1
|
Liu MQ, Guo Y, Wu C, Gao CX, Liu F, Hui CY. Visual arsenic detection in environmental waters: Innovating with a naked-eye biosensor for universal application. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2024; 477:135398. [PMID: 39096639 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.135398] [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: 04/28/2024] [Revised: 07/27/2024] [Accepted: 07/31/2024] [Indexed: 08/05/2024]
Abstract
Arsenic contamination in environmental water sources poses a significant threat to human health, necessitating the development of sensitive and accessible detection methods. This study presents a multidimensional optimization of a bacterial biosensor for the susceptible and deoxyviolacein (DV)-based visual detection of arsenic. The research involved screening six different arsenic resistance (ars) operons and optimizing the genetic circuit to minimize background noise. Introducing an arsenic-specific transport channel enhanced the sensor's sensitivity to 1 nM with a quantitative range from 0.036 to 1.171 μM. The pigment-based biosensor offers a simple colorimetric approach for arsenic detection without complex instrumentation. The preferred biosensor demonstrated characteristics of anti-chelating agent interference, consistently quantified As(III) concentrations ranging from 0.036 to 1.171 μM covering the World Health Organization (WHO) drinking water limit. Innovatively, it effectively detects arsenic in seawater within a linear regression range of 0.071 to 1.125 μM. The biosensor's selectivity for arsenic was confirmed, with minimal cross-response to group 15 metals. Our naked-eye biosensor offers a novel approach for the rapid, on-site detection of arsenic in various water sources. Its simplicity, cost-effectiveness, and versatility make it a valuable tool for environmental monitoring and public health initiatives.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ming-Qi Liu
- School of Public Health, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan 523808, China
| | - Yan Guo
- Shenzhen Prevention and Treatment Center for Occupational Diseases, 2019 Buxin Road, Shenzhen 518020, China
| | - Can Wu
- Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Chao-Xian Gao
- Shenzhen Prevention and Treatment Center for Occupational Diseases, 2019 Buxin Road, Shenzhen 518020, China
| | - Fen Liu
- Shenzhen Prevention and Treatment Center for Occupational Diseases, 2019 Buxin Road, Shenzhen 518020, China
| | - Chang-Ye Hui
- Shenzhen Prevention and Treatment Center for Occupational Diseases, 2019 Buxin Road, Shenzhen 518020, China.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Wang B, Xu JZ, Liu S, Rao ZM, Zhang WG. Engineering of human tryptophan hydroxylase 2 for efficient synthesis of 5-hydroxytryptophan. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 260:129484. [PMID: 38242416 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.129484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2023] [Revised: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 01/21/2024]
Abstract
L-Tryptophan hydroxylation catalyzed by tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH) presents a promising method for synthesizing 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP), yet the limited activity of wild-type human TPH2 restricts its application. A high-activity mutant, MT10 (H318E/H323E), was developed through semi-rational active site saturation testing (CAST) of wild-type TPH2, exhibiting a 2.85-fold increase in kcat/Km over the wild type, thus enhancing catalytic efficiency. Two biotransformation systems were developed, including an in vitro one-pot system and a Whole-Cell Catalysis System (WCCS). In the WCCS, MT10 achieved a conversion rate of only 31.5 % within 32 h. In the one-pot reaction, MT10 converted 50 mM L-tryptophan to 44.5 mM 5-HTP within 8 h, achieving an 89 % conversion rate, outperforming the M1 (NΔ143/CΔ26) variant. Molecular dynamics simulations indicated enhanced interactions of MT10 with the substrate, suggesting improved binding affinity and system stability. This study offers an effective approach for the efficient production of 5-HTP.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- BingBing Wang
- The Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, 1800# Lihu Road, WuXi 214122, People's Republic of China
| | - Jian-Zhong Xu
- The Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, 1800# Lihu Road, WuXi 214122, People's Republic of China
| | - Shuai Liu
- The Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, 1800# Lihu Road, WuXi 214122, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhi-Ming Rao
- The Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, 1800# Lihu Road, WuXi 214122, People's Republic of China; National Engineering Laboratory for Cereal Fermentation Technology, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, 1800# Lihu Road, WuXi 214122, People's Republic of China.
| | - Wei-Guo Zhang
- The Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, 1800# Lihu Road, WuXi 214122, People's Republic of China.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Hui CY, Ma BC, Hu SY, Wu C. Tailored bacteria tackling with environmental mercury: Inspired by natural mercuric detoxification operons. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2024; 341:123016. [PMID: 38008253 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.123016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Revised: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 11/19/2023] [Indexed: 11/28/2023]
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) and its inorganic and organic compounds significantly threaten the ecosystem and human health. However, the natural and anthropogenic Hg environmental inputs exceed 5000 metric tons annually. Hg is usually discharged in elemental or ionic forms, accumulating in surface water and sediments where Hg-methylating microbes-mediated biotransformation occurs. Microbial genetic factors such as the mer operon play a significant role in the complex Hg biogeochemical cycle. Previous reviews summarize the fate of environmental Hg, its biogeochemistry, and the mechanism of bacterial Hg resistance. This review mainly focuses on the mer operon and its components in detecting, absorbing, bioaccumulating, and detoxifying environmental Hg. Four components of the mer operon, including the MerR regulator, divergent mer promoter, and detoxification factors MerA and MerB, are rare bio-parts for assembling synthetic bacteria, which tackle pollutant Hg. Bacteria are designed to integrate synthetic biology, protein engineering, and metabolic engineering. In summary, this review highlights that designed bacteria based on the mer operon can potentially sense and bioremediate pollutant Hg in a green and low-cost manner.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chang-Ye Hui
- Shenzhen Prevention and Treatment Center for Occupational Diseases, 2019 Buxin Road, Shenzhen, 518020, China.
| | - Bing-Chan Ma
- Shenzhen Prevention and Treatment Center for Occupational Diseases, 2019 Buxin Road, Shenzhen, 518020, China; School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 13 Hangkong Road, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Shun-Yu Hu
- Shenzhen Prevention and Treatment Center for Occupational Diseases, 2019 Buxin Road, Shenzhen, 518020, China; Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Can Wu
- Shenzhen Prevention and Treatment Center for Occupational Diseases, 2019 Buxin Road, Shenzhen, 518020, China; Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Chaurasia R, Liang C, How K, Vieira DS, Vinetz JM. Production and Purification of Cysteine-Rich Leptospiral Virulence-Modifying Proteins with or Without mCherry Fusion. Protein J 2023; 42:792-801. [PMID: 37653175 DOI: 10.1007/s10930-023-10152-2] [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] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
Recombinant fluorescent fusion proteins are fundamental to advancing many aspects of protein science. Such proteins are typically used to enable the visualization of functional proteins in experimental systems, particularly cell biology. An important problem in biotechnology is the production of functional, soluble proteins. Here we report the use of mCherry-fusions of soluble, cysteine-rich, Leptospira-secreted exotoxins in the PF07598 gene family, the so-called virulence modifying (VM) proteins. The mCherry fusion proteins facilitated the visual detection of pink colonies of the VM proteins (LA3490 and LA1402) and following them through lysis and sequential chromatography steps. CD-spectroscopy analysis confirmed the stability and robustness of the mCherry-fusion protein, with a structure comparable to AlphaFold structural predictions. LA0591, a unique member of the PF07598 gene family that lacks N-terminal ricin B-like domains, was produced without mCherry tag that strengthens the recombinant protein production protocol without fusion protein as well. The current study provides the approaches for the synthesis of 50-125 kDa soluble, cysteine-rich, high-quality fast protein liquid chromatography (FPLC)-purified protein, with and without a mCherry tag. The use of mCherry-fusion proteins enables a streamlined, efficient process of protein production and qualitative and quantitative downstream analytical and functional studies. Approaches for troubleshooting and optimization were evaluated to overcome difficulties in recombinant protein expression and purification, demonstrating biotechnology utility in accelerating recombinant protein production.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Reetika Chaurasia
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
| | - Cathleen Liang
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Kenneth How
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Dielson S Vieira
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Joseph M Vinetz
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Gao Y, Wei J, Pu L, Fu S, Xing X, Zhang R, Jin F. Remotely Controllable Engineered Bacteria for Targeted Therapy of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Infection. ACS Synth Biol 2023. [PMID: 37418677 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.2c00655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/09/2023]
Abstract
Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) infection has become an intractable problem worldwide due to the decreasing efficacy of the mainstay therapy, antibiotic treatment. Hence, exploring new drugs and therapies to address this issue is crucial. Here, we construct a chimeric pyocin (ChPy) to specifically kill P. aeruginosa and engineer a near-infrared (NIR) light-responsive strain to produce and deliver this drug. Our engineered bacterial strain can continuously produce ChPy in the absence of light and release it to kill P. aeruginosa via remotely and precisely controlled bacterial lysis induced by NIR light. We demonstrate that our engineered bacterial strain is effective in P. aeruginosa-infected wound therapy in the mouse model, as it eradicated PAO1 in mouse wounds and shortened the wound healing time. Our work presents a potentially spatiotemporal and noninvasively controlled therapeutic strategy of engineered bacteria for the targeted treatment of P. aeruginosa infections.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yanmei Gao
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China, No. 96, JinZhai Road, Baohe District, Hefei, Anhui 230026, P. R. China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China
| | - Jingjing Wei
- Department of Fine Chemical Engineering, Shenzhen Polytechnic, Nanshan District, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China
| | - Lu Pu
- West China School of Medicine, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610065, China
| | - Shengwei Fu
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China, No. 96, JinZhai Road, Baohe District, Hefei, Anhui 230026, P. R. China
| | - Xiaochen Xing
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China
| | - Rongrong Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China
| | - Fan Jin
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China, No. 96, JinZhai Road, Baohe District, Hefei, Anhui 230026, P. R. China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Wen K, Chen Y, Meng X, Botros S, Dai W, Stojanovic MN, Tomer R, Lin Q. A Microfluidic Dual-Aptamer Sandwich Assay for Rapid and Cost-Effective Detection of Recombinant Proteins. Microchem J 2023; 188:108454. [PMID: 36992861 PMCID: PMC10041396 DOI: 10.1016/j.microc.2023.108454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
While monitoring expression of recombinant proteins is essential for obtaining high-quality biopharmaceutical and biotechnological products, existing assays for recombinant protein detection are laborious, time-consuming and expensive. This paper presents a microfluidic approach to rapid and cost-effective detection of tag-fused recombinant proteins via a dual-aptamer sandwich assay. Our approach addresses limitations in current methods for both dual-aptamer assays and generation of aptamers for such assays by first using microfluidic technology to isolate the aptamers rapidly and then employing these aptamers to implement a microfluidic dual-aptamer assay for tag-fused recombinant protein detection. The use of microfluidic technology enables the fast generation of aptamers and rapid detection of recombinant proteins with minimized consumption of reagents. In addition, compared with antibodies, aptamers as low-cost affinity reagents with an ability of reversible denaturation further decreases the cost of recombinant protein detection. For demonstration, an aptamer pair is isolated rapidly toward His-tagged IgE within two days, and then used in the microfluidic dual-aptamer assay for detecting His-tagged IgE in cell culture media within 10 min and with a limit of detection of 7.1 nM.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kechun Wen
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA
| | - Yannan Chen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA
| | - Xin Meng
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA
| | - Samantha Botros
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA
| | - Wenting Dai
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA
| | - Milan N. Stojanovic
- Division of Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Medicine and Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Raju Tomer
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA
| | - Qiao Lin
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Genomically mined acoustic reporter genes for real-time in vivo monitoring of tumors and tumor-homing bacteria. Nat Biotechnol 2023:10.1038/s41587-022-01581-y. [PMID: 36593411 DOI: 10.1038/s41587-022-01581-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 40.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Ultrasound allows imaging at a much greater depth than optical methods, but existing genetically encoded acoustic reporters for in vivo cellular imaging have been limited by poor sensitivity, specificity and in vivo expression. Here we describe two acoustic reporter genes (ARGs)-one for use in bacteria and one for use in mammalian cells-identified through a phylogenetic screen of candidate gas vesicle gene clusters from diverse bacteria and archaea that provide stronger ultrasound contrast, produce non-linear signals distinguishable from background tissue and have stable long-term expression. Compared to their first-generation counterparts, these improved bacterial and mammalian ARGs produce 9-fold and 38-fold stronger non-linear contrast, respectively. Using these new ARGs, we non-invasively imaged in situ tumor colonization and gene expression in tumor-homing therapeutic bacteria, tracked the progression of tumor gene expression and growth in a mouse model of breast cancer, and performed gene-expression-guided needle biopsies of a genetically mosaic tumor, demonstrating non-invasive access to dynamic biological processes at centimeter depth.
Collapse
|
8
|
Combing with redox regulation via quorum-sensing system and fermentation strategies for improving D-pantothenic acid production. Process Biochem 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.procbio.2022.08.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
|
9
|
Hirschi S, Ward TR, Meier WP, Müller DJ, Fotiadis D. Synthetic Biology: Bottom-Up Assembly of Molecular Systems. Chem Rev 2022; 122:16294-16328. [PMID: 36179355 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.2c00339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The bottom-up assembly of biological and chemical components opens exciting opportunities to engineer artificial vesicular systems for applications with previously unmet requirements. The modular combination of scaffolds and functional building blocks enables the engineering of complex systems with biomimetic or new-to-nature functionalities. Inspired by the compartmentalized organization of cells and organelles, lipid or polymer vesicles are widely used as model membrane systems to investigate the translocation of solutes and the transduction of signals by membrane proteins. The bottom-up assembly and functionalization of such artificial compartments enables full control over their composition and can thus provide specifically optimized environments for synthetic biological processes. This review aims to inspire future endeavors by providing a diverse toolbox of molecular modules, engineering methodologies, and different approaches to assemble artificial vesicular systems. Important technical and practical aspects are addressed and selected applications are presented, highlighting particular achievements and limitations of the bottom-up approach. Complementing the cutting-edge technological achievements, fundamental aspects are also discussed to cater to the inherently diverse background of the target audience, which results from the interdisciplinary nature of synthetic biology. The engineering of proteins as functional modules and the use of lipids and block copolymers as scaffold modules for the assembly of functionalized vesicular systems are explored in detail. Particular emphasis is placed on ensuring the controlled assembly of these components into increasingly complex vesicular systems. Finally, all descriptions are presented in the greater context of engineering valuable synthetic biological systems for applications in biocatalysis, biosensing, bioremediation, or targeted drug delivery.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stephan Hirschi
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of Bern, Bühlstrasse 28, 3012 Bern, Switzerland.,Molecular Systems Engineering, National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR), 4002 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Thomas R Ward
- Department of Chemistry, University of Basel, St. Johanns-Ring 19, 4056 Basel, Switzerland.,Molecular Systems Engineering, National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR), 4002 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Wolfgang P Meier
- Department of Chemistry, University of Basel, St. Johanns-Ring 19, 4056 Basel, Switzerland.,Molecular Systems Engineering, National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR), 4002 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Daniel J Müller
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zürich, Mattenstrasse 26, 4058 Basel, Switzerland.,Molecular Systems Engineering, National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR), 4002 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Dimitrios Fotiadis
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of Bern, Bühlstrasse 28, 3012 Bern, Switzerland.,Molecular Systems Engineering, National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR), 4002 Basel, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Shariati FS, Keramati M, Cohan RA. Indirect optimization of staphylokinase expression level in dicistronic auto-inducible system. AMB Express 2022; 12:124. [PMID: 36138332 PMCID: PMC9500143 DOI: 10.1186/s13568-022-01464-0] [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: 05/12/2022] [Accepted: 09/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Design of experiment (DOE) is a statistical approach for designing, performing, and interpreting a large set of data with the minimum number of tests. In our previous study, we developed a novel Hsp27 SILEX system for production of recombinant proteins. In the present study, we optimized indirectly the most effective factors including inoculation load, self-induction temperature, and culture media on autoinduction of staphylokinase (SAK) expression using RSM methodology and fluorometry. The expression level of SAK was assayed at different runs after 6 h incubation at 90 rpm. The results indicated all parameters significantly affect the SAK expression level (p < 0.05). The optimum expression condition was obtained with an inoculation load of 0.05, a temperature of 25 °C, and TB culture medium. The analysis of variance with a R2 value of 0.91 showed that a quadratic model well described this prediction (p < 0.05). Applying the optimized condition led to an approximately fourfold increase in the SAK expression level (from 1.3 to 5.2 µg/ml). Moreover, the recombinant protein was purified using immobilized metal affinity chromatography and the activity was also confirmed by semi-quantitative caseinolytic method.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fatemeh Sadat Shariati
- Department of Nanobiotechnology, New Technologies Research Group, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Malihe Keramati
- Department of Nanobiotechnology, New Technologies Research Group, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Reza Ahangari Cohan
- Department of Nanobiotechnology, New Technologies Research Group, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Hui CY, Guo Y, Li H, Chen YT, Yi J. Differential Detection of Bioavailable Mercury and Cadmium Based on a Robust Dual-Sensing Bacterial Biosensor. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:846524. [PMID: 35495723 PMCID: PMC9043898 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.846524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2021] [Accepted: 03/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetically programmed biosensors have been widely used to monitor bioavailable heavy metal pollutions in terms of their toxicity to living organisms. Most bacterial biosensors were initially designed to detect specific heavy metals such as mercury and cadmium. However, most available biosensors failed to distinguish cadmium from various heavy metals, especially mercury. Integrating diverse sensing elements into a single genetic construct or a single host strain has been demonstrated to quantify several heavy metals simultaneously. In this study, a dual-sensing construct was assembled by employing mercury-responsive regulator (MerR) and cadmium-responsive regulator (CadR) as the separate sensory elements and enhanced fluorescent protein (eGFP) and mCherry red fluorescent protein (mCherry) as the separate reporters. Compared with two corresponding single-sensing bacterial sensors, the dual-sensing bacterial sensor emitted differential double-color fluorescence upon exposure to 0–40 μM toxic Hg(II) and red fluorescence upon exposure to toxic Cd(II) below 200 μM. Bioavailable Hg(II) could be quantitatively determined using double-color fluorescence within a narrow concentration range (0–5 μM). But bioavailable Cd(II) could be quantitatively measured using red fluorescence over a wide concentration range (0–200 μM). The dual-sensing biosensor was applied to detect bioavailable Hg(II) and Cd(II) simultaneously. Significant higher red fluorescence reflected the predominant pollution of Cd(II), and significant higher green fluorescence suggested the predominant pollution of Hg(II). Our findings show that the synergistic application of various sensory modules contributes to an efficient biological device that responds to concurrent heavy metal pollutants in the environment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chang-Ye Hui
- Department of Pathology and Toxicology, Shenzhen Prevention and Treatment Center for Occupational Diseases, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yan Guo
- National Key Clinical Specialty of Occupational Diseases, Shenzhen Prevention and Treatment Center for Occupational Diseases, Shenzhen, China
| | - Han Li
- College of Lab Medicine, Hebei North University, Zhangjiakou, China
| | - Yu-Ting Chen
- Department of Pathology and Toxicology, Shenzhen Prevention and Treatment Center for Occupational Diseases, Shenzhen, China
| | - Juan Yi
- Department of Pathology and Toxicology, Shenzhen Prevention and Treatment Center for Occupational Diseases, Shenzhen, China
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Bautista DE, Carr JF, Mitchell AM. Suppressor Mutants: History and Today's Applications. EcoSal Plus 2021; 9:eESP00372020. [PMID: 34910591 PMCID: PMC9008745 DOI: 10.1128/ecosalplus.esp-0037-2020] [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: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
For decades, biologist have exploited the near boundless advantages that molecular and genetic tools and analysis provide for our ability to understand biological systems. One of these genetic tools, suppressor analysis, has proven invaluable in furthering our understanding of biological processes and pathways and in discovering unknown interactions between genes and gene products. The power of suppressor analysis lies in its ability to discover genetic interactions in an unbiased manner, often leading to surprising discoveries. With advancements in technology, high-throughput approaches have aided in large-scale identification of suppressors and have helped provide insight into the core functional mechanisms through which suppressors act. In this review, we examine some of the fundamental discoveries that have been made possible through analysis of suppressor mutations. In addition, we cover the different types of suppressor mutants that can be isolated and the biological insights afforded by each type. Moreover, we provide considerations for the design of experiments to isolate suppressor mutants and for strategies to identify intergenic suppressor mutations. Finally, we provide guidance and example protocols for the isolation and mapping of suppressor mutants.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- David E. Bautista
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Joseph F. Carr
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Angela M. Mitchell
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Chae YK, Um Y, Kim H. A simple and sensitive detection of the binding ligands by using the receptor aggregation and NMR spectroscopy: a test case of the maltose binding protein. JOURNAL OF BIOMOLECULAR NMR 2021; 75:371-381. [PMID: 34524563 PMCID: PMC8441238 DOI: 10.1007/s10858-021-00381-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2021] [Accepted: 09/02/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Protein-ligand interaction is one of the highlights of molecular recognition. The most popular application of this type of interaction is drug development which requires a high throughput screening of a ligand that binds to the target protein. Our goal was to find a binding ligand with a simple detection, and once this type of ligand was found, other methods could then be used to measure the detailed kinetic or thermodynamic parameters. We started with the idea that the ligand NMR signal would disappear if it was bound to the non-tumbling mass. In order to create the non-tumbling mass, we tried the aggregates of a target protein, which was fused to the elastin-like polypeptide. We chose the maltose binding proteinas a test case, and we tried it with several sugars, which included maltose, glucose, sucrose, lactose, galactose, maltotriose, and β-cyclodextrin. The maltose signal in the H-1 NMR spectrum disappeared completely as hoped around the protein to ligand ratio of 1:3 at 298 K where the proteins aggregated. The protein signals also disappeared upon aggregation except for the fast-moving part, which resulted in a cleaner background than the monomeric form. Since we only needed to look for a disappearing signal amongst those from the mixture, it should be useful in high throughput screening. Other types of sugars except for the maltotriose and β-cyclodextrin, which are siblings of the maltose, did not seem to bind at all. We believe that our system would be especially more effective when dealing with a smaller target protein, so both the protein and the bound ligand would lose their signals only when the aggregates formed. We hope that our proposed method would contribute to accelerating the development of the potent drug candidates by simultaneously identifying several binders directly from a mixture.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Young Kee Chae
- Department of Chemistry, Sejong University, 209 Neungdong-Ro, Gwangjin-Gu, Seoul, 05006, Korea.
| | - Yoonjin Um
- Department of Chemistry, Sejong University, 209 Neungdong-Ro, Gwangjin-Gu, Seoul, 05006, Korea
| | - Hakbeom Kim
- Department of Chemistry, Sejong University, 209 Neungdong-Ro, Gwangjin-Gu, Seoul, 05006, Korea
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Chae YK, Kim H. Development of an Autoinducible Plasmid for Recombinant Protein Production. Protein Pept Lett 2021; 28:1398-1407. [PMID: 34749604 DOI: 10.2174/0929866528666211105113750] [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: 06/14/2021] [Revised: 08/09/2021] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The production of recombinant proteins in E. coli involves such factors as host strains, expression vectors, culture media, and induction methods. The typical procedure to produce heterologous proteins consists of the following: (1) insertion of the target gene into a suitable vector to construct an overexpression plasmid, (2) transformation of a strain specialized for protein production with the constructed plasmid DNA, (3) growth of the host in a suitable medium and induction of the protein production at a right moment, and (4) further growth to get the maximum yield. There are hurdles involved in each of these steps, and researchers have developed many materials or methods, which often require special recipes or procedures. OBJECTIVE To eliminate the special requirements for the recombinant protein production by using readily available materials. Also to save time and effort in the routine protein production work. METHOD We started with a vector capable of producing a target protein fused to the C-terminus of the maltose binding protein (MBP). The mCherry (red fluorescent protein) gene was fused to MBP. It acted as a reporter in the initial screening procedure. The original lethal gene (barnase) was replaced with sacB. We chose 3 stationary phase promoters, and made hybrids of them by mixing halves from each one. The T5 promoter was replaced with these stationary phase promoters or their hybrids. The best plasmid was selected by the color intensity of the cell pellet. MBP and GST genes were inserted in place of sacB, and their production yields were compared with the original plasmid in the conventional way of expression. RESULTS We constructed an expression plasmid with an autoinducible promoter working in a host that was not specially designed for protein production and in a TB medium which did not contain any secret ingredient, nor was difficult to prepare unlike Studier's defined medium. This plasmid also contains a color indicator which turns red when protein production is successful. We tested our system with the maltose binding protein (MBP) and the glutathione S-transferase (GST), and showed that both proteins were produced to a level comparable to what the commercial medium and/or the specialized strain yielded. CONCLUSION We developed a plasmid equipped with an autoinducible promoter, a hybrid of the two promoters which were activated at the stationary phase. This plasmid does not need a special E. coli strain nor a sophisticated nor an expensive medium. It produces an intense red (or pink) color, which can be used as an indicator of a successful production of the target protein and as a predictive measure of the amount of the produced target protein. We speculate that this plasmid will have its greatest advantage when growing cells at low temperatures which would inevitably take a long time. .
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Young Kee Chae
- Department of Chemistry, Sejong University, 209 Neungdong-Ro, Gwangjin-Gu, Seoul. Korea
| | - Hakbeom Kim
- Department of Chemistry, Sejong University, 209 Neungdong-Ro, Gwangjin-Gu, Seoul. Korea
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Hui CY, Guo Y, Wu J, Liu L, Yang XQ, Guo X, Xie Y, Yi J. Detection of Bioavailable Cadmium by Double-Color Fluorescence Based on a Dual-Sensing Bioreporter System. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:696195. [PMID: 34603225 PMCID: PMC8481780 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.696195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2021] [Accepted: 06/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Cadmium (Cd) is carcinogenic to humans and can accumulate in the liver, kidneys, and bones. There is widespread presence of cadmium in the environment as a consequence of anthropogenic activities. It is important to detect cadmium in the environment to prevent further exposure to humans. Previous whole-cell biosensor designs were focused on single-sensing constructs but have had difficulty in distinguishing cadmium from other metal ions such as lead (Pb) and mercury (Hg). We developed a dual-sensing bacterial bioreporter system to detect bioavailable cadmium by employing CadC and CadR as separate metal sensory elements and eGFP and mCherry as fluorescent reporters in one genetic construct. The capability of this dual-sensing biosensor was proved to simultaneously detect bioavailable cadmium and its toxic effects using two sets of sensing systems while still maintaining similar specificity and sensitivity of respective signal-sensing biosensors. The productions of double-color fluorescence were directly proportional to the exposure concentration of cadmium, thereby serving as an effective quantitative biosensor to detect bioavailable cadmium. This novel dual-sensing biosensor was then validated to respond to Cd(II) spiked in environmental water samples. This is the first report of the development of a novel dual-sensing, whole-cell biosensor for simultaneous detection of bioavailable cadmium. The application of two biosensing modules provides versatile biosensing signals and improved performance that can make a significant impact on monitoring high concentration of bioavailable Cd(II) in environmental water to reduce human exposure to the harmful effects of cadmium.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chang-ye Hui
- Department of Pathology & Toxicology, Shenzhen Prevention and Treatment Center for Occupational Diseases, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yan Guo
- National Key Clinical Specialty of Occupational Diseases, Shenzhen Prevention and Treatment Center for Occupational Diseases, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jian Wu
- National Key Clinical Specialty of Occupational Diseases, Shenzhen Prevention and Treatment Center for Occupational Diseases, Shenzhen, China
| | - Lisa Liu
- Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Ambler, PA, United States
| | - Xue-qin Yang
- Department of Pathology & Toxicology, Shenzhen Prevention and Treatment Center for Occupational Diseases, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xiang Guo
- National Key Clinical Specialty of Occupational Diseases, Shenzhen Prevention and Treatment Center for Occupational Diseases, Shenzhen, China
| | - Ying Xie
- National Key Clinical Specialty of Occupational Diseases, Shenzhen Prevention and Treatment Center for Occupational Diseases, Shenzhen, China
| | - Juan Yi
- Department of Pathology & Toxicology, Shenzhen Prevention and Treatment Center for Occupational Diseases, Shenzhen, China
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Hui CY, Guo Y, Li LM, Liu L, Chen YT, Yi J, Zhang NX. Indigoidine biosynthesis triggered by the heavy metal-responsive transcription regulator: a visual whole-cell biosensor. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2021; 105:6087-6102. [PMID: 34291315 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-021-11441-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2021] [Revised: 06/22/2021] [Accepted: 07/03/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
During the last few decades, whole-cell biosensors have attracted increasing attention for their enormous potential in monitoring bioavailable heavy metal contaminations in the ecosystem. Visual and measurable output signals by employing natural pigments have been demonstrated to offer another potential choice to indicate the existence of bioavailable heavy metals in recent years. The biosynthesis of the blue pigment indigoidine has been achieved in E. coli following heterologous expression of both BpsA (a single-module non-ribosomal peptide synthetase) and PcpS (a PPTase to activate apo-BpsA). Moreover, we demonstrated herein the development of the indigoidine-based whole-cell biosensors to detect bioavailable Hg(II) and Pb(II) in water samples by employing metal-responsive transcriptional regulator MerR and PbrR as the sensory elements, and the indigoidine biosynthesis gene cluster as a reporter element. The resulting indigoidine-based biosensors presented a good selectivity and high sensitivity to target metal ions. High concentration of target metal exposure could be clearly recognized by the naked eye due to the color change by the secretion of indigoidine, and quantified by measuring the absorbance of the culture supernatants at 600 nm. Dose-response relationships existed between the exposure concentrations of target heavy metals and the production of indigoidine. Although fairly good linear relationships were obtained in a relatively limited concentration range of the concentrations of heavy metal ions, these findings suggest that genetically controlled indigoidine biosynthesis triggered by the MerR family transcriptional regulator can enable a sensitive, visual, and qualitative whole-cell biosensor for bioindicating the presence of bioaccessible heavy metal in environmental water samples. KEY POINTS: • Biosynthesis pathway of indigoidine reconstructed in a high copy number plasmid in E. coli. • Visual and colorimetric detection of Hg(II) and Pb(II) by manipulation of indigoidine biosynthesis through MerR family metalloregulator. •Enhanced detection sensitivity toward Hg(II) and Pb(II) achieved using novel pigment-based whole-cell biosensors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chang-Ye Hui
- Department of Pathology & Toxicology, Shenzhen Prevention and Treatment Center for Occupational Diseases, Shenzhen, China.
| | - Yan Guo
- National Key Clinical Specialty of Occupational Diseases, Shenzhen Prevention and Treatment Center for Occupational Diseases, Shenzhen, China
| | - Li-Mei Li
- Department of Pathology & Toxicology, Shenzhen Prevention and Treatment Center for Occupational Diseases, Shenzhen, China
| | - Lisa Liu
- Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Yu-Ting Chen
- Department of Pathology & Toxicology, Shenzhen Prevention and Treatment Center for Occupational Diseases, Shenzhen, China
| | - Juan Yi
- Department of Pathology & Toxicology, Shenzhen Prevention and Treatment Center for Occupational Diseases, Shenzhen, China
| | - Nai-Xing Zhang
- National Key Clinical Specialty of Occupational Diseases, Shenzhen Prevention and Treatment Center for Occupational Diseases, Shenzhen, China.
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Guo Y, Hui CY, Liu L, Chen MP, Huang HY. Development of a bioavailable Hg(II) sensing system based on MerR-regulated visual pigment biosynthesis. Sci Rep 2021; 11:13516. [PMID: 34188121 PMCID: PMC8242042 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-92878-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 06/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Engineered microorganisms have proven to be a highly effective and robust tool to specifically detect heavy metals in the environment. In this study, a highly specific pigment-based whole-cell biosensor has been investigated for the detection of bioavailable Hg(II) based on an artificial heavy metal resistance operon. The basic working principle of biosensors is based on the violacein biosynthesis under the control of mercury resistance (mer) promoter and mercury resistance regulator (MerR). Engineered biosensor cells have been demonstrated to selectively respond to Hg(II), and the specific response was not influenced by interfering metal ions. The response of violacein could be recognized by the naked eye, and the time required for the maximum response of violacein (5 h) was less than that of enhanced green fluorescence protein (eGFP) (8 h) in the single-signal output constructs. The response of violacein was almost unaffected by the eGFP in a double-promoter controlled dual-signals output construct. However, the response strength of eGFP was significantly decreased in this genetic construct. Exponentially growing violacein-based biosensor detected concentrations as low as 0.39 μM Hg(II) in a colorimetric method, and the linear relationship was observed in the concentration range of 0.78-12.5 μM. Non-growing biosensor cells responded to concentrations as low as 0.006 μM Hg(II) in a colorimetric method and in a Hg(II) containing plate sensitive assay, and the linear relationship was demonstrated in a very narrow concentration range. The developed biosensor was finally validated for the detection of spiked bioavailable Hg(II) in environmental water samples.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yan Guo
- National Key Clinical Specialty of Occupational Diseases, Shenzhen Prevention and Treatment Center for Occupational Diseases, Shenzhen, China
| | - Chang-Ye Hui
- Department of Pathology and Toxicology, Shenzhen Prevention and Treatment Center for Occupational Diseases, Shenzhen, China.
| | - Lisa Liu
- Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Min-Peng Chen
- National Key Clinical Specialty of Occupational Diseases, Shenzhen Prevention and Treatment Center for Occupational Diseases, Shenzhen, China
| | - Hong-Ying Huang
- National Key Clinical Specialty of Occupational Diseases, Shenzhen Prevention and Treatment Center for Occupational Diseases, Shenzhen, China
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Zhang NX, Guo Y, Li H, Yang XQ, Gao CX, Hui CY. Versatile artificial mer operons in Escherichia coli towards whole cell biosensing and adsorption of mercury. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0252190. [PMID: 34038487 PMCID: PMC8153442 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0252190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2020] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Mercury exists naturally and mainly as a man-made pollutant in the environment, where it exerts adverse effects on local ecosystems and living organisms. It is important to develop an appropriate synthetic biological device that recognizes, detects and removes the bioavailable fraction of environmental mercury. Both single-signal and double-signal output mercury biosensors were assembled using a natural mer operon as a template. Selectivity and sensitivity of whole-cell biosensors based on artificial mer operons were determined. Three whole-cell biosensors were highly stable at very high concentrations of mercuric chloride, and could detect bioavailable Hg(II) in the concentration range of 6.25-200 μM HgCl2. A novel Hg(II) bioadsorption coupled with biosensing artificial mer operon was assembled. This would allow Hg(II)-induced Hg(II) binding protein cell surface display and green fluorescence emission to be achieved simultaneously while retaining the linear relationship between fluorescent signal and Hg(II) exposure concentration. The present study provides an innovative way to simultaneously detect, quantify, and remove bioavailable heavy metal ions using an artificially reconstructed heavy metal resistance operon.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nai-xing Zhang
- National Key Clinical Specialty of Occupational Diseases, Shenzhen Prevention and Treatment Center for Occupational Diseases, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yan Guo
- National Key Clinical Specialty of Occupational Diseases, Shenzhen Prevention and Treatment Center for Occupational Diseases, Shenzhen, China
| | - Hui Li
- National Key Clinical Specialty of Occupational Diseases, Shenzhen Prevention and Treatment Center for Occupational Diseases, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xue-Qin Yang
- Department of Pathology & Toxicology, Shenzhen Prevention and Treatment Center for Occupational Diseases, Shenzhen, China
| | - Chao-xian Gao
- Department of Pathology & Toxicology, Shenzhen Prevention and Treatment Center for Occupational Diseases, Shenzhen, China
| | - Chang-ye Hui
- Department of Pathology & Toxicology, Shenzhen Prevention and Treatment Center for Occupational Diseases, Shenzhen, China
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Sarnaik A, Mhatre A, Faisal M, Smith D, Davis R, Varman AM. Novel perspective on a conventional technique: Impact of ultra-low temperature on bacterial viability and protein extraction. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0251640. [PMID: 33999956 PMCID: PMC8128238 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0251640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2020] [Accepted: 04/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Ultra-low temperature (ULT) storage of microbial biomass is routinely practiced in biological laboratories. However, there is very little insight regarding the effects of biomass storage at ULT and the structure of the cell envelope, on cell viability. Eventually, these aspects influence bacterial cell lysis which is one of the critical steps for biomolecular extraction, especially protein extraction. Therefore, we studied the effects of ULT-storage (-80°C) on three different bacterial platforms: Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis and the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803. By using a propidium iodide assay and a modified MTT assay we determined the impact of ULT storage on cellular viability. Subsequently, the protein extraction efficiency was determined by analyzing the amount of protein released following the storage. The results successfully established that longer the ULT-storage time lower is the cell viability and larger is the protein extraction efficiency. Interestingly, E. coli and B. subtilis exhibited significant reduction in cell viability over Synechocystis 6803. This indicates that the cell membrane structure and composition may play a major role on cell viability in ULT storage. Interestingly, E. coli exhibited concomitant increase in cell lysis efficiency resulting in a 4.5-fold increase (from 109 μg/ml of protein on day 0 to 464 μg/ml of protein on day 2) in the extracted protein titer following ULT storage. Furthermore, our investigations confirmed that the protein function, tested through the extraction of fluorescent proteins from cells stored at ULT, remained unaltered. These results established the plausibility of using ULT storage to improve protein extraction efficiency. Towards this, the impact of shorter ULT storage time was investigated to make the strategy more time efficient to be adopted into protocols. Interestingly, E. coli transformants expressing mCherry yielded 2.7-fold increase (93 μg/mL to 254 μg/mL) after 10 mins, while 4-fold increase (380 μg/mL) after 120 mins of ULT storage in the extracted soluble protein. We thereby substantiate that: (1) the storage time of bacterial cells in -80°C affect cell viability and can alter protein extraction efficiency; and (2) exercising a simple ULT-storage prior to bacterial cell lysis can improve the desired protein yield without impacting its function.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aditya Sarnaik
- Department of Chemical Engineering, School for Engineering of Matter, Transport, and Energy, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States of America
| | - Apurv Mhatre
- Department of Chemical Engineering, School for Engineering of Matter, Transport, and Energy, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States of America
| | - Muhammad Faisal
- Department of Chemical Engineering, School for Engineering of Matter, Transport, and Energy, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States of America.,University Institute of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, PMAS-Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi, Rawalpindi, Pakistan
| | - Dylan Smith
- Department of Chemical Engineering, School for Engineering of Matter, Transport, and Energy, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States of America
| | - Ryan Davis
- Bioresource and Environmental Security, Sandia National Laboratories, Livermore, CA, United States of America
| | - Arul M Varman
- Department of Chemical Engineering, School for Engineering of Matter, Transport, and Energy, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Arias CAD, Matsudo MC, Ferreira-Camargo LS, Molino JVD, Mayfield SP, de Carvalho JCM. Semicontinuous system for the production of recombinant mCherry protein in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Biotechnol Prog 2021; 37:e3101. [PMID: 33169497 DOI: 10.1002/btpr.3101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2020] [Revised: 10/23/2020] [Accepted: 10/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Biotechnology advances have allowed bacteria, yeasts, plants, mammalian and insect cells to function as heterologous protein expression systems. Recently, microalgae have gained attention as an innovative platform for recombinant protein production, due to low culture media cost, compared to traditional systems, as well as the fact that microalgae such as Chlamydomonas reinhardtii are considered safe (GRAS) by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Previous studies showed that recombinant protein production in traditional platforms by semicontinuous process increased biomass and bio product productivity, when compared to batch process. As there is a lack of studies on semicontinuous process for recombinant protein production in microalgae, the production of recombinant mCherry fluorescent protein was evaluated by semicontinuous cultivation of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii in bubble column photobioreactor. This semicontinuous cultivation process was evaluated in the following conditions: 20%, 40%, and 60% culture portion withdrawal. The highest culture withdrawal percentage (60%) provided the best results, as an up to 161% increase in mCherry productivity (454.5 RFU h-1 - Relative Fluorescence Unit h-1 ), in comparison to batch cultivation (174.0 RFU h-1 ) of the same strain. All cultivations were carried out for 13 days, at pH 7, temperature 25°C and, by semicontinuous process, two culture withdrawals were taken during the cultivations. Throughout the production cycles, it was possible to obtain biomass concentration up to 1.36 g L-1 .
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cesar Andres Diaz Arias
- Department of Biochemical and Pharmaceutical Technology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | | | | | - João Vitor Dutra Molino
- Department of Biochemical and Pharmaceutical Technology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Stephen Patrick Mayfield
- Department of Molecular Biology, and The California Center for Algae Biotechnology, University of California, San Diego, California, USA
| | - João Carlos Monteiro de Carvalho
- Department of Biochemical and Pharmaceutical Technology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Guo Y, Hui CY, Zhang NX, Liu L, Li H, Zheng HJ. Development of Cadmium Multiple-Signal Biosensing and Bioadsorption Systems Based on Artificial Cad Operons. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2021; 9:585617. [PMID: 33644011 PMCID: PMC7902519 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2021.585617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2020] [Accepted: 01/22/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The development of genetic engineering, especially synthetic biology, greatly contributes to the development of novel metal biosensors. The cad operon encoding cadmium resistance was previously characterized from Pseudomonas putida. In this study, single-, dual-, and triple-signal output Cd(II) biosensors were successfully developed using artificial translationally coupled cad operons. Sensitivity, selectivity, and response toward Cd(II) and Hg(II), of three biosensors were all determined. Reporter signals of three biosensors all increased within the range 0.1-3.125 μM Cd(II). Three biosensors responded strongly to Cd(II), and weakly to Hg(II). However, the detection ranges of Cd(II) and Hg(II) do not overlap in all three biosensors. Next, novel Cd(II) biosensing coupled with bioadsorptive artificial cad operons were assembled for the first time. Cd(II)-induced fluorescence emission, enzymatic indication, and Cd(II) binding protein surface display can be achieved simultaneously. This study provides an example of one way to realize multiple signal outputs and bioadsorption based on the redesigned heavy metal resistance operons, which may be a potential strategy for biodetection and removal of toxic metal in the environment, facilitating the study of the mechanism and dynamics of bioremediation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yan Guo
- National Key Clinical Specialty of Occupational Diseases, Shenzhen Prevention and Treatment Center for Occupational Diseases, Shenzhen, China
| | - Chang-ye Hui
- Department of Pathology and Toxicology, Shenzhen Prevention and Treatment Center for Occupational Diseases, Shenzhen, China
| | - Nai-xing Zhang
- National Key Clinical Specialty of Occupational Diseases, Shenzhen Prevention and Treatment Center for Occupational Diseases, Shenzhen, China
| | - Lisa Liu
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Hui Li
- National Key Clinical Specialty of Occupational Diseases, Shenzhen Prevention and Treatment Center for Occupational Diseases, Shenzhen, China
| | - Hong-ju Zheng
- National Key Clinical Specialty of Occupational Diseases, Shenzhen Prevention and Treatment Center for Occupational Diseases, Shenzhen, China
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Zhou XF, Zhang CL, Gao XP, Wang WL, He ZF, Jiang FY, Pang YL, Li JH, Ren XJ, Zhou HB, Tan GQ, Lyu JX, Wang W. A simple and rapid protein purification method based on cell-surface display of SUMO-fused recombinant protein and Ulp1 protease. AMB Express 2020; 10:65. [PMID: 32266507 PMCID: PMC7138890 DOI: 10.1186/s13568-020-00999-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2020] [Accepted: 03/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The development of novel methods for highly efficient protein purification remains a research focus in the biotechnology field because conventional purification approaches, including affinity purification, gel filtration, and ion-exchange chromatography, require complex manipulation steps and are costly. Here, we describe a simple and rapid protein purification strategy in which the SUMO tag and Ulp1 protease are surface-displayed separately on Escherichia coli cells. After protein induction, the cells are harvested, resuspended in cleavage buffer, and incubated together for cleavage. In this approach, the surface-displayed Ulp1 cleaves the membrane-anchored SUMO fusion protein, resulting in the release of the target protein from the C-terminal of SUMO into the solution. The bacterial cells harboring SUMO and Ulp1 on their surfaces can be easily removed by centrifugation. To evaluate the purification method, we used red fluorescent protein (mCherry). Purified mCherry protein (7.72 ± 1.05 mg from 1 L of bacterial culture) was obtained after only 30 min of incubation. The protein purity was higher than 80%, and could be further improved (> 90%) by simple ultrafiltration. This study offers a promising and simple strategy for the purification of recombinant protein in its native form that requires only cleavage and centrifugation steps.
Collapse
|
23
|
Hui CY, Guo Y, Liu L, Zheng HQ, Gao CX, Zhang W. Construction of a RFP-lacZα bicistronic reporter system and its application in lead biosensing. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0228456. [PMID: 31999769 PMCID: PMC6991944 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0228456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2019] [Accepted: 01/15/2020] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The combination of a fluorescent reporter and enzymatic reporter provides a flexible and versatile way for the study of diverse biological processes, such as the detection of transcription and translation. Thus, there is an urgent need to develop this novel bifunctional reporter system. This study reports the design, construction, and validation of a new dicistronic mCherry-lacZα reporter system by artificial lac operon and pbr operon models in lacZM15-producing E. coli. It allows two reporter genes to be co-transcribed into a dicistronic mRNA strand, followed by coupled expression of mCherry and lacZα. In artificial lac operons, expression of the downstream lacZα was demonstrated to be positively related to expression of the upstream ORF. In artificial pbr operons, compared with the insertion of downstream full-length lacZ, the insertion of downstream lacZα exerted a slight effect on the response from the upstream mCherry. Furthermore, the downstream lacZα reporter showed stronger response to Pb(II) than the downstream full-length lacZ. Importantly, the response sensitivity of downstream lacZα was still higher than that of upstream mCherry in a dual RFP-lacZα reporter construct. The highly efficient expression profile of the reporter lacZα peptide makes it a preferred downstream reporter in polycistronic constructs. This novel bifunctional reporter system offers a robust tool for biological studies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chang-ye Hui
- Department of Pathology & Toxicology, Shenzhen Prevention and Treatment Center for Occupational Diseases, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yan Guo
- Department of Science & Education, Shenzhen Prevention and Treatment Center for Occupational Diseases, Shenzhen, China
| | - Lisa Liu
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Shenzhen Second People’s Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Hao-qu Zheng
- Department of Science & Education, Shenzhen Prevention and Treatment Center for Occupational Diseases, Shenzhen, China
| | - Chao-xian Gao
- Department of Pathology & Toxicology, Shenzhen Prevention and Treatment Center for Occupational Diseases, Shenzhen, China
| | - Wen Zhang
- Department of Pathology & Toxicology, Shenzhen Prevention and Treatment Center for Occupational Diseases, Shenzhen, China
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Guo Y, Hui CY, Liu L, Zheng HQ, Wu HM. Improved Monitoring of Low-Level Transcription in Escherichia coli by a β-Galactosidase α-Complementation System. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:1454. [PMID: 31297105 PMCID: PMC6607957 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.01454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2019] [Accepted: 06/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Genetically encoded reporter proteins are important and widely used tools for the identification and capture of a promoter, tracking the dynamic behavior of transcription, and the quantification of promoter activity. The sensitivity of the reporter gene is a critical factor for an ideal reporter system because weak transcriptional signal has usually failed to be detected using classical reporters. In this study, we present a novel reporter system for improved monitoring of transcription in E. coli based on β-galactosidase α-complementation. In this reporter system, the β-galactosidase activity resulting from the assembly of a reporter lacZα and an existing α-acceptor in advance serves as a measure of transcriptional activity in vivo. To validate the potential of the lacZα-derived reporter system, a series of artificial operons were constructed, and the moderately strong lac promoter, ara promoter, and weak pbr promoter were chosen as the detection promoters. The response profiles of lacZα was similar to that of wild type lacZ in artificial lac operons. Due to its small size and efficient expression profile, the detection sensitivity of a lacZα-derived reporter system was significantly higher than that of the traditional full-length β-galactosidase and the fluorescent protein mCherry reporter system in artificial ara operons. As expected, the response sensitivity of the lacZα-derived reporter system was also demonstrated to be significantly higher than that of the β-galactosidase and mCherry reporter systems in lead-sensitive artificial pbr operons. The lacZα-derived reporter system may prove to be a valuable tool for detecting promoter activity, especially low-level transcription in vivo.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yan Guo
- Department of Science & Education, Shenzhen Prevention and Treatment Center for Occupational Diseases, Shenzhen, China
| | - Chang-Ye Hui
- Department of Pathology & Toxicology, Shenzhen Prevention and Treatment Center for Occupational Diseases, Shenzhen, China
| | - Lisa Liu
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Hao-Qu Zheng
- Department of Pathology & Toxicology, Shenzhen Prevention and Treatment Center for Occupational Diseases, Shenzhen, China
| | - Hong-Min Wu
- Department of Pathology & Toxicology, Shenzhen Prevention and Treatment Center for Occupational Diseases, Shenzhen, China
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Development of a novel bacterial surface display system using truncated OmpT as an anchoring motif. Biotechnol Lett 2019; 41:763-777. [PMID: 31025146 DOI: 10.1007/s10529-019-02676-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2018] [Accepted: 04/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES An efficient bacterial surface display system based on the anchoring motif derived from Escherichia coli (E. coli) outer membrane protease OmpT was developed in this study. RESULTS Referring to the classical Lpp-OmpA (LOA) display system, the signal peptide and nine amino acids of mature Lpp were fused to the transmembrane domain comprising five β-strands of truncated OmpT to generate a novel Lpp-OmpT (LOT) display system. The C-terminal fusion strategy was used to fuse a small peptide (His tag) and red fluorescent protein (mCherry) to the C-terminus of LOT. Cell surface exposure of His tag and mCherry were compared between the LOA and LOT display systems. E. coli expressing LOT-His tag adsorbed more Cu2+ than E. coli expressing LOA-His tag. E. coli expressing both LOT-mCherry-His tag and LOA-mCherry-His tag adhered to Cu2+ chelating sepharose beads, and adhered cells could be dissociated from the beads after excess Cu2+ treatment. More importantly, compared with the LOA system, a higher amount of LOT-mCherry-His tag hybrid protein was demonstrated to be localized at the outer membrane by both fluorescence spectrophotometric determination of cell fractions and cell-surface immunofluorescence assay. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that genetically modified OmpT can be used as a potential anchoring motif to efficiently and stably display polypeptides and proteins, and that the LOT system could be used in a variety of biotechnological and industrial processes.
Collapse
|