1
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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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2
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Zhang C, Tang Y, Tang S, Chen L, Li T, Yuan H, Xu Y, Zhou Y, Zhang S, Wang J, Wen H, Jiang W, Pang Y, Deng X, Cao X, Zhou J, Song X, Liu Q. An inducible CRISPR activation tool for accelerating plant regeneration. PLANT COMMUNICATIONS 2024; 5:100823. [PMID: 38243597 PMCID: PMC11121170 DOI: 10.1016/j.xplc.2024.100823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2023] [Revised: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 01/21/2024]
Abstract
The inducible CRISPR activation (CRISPR-a) system offers unparalleled precision and versatility for regulating endogenous genes, making it highly sought after in plant research. In this study, we developed a chemically inducible CRISPR-a tool for plants called ER-Tag by combining the LexA-VP16-ER inducible system with the SunTag CRISPR-a system. We systematically compared different induction strategies and achieved high efficiency in target gene activation. We demonstrated that guide RNAs can be multiplexed and pooled for large-scale screening of effective morphogenic genes and gene pairs involved in plant regeneration. Further experiments showed that induced activation of these morphogenic genes can accelerate regeneration and improve regeneration efficiency in both eudicot and monocot plants, including alfalfa, woodland strawberry, and sheepgrass. Our study expands the CRISPR toolset in plants and provides a powerful new strategy for studying gene function when constitutive expression is not feasible or ideal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cuimei Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Yajun Tang
- Peking University Institute of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Shandong Laboratory of Advanced Agricultural Sciences at Weifang, Shandong 261000, China
| | - Shanjie Tang
- National Center for Plant Gene Research, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Lei Chen
- National Center for Plant Gene Research, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Tong Li
- National Center for Plant Gene Research, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Haidi Yuan
- Peking University Institute of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Shandong Laboratory of Advanced Agricultural Sciences at Weifang, Shandong 261000, China
| | - Yujun Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Yangyan Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Shuaibin Zhang
- National Center for Plant Gene Research, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Jianli Wang
- Grass and Science Institute of Heilongjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Heilongjiang 150086, China
| | - Hongyu Wen
- Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Wenbo Jiang
- Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Yongzhen Pang
- Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Xian Deng
- Key Laboratory of Seed Innovation and National Center for Plant Gene Research, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Xiaofeng Cao
- National Center for Plant Gene Research, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Junhui Zhou
- Peking University Institute of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Shandong Laboratory of Advanced Agricultural Sciences at Weifang, Shandong 261000, China.
| | - Xianwei Song
- Key Laboratory of Seed Innovation and National Center for Plant Gene Research, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
| | - Qikun Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.
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3
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Tansley C, Patron NJ, Guiziou S. Engineering Plant Cell Fates and Functions for Agriculture and Industry. ACS Synth Biol 2024; 13:998-1005. [PMID: 38573786 PMCID: PMC11036505 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.4c00047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2024] [Revised: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024]
Abstract
Many plant species are grown to enable access to specific organs or tissues, such as seeds, fruits, or stems. In some cases, a value is associated with a molecule that accumulates in a single type of cell. Domestication and subsequent breeding have often increased the yields of these target products by increasing the size, number, and quality of harvested organs and tissues but also via changes to overall plant growth architecture to suit large-scale cultivation. Many of the mutations that underlie these changes have been identified in key regulators of cellular identity and function. As key determinants of yield, these regulators are key targets for synthetic biology approaches to engineer new forms and functions. However, our understanding of many plant developmental programs and cell-type specific functions is still incomplete. In this Perspective, we discuss how advances in cellular genomics together with synthetic biology tools such as biosensors and DNA-recording devices are advancing our understanding of cell-specific programs and cell fates. We then discuss advances and emerging opportunities for cell-type-specific engineering to optimize plant morphology, responses to the environment, and the production of valuable compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Connor Tansley
- Engineering
Biology, Earlham Institute, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7UZ United Kingdom
- Department
of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EA United
Kingdom
| | - Nicola J. Patron
- Engineering
Biology, Earlham Institute, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7UZ United Kingdom
- Department
of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EA United
Kingdom
| | - Sarah Guiziou
- Engineering
Biology, Earlham Institute, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7UZ United Kingdom
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4
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Calvache C, Vazquez‐Vilar M, Moreno‐Giménez E, Orzaez D. A quantitative autonomous bioluminescence reporter system with a wide dynamic range for Plant Synthetic Biology. PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL 2024; 22:37-47. [PMID: 37882352 PMCID: PMC10754000 DOI: 10.1111/pbi.14146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Revised: 06/24/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023]
Abstract
Plant Synthetic Biology aims to enhance the capacities of plants by designing and integrating synthetic gene circuits (SGCs). Quantitative reporting solutions that can produce quick, rich datasets affordably are necessary for SGC optimization. In this paper, we present a new, low-cost, and high-throughput reporter system for the quantitative measurement of gene expression in plants based on autonomous bioluminescence. This method eliminates the need for an exogenous supply of luciferase substrate by exploiting the entire Neonothopanus nambi fungal bioluminescence cyclic pathway to build a self-sustained reporter. The HispS gene, the pathway's limiting step, was set up as the reporter's transcriptional entry point as part of the new system's design, which significantly improved the output's dynamic range and brought it on par with that of the gold standard FLuc/RLuc reporter. Additionally, transient ratiometric measurements in N. benthamiana were made possible by the addition of an enhanced GFP as a normalizer. The performance of new NeoLuc/eGFP system was extensively validated with SGCs previously described, including phytohormone and optogenetic sensors. Furthermore, we employed NeoLuc/eGFP in the optimization of challenging SGCs, including new configurations for an agrochemical (copper) switch, a new blue optogenetic sensor, and a dual copper/red-light switch for tight regulation of metabolic pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camilo Calvache
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones CientíficasUniversitat Politècnica de ValénciaValenciaSpain
| | - Marta Vazquez‐Vilar
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones CientíficasUniversitat Politècnica de ValénciaValenciaSpain
| | - Elena Moreno‐Giménez
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones CientíficasUniversitat Politècnica de ValénciaValenciaSpain
| | - Diego Orzaez
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones CientíficasUniversitat Politècnica de ValénciaValenciaSpain
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5
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Smith AD, Tschirhart T, Compton J, Hennessa TM, VanArsdale E, Wang Z. Rapid, high-titer biosynthesis of melanin using the marine bacterium Vibrio natriegens. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2023; 11:1239756. [PMID: 37781538 PMCID: PMC10534004 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1239756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Melanin is one of the most abundant natural biomolecules on Earth. These macromolecular biopolymers display several unique physical and chemical properties and have garnered interest as biomaterials for various commercial and industrial applications. To this end, extensive research has gone into refining methods for the synthesis and extraction of melanin from natural and recombinant sources. In this study, we developed and refined a procedure using a recombinant microbial system for the biosynthesis of melanin using the tyrosinase enzyme Tyr1 and tyrosine as a substrate. Using the emergent microbial chassis organisms Vibrio natriegens, we achieved maximal yields of 7.57 g/L, and one of the highest reported volumetric productivities of 473 mg L-1 h-1 with 100% conversion rates in an optimized, minimally defined medium. Additionally, we identified and investigated the use of a native copper responsive promoter in V. natriegens for stringent regulation of heterologous protein expression as a cost effective alternative to traditional IPTG-based induction. This research represents a promising advancement towards a green, rapid, and economical alternative for the biomanufacture of melanin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron D. Smith
- United States Naval Research Laboratory, Center for Bio/Molecular Science and Engineering, Washington, DC, United States
- College of Science, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, United States
| | - Tanya Tschirhart
- United States Naval Research Laboratory, Center for Bio/Molecular Science and Engineering, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Jaimee Compton
- United States Naval Research Laboratory, Center for Bio/Molecular Science and Engineering, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Tiffany M. Hennessa
- American Society for Engineering Education Postdoctoral Research Associate, United States Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Eric VanArsdale
- National Research Council Postdoctoral Research Associate, United States Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Zheng Wang
- United States Naval Research Laboratory, Center for Bio/Molecular Science and Engineering, Washington, DC, United States
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6
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Wang Y, Demirer GS. Synthetic biology for plant genetic engineering and molecular farming. Trends Biotechnol 2023; 41:1182-1198. [PMID: 37012119 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2023.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Revised: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023]
Abstract
Many efforts have been put into engineering plants to improve crop yields and stress tolerance and boost the bioproduction of valuable molecules. Yet, our capabilities are still limited due to the lack of well-characterized genetic building blocks and resources for precise manipulation and given the inherently challenging properties of plant tissues. Advancements in plant synthetic biology can overcome these bottlenecks and release the full potential of engineered plants. In this review, we first discuss the recently developed plant synthetic elements from single parts to advanced circuits, software, and hardware tools expediting the engineering cycle. Next, we survey the advancements in plant biotechnology enabled by these recent resources. We conclude the review with outstanding challenges and future directions of plant synthetic biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunqing Wang
- Department of Bioengineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Gozde S Demirer
- Department of Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA.
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7
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Koukara J, Papadopoulou KK. Advances in plant synthetic biology approaches to control expression of gene circuits. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2023; 654:55-61. [PMID: 36889035 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2023.02.061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023]
Abstract
The applications of synthetic biology range from creating simple circuits to monitor an organism's state to complex circuits capable of reconstructing aspects of life. The latter has the potential to be used in plant synthetic biology to address current societal issues by reforming agriculture and enhancing production of molecules of increased demand. For this reason, development of efficient tools to precisely control gene expression of circuits must be prioritized. In this review, we report the latest efforts towards characterization, standardization and assembly of genetic parts into higher-order constructs, as well as available types of inducible systems to modulate their transcription in plant systems. Subsequently, we discuss recent developments in the orthogonal control of gene expression, Boolean logic gates and synthetic genetic toggle-like switches. Finally, we conclude that by combining different means of controlling gene expression, we can create complex circuits capable of reshaping plant life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenny Koukara
- Laboratory of Plant and Environmental Biotechnology, Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece
| | - Kalliope K Papadopoulou
- Laboratory of Plant and Environmental Biotechnology, Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece.
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8
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Kallam K, Moreno-Giménez E, Mateos-Fernández R, Tansley C, Gianoglio S, Orzaez D, Patron N. Tunable control of insect pheromone biosynthesis in Nicotiana benthamiana. PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL 2023. [PMID: 37032497 DOI: 10.1111/pbi.14048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2022] [Revised: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Previous work has demonstrated that plants can be used as production platforms for molecules used in health, medicine, and agriculture. Production has been exemplified in both stable transgenic plants and using transient expression strategies. In particular, species of Nicotiana have been engineered to produce a range of useful molecules, including insect sex pheromones, which are valued for species-specific control of agricultural pests. To date, most studies have relied on strong constitutive expression of all pathway genes. However, work in microbes has demonstrated that yields can be improved by controlling and balancing gene expression. Synthetic regulatory elements that provide control over the timing and levels of gene expression are therefore useful for maximizing yields from heterologous biosynthetic pathways. In this study, we demonstrate the use of pathway engineering and synthetic genetic elements for controlling the timing and levels of production of Lepidopteran sex pheromones in Nicotiana benthamiana. We demonstrate that copper can be used as a low-cost molecule for tightly regulated inducible expression. Further, we show how construct architecture influences relative gene expression and, consequently, product yields in multigene constructs. We compare a number of synthetic orthogonal regulatory elements and demonstrate maximal yields from constructs in which expression is mediated by dCas9-based synthetic transcriptional activators. The approaches demonstrated here provide new insights into the heterologous reconstruction of metabolic pathways in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kalyani Kallam
- Engineering Biology, Earlham Institute, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, Norfolk, UK
| | - Elena Moreno-Giménez
- Institute for Plant Molecular and Cell Biology (IBMCP), UPV-CSIC, Valencia, Spain
| | | | - Connor Tansley
- Engineering Biology, Earlham Institute, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, Norfolk, UK
| | - Silvia Gianoglio
- Institute for Plant Molecular and Cell Biology (IBMCP), UPV-CSIC, Valencia, Spain
| | - Diego Orzaez
- Institute for Plant Molecular and Cell Biology (IBMCP), UPV-CSIC, Valencia, Spain
| | - Nicola Patron
- Engineering Biology, Earlham Institute, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, Norfolk, UK
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9
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Yasmeen E, Wang J, Riaz M, Zhang L, Zuo K. Designing artificial synthetic promoters for accurate, smart, and versatile gene expression in plants. PLANT COMMUNICATIONS 2023:100558. [PMID: 36760129 PMCID: PMC10363483 DOI: 10.1016/j.xplc.2023.100558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Revised: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
With the development of high-throughput biology techniques and artificial intelligence, it has become increasingly feasible to design and construct artificial biological parts, modules, circuits, and even whole systems. To overcome the limitations of native promoters in controlling gene expression, artificial promoter design aims to synthesize short, inducible, and conditionally controlled promoters to coordinate the expression of multiple genes in diverse plant metabolic and signaling pathways. Synthetic promoters are versatile and can drive gene expression accurately with smart responses; they show potential for enhancing desirable traits in crops, thereby improving crop yield, nutritional quality, and food security. This review first illustrates the importance of synthetic promoters, then introduces promoter architecture and thoroughly summarizes advances in synthetic promoter construction. Restrictions to the development of synthetic promoters and future applications of such promoters in synthetic plant biology and crop improvement are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erum Yasmeen
- Single Cell Research Center, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Jin Wang
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Muhammad Riaz
- Single Cell Research Center, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Lida Zhang
- Single Cell Research Center, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Kaijing Zuo
- Single Cell Research Center, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China.
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10
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Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats tools for plant metabolic engineering: achievements and perspectives. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2023; 79:102856. [PMID: 36473330 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2022.102856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/09/2022]
Abstract
The plant kingdom represents the biggest source of feedstock, food, and added-value compounds. Engineering plant metabolic pathways to increase the phytochemical production or improve the nutraceutical value of crops is challenging because of the intricate interaction networks that link multiple genes, enzymatic steps, and metabolites, even when pathways are fully elucidated. The development of clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats - CRISPR-associated (CRISPR-Cas) technologies has helped to overcome limitations in metabolic engineering, providing efficient and versatile tools for multigene editing. CRISPR approaches in plants were shown to have a remarkable efficiency in genome editing of different species to improve agronomic and metabolic traits. Here, we give an overview of the different achievements and perspectives of CRISPR technology in plant metabolic engineering.
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11
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Juteršek M, Petek M, Ramšak Ž, Moreno-Giménez E, Gianoglio S, Mateos-Fernández R, Orzáez D, Gruden K, Baebler Š. Transcriptional deregulation of stress-growth balance in Nicotiana benthamiana biofactories producing insect sex pheromones. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:941338. [PMID: 36388501 PMCID: PMC9645294 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.941338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Plant biofactories are a promising platform for sustainable production of high-value compounds, among which are insect sex pheromones, a green alternative to conventional insecticides in agriculture. Recently, we have constructed transgenic Nicotiana benthamiana plants ("Sexy Plants", SxP) that successfully produce a blend of moth (Lepidoptera) sex pheromone compounds (Z)-11-hexadecen-1-ol and (Z)-11-hexadecenyl acetate. However, efficient biosynthesis of sex pheromones resulted in growth and developmental penalty, diminishing the potential for commercial use of SxP in biomanufacturing. To gain insight into the underlying molecular responses, we analysed the whole-genome transcriptome and evaluated it in relation to growth and pheromone production in low- and high-producing transgenic plants of v1.0 and v1.2 SxP lines. In our study, high-producing SxPv1.2 plants accumulated the highest amounts of pheromones but still maintained better growth compared to v1.0 high producers. For an in-depth biological interpretation of the transcriptomic data, we have prepared a comprehensive functional N. benthamiana genome annotation as well as gene translations to Arabidopsis thaliana, enabling functional information transfer by using Arabidopsis knowledge networks. Differential gene expression analysis, contrasting pheromone producers to wild-type plants, revealed that while only a few genes were differentially regulated in low-producing plants, high-producing plants exhibited vast transcriptional reprogramming. They showed signs of stress-like response, manifested as downregulation of photosynthesis-related genes and significant differences in expression of hormonal signalling and secondary metabolism-related genes, the latter presumably leading to previously reported volatilome changes. Further network analyses confirmed stress-like response with activation of jasmonic acid and downregulation of gibberellic acid signalling, illuminating the possibility that the observed growth penalty was not solely a consequence of a higher metabolic burden imposed upon constitutive expression of a heterologous biosynthetic pathway, but rather the result of signalling pathway perturbation. Our work presents an example of comprehensive transcriptomic analyses of disadvantageous stress signalling in N. benthamiana biofactory that could be applied to other bioproduction systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mojca Juteršek
- Department of Biotechnology and Systems Biology, National Institute of Biology, Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Jožef Stefan International Postgraduate School, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Marko Petek
- Department of Biotechnology and Systems Biology, National Institute of Biology, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Živa Ramšak
- Department of Biotechnology and Systems Biology, National Institute of Biology, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Elena Moreno-Giménez
- Institute for Plant Molecular and Cell Biology (IBMCP), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Universidad Politécnica de Valencia (UPV), Valencia, Spain
| | - Silvia Gianoglio
- Institute for Plant Molecular and Cell Biology (IBMCP), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Universidad Politécnica de Valencia (UPV), Valencia, Spain
| | - Rubén Mateos-Fernández
- Institute for Plant Molecular and Cell Biology (IBMCP), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Universidad Politécnica de Valencia (UPV), Valencia, Spain
| | - Diego Orzáez
- Institute for Plant Molecular and Cell Biology (IBMCP), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Universidad Politécnica de Valencia (UPV), Valencia, Spain
| | - Kristina Gruden
- Department of Biotechnology and Systems Biology, National Institute of Biology, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Špela Baebler
- Department of Biotechnology and Systems Biology, National Institute of Biology, Ljubljana, Slovenia
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12
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Moreno-Giménez E, Selma S, Calvache C, Orzáez D. GB_SynP: A Modular dCas9-Regulated Synthetic Promoter Collection for Fine-Tuned Recombinant Gene Expression in Plants. ACS Synth Biol 2022; 11:3037-3048. [PMID: 36044643 PMCID: PMC9486966 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.2c00238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Programmable transcriptional factors based on the CRISPR architecture are becoming commonly used in plants for endogenous gene regulation. In plants, a potent CRISPR tool for gene induction is the so-called dCasEV2.1 activation system, which has shown remarkable genome-wide specificity combined with a strong activation capacity. To explore the ability of dCasEV2.1 to act as a transactivator for orthogonal synthetic promoters, a collection of DNA parts was created (GB_SynP) for combinatorial synthetic promoter building. The collection includes (i) minimal promoter parts with the TATA box and 5'UTR regions, (ii) proximal parts containing single or multiple copies of the target sequence for the gRNA, thus functioning as regulatory cis boxes, and (iii) sequence-randomized distal parts that ensure the adequate length of the resulting promoter. A total of 35 promoters were assembled using the GB_SynP collection, showing in all cases minimal background and predictable activation levels depending on the proximal parts used. GB_SynP was also employed in a combinatorial expression analysis of an autoluminescence pathway in Nicotiana benthamiana, showing the value of this tool in extracting important biological information such as the determination of the limiting steps in an enzymatic pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Moreno-Giménez
- Instituto
de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas (IBMCP), Consejo
Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, Camino de Vera s/n, Valencia 46022, Spain
| | - Sara Selma
- Instituto
de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas (IBMCP), Consejo
Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, Camino de Vera s/n, Valencia 46022, Spain
| | - Camilo Calvache
- Instituto
de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas (IBMCP), Consejo
Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, Camino de Vera s/n, Valencia 46022, Spain
| | - Diego Orzáez
- Instituto
de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas (IBMCP), Consejo
Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, Camino de Vera s/n, Valencia 46022, Spain
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13
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Sathesh-Prabu C, Tiwari R, Lee SK. Substrate-inducible and antibiotic-free high-level 4-hydroxyvaleric acid production in engineered Escherichia coli. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 10:960907. [PMID: 36017349 PMCID: PMC9398171 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.960907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In this study, we developed a levulinic acid (LA)-inducible and antibiotic-free plasmid system mediated by HpdR/PhpdH and infA-complementation to produce 4-hydroxyvaleric acid (4-HV) from LA in an engineered Escherichia coli strain. The system was efficiently induced by the addition of the LA substrate and resulted in tight dose-dependent control and fine-tuning of gene expression. By engineering the 5′ untranslated region (UTR) of hpdR mRNA, the gene expression of green fluorescent protein (GFP) increased by at least two-fold under the hpdH promoter. Furthermore, by evaluating the robustness and plasmid stability of the proposed system, the engineered strain, IRV750f, expressing the engineered 3-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase (3HBDH∗) and formate dehydrogenase (CbFDH), produced 82 g/L of 4-HV from LA, with a productivity of 3.4 g/L/h and molar conversion of 92% in the fed-batch cultivation (5 L fermenter) without the addition of antibiotics or external inducers. Overall, the reported system was highly beneficial for the large-scale and cost-effective microbial production of value-added products and bulk chemicals from the renewable substrate, LA.
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