, Rivnay J, Keitz BK. A hybrid transistor with transcriptionally controlled computation and plasticity. Nat Commun 2024; 15:1598. [PMID: 38383505 PMCID: PMC10881478 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45759-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs) are ideal devices for translating biological signals into electrical readouts and have applications in bioelectronics, biosensing, and neuromorphic computing. Despite their potential, developing programmable and modular methods for living systems to interface with OECTs has proven challenging. Here we describe hybrid OECTs containing the model electroactive bacterium Shewanella oneidensis that enable the transduction of biological computations to electrical responses. Specifically, we fabricated planar p-type OECTs and demonstrated that channel de-doping is driven by extracellular electron transfer (EET) from S. oneidensis. Leveraging this mechanistic understanding and our ability to control EET flux via transcriptional regulation, we used plasmid-based Boolean logic gates to translate biological computation into current changes within the OECT. Finally, we demonstrated EET-driven changes to OECT synaptic plasticity. This work enables fundamental EET studies and OECT-based biosensing and biocomputing systems with genetically controllable and modular design elements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Gao
- McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Yuchen Zhou
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
- Microelectronics Research Center, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78758, USA
| | - Xudong Ji
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
- Simpson Querrey Institute, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
| | - Austin J Graham
- McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
| | - Christopher M Dundas
- McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Ismar E Miniel Mahfoud
- McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Bailey M Tibbett
- McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Benjamin Tan
- Microelectronics Research Center, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78758, USA
- Department of Chemistry, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Gina Partipilo
- McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Ananth Dodabalapur
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
- Microelectronics Research Center, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78758, USA
| | - Jonathan Rivnay
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
- Simpson Querrey Institute, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
| | - Benjamin K Keitz
- McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA.
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15
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Feng P, Xue X, Bukhari I, Qiu C, Li Y, Zheng P, Mi Y. Gut microbiota and its therapeutic implications in tumor microenvironment interactions. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1287077. [PMID: 38322318 PMCID: PMC10844568 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1287077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/08/2024] Open
Abstract
The development of cancer is not just the growth and proliferation of a single transformed cell, but its tumor microenvironment (TME) also coevolves with it, which is primarily involved in tumor initiation, development, metastasis, and therapeutic responses. Recent years, TME has been emerged as a potential target for cancer diagnosis and treatment. However, the clinical efficacy of treatments targeting the TME, especially its specific components, remains insufficient. In parallel, the gut microbiome is an essential TME component that is crucial in cancer immunotherapy. Thus, assessing and constructing frameworks between the gut microbiota and the TME can significantly enhance the exploration of effective treatment strategies for various tumors. In this review the role of the gut microbiota in human cancers, including its function and relationship with various tumors was summarized. In addition, the interaction between the gut microbiota and the TME as well as its potential applications in cancer therapeutics was described. Furthermore, it was summarized that fecal microbiota transplantation, dietary adjustments, and synthetic biology to introduce gut microbiota-based medical technologies for cancer treatment. This review provides a comprehensive summary for uncovering the mechanism underlying the effects of the gut microbiota on the TME and lays a foundation for the development of personalized medicine in further studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengya Feng
- Key Laboratory of Helicobacter Pylori, Microbiota and Gastrointestinal Cancer of Henan Province, Marshall Medical Research Center, Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Department of Children Rehabilitation Medicine, Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Department of Gastroenterology, Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Xia Xue
- Key Laboratory of Helicobacter Pylori, Microbiota and Gastrointestinal Cancer of Henan Province, Marshall Medical Research Center, Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Department of Gastroenterology, Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Ihtisham Bukhari
- Key Laboratory of Helicobacter Pylori, Microbiota and Gastrointestinal Cancer of Henan Province, Marshall Medical Research Center, Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Department of Gastroenterology, Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Chunjing Qiu
- Key Laboratory of Helicobacter Pylori, Microbiota and Gastrointestinal Cancer of Henan Province, Marshall Medical Research Center, Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Department of Gastroenterology, Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Yingying Li
- Key Laboratory of Helicobacter Pylori, Microbiota and Gastrointestinal Cancer of Henan Province, Marshall Medical Research Center, Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Department of Gastroenterology, Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Pengyuan Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Helicobacter Pylori, Microbiota and Gastrointestinal Cancer of Henan Province, Marshall Medical Research Center, Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Department of Gastroenterology, Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Yang Mi
- Key Laboratory of Helicobacter Pylori, Microbiota and Gastrointestinal Cancer of Henan Province, Marshall Medical Research Center, Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Department of Gastroenterology, Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
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16
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Klimak M, Guilak F. Genetically engineered macrophages derived from iPSCs for self-regulating delivery of anti-inflammatory biologic drugs. J Tissue Eng Regen Med 2024; 2024:6201728. [PMID: 38571695 PMCID: PMC10990417 DOI: 10.1155/2024/6201728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/05/2024]
Abstract
In rheumatoid arthritis, dysregulated cytokine signaling has been implicated as a primary factor in chronic inflammation. Many antirheumatic and biological therapies are used to suppress joint inflammation, but despite these advances, effectiveness is not universal, and delivery is often at high doses, which can predispose patients to significant off-target effects. During chronic inflammation, the inappropriate regulation of signaling factors by macrophages accelerates progression of disease by driving an imbalance of inflammatory cytokines, making macrophages an ideal cellular target. To develop a macrophage-based therapy to treat chronic inflammation, we engineered a novel induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived macrophage capable of delivering soluble TNF receptor 1 (TNFR1), an anti-inflammatory biologic inhibitor of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), in an auto-regulated manner in response to TNF-α. Murine iPSCs were differentiated into macrophages (iMACs) over a 17-day optimized protocol with continued successful differentiation confirmed at key timepoints. Varying inflammatory and immunomodulatory stimuli demonstrated traditional macrophage function and phenotypes. In response to TNF-α, therapeutic iMACs produced high levels of sTNFR1 in an autoregulated manner, which inhibited inflammatory signaling. This self-regulating iMAC system demonstrated the potential for macrophage-based drug delivery as a novel therapeutic approach for a variety of chronic inflammatory diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Molly Klimak
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
- Shriners Hospitals for Children – St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
- Center of Regenerative Medicine, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Farshid Guilak
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
- Shriners Hospitals for Children – St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
- Center of Regenerative Medicine, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
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17
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Teng F, Cui T, Zhou L, Gao Q, Zhou Q, Li W. Programmable synthetic receptors: the next-generation of cell and gene therapies. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2024; 9:7. [PMID: 38167329 PMCID: PMC10761793 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-023-01680-5] [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: 05/30/2023] [Revised: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Cell and gene therapies hold tremendous promise for treating a range of difficult-to-treat diseases. However, concerns over the safety and efficacy require to be further addressed in order to realize their full potential. Synthetic receptors, a synthetic biology tool that can precisely control the function of therapeutic cells and genetic modules, have been rapidly developed and applied as a powerful solution. Delicately designed and engineered, they can be applied to finetune the therapeutic activities, i.e., to regulate production of dosed, bioactive payloads by sensing and processing user-defined signals or biomarkers. This review provides an overview of diverse synthetic receptor systems being used to reprogram therapeutic cells and their wide applications in biomedical research. With a special focus on four synthetic receptor systems at the forefront, including chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) and synthetic Notch (synNotch) receptors, we address the generalized strategies to design, construct and improve synthetic receptors. Meanwhile, we also highlight the expanding landscape of therapeutic applications of the synthetic receptor systems as well as current challenges in their clinical translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fei Teng
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 101408, China.
| | - Tongtong Cui
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Li Zhou
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 101408, China
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Qingqin Gao
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 101408, China
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Qi Zhou
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 101408, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
- Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
- Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Beijing, 100101, China.
| | - Wei Li
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 101408, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
- Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
- Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Beijing, 100101, China.
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18
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Luo L, Jea JDY, Wang Y, Chao PW, Yen L. Control of mammalian gene expression by modulation of polyA signal cleavage at 5' UTR. Nat Biotechnol 2024:10.1038/s41587-023-01989-0. [PMID: 38168982 DOI: 10.1038/s41587-023-01989-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
The ability to control gene expression in mammalian cells is crucial for safe and efficacious gene therapies and for elucidating gene functions. Current gene regulation systems have limitations such as harmful immune responses or low efficiency. We describe the pA regulator, an RNA-based switch that controls mammalian gene expression through modulation of a synthetic polyA signal (PAS) cleavage introduced into the 5' UTR of a transgene. The cleavage is modulated by a 'dual-mechanism'-(1) aptamer clamping to inhibit PAS cleavage and (2) drug-induced alternative splicing that removes the PAS, both activated by drug binding. This RNA-based methodology circumvents the immune responses observed in other systems and achieves a 900-fold induction with an EC50 of 0.5 µg ml-1 tetracycline (Tc), which is well within the FDA-approved dose range. The pA regulator effectively controls the luciferase transgene in live mice and the endogenous CD133 gene in human cells, in a dose-dependent and reversible manner with long-term stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liming Luo
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jocelyn Duen-Ya Jea
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Yan Wang
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Pei-Wen Chao
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Laising Yen
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
- Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
- Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
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19
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Guo Q, Yan Y, Zhang Z, Xu B, Bangash HL, Sui X, Yang Y, Zhou Z, Zhao S, Peng N. Developing the Limosilactobacillus reuteri Chassis through an Endogenous Programmable Endonuclease-Based Genome Editing Tool. ACS Synth Biol 2023; 12:3487-3496. [PMID: 37934952 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.3c00450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2023]
Abstract
Using genetically tractable probiotics to engineer live biotherapeutic products (LBPs) for disease treatment is urgently needed. Limosilactobacillus reuteri is an important vertebrate gut symbiont, which has great potential for developing LBPs. However, in L. reuteri, synthetic biology work is largely limited by the long editing cycle. In this study, we identified a subtype II-A CRISPR-Cas9 system in L. reuteri 03 and found the endogenous Cas9 (LrCas9) recognizing a broad protospacer-adjacent motif (PAM) sequence (3'-NDR; N = A, G, T, C; D = A, G, T; R = A, G). We reprogrammed the LrCas9 for efficient gene deletion (95.46%), point mutation (86.36%), large fragment deletion (40 kb), and gene integration (1743 bp, 73.9%), which uncovered the function of the repeated conserved domains in mucus-binding protein. Moreover, we analyzed the distribution of endogenous endonucleases in 304 strains of L. reuteri and found the existence of programmable endonucleases in 98.36% of L. reuteri strains suggesting the potential to reprogram endogenous endonucleases for genetic manipulation in the majority of L. reuteri strains. In conclusion, this study highlights the development of a new probiotic chassis based on endogenous endonucleases in L. reuteri 03, which paves the way for the development of genome editing tools for functional genetic studies in other L. reuteri. We believe that the development of an endogenous endonuclease-based genetic tool will greatly facilitate the construction of LBPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiujin Guo
- National Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070 Hubei, P.R. China
| | - Yiting Yan
- National Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070 Hubei, P.R. China
| | - Zhenting Zhang
- National Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070 Hubei, P.R. China
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Monitoring and Disease Control, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550025 Guizhou, P.R. China
| | - Boya Xu
- National Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070 Hubei, P.R. China
| | - Hina Lqbal Bangash
- National Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070 Hubei, P.R. China
| | - Xin Sui
- National Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070 Hubei, P.R. China
| | - Yalin Yang
- Sino-Norway Joint Lab on Fish Gut Microbiota, Institute of Feed Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, P.R. China
- Key Laboratory for Feed Biotechnology of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Feed Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, P.R. China
| | - Zhigang Zhou
- Sino-Norway Joint Lab on Fish Gut Microbiota, Institute of Feed Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, P.R. China
- Key Laboratory for Feed Biotechnology of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Feed Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, P.R. China
| | - Shumiao Zhao
- National Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070 Hubei, P.R. China
| | - Nan Peng
- National Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070 Hubei, P.R. China
- Key Laboratory for Feed Biotechnology of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Feed Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, P.R. China
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20
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Yang X, Rocks JW, Jiang K, Walters AJ, Rai K, Liu J, Nguyen J, Olson SD, Mehta P, Collins JJ, Daringer NM, Bashor CJ. Engineering synthetic phosphorylation signaling networks in human cells. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.09.11.557100. [PMID: 37745327 PMCID: PMC10515791 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.11.557100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
Protein phosphorylation signaling networks play a central role in how cells sense and respond to their environment. Here, we describe the engineering of artificial phosphorylation networks in which "push-pull" motifs-reversible enzymatic phosphorylation cycles consisting of opposing kinase and phosphatase activities-are assembled from modular protein domain parts and then wired together to create synthetic phosphorylation circuits in human cells. We demonstrate that the composability of our design scheme enables model-guided tuning of circuit function and the ability to make diverse network connections; synthetic phosphorylation circuits can be coupled to upstream cell surface receptors to enable fast-timescale sensing of extracellular ligands, while downstream connections can regulate gene expression. We leverage these capabilities to engineer cell-based cytokine controllers that dynamically sense and suppress activated T cells. Our work introduces a generalizable approach for designing and building phosphorylation signaling circuits that enable user-defined sense-and-respond function for diverse biosensing and therapeutic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyu Yang
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University; Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Graduate Program in Systems, Synthetic and Physical Biology, Rice University; Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Jason W. Rocks
- Department of Physics, Boston University; Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Kaiyi Jiang
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University; Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Andrew J. Walters
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University; Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Graduate Program in Bioengineering, Rice University; Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston; Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Kshitij Rai
- Graduate Program in Systems, Synthetic and Physical Biology, Rice University; Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Jing Liu
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University; Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Jason Nguyen
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University; Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Scott D. Olson
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston; Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Pankaj Mehta
- Department of Physics, Boston University; Boston, MA 02215, USA
- Biological Design Center, Boston University; Boston, MA 02215, USA
- Faculty of Computing and Data Science, Boston University; Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - James J. Collins
- Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, Department of Biological Engineering, and Synthetic Biology Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard; Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University; Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Nichole M Daringer
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rowan University; Glassboro, NJ 08028, USA
| | - Caleb J. Bashor
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University; Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Department of Biosciences, Rice University; Houston, TX 77030, USA
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21
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Tan K, Hu Y, Liang Z, Li CY, Yau WL, Kuang Y. Dual Input-Controlled Synthetic mRNA Circuit for Bidirectional Protein Expression Regulation. ACS Synth Biol 2023; 12:2516-2523. [PMID: 37652441 PMCID: PMC10510700 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.3c00144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
Synthetic mRNA circuits manipulate cell fate by controlling output protein expression via cell-specific input molecule detection. Most current circuits either repress or enhance output production upon input binding. Such binary input-output mechanisms restrict the fine-tuning of protein expression to control complex cellular events. Here we designed mRNA circuits using enhancer/repressor modules that were independently controlled by different input molecules, resulting in bidirectional output regulation; the maximal enhancement over maximal repression was 57 fold. The circuit either enhances or represses protein production in different cells based on the difference in the expression of two microRNAs. This study examined novel bidirectional circuit designs capable of fine-tuning protein production by sensing multiple input molecules. It also broadened the scope of cell manipulation by synthetic mRNA circuits, facilitating the development of mRNA circuits for precise cell manipulation and providing cell-based solutions to biomedical problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaixin Tan
- Department
of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Room 5578, Academic Building, Clear
Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong
| | - Yaxin Hu
- Department
of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Room 5578, Academic Building, Clear
Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong
| | - Zhenghua Liang
- Department
of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Room 5578, Academic Building, Clear
Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong
| | - Cheuk Yin Li
- Department
of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Room 5578, Academic Building, Clear
Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong
| | - Wai Laam Yau
- Department
of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Room 5578, Academic Building, Clear
Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong
| | - Yi Kuang
- Department
of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Room 5578, Academic Building, Clear
Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong
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22
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Bragdon MDJ, Patel N, Chuang J, Levien E, Bashor CJ, Khalil AS. Cooperative assembly confers regulatory specificity and long-term genetic circuit stability. Cell 2023; 186:3810-3825.e18. [PMID: 37552983 PMCID: PMC10528910 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.07.012] [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: 05/16/2022] [Revised: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/10/2023]
Abstract
A ubiquitous feature of eukaryotic transcriptional regulation is cooperative self-assembly between transcription factors (TFs) and DNA cis-regulatory motifs. It is thought that this strategy enables specific regulatory connections to be formed in gene networks between otherwise weakly interacting, low-specificity molecular components. Here, using synthetic gene circuits constructed in yeast, we find that high regulatory specificity can emerge from cooperative, multivalent interactions among artificial zinc-finger-based TFs. We show that circuits "wired" using the strategy of cooperative TF assembly are effectively insulated from aberrant misregulation of the host cell genome. As we demonstrate in experiments and mathematical models, this mechanism is sufficient to rescue circuit-driven fitness defects, resulting in genetic and functional stability of circuits in long-term continuous culture. Our naturally inspired approach offers a simple, generalizable means for building high-fidelity, evolutionarily robust gene circuits that can be scaled to a wide range of host organisms and applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meghan D J Bragdon
- Biological Design Center, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Program in Molecular Biology, Cell Biology and Biochemistry, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Nikit Patel
- Biological Design Center, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - James Chuang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Ethan Levien
- Department of Mathematics, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755, USA
| | - Caleb J Bashor
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Biosciences, Rice University, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Ahmad S Khalil
- Biological Design Center, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Program in Molecular Biology, Cell Biology and Biochemistry, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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23
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Teixeira AP, Xue S, Huang J, Fussenegger M. Evolution of molecular switches for regulation of transgene expression by clinically licensed gluconate. Nucleic Acids Res 2023; 51:e85. [PMID: 37497781 PMCID: PMC10450161 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Revised: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 07/16/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Synthetic biology holds great promise to improve the safety and efficacy of future gene and engineered cell therapies by providing new means of endogenous or exogenous control of the embedded therapeutic programs. Here, we focused on gluconate as a clinically licensed small-molecule inducer and engineered gluconate-sensitive molecular switches to regulate transgene expression in human cell cultures and in mice. Several switch designs were assembled based on the gluconate-responsive transcriptional repressor GntR from Escherichia coli. Initially we assembled OFF- and ON-type switches by rewiring the native gluconate-dependent binding of GntR to target DNA sequences in mammalian cells. Then, we utilized the ability of GntR to dimerize in the presence of gluconate to activate gene expression from a split transcriptional activator. By means of random mutagenesis of GntR combined with phenotypic screening, we identified variants that significantly enhanced the functionality of the genetic devices, enabling the construction of robust two-input logic gates. We also demonstrated the potential utility of the synthetic switch in two in vivo settings, one employing implantation of alginate-encapsulated engineered cells and the other involving modification of host cells by DNA delivery. Then, as proof-of-concept, the gluconate-actuated genetic switch was connected to insulin secretion, and the components encoding gluconate-induced insulin production were introduced into type-1 diabetic mice as naked DNA via hydrodynamic tail vein injection. Normoglycemia was restored, thereby showcasing the suitability of oral gluconate to regulate in situ production of a therapeutic protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Palma Teixeira
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Mattenstrasse 26, CH-4058Basel, Switzerland
| | - Shuai Xue
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Mattenstrasse 26, CH-4058Basel, Switzerland
| | - Jinbo Huang
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Mattenstrasse 26, CH-4058Basel, Switzerland
| | - Martin Fussenegger
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Mattenstrasse 26, CH-4058Basel, Switzerland
- Faculty of Science, University of Basel, Mattenstrasse 26, CH-4058Basel, Switzerland
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24
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Gao Y, Zhou Y, Ji X, Graham AJ, Dundas CM, Mahfoud IEM, Tibbett BM, Tan B, Partipilo G, Dodabalapur A, Rivnay J, Keitz BK. A Hybrid Transistor with Transcriptionally Controlled Computation and Plasticity. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.08.16.553547. [PMID: 37645977 PMCID: PMC10462107 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.16.553547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
Organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs) are ideal devices for translating biological signals into electrical readouts and have applications in bioelectronics, biosensing, and neuromorphic computing. Despite their potential, developing programmable and modular methods for living systems to interface with OECTs has proven challenging. Here we describe hybrid OECTs containing the model electroactive bacterium Shewanella oneidensis that enable the transduction of biological computations to electrical responses. Specifically, we fabricated planar p-type OECTs and demonstrated that channel de-doping is driven by extracellular electron transfer (EET) from S. oneidensis. Leveraging this mechanistic understanding and our ability to control EET flux via transcriptional regulation, we used plasmid-based Boolean logic gates to translate biological computation into current changes within the OECT. Finally, we demonstrated EET-driven changes to OECT synaptic plasticity. This work enables fundamental EET studies and OECT-based biosensing and biocomputing systems with genetically controllable and modular design elements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Gao
- McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Yuchen Zhou
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
- Microelectronics Research Center, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78758, USA
| | - Xudong Ji
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
- Simpson Querrey Institute, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
| | - Austin J. Graham
- McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
| | - Christopher M. Dundas
- McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Ismar E. Miniel Mahfoud
- McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Bailey M. Tibbett
- McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Benjamin Tan
- Microelectronics Research Center, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78758, USA
- Department of Chemistry, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Gina Partipilo
- McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Ananth Dodabalapur
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
- Microelectronics Research Center, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78758, USA
| | - Jonathan Rivnay
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
- Simpson Querrey Institute, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
| | - Benjamin K. Keitz
- McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
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25
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Chang Y, Hummel SN, Watson MN, Jin G, Lian XL, Bao X. Engineered Artificial Human Neutrophils Exhibit Mature Functional Performance. ACS Synth Biol 2023; 12:2262-2270. [PMID: 37523468 PMCID: PMC11070884 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.3c00309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/02/2023]
Abstract
Neutrophils, a key innate immune component, are powerful effector leukocytes for mediating opposing effects on tumor progression and ameliorating pathogen infections. However, their short lifespan and complex purification process have limited neutrophil clinical applications. Here we combined genetic engineering technology with a nanodrug system to construct artificial neutrophils that display functions similar to those of native neutrophils. K562 and HL60 human leukemia cells were engineered to express the human G protein-coupled receptor hM4Di. Compared to the parental cells, engineered hM4Di-K562 and hM4Di-HL60 cells exhibited excellent chemotaxis ability towards clozapine-N-oxide (CNO) and superior bacteria phagocytic behavior, resembling native neutrophils. The antibacterial ability of the hM4Di-K562 cells was further enhanced by loading them with the glycopeptide vancomycin via mesoporous silica nanoparticles (Nano@Van). Our proposed artificial cell engineering platform provides a new avenue to investigate the physiological properties of neutrophils.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun Chang
- Davidson School of Chemical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47906, USA
- Purdue University Institute for Cancer Research, West Lafayette, IN 47906, USA
| | - Sydney N. Hummel
- Davidson School of Chemical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47906, USA
| | - Monique N. Watson
- Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47906, USA
| | - Gyuhyung Jin
- Davidson School of Chemical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47906, USA
- Purdue University Institute for Cancer Research, West Lafayette, IN 47906, USA
| | - Xiaojun Lance Lian
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Xiaoping Bao
- Davidson School of Chemical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47906, USA
- Purdue University Institute for Cancer Research, West Lafayette, IN 47906, USA
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26
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Jin Y, Li S, Yu Q, Chen T, Liu D. Application of stem cells in regeneration medicine. MedComm (Beijing) 2023; 4:e291. [PMID: 37337579 PMCID: PMC10276889 DOI: 10.1002/mco2.291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2022] [Revised: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 05/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Regeneration is a complex process affected by many elements independent or combined, including inflammation, proliferation, and tissue remodeling. Stem cells is a class of primitive cells with the potentiality of differentiation, regenerate with self-replication, multidirectional differentiation, and immunomodulatory functions. Stem cells and their cytokines not only inextricably linked to the regeneration of ectodermal and skin tissues, but also can be used for the treatment of a variety of chronic wounds. Stem cells can produce exosomes in a paracrine manner. Stem cell exosomes play an important role in tissue regeneration, repair, and accelerated wound healing, the biological properties of which are similar with stem cells, while stem cell exosomes are safer and more effective. Skin and bone tissues are critical organs in the body, which are essential for sustaining life activities. The weak repairing ability leads a pronounced impact on the quality of life of patients, which could be alleviated by stem cell exosomes treatment. However, there are obstacles that stem cells and stem cells exosomes trough skin for improved bioavailability. This paper summarizes the applications and mechanisms of stem cells and stem cells exosomes for skin and bone healing. We also propose new ways of utilizing stem cells and their exosomes through different nanoformulations, liposomes and nanoliposomes, polymer micelles, microspheres, hydrogels, and scaffold microneedles, to improve their use in tissue healing and regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ye Jin
- School of PharmacyChangchun University of Chinese MedicineChangchunJilinChina
| | - Shuangyang Li
- School of PharmacyChangchun University of Chinese MedicineChangchunJilinChina
| | - Qixuan Yu
- School of PharmacyChangchun University of Chinese MedicineChangchunJilinChina
| | - Tianli Chen
- School of PharmacyChangchun University of Chinese MedicineChangchunJilinChina
| | - Da Liu
- School of PharmacyChangchun University of Chinese MedicineChangchunJilinChina
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27
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Yue R, Zhou M, Li X, Xu L, Lu C, Dong Z, Lei L, Liu H, Guan G, Liu Q, Zhang XB, Song G. GSH/APE1 Cascade-Activated Nanoplatform for Imaging Therapy Resistance Dynamics and Enzyme-Mediated Adaptive Ferroptosis. ACS NANO 2023; 17:13792-13810. [PMID: 37458417 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.3c03443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/26/2023]
Abstract
Ferroptosis, as a type of programmed cell death process, enables effective damage to various cancer cells. However, we discovered that persistent oxidative stress during ferroptosis can upregulate the apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease 1 (APE1) protein that induces therapeutic resistance ("ferroptosis resistance"), resulting in an unsatisfactory treatment outcome. To address APE1-induced therapeutic resistance, we developed a GSH/APE1 cascade activated therapeutic nanoplatform (GAN). Specifically, the GAN is self-assembled by DNA-functionalized ultrasmall iron oxide nanoparticles and further loaded with drug molecules (drug-GAN). GSH-triggered GAN disassembly can "turn on" the catalysis of GAN to induce efficient lipid peroxidation (LPO) for ferroptosis toward the tumor, which could upregulate APE1 expression. Subsequently, upregulated APE1 can further trigger accurate drug release for overcoming ferroptosis resistance and inducing the recovery of near-infrared fluorescence for imaging the dynamics of APE1. Importantly, adaptive drug release can overcome the adverse effects of APE1 upregulation by boosting intracellular ROS yield and increasing DNA damage, to offset APE1's functions of antioxidant and DNA repair, thus leading to adaptive ferroptosis. Moreover, with overexpressed GSH and upregulated APE1 in the tumor as stimuli, the therapeutic specificity of ferroptosis toward the tumor is greatly improved, which minimized nonspecific activation of catalysis and excessive drug release in normal tissues. Furthermore, a switchable MRI contrast from negative to positive is in sync with ferroptosis activation, which is beneficial for monitoring the ferroptosis process. Therefore, this adapted imaging and therapeutic nanoplatform can not only deliver GSH/APE1-activated lipid peroxide mediated adaptive synergistic therapy but also provided a switchable MRI/dual-channel fluorescence signal for monitoring ferroptosis activation, drug release, and therapy resistance dynamics in vivo, leading to high-specificity and high-efficiency adaptive ferroptosis therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renye Yue
- The State Key Laboratory for Chemo/Bio-Sensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410000, China
| | - Mengjie Zhou
- The State Key Laboratory for Chemo/Bio-Sensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410000, China
| | - Xu Li
- The State Key Laboratory for Chemo/Bio-Sensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410000, China
| | - Li Xu
- The State Key Laboratory for Chemo/Bio-Sensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410000, China
| | - Chang Lu
- The State Key Laboratory for Chemo/Bio-Sensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410000, China
| | - Zhe Dong
- The State Key Laboratory for Chemo/Bio-Sensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410000, China
| | - Lingling Lei
- The State Key Laboratory for Chemo/Bio-Sensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410000, China
| | - Huiyi Liu
- The State Key Laboratory for Chemo/Bio-Sensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410000, China
| | - Guoqiang Guan
- The State Key Laboratory for Chemo/Bio-Sensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410000, China
| | - Qin Liu
- The State Key Laboratory for Chemo/Bio-Sensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410000, China
| | - Xiao-Bing Zhang
- The State Key Laboratory for Chemo/Bio-Sensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410000, China
| | - Guosheng Song
- The State Key Laboratory for Chemo/Bio-Sensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410000, China
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28
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Kretschmer S, Perry N, Zhang Y, Kortemme T. Multi-input Drug-Controlled Switches of Mammalian Gene Expression Based on Engineered Nuclear Hormone Receptors. ACS Synth Biol 2023; 12:1924-1934. [PMID: 37315218 PMCID: PMC10367131 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.3c00080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Protein-based switches that respond to different inputs to regulate cellular outputs, such as gene expression, are central to synthetic biology. For increased controllability, multi-input switches that integrate several cooperating and competing signals for the regulation of a shared output are of particular interest. The nuclear hormone receptor (NHR) superfamily offers promising starting points for engineering multi-input-controlled responses to clinically approved drugs. Starting from the VgEcR/RXR pair, we demonstrate that novel (multi)drug regulation can be achieved by exchange of the ecdysone receptor (EcR) ligand binding domain (LBD) for other human NHR-derived LBDs. For responses activated to saturation by an agonist for the first LBD, we show that outputs can be boosted by an agonist targeting the second LBD. In combination with an antagonist, output levels are tunable by up to three simultaneously present small-molecule drugs. Such high-level control validates NHRs as a versatile, engineerable platform for programming multidrug-controlled responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Kretschmer
- Department
of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158, United States
- California
Quantitative Biosciences Institute (QBI) at UCSF, San Francisco, California 94158, United States
| | - Nicholas Perry
- Department
of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158, United States
- California
Quantitative Biosciences Institute (QBI) at UCSF, San Francisco, California 94158, United States
- University
of California, Berkeley—University of California, San Francisco
Joint Graduate Program in Bioengineering, San Francisco, California 94158, United States
| | - Yang Zhang
- Department
of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158, United States
- California
Quantitative Biosciences Institute (QBI) at UCSF, San Francisco, California 94158, United States
| | - Tanja Kortemme
- Department
of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158, United States
- California
Quantitative Biosciences Institute (QBI) at UCSF, San Francisco, California 94158, United States
- University
of California, Berkeley—University of California, San Francisco
Joint Graduate Program in Bioengineering, San Francisco, California 94158, United States
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29
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Klumpe HE, Garcia-Ojalvo J, Elowitz MB, Antebi YE. The computational capabilities of many-to-many protein interaction networks. Cell Syst 2023; 14:430-446. [PMID: 37348461 PMCID: PMC10318606 DOI: 10.1016/j.cels.2023.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2023] [Revised: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023]
Abstract
Many biological circuits comprise sets of protein variants that interact with one another in a many-to-many, or promiscuous, fashion. These architectures can provide powerful computational capabilities that are especially critical in multicellular organisms. Understanding the principles of biochemical computations in these circuits could allow more precise control of cellular behaviors. However, these systems are inherently difficult to analyze, due to their large number of interacting molecular components, partial redundancies, and cell context dependence. Here, we discuss recent experimental and theoretical advances that are beginning to reveal how promiscuous circuits compute, what roles those computations play in natural biological contexts, and how promiscuous architectures can be applied for the design of synthetic multicellular behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heidi E Klumpe
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Biological Design Center, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Jordi Garcia-Ojalvo
- Department of Medicine and Life Sciences, Pompeu Fabra University, 08003 Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Michael B Elowitz
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA.
| | - Yaron E Antebi
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science 76100, Rehovot, Israel.
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30
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Kim M, Jo H, Jung GY, Oh SS. Molecular Complementarity of Proteomimetic Materials for Target-Specific Recognition and Recognition-Mediated Complex Functions. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2023; 35:e2208309. [PMID: 36525617 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202208309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2022] [Revised: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
As biomolecules essential for sustaining life, proteins are generated from long chains of 20 different α-amino acids that are folded into unique 3D structures. In particular, many proteins have molecular recognition functions owing to their binding pockets, which have complementary shapes, charges, and polarities for specific targets, making these biopolymers unique and highly valuable for biomedical and biocatalytic applications. Based on the understanding of protein structures and microenvironments, molecular complementarity can be exhibited by synthesizable and modifiable materials. This has prompted researchers to explore the proteomimetic potentials of a diverse range of materials, including biologically available peptides and oligonucleotides, synthetic supramolecules, inorganic molecules, and related coordination networks. To fully resemble a protein, proteomimetic materials perform the molecular recognition to mediate complex molecular functions, such as allosteric regulation, signal transduction, enzymatic reactions, and stimuli-responsive motions; this can also expand the landscape of their potential bio-applications. This review focuses on the recognitive aspects of proteomimetic designs derived for individual materials and their conformations. Recent progress provides insights to help guide the development of advanced protein mimicry with material heterogeneity, design modularity, and tailored functionality. The perspectives and challenges of current proteomimetic designs and tools are also discussed in relation to future applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minsun Kim
- School of Interdisciplinary Bioscience and Bioengineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang, 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyesung Jo
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang, 37673, South Korea
| | - Gyoo Yeol Jung
- School of Interdisciplinary Bioscience and Bioengineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang, 37673, Republic of Korea
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang, 37673, South Korea
| | - Seung Soo Oh
- School of Interdisciplinary Bioscience and Bioengineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang, 37673, Republic of Korea
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang, 37673, South Korea
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang, 37673, South Korea
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31
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Lim S, Yocum RR, Silver PA, Way JC. High spontaneous integration rates of end-modified linear DNAs upon mammalian cell transfection. Sci Rep 2023; 13:6835. [PMID: 37100816 PMCID: PMC10133325 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-33862-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2023] [Indexed: 04/28/2023] Open
Abstract
In gene therapy, potential integration of therapeutic transgene into host cell genomes is a serious risk that can lead to insertional mutagenesis and tumorigenesis. Viral vectors are often used as the gene delivery vehicle, but they are prone to undergoing integration events. More recently, non-viral delivery of linear DNAs having modified geometry such as closed-end linear duplex DNA (CELiD) have shown promise as an alternative, due to prolonged transgene expression and less cytotoxicity. However, whether modified-end linear DNAs can also provide a safe, non-integrating gene transfer remains unanswered. Herein, we compare the genomic integration frequency upon transfection of cells with expression vectors in the forms of circular plasmid, unmodified linear DNA, CELiDs with thioester loops, and Streptavidin-conjugated blocked-end linear DNA. All of the forms of linear DNA resulted in a high fraction of the cells being stably transfected-between 10 and 20% of the initially transfected cells. These results indicate that blocking the ends of linear DNA is insufficient to prevent integration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Lim
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
| | - R Rogers Yocum
- General Biologics, Inc, 108 Fayerweather Street, Unit 2, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - Pamela A Silver
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Jeffrey C Way
- General Biologics, Inc, 108 Fayerweather Street, Unit 2, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA.
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32
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Cho JS, Yang D, Prabowo CPS, Ghiffary MR, Han T, Choi KR, Moon CW, Zhou H, Ryu JY, Kim HU, Lee SY. Targeted and high-throughput gene knockdown in diverse bacteria using synthetic sRNAs. Nat Commun 2023; 14:2359. [PMID: 37095132 PMCID: PMC10126203 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-38119-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 04/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Synthetic sRNAs allow knockdown of target genes at translational level, but have been restricted to a limited number of bacteria. Here, we report the development of a broad-host-range synthetic sRNA (BHR-sRNA) platform employing the RoxS scaffold and the Hfq chaperone from Bacillus subtilis. BHR-sRNA is tested in 16 bacterial species including commensal, probiotic, pathogenic, and industrial bacteria, with >50% of target gene knockdown achieved in 12 bacterial species. For medical applications, virulence factors in Staphylococcus epidermidis and Klebsiella pneumoniae are knocked down to mitigate their virulence-associated phenotypes. For metabolic engineering applications, high performance Corynebacterium glutamicum strains capable of producing valerolactam (bulk chemical) and methyl anthranilate (fine chemical) are developed by combinatorial knockdown of target genes. A genome-scale sRNA library covering 2959 C. glutamicum genes is constructed for high-throughput colorimetric screening of indigoidine (natural colorant) overproducers. The BHR-sRNA platform will expedite engineering of diverse bacteria of both industrial and medical interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jae Sung Cho
- Metabolic and Biomolecular Engineering National Research Laboratory, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (BK21 four), Institute for the BioCentury, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
- Systems Metabolic Engineering and Systems Healthcare Cross-Generation Collaborative Laboratory, KAIST, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Dongsoo Yang
- Metabolic and Biomolecular Engineering National Research Laboratory, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (BK21 four), Institute for the BioCentury, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
- Systems Metabolic Engineering and Systems Healthcare Cross-Generation Collaborative Laboratory, KAIST, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, 02481, Republic of Korea
| | - Cindy Pricilia Surya Prabowo
- Metabolic and Biomolecular Engineering National Research Laboratory, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (BK21 four), Institute for the BioCentury, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
- Systems Metabolic Engineering and Systems Healthcare Cross-Generation Collaborative Laboratory, KAIST, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Mohammad Rifqi Ghiffary
- Systems Metabolic Engineering and Systems Healthcare Cross-Generation Collaborative Laboratory, KAIST, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
- Systems Biology and Medicine Laboratory, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (BK21 four), KAIST, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Taehee Han
- Metabolic and Biomolecular Engineering National Research Laboratory, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (BK21 four), Institute for the BioCentury, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
- Systems Metabolic Engineering and Systems Healthcare Cross-Generation Collaborative Laboratory, KAIST, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyeong Rok Choi
- Metabolic and Biomolecular Engineering National Research Laboratory, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (BK21 four), Institute for the BioCentury, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
- Systems Metabolic Engineering and Systems Healthcare Cross-Generation Collaborative Laboratory, KAIST, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Cheon Woo Moon
- Metabolic and Biomolecular Engineering National Research Laboratory, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (BK21 four), Institute for the BioCentury, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
- Systems Metabolic Engineering and Systems Healthcare Cross-Generation Collaborative Laboratory, KAIST, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Hengrui Zhou
- Metabolic and Biomolecular Engineering National Research Laboratory, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (BK21 four), Institute for the BioCentury, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
- Systems Metabolic Engineering and Systems Healthcare Cross-Generation Collaborative Laboratory, KAIST, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Jae Yong Ryu
- Metabolic and Biomolecular Engineering National Research Laboratory, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (BK21 four), Institute for the BioCentury, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
- Systems Metabolic Engineering and Systems Healthcare Cross-Generation Collaborative Laboratory, KAIST, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Science and Technology, Duksung Women's University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyun Uk Kim
- Systems Metabolic Engineering and Systems Healthcare Cross-Generation Collaborative Laboratory, KAIST, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
- Systems Biology and Medicine Laboratory, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (BK21 four), KAIST, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
- KAIST Institute for Artificial Intelligence, BioProcess Engineering Research Center and BioInformatics Research Center, KAIST, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang Yup Lee
- Metabolic and Biomolecular Engineering National Research Laboratory, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (BK21 four), Institute for the BioCentury, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea.
- Systems Metabolic Engineering and Systems Healthcare Cross-Generation Collaborative Laboratory, KAIST, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea.
- KAIST Institute for Artificial Intelligence, BioProcess Engineering Research Center and BioInformatics Research Center, KAIST, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea.
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33
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Kawasaki S, Ono H, Hirosawa M, Kuwabara T, Sumi S, Lee S, Woltjen K, Saito H. Programmable mammalian translational modulators by CRISPR-associated proteins. Nat Commun 2023; 14:2243. [PMID: 37076490 PMCID: PMC10115826 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37540-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 04/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Translational modulation based on RNA-binding proteins can be used to construct artificial gene circuits, but RNA-binding proteins capable of regulating translation efficiently and orthogonally remain scarce. Here we report CARTRIDGE (Cas-Responsive Translational Regulation Integratable into Diverse Gene control) to repurpose Cas proteins as translational modulators in mammalian cells. We demonstrate that a set of Cas proteins efficiently and orthogonally repress or activate the translation of designed mRNAs that contain a Cas-binding RNA motif in the 5'-UTR. By linking multiple Cas-mediated translational modulators, we designed and built artificial circuits like logic gates, cascades, and half-subtractor circuits. Moreover, we show that various CRISPR-related technologies like anti-CRISPR and split-Cas9 platforms could be similarly repurposed to control translation. Coupling Cas-mediated translational and transcriptional regulation enhanced the complexity of synthetic circuits built by only introducing a few additional elements. Collectively, CARTRIDGE has enormous potential as a versatile molecular toolkit for mammalian synthetic biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shunsuke Kawasaki
- Department of Life Science Frontiers, Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University, 53 Kawahara-cho, Shogoin, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8507, Japan.
| | - Hiroki Ono
- Department of Life Science Frontiers, Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University, 53 Kawahara-cho, Shogoin, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8507, Japan
- Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Yoshida-Konoe-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan
| | - Moe Hirosawa
- Department of Life Science Frontiers, Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University, 53 Kawahara-cho, Shogoin, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8507, Japan
| | - Takeru Kuwabara
- Faculty of Medicine, Kyoto University, Yoshida-Konoe-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan
| | - Shunsuke Sumi
- Department of Life Science Frontiers, Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University, 53 Kawahara-cho, Shogoin, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8507, Japan
- Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Yoshida-Konoe-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan
| | - Suji Lee
- Department of Life Science Frontiers, Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University, 53 Kawahara-cho, Shogoin, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8507, Japan
- Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Yoshida-Konoe-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan
| | - Knut Woltjen
- Department of Life Science Frontiers, Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University, 53 Kawahara-cho, Shogoin, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8507, Japan
| | - Hirohide Saito
- Department of Life Science Frontiers, Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University, 53 Kawahara-cho, Shogoin, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8507, Japan.
- Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Yoshida-Konoe-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan.
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34
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O'Connell RW, Rai K, Piepergerdes TC, Samra KD, Wilson JA, Lin S, Zhang TH, Ramos EM, Sun A, Kille B, Curry KD, Rocks JW, Treangen TJ, Mehta P, Bashor CJ. Ultra-high throughput mapping of genetic design space. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.16.532704. [PMID: 36993481 PMCID: PMC10055055 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.16.532704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Massively parallel genetic screens have been used to map sequence-to-function relationships for a variety of genetic elements. However, because these approaches only interrogate short sequences, it remains challenging to perform high throughput (HT) assays on constructs containing combinations of sequence elements arranged across multi-kb length scales. Overcoming this barrier could accelerate synthetic biology; by screening diverse gene circuit designs, "composition-to-function" mappings could be created that reveal genetic part composability rules and enable rapid identification of behavior-optimized variants. Here, we introduce CLASSIC, a generalizable genetic screening platform that combines long- and short-read next-generation sequencing (NGS) modalities to quantitatively assess pooled libraries of DNA constructs of arbitrary length. We show that CLASSIC can measure expression profiles of >10 5 drug-inducible gene circuit designs (ranging from 6-9 kb) in a single experiment in human cells. Using statistical inference and machine learning (ML) approaches, we demonstrate that data obtained with CLASSIC enables predictive modeling of an entire circuit design landscape, offering critical insight into underlying design principles. Our work shows that by expanding the throughput and understanding gained with each design-build-test-learn (DBTL) cycle, CLASSIC dramatically augments the pace and scale of synthetic biology and establishes an experimental basis for data-driven design of complex genetic systems.
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35
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Lu Q, Wang Z, Bai S, Wang Y, Liao C, Sun Y, Zhang Y, Li W, Mei Q. Hydrophobicity Regulation of Energy Acceptors Confined in Mesoporous Silica Enabled Reversible Activation of Optogenetics for Closed-Loop Glycemic Control. J Am Chem Soc 2023; 145:5941-5951. [PMID: 36867047 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.2c13762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/04/2023]
Abstract
Optogenetics-based synthetic biology holds great promise as a cell-based therapy strategy for many clinical incurable diseases; however, precise control over genetic expression strength and timing through disease state-related closed-loop regulation remains a challenge due to the lack of reversible probes to indicate real-time metabolite fluctuations. Here, based on a novel mechanism of analyte-induced hydrophobicity regulation of energy acceptors confined in mesoporous silica, we developed a smart hydrogel platform comprising glucose reversible responsive upconversion nanoprobes and optogenetic engineered cells, in which the upconverted blue light strength was adaptively tuned through blood glucose levels to control optogenetic expressions for insulin secretion. The intelligent hydrogel system enabled convenient maintenance of glycemic homeostasis through simple near-infrared illuminations without any additional glucose concentration monitoring, which efficiently avoided genetic overexpression-induced hypoglycemia. This proof-of-concept strategy efficiently combines diagnostics with optogenetics-based synthetic biology for mellitus therapy, opening up a new avenue for nano-optogenetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Lu
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510632, China
| | - Zihe Wang
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510632, China
| | - Shumin Bai
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510632, China
| | - Ying Wang
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510632, China
| | - Cheng Liao
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510632, China
| | - Yaru Sun
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510632, China
| | - Yi Zhang
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510632, China
| | - Wei Li
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University, Dongguan, Guangdong 523560, China
| | - Qingsong Mei
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510632, China.,Key Laboratory of State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine of the People's Republic of China, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510632, China
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36
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Biomolecular feedback controllers: from theory to applications. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2023; 79:102882. [PMID: 36638743 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2022.102882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Billions of years of evolution have led to the creation of sophisticated genetic regulatory mechanisms that control various biological processes in a timely and precise fashion, despite their uncertain and noisy environments. Understanding such naturally existing mechanisms and even designing novel ones will have direct implications in various fields such as biotechnology, medicine, and synthetic biology. In particular, many studies have revealed that feedback-based control mechanisms inside the living cells endow the overall system with multiple attractive features, including homeostasis, noise reduction, and high dynamic performance. The remarkable interdisciplinary nature of these studies has brought together disparate disciplines such as systems/synthetic biology and control theory in an effort to design and build more powerful and reliable biomolecular control systems. Here, we review various biomolecular feedback controllers, highlight their characteristics, and point out their promising impact.
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37
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Kretschmer S, Perry N, Zhang Y, Kortemme T. Multi-input drug-controlled switches of mammalian gene expression based on engineered nuclear hormone receptors. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.02.01.526549. [PMID: 36778233 PMCID: PMC9915577 DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.01.526549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Protein-based switches that respond to different inputs to regulate cellular outputs, such as gene expression, are central to synthetic biology. For increased controllability, multi-input switches that integrate several cooperating and competing signals for the regulation of a shared output are of particular interest. The nuclear hormone receptor (NHR) superfamily offers promising starting points for engineering multi-input-controlled responses to clinically approved drugs. Starting from the VgEcR/RXR pair, we demonstrate that novel (multi-)drug regulation can be achieved by exchange of the ecdysone receptor (EcR) ligand binding domain (LBD) for other human NHR-derived LBDs. For responses activated to saturation by an agonist for the first LBD, we show that outputs can be boosted by an agonist targeting the second LBD. In combination with an antagonist, output levels are tunable by up to three simultaneously present small-molecule drugs. Such high-level control validates NHRs as a versatile, engineerable platform for programming multi-drug-controlled responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Kretschmer
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA,California Quantitative Biosciences Institute (QBI) at UCSF, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA,Corresponding author:
| | - Nicholas Perry
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA,California Quantitative Biosciences Institute (QBI) at UCSF, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA,University of California, Berkeley—University of California, San Francisco Joint Graduate Program in Bioengineering, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Yang Zhang
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA,California Quantitative Biosciences Institute (QBI) at UCSF, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Tanja Kortemme
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA,California Quantitative Biosciences Institute (QBI) at UCSF, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA,University of California, Berkeley—University of California, San Francisco Joint Graduate Program in Bioengineering, San Francisco, CA, USA
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38
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Ma D, Yuan Q, Peng F, Paredes V, Zeng H, Yang Q, Peddi A, Patel A, Liu MS, Sun Z, Gao X. Engineered PROTAC-CID Systems for Mammalian Inducible Gene Regulation. J Am Chem Soc 2023; 145:1593-1606. [PMID: 36626587 PMCID: PMC10162582 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.2c09129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Gene regulation via chemically induced dimerization (CID) is useful for biomedical research. However, the number, type, versatility, and in vivo applications of CID tools remain limited. Here, we demonstrate the development of proteolysis-targeting chimera-based scalable CID (PROTAC-CID) platforms by systematically engineering the available PROTAC systems for inducible gene regulation and gene editing. Further, we show orthogonal PROTAC-CIDs that can fine-tune gene expression at gradient levels or multiplex biological signals with different logic gating operations. Coupling the PROTAC-CID platform with genetic circuits, we achieve digitally inducible expression of DNA recombinases, base- and prime-editors for transient genome manipulation. Finally, we package a compact PROTAC-CID system into adeno-associated viral vectors for inducible and reversible gene activation in vivo. This work provides a versatile molecular toolbox that expands the scope of chemically inducible gene regulation in human cells and mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dacheng Ma
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, USA
| | - Qichen Yuan
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, USA
| | - Fei Peng
- Department of Medicine, Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
| | - Victor Paredes
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, USA
| | - Hongzhi Zeng
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, USA
| | - Qiaochu Yang
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, USA
| | - Advaith Peddi
- Department of Biosciences, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, USA
| | - Anika Patel
- Department of Computer Sciences, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, USA
| | - Megan S. Liu
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, USA
| | - Zheng Sun
- Department of Medicine, Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
| | - Xue Gao
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA
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39
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Xiong M, Kong G, Liu Q, Liu L, Yin Y, Liu Y, Yuan H, Zhang XB, Tan W. DNA-Templated Anchoring of Proteins for Programmable Cell Functionalization and Immunological Response. NANO LETTERS 2023; 23:183-191. [PMID: 36577045 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.2c03928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Membrane protein engineering exhibits great potential for cell functionalization. Although genetic strategies are sophisticated for membrane protein engineering, there still exist some issues, including transgene insertional mutagenesis, laborious, complicated procedures, and low tunability. Herein, we report a DNA-templated anchoring of exogenous proteins on living cell membranes to realize programmable functionalization of living cells. Using DNA as a scaffold, the model cell membranes are readily modified with proteins, on which the density and ratio of proteins as well as their interactions can be precisely controlled through predictable DNA hybridization. Then, the natural killer (NK) cells were engineered to gain the ability to eliminate the immune checkpoint signaling at the NK-tumor synapse, which remarkably promoted NK cell activation in immunotherapy. Given the versatile functions of exogenous proteins and flexible designs of programmable DNA, this method has the potential to facilitate membrane-protein-based cell engineering and therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengyi Xiong
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
| | - Gezhi Kong
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
| | - Qin Liu
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
| | - Lu Liu
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
| | - Yao Yin
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
| | - Ying Liu
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
| | - Hui Yuan
- The Cancer Hospital of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Zhejiang Cancer Hospital), Institute of Basic Medicine and Cancer (IBMC), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310022, China
| | - Xiao-Bing Zhang
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
| | - Weihong Tan
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
- The Cancer Hospital of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Zhejiang Cancer Hospital), Institute of Basic Medicine and Cancer (IBMC), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310022, China
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40
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Ono H, Saito H. Sensing intracellular signatures with synthetic mRNAs. RNA Biol 2023; 20:588-602. [PMID: 37582192 PMCID: PMC10431736 DOI: 10.1080/15476286.2023.2244791] [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] [Revised: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The bottom-up assembly of biological components in synthetic biology has contributed to a better understanding of natural phenomena and the development of new technologies for practical applications. Over the past few decades, basic RNA research has unveiled the regulatory roles of RNAs underlying gene regulatory networks; while advances in RNA biology, in turn, have highlighted the potential of a wide variety of RNA elements as building blocks to construct artificial systems. In particular, synthetic mRNA-based translational regulators, which respond to signals in cells and regulate the production of encoded output proteins, are gaining attention with the recent rise of mRNA therapeutics. In this Review, we discuss recent progress in RNA synthetic biology, mainly focusing on emerging technologies for sensing intracellular protein and RNA molecules and controlling translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroki Ono
- Department of Life Science Frontiers, Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Sakyo-Ku, Japan
| | - Hirohide Saito
- Department of Life Science Frontiers, Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Sakyo-Ku, Japan
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41
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Cabrera A, Edelstein HI, Glykofrydis F, Love KS, Palacios S, Tycko J, Zhang M, Lensch S, Shields CE, Livingston M, Weiss R, Zhao H, Haynes KA, Morsut L, Chen YY, Khalil AS, Wong WW, Collins JJ, Rosser SJ, Polizzi K, Elowitz MB, Fussenegger M, Hilton IB, Leonard JN, Bintu L, Galloway KE, Deans TL. The sound of silence: Transgene silencing in mammalian cell engineering. Cell Syst 2022; 13:950-973. [PMID: 36549273 PMCID: PMC9880859 DOI: 10.1016/j.cels.2022.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2022] [Revised: 09/22/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
To elucidate principles operating in native biological systems and to develop novel biotechnologies, synthetic biology aims to build and integrate synthetic gene circuits within native transcriptional networks. The utility of synthetic gene circuits for cell engineering relies on the ability to control the expression of all constituent transgene components. Transgene silencing, defined as the loss of expression over time, persists as an obstacle for engineering primary cells and stem cells with transgenic cargos. In this review, we highlight the challenge that transgene silencing poses to the robust engineering of mammalian cells, outline potential molecular mechanisms of silencing, and present approaches for preventing transgene silencing. We conclude with a perspective identifying future research directions for improving the performance of synthetic gene circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan Cabrera
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA; Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Hailey I Edelstein
- Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA; The Eli and Edythe Broad CIRM Center, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Fokion Glykofrydis
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033-9080, USA
| | - Kasey S Love
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Sebastian Palacios
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Josh Tycko
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Meng Zhang
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Sarah Lensch
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Cara E Shields
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Mark Livingston
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Ron Weiss
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Synthetic Biology Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Huimin Zhao
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Karmella A Haynes
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Leonardo Morsut
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033-9080, USA
| | - Yvonne Y Chen
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy Center at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Ahmad S Khalil
- Biological Design Center and Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Wilson W Wong
- Biological Design Center and Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - James J Collins
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033-9080, USA; Synthetic Biology Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA; Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA; Harvard-MIT Program in Health Sciences and Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Susan J Rosser
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Karen Polizzi
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London, UK; Imperial College Centre for Synthetic Biology, South Kensington Campus, London, UK
| | - Michael B Elowitz
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Martin Fussenegger
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Mattenstrasse 26, Basel 4058, Switzerland; Faculty of Science, University of Basel, Mattenstrasse 26, Basel 4058, Switzerland
| | - Isaac B Hilton
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA
| | - Joshua N Leonard
- Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA; The Eli and Edythe Broad CIRM Center, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Lacramioara Bintu
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Kate E Galloway
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Tara L Deans
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA.
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42
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Welty NE, Gill SI. Cancer Immunotherapy Beyond Checkpoint Blockade: JACC: CardioOncology State-of-the-Art Review. JACC CardioOncol 2022; 4:563-578. [PMID: 36636439 PMCID: PMC9830230 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaccao.2022.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Revised: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 11/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Avoidance of immune destruction is recognized as one of the hallmarks of cancer development. Although first predicted as a potential antitumor treatment modality more than 50 years ago, the widespread clinical use of cancer immunotherapies has only recently become a reality. Cancer immunotherapy works by reactivation of a stalled pre-existing immune response or by eliciting a de novo immune response, and its toolkit comprises antibodies, vaccines, cytokines, and cell-based therapies. The treatment paradigm in some malignancies has completely changed over the past 10 to 15 years. Massive efforts in preclinical development have led to a surge of clinical trials testing innovative therapeutic approaches as monotherapy and, increasingly, in combination. Here we provide an overview of approved and emerging antitumor immune therapies, focusing on the rich landscape of therapeutic approaches beyond those that block the canonical PD-1/PD-L1 and CTLA-4 axes and placing them in the context of the latest understanding of tumor immunology.
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Key Words
- BiTE, bispecific T cell engager
- CAR, chimeric antigen receptor
- CRS, cytokine-release syndrome
- FDA, U.S. Food and Drug Administration
- HLA, human leukocyte antigen
- ICI, immune checkpoint inhibitor
- IL, interleukin
- NK, natural killer
- NSCLC, non–small cell lung cancer
- TIL, tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte
- alloHCT, allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation
- cancer
- immune therapy
- immunotherapy
- innovation
- mAb, monoclonal antibody
- treatment
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan E. Welty
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA,Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Saar I. Gill
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA,Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA,Address for correspondence: Dr Saar I. Gill, Smilow Center for Translational Research, Room 8-101, 3400 Civic Center Boulevard, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA.
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43
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Li HS, Israni DV, Gagnon KA, Gan KA, Raymond MH, Sander JD, Roybal KT, Joung JK, Wong WW, Khalil AS. Multidimensional control of therapeutic human cell function with synthetic gene circuits. Science 2022; 378:1227-1234. [PMID: 36520914 PMCID: PMC10054295 DOI: 10.1126/science.ade0156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Synthetic gene circuits that precisely control human cell function could expand the capabilities of gene- and cell-based therapies. However, platforms for developing circuits in primary human cells that drive robust functional changes in vivo and have compositions suitable for clinical use are lacking. Here, we developed synthetic zinc finger transcription regulators (synZiFTRs), which are compact and based largely on human-derived proteins. As a proof of principle, we engineered gene switches and circuits that allow precise, user-defined control over therapeutically relevant genes in primary T cells using orthogonal, US Food and Drug Administration-approved small-molecule inducers. Our circuits can instruct T cells to sequentially activate multiple cellular programs such as proliferation and antitumor activity to drive synergistic therapeutic responses. This platform should accelerate the development and clinical translation of synthetic gene circuits in diverse human cell types and contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui-Shan Li
- Biological Design Center, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Divya V Israni
- Biological Design Center, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Keith A Gagnon
- Biological Design Center, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kok Ann Gan
- Biological Design Center, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA.,Program in Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Michael H Raymond
- Biological Design Center, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jeffry D Sander
- Molecular Pathology Unit, Center for Cancer Research, and Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Pathology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Genomics Technologies, Corteva Agriscience, Johnston, IA, USA
| | - Kole T Roybal
- Cell Design Institute and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.,Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.,Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.,Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - J Keith Joung
- Molecular Pathology Unit, Center for Cancer Research, and Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Pathology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Wilson W Wong
- Biological Design Center, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ahmad S Khalil
- Biological Design Center, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA.,Program in Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA.,Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
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44
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De novo engineering of a bacterial lifestyle program. Nat Chem Biol 2022; 19:488-497. [PMID: 36522463 DOI: 10.1038/s41589-022-01194-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 09/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Synthetic biology has shown remarkable potential to program living microorganisms for applications. However, a notable discrepancy exists between the current engineering practice-which focuses predominantly on planktonic cells-and the ubiquitous observation of microbes in nature that constantly alternate their lifestyles on environmental variations. Here we present the de novo construction of a synthetic genetic program that regulates bacterial life cycle and enables phase-specific gene expression. The program is orthogonal, harnessing an engineered protein from 45 candidates as the biofilm matrix building block. It is also highly controllable, allowing directed biofilm assembly and decomposition as well as responsive autonomous planktonic-biofilm phase transition. Coupling to synthesis modules, it is further programmable for various functional realizations that conjugate phase-specific biomolecular production with lifestyle alteration. This work establishes a versatile platform for microbial engineering across physiological regimes, thereby shedding light on a promising path for gene circuit applications in complex contexts.
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45
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Kim SK, Kim H, Woo SG, Kim TH, Rha E, Kwon KK, Lee H, Lee SG, Lee DH. CRISPRi-based programmable logic inverter cascade for antibiotic-free selection and maintenance of multiple plasmids. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:13155-13171. [PMID: 36511859 PMCID: PMC9825151 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac1104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2022] [Revised: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 11/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Antibiotics have been widely used for plasmid-mediated cell engineering. However, continued use of antibiotics increases the metabolic burden, horizontal gene transfer risks, and biomanufacturing costs. There are limited approaches to maintaining multiple plasmids without antibiotics. Herein, we developed an inverter cascade using CRISPRi by building a plasmid containing a single guide RNA (sgRNA) landing pad (pSLiP); this inhibited host cell growth by repressing an essential cellular gene. Anti-sgRNAs on separate plasmids restored cell growth by blocking the expression of growth-inhibitory sgRNAs in pSLiP. We maintained three plasmids in Escherichia coli with a single antibiotic selective marker. To completely avoid antibiotic use and maintain the CRISPRi-based logic inverter cascade, we created a novel d-glutamate auxotrophic E. coli. This enabled the stable maintenance of the plasmid without antibiotics, enhanced the production of the terpenoid, (-)-α-bisabolol, and generation of an antibiotic-resistance gene-free plasmid. CRISPRi is therefore widely applicable in genetic circuits and may allow for antibiotic-free biomanufacturing.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Seung Gyun Woo
- Synthetic Biology Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea,Department of Biosystems and Bioengineering, KRIBB School of Biotechnology, University of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34143, Republic of Korea
| | - Tae Hyun Kim
- Synthetic Biology Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea,Department of Biosystems and Bioengineering, KRIBB School of Biotechnology, University of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34143, Republic of Korea
| | - Eugene Rha
- Synthetic Biology Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Kil Koang Kwon
- Synthetic Biology Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyewon Lee
- Synthetic Biology Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Seung-Goo Lee
- To whom correspondence should be addressed. Tel: +82 42 860 4373; Fax: +82 42 860 4489;
| | - Dae-Hee Lee
- Correspondence may also be addressed to Dae-Hee Lee. Tel: +82 42 879 8225; Fax: +82 42 860 4489;
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46
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Yu Y, Wu X, Wang M, Liu W, Zhang L, Zhang Y, Hu Z, Zhou X, Jiang W, Zou Q, Cai F, Ye H. Optogenetic-controlled immunotherapeutic designer cells for post-surgical cancer immunotherapy. Nat Commun 2022; 13:6357. [PMID: 36289204 PMCID: PMC9605972 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-33891-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2021] [Accepted: 10/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Surgical resection is the main treatment option for most solid tumors, yet cancer recurrence after surgical resection remains a significant challenge in cancer therapy. Recent advances in cancer immunotherapy are enabling radical cures for many tumor patients, but these technologies remain challenging to apply because of side effects related to uncontrollable immune system activation. Here, we develop far-red light-controlled immunomodulatory engineered cells (FLICs) that we load into a hydrogel scaffold, enabling the precise optogenetic control of cytokines release (IFN-β, TNF-α, and IL-12) upon illumination. Experiments with a B16F10 melanoma resection mouse model show that FLICs-loaded hydrogel implants placed at the surgical wound site achieve sustainable release of immunomodulatory cytokines, leading to prevention of tumor recurrence and increased animal survival. Moreover, the FLICs-loaded hydrogel implants elicit long-term immunological memory that prevents against tumor recurrence. Our findings illustrate that this optogenetic perioperative immunotherapy with FLICs-loaded hydrogel implants offers a safe treatment option for solid tumors based on activating host innate and adaptive immune systems to inhibit tumor recurrence after surgery. Beyond extending the optogenetics toolbox for immunotherapy, we envision that our optogenetic-controlled living cell factory platform could be deployed for other biomedical contexts requiring precision induction of bio-therapeutic dosage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanhuan Yu
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Genome Editing and Cell Therapy, Biomedical Synthetic Biology Research Center, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Dongchuan Road 500, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Xin Wu
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Genome Editing and Cell Therapy, Biomedical Synthetic Biology Research Center, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Dongchuan Road 500, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Meiyan Wang
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Genome Editing and Cell Therapy, Biomedical Synthetic Biology Research Center, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Dongchuan Road 500, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Wenjing Liu
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Genome Editing and Cell Therapy, Biomedical Synthetic Biology Research Center, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Dongchuan Road 500, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Li Zhang
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Genome Editing and Cell Therapy, Biomedical Synthetic Biology Research Center, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Dongchuan Road 500, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Ying Zhang
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Genome Editing and Cell Therapy, Biomedical Synthetic Biology Research Center, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Dongchuan Road 500, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Zhilin Hu
- Shanghai Institute of Immunology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 280 South Chongqing Road, Shanghai, 200025, China
| | - Xuantong Zhou
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Genome Editing and Cell Therapy, Biomedical Synthetic Biology Research Center, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Dongchuan Road 500, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Wenzheng Jiang
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Genome Editing and Cell Therapy, Biomedical Synthetic Biology Research Center, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Dongchuan Road 500, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Qiang Zou
- Shanghai Institute of Immunology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 280 South Chongqing Road, Shanghai, 200025, China
| | - Fengfeng Cai
- Department of Breast Surgery, Yangpu Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200090, China.
| | - Haifeng Ye
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Genome Editing and Cell Therapy, Biomedical Synthetic Biology Research Center, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Dongchuan Road 500, Shanghai, 200241, China.
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47
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Mansouri M, Ray PG, Franko N, Xue S, Fussenegger M. Design of programmable post-translational switch control platform for on-demand protein secretion in mammalian cells. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 51:e1. [PMID: 36268868 PMCID: PMC9841418 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac916] [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: 04/24/2022] [Revised: 09/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The development of novel strategies to program cellular behaviors is a central goal in synthetic biology, and post-translational control mediated by engineered protein circuits is a particularly attractive approach to achieve rapid protein secretion on demand. We have developed a programmable protease-mediated post-translational switch (POSH) control platform composed of a chimeric protein unit that consists of a protein of interest fused via a transmembrane domain to a cleavable ER-retention signal, together with two cytosolic inducer-sensitive split protease components. The protease components combine in the presence of the specific inducer to generate active protease, which cleaves the ER-retention signal, releasing the transmembrane-domain-linked protein for trafficking to the trans-Golgi region. A furin site placed downstream of the protein ensures cleavage and subsequent secretion of the desired protein. We show that stimuli ranging from plant-derived, clinically compatible chemicals to remotely controllable inducers such as light and electrostimulation can program protein secretion in various POSH-engineered designer mammalian cells. As proof-of-concept, an all-in-one POSH control plasmid encoding insulin and abscisic acid-activatable split protease units was hydrodynamically transfected into the liver of type-1 diabetic mice. Induction with abscisic acid attenuated glycemic excursions in glucose-tolerance tests. Increased blood levels of insulin were maintained for 12 days.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maysam Mansouri
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Preetam Guha Ray
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Nik Franko
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Shuai Xue
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Martin Fussenegger
- To whom correspondence should be addressed. Tel: +41 61 387 31 60; Fax: +41 61 387 39 88;
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48
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Stefanov BA, Fussenegger M. Biomarker-driven feedback control of synthetic biology systems for next-generation personalized medicine. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 10:986210. [PMID: 36225597 PMCID: PMC9548536 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.986210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Many current clinical therapies for chronic diseases involve administration of drugs using dosage and bioavailability parameters estimated for a generalized population. This standard approach carries the risk of under dosing, which may result in ineffective treatment, or overdosing, which may cause undesirable side effects. Consequently, maintaining a drug concentration in the therapeutic window often requires frequent monitoring, adversely affecting the patient’s quality of life. In contrast, endogenous biosystems have evolved finely tuned feedback control loops that govern the physiological functions of the body based on multiple input parameters. To provide personalized treatment for chronic diseases, therefore, we require synthetic systems that can similarly generate a calibrated therapeutic response. Such engineered autonomous closed-loop devices should incorporate a sensor that actively tracks and evaluates the disease severity based on one or more biomarkers, as well as components that utilize these molecular inputs to bio compute and deliver the appropriate level of therapeutic output. Here, we review recent advances in applications of the closed-loop design principle in biomedical implants for treating severe and chronic diseases, highlighting translational studies of cellular therapies. We describe the engineering principles and components of closed-loop therapeutic devices, and discuss their potential to become a key pillar of personalized medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Martin Fussenegger
- ETH Zürich, Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, Basel, Switzerland
- Faculty of Life Science, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- *Correspondence: Martin Fussenegger,
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49
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Abstract
AbstractComputational properties of neuronal networks have been applied to computing systems using simplified models comprising repeated connected nodes, e.g., perceptrons, with decision-making capabilities and flexible weighted links. Analogously to their revolutionary impact on computing, neuro-inspired models can transform synthetic gene circuit design in a manner that is reliable, efficient in resource utilization, and readily reconfigurable for different tasks. To this end, we introduce the perceptgene, a perceptron that computes in the logarithmic domain, which enables efficient implementation of artificial neural networks in Escherichia coli cells. We successfully modify perceptgene parameters to create devices that encode a minimum, maximum, and average of analog inputs. With these devices, we create multi-layer perceptgene circuits that compute a soft majority function, perform an analog-to-digital conversion, and implement a ternary switch. We also create a programmable perceptgene circuit whose computation can be modified from OR to AND logic using small molecule induction. Finally, we show that our approach enables circuit optimization via artificial intelligence algorithms.
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50
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Ze Y, Wang R, Deng H, Zhou Z, Chen X, Huang L, Yao Y. Three-dimensional bioprinting: A cutting-edge tool for designing and fabricating engineered living materials. BIOMATERIALS ADVANCES 2022; 140:213053. [PMID: 35964390 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioadv.2022.213053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2022] [Revised: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The design of engineered living materials (ELMs) is an emerging field developed from synthetic biology and materials science principles. ELMs are multi-scale bulk materials that combine the properties of self-healing and organism adaptability with the designed physicochemical or mechanical properties for functional applications in various fields, including therapy, electronics, and architecture. Among the many ELM design and manufacturing methods, three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting stands out for its precise control over the structure of the fabricated constructs and the spatial distribution of cells. In this review, we summarize the progress in the field, cell type and material selection, and the latest applications of 3D bioprinting to manufacture ELMs, as well as their advantages and limitations, hoping to deepen our understanding and provide new insights into ELM design. We believe that 3D bioprinting will become an important development direction and provide more contributions to this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiting Ze
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Ruixin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Hanzhi Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Zheqing Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Xiaoju Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Linyang Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Yang Yao
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
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