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Tan W, Miao Q, Jia X, Liu Y, Li S, Yang D. Research Progress on the Assembly of Large DNA Fragments. Chembiochem 2024; 25:e202400054. [PMID: 38477700 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202400054] [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: 01/21/2024] [Revised: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024]
Abstract
Synthetic biology, a newly and rapidly developing interdisciplinary field, has demonstrated increasing potential for extensive applications in the wide areas of biomedicine, biofuels, and novel materials. DNA assembly is a key enabling technology of synthetic biology and a central point for realizing fully synthetic artificial life. While the assembly of small DNA fragments has been successfully commercialized, the assembly of large DNA fragments remains a challenge due to their high molecular weight and susceptibility to breakage. This article provides an overview of the development and current state of DNA assembly technology, with a focus on recent advancements in the assembly of large DNA fragments in Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In particular, the methods and challenges associated with the assembly of large DNA fragment in different hosts are highlighted. The advancements in DNA assembly have the potential to facilitate the construction of customized genomes, giving us the ability to modify cellular functions and even create artificial life. It is also contributing to our ability to understand, predict, and manipulate living organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Tan
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology, Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (MOE), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, P. R. China
- Zhejiang Institute of Tianjin University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, 315201, P. R. China
| | - Qing Miao
- Zhejiang Institute of Tianjin University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, 315201, P. R. China
| | - Xuemei Jia
- Zhejiang Institute of Tianjin University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, 315201, P. R. China
| | - Ying Liu
- Zhejiang Institute of Tianjin University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, 315201, P. R. China
| | - Shuai Li
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology, Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (MOE), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, P. R. China
- Zhejiang Institute of Tianjin University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, 315201, P. R. China
| | - Dayong Yang
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology, Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (MOE), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, P. R. China
- Zhejiang Institute of Tianjin University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, 315201, P. R. China
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2
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Matteau D, Duval A, Baby V, Rodrigue S. Mesoplasma florum: a near-minimal model organism for systems and synthetic biology. Front Genet 2024; 15:1346707. [PMID: 38404664 PMCID: PMC10884336 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2024.1346707] [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: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Mesoplasma florum is an emerging model organism for systems and synthetic biology due to its small genome (∼800 kb) and fast growth rate. While M. florum was isolated and first described almost 40 years ago, many important aspects of its biology have long remained uncharacterized due to technological limitations, the absence of dedicated molecular tools, and since this bacterial species has not been associated with any disease. However, the publication of the first M. florum genome in 2004 paved the way for a new era of research fueled by the rise of systems and synthetic biology. Some of the most important studies included the characterization and heterologous use of M. florum regulatory elements, the development of the first replicable plasmids, comparative genomics and transposon mutagenesis, whole-genome cloning in yeast, genome transplantation, in-depth characterization of the M. florum cell, as well as the development of a high-quality genome-scale metabolic model. The acquired data, knowledge, and tools will greatly facilitate future genome engineering efforts in M. florum, which could next be exploited to rationally design and create synthetic cells to advance fundamental knowledge or for specific applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominick Matteau
- Département de biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - Anthony Duval
- Département de biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - Vincent Baby
- Centre de diagnostic vétérinaire de l'Université de Montréal, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC, Canada
| | - Sébastien Rodrigue
- Département de biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
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3
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Yin Y, Arneson R, Apostle A, Eriyagama AMDN, Chillar K, Burke E, Jahfetson M, Yuan Y, Fang S. Long oligodeoxynucleotides: chemical synthesis, isolation via catching-by-polymerization, verification via sequencing, and gene expression demonstration. Beilstein J Org Chem 2023; 19:1957-1965. [PMID: 38170048 PMCID: PMC10760481 DOI: 10.3762/bjoc.19.146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Long oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs) are segments of DNAs having over one hundred nucleotides (nt). They are typically assembled using enzymatic methods such as PCR and ligation from shorter 20 to 60 nt ODNs produced by automated de novo chemical synthesis. While these methods have made many projects in areas such as synthetic biology and protein engineering possible, they have various drawbacks. For example, they cannot produce genes and genomes with long repeats and have difficulty to produce sequences containing stable secondary structures. Here, we report a direct de novo chemical synthesis of 400 nt ODNs, and their isolation from the complex reaction mixture using the catching-by-polymerization (CBP) method. To determine the authenticity of the ODNs, 399 and 401 nt ODNs were synthesized and purified with CBP. The two were joined together using Gibson assembly to give the 800 nt green fluorescent protein (GFP) gene construct. The sequence of the construct was verified via Sanger sequencing. To demonstrate the potential use of the long ODN synthesis method, the GFP gene was expressed in E. coli. The long ODN synthesis and isolation method presented here provides a pathway to the production of genes and genomes containing long repeats or stable secondary structures that cannot be produced or are highly challenging to produce using existing technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yipeng Yin
- Department of Chemistry and Health Research Institute, Michigan Technological University, 1400 Townsend Drive, Houghton, MI 49931, USA,
| | - Reed Arneson
- College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, Michigan Technological University, 1400 Townsend Drive, Houghton, MI 49931, USA
| | - Alexander Apostle
- Department of Chemistry and Health Research Institute, Michigan Technological University, 1400 Townsend Drive, Houghton, MI 49931, USA,
| | - Adikari M D N Eriyagama
- Department of Chemistry and Health Research Institute, Michigan Technological University, 1400 Townsend Drive, Houghton, MI 49931, USA,
| | - Komal Chillar
- Department of Chemistry and Health Research Institute, Michigan Technological University, 1400 Townsend Drive, Houghton, MI 49931, USA,
| | - Emma Burke
- College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, Michigan Technological University, 1400 Townsend Drive, Houghton, MI 49931, USA
| | - Martina Jahfetson
- Department of Chemistry and Health Research Institute, Michigan Technological University, 1400 Townsend Drive, Houghton, MI 49931, USA,
| | - Yinan Yuan
- College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, Michigan Technological University, 1400 Townsend Drive, Houghton, MI 49931, USA
| | - Shiyue Fang
- Department of Chemistry and Health Research Institute, Michigan Technological University, 1400 Townsend Drive, Houghton, MI 49931, USA,
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4
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He B, Ma Y, Tian F, Zhao GR, Wu Y, Yuan YJ. YLC-assembly: large DNA assembly via yeast life cycle. Nucleic Acids Res 2023; 51:8283-8292. [PMID: 37486765 PMCID: PMC10450165 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023] Open
Abstract
As an enabling technique of synthetic biology, the scale of DNA assembly largely determines the scale of genetic manipulation. However, large DNA assembly technologies are generally cumbersome and inefficient. Here, we developed a YLC (yeast life cycle)-assembly method that enables in vivo iterative assembly of large DNA by nesting cell-cell transfer of assembled DNA in the cycle of yeast mating and sporulation. Using this method, we successfully assembled a hundred-kilobase (kb)-sized endogenous yeast DNA and a megabase (Mb)-sized exogenous DNA. For each round, over 104 positive colonies per 107 cells could be obtained, with an accuracy ranging from 67% to 100%. Compared with other Mb-sized DNA assembly methods, this method exhibits a higher success rate with an easy-to-operate workflow that avoid in vitro operations of large DNA. YLC-assembly lowers the technical difficulty of Mb-sized DNA assembly and could be a valuable tool for large-scale genome engineering and synthetic genomics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo He
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
- Frontiers Research Institute for Synthetic Biology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Yuan Ma
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
- Frontiers Research Institute for Synthetic Biology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Fangfang Tian
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
- Frontiers Research Institute for Synthetic Biology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Guang-Rong Zhao
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
- Frontiers Research Institute for Synthetic Biology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Yi Wu
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
- Frontiers Research Institute for Synthetic Biology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Ying-Jin Yuan
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
- Frontiers Research Institute for Synthetic Biology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
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5
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Malcı K, Watts E, Roberts TM, Auxillos JY, Nowrouzi B, Boll HO, Nascimento CZSD, Andreou A, Vegh P, Donovan S, Fragkoudis R, Panke S, Wallace E, Elfick A, Rios-Solis L. Standardization of Synthetic Biology Tools and Assembly Methods for Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Emerging Yeast Species. ACS Synth Biol 2022; 11:2527-2547. [PMID: 35939789 PMCID: PMC9396660 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.1c00442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
![]()
As redesigning organisms using engineering principles
is one of
the purposes of synthetic biology (SynBio), the standardization of
experimental methods and DNA parts is becoming increasingly a necessity.
The synthetic biology community focusing on the engineering of Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been in the foreground in this
area, conceiving several well-characterized SynBio toolkits widely
adopted by the community. In this review, the molecular methods and
toolkits developed for S. cerevisiae are discussed
in terms of their contributions to the required standardization efforts.
In addition, the toolkits designed for emerging nonconventional yeast
species including Yarrowia lipolytica, Komagataella
phaffii, and Kluyveromyces marxianus are
also reviewed. Without a doubt, the characterized DNA parts combined
with the standardized assembly strategies highlighted in these toolkits
have greatly contributed to the rapid development of many metabolic
engineering and diagnostics applications among others. Despite the
growing capacity in deploying synthetic biology for common yeast genome
engineering works, the yeast community has a long journey to go to
exploit it in more sophisticated and delicate applications like bioautomation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koray Malcı
- Institute for Bioengineering, School of Engineering, University of Edinburgh, Kings Buildings, EH9 3BF Edinburgh, United Kingdom.,Centre for Synthetic and Systems Biology (SynthSys), University of Edinburgh, Kings Buildings, EH9 3BD Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Emma Watts
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Kings Buildings, EH9 3JW Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | | | - Jamie Yam Auxillos
- Centre for Synthetic and Systems Biology (SynthSys), University of Edinburgh, Kings Buildings, EH9 3BD Edinburgh, United Kingdom.,Institute of Cell Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Kings Buildings, EH9 3FF Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Behnaz Nowrouzi
- Institute for Bioengineering, School of Engineering, University of Edinburgh, Kings Buildings, EH9 3BF Edinburgh, United Kingdom.,Centre for Synthetic and Systems Biology (SynthSys), University of Edinburgh, Kings Buildings, EH9 3BD Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Heloísa Oss Boll
- Department of Genetics and Morphology, Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Brasília, Brasília, Federal District 70910-900, Brazil
| | | | - Andreas Andreou
- Centre for Synthetic and Systems Biology (SynthSys), University of Edinburgh, Kings Buildings, EH9 3BD Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Peter Vegh
- Edinburgh Genome Foundry, University of Edinburgh, Kings Buildings, Edinburgh EH9 3BF, United Kingdom
| | - Sophie Donovan
- Edinburgh Genome Foundry, University of Edinburgh, Kings Buildings, Edinburgh EH9 3BF, United Kingdom
| | - Rennos Fragkoudis
- Edinburgh Genome Foundry, University of Edinburgh, Kings Buildings, Edinburgh EH9 3BF, United Kingdom
| | - Sven Panke
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zürich, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Edward Wallace
- Centre for Synthetic and Systems Biology (SynthSys), University of Edinburgh, Kings Buildings, EH9 3BD Edinburgh, United Kingdom.,Institute of Cell Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Kings Buildings, EH9 3FF Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Alistair Elfick
- Institute for Bioengineering, School of Engineering, University of Edinburgh, Kings Buildings, EH9 3BF Edinburgh, United Kingdom.,Centre for Synthetic and Systems Biology (SynthSys), University of Edinburgh, Kings Buildings, EH9 3BD Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Leonardo Rios-Solis
- Institute for Bioengineering, School of Engineering, University of Edinburgh, Kings Buildings, EH9 3BF Edinburgh, United Kingdom.,Centre for Synthetic and Systems Biology (SynthSys), University of Edinburgh, Kings Buildings, EH9 3BD Edinburgh, United Kingdom.,School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, United Kingdom
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6
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Wang W, Zheng G, Lu Y. Recent Advances in Strategies for the Cloning of Natural Product Biosynthetic Gene Clusters. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2021; 9:692797. [PMID: 34327194 PMCID: PMC8314000 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2021.692797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2021] [Accepted: 06/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Microbial natural products (NPs) are a major source of pharmacological agents. Most NPs are synthesized from specific biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs). With the rapid increase of sequenced microbial genomes, large numbers of NP BGCs have been discovered, regarded as a treasure trove of novel bioactive compounds. However, many NP BGCs are silent in native hosts under laboratory conditions. In order to explore their therapeutic potential, a main route is to activate these silent NP BGCs in heterologous hosts. To this end, the first step is to accurately and efficiently capture these BGCs. In the past decades, a large number of effective technologies for cloning NP BGCs have been established, which has greatly promoted drug discovery research. Herein, we describe recent advances in strategies for BGC cloning, with a focus on the preparation of high-molecular-weight DNA fragment, selection and optimization of vectors used for carrying large-size DNA, and methods for assembling targeted DNA fragment and appropriate vector. The future direction into novel, universal, and high-efficiency methods for cloning NP BGCs is also prospected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenfang Wang
- College of Life Sciences, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Guosong Zheng
- College of Life Sciences, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yinhua Lu
- College of Life Sciences, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Plant Germplasm Resources, College of Life Sciences, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai, China
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7
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Bernauer L, Radkohl A, Lehmayer LGK, Emmerstorfer-Augustin A. Komagataella phaffii as Emerging Model Organism in Fundamental Research. Front Microbiol 2021; 11:607028. [PMID: 33505376 PMCID: PMC7829337 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.607028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Komagataella phaffii (Pichia pastoris) is one of the most extensively applied yeast species in pharmaceutical and biotechnological industries, and, therefore, also called the biotech yeast. However, thanks to more advanced strain engineering techniques, it recently started to gain attention as model organism in fundamental research. So far, the most studied model yeast is its distant cousin, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. While these data are of great importance, they limit our knowledge to one organism only. Since the divergence of the two species 250 million years ago, K. phaffii appears to have evolved less rapidly than S. cerevisiae, which is why it remains more characteristic of the common ancient yeast ancestors and shares more features with metazoan cells. This makes K. phaffii a valuable model organism for research on eukaryotic molecular cell biology, a potential we are only beginning to fully exploit. As methylotrophic yeast, K. phaffii has the intriguing property of being able to efficiently assimilate methanol as a sole source of carbon and energy. Therefore, major efforts have been made using K. phaffii as model organism to study methanol assimilation, peroxisome biogenesis and pexophagy. Other research topics covered in this review range from yeast genetics including mating and sporulation behavior to other cellular processes such as protein secretion, lipid biosynthesis and cell wall biogenesis. In this review article, we compare data obtained from K. phaffii with S. cerevisiae and other yeasts whenever relevant, elucidate major differences, and, most importantly, highlight the big potential of using K. phaffii in fundamental research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukas Bernauer
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology, Graz University of Technology, NAWI Graz, BioTechMed-Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Astrid Radkohl
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology, Graz University of Technology, NAWI Graz, BioTechMed-Graz, Graz, Austria
| | | | - Anita Emmerstorfer-Augustin
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology, Graz University of Technology, NAWI Graz, BioTechMed-Graz, Graz, Austria
- acib—Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology, Graz, Austria
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Abstract
The fermentation industry is known to be very conservative, relying on traditional yeast management. Yet, in the modern fast-paced world, change comes about in facets such as climate change altering the quality and quantity of harvests, changes due to government regulations e.g., the use of pesticides or SO2, the need to become more sustainable, and of course by changes in consumer preferences. As a silent companion of the fermentation industry, the wine yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae has followed mankind through millennia, changing from a Kulturfolger, into a domesticated species for the production of bread, beer, and wine and further on into a platform strain for the production of biofuels, enzymes, flavors, or pharmaceuticals. This success story is based on the ‘awesome power of yeast genetics’. Central to this is the very efficient homologous recombination (HR) machinery of S. cerevisiae that allows highly-specific genome edits. This microsurgery tool is so reliable that yeast has put a generally recognized as safe (GRAS) label onto itself and entrusted to itself the life-changing decision of mating type-switching. Later, yeast became its own genome editor, interpreted as domestication events, to adapt to harsh fermentation conditions. In biotechnology, yeast HR has been used with tremendous success over the last 40 years. Here we discuss several types of yeast genome edits then focus on HR and its inherent potential for evolving novel wine yeast strains and styles relevant for changing markets.
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9
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Wiltschi B, Cernava T, Dennig A, Galindo Casas M, Geier M, Gruber S, Haberbauer M, Heidinger P, Herrero Acero E, Kratzer R, Luley-Goedl C, Müller CA, Pitzer J, Ribitsch D, Sauer M, Schmölzer K, Schnitzhofer W, Sensen CW, Soh J, Steiner K, Winkler CK, Winkler M, Wriessnegger T. Enzymes revolutionize the bioproduction of value-added compounds: From enzyme discovery to special applications. Biotechnol Adv 2020; 40:107520. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2020.107520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2019] [Revised: 10/18/2019] [Accepted: 01/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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10
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Cataldo VF, Salgado V, Saa PA, Agosin E. Genomic integration of unclonable gene expression cassettes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae using rapid cloning-free workflows. Microbiologyopen 2020; 9:e978. [PMID: 31944620 PMCID: PMC7066455 DOI: 10.1002/mbo3.978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2019] [Revised: 11/22/2019] [Accepted: 11/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Most DNA assembly methods require bacterial amplification steps, which restrict its application to genes that can be cloned in the bacterial host without significant toxic effects. However, genes that cannot be cloned in bacteria do not necessarily exert toxic effects on the final host. In order to tackle this issue, we adapted two DNA assembly workflows for rapid, cloning-free construction and genomic integration of expression cassettes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. One method is based on a modified Gibson assembly, while the other relies on a direct assembly and integration of linear PCR products by yeast homologous recombination. The methods require few simple experimental steps, and their performance was evaluated for the assembly and integration of unclonable zeaxanthin epoxidase expression cassettes in yeast. Results showed that up to 95% integration efficiency can be reached with minimal experimental effort. The presented workflows can be employed as rapid gene integration tools for yeast, especially tailored for integrating unclonable genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vicente F Cataldo
- Department of Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Valeria Salgado
- Department of Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Pedro A Saa
- Department of Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Eduardo Agosin
- Department of Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
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11
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Martínez-García E, Goñi-Moreno A, Bartley B, McLaughlin J, Sánchez-Sampedro L, Pascual del Pozo H, Prieto Hernández C, Marletta AS, De Lucrezia D, Sánchez-Fernández G, Fraile S, de Lorenzo V. SEVA 3.0: an update of the Standard European Vector Architecture for enabling portability of genetic constructs among diverse bacterial hosts. Nucleic Acids Res 2020; 48:D1164-D1170. [PMID: 31740968 PMCID: PMC7018797 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkz1024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2019] [Revised: 10/17/2019] [Accepted: 10/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The Standard European Vector Architecture 3.0 database (SEVA-DB 3.0, http://seva.cnb.csic.es) is the update of the platform launched in 2013 both as a web-based resource and as a material repository of formatted genetic tools (mostly plasmids) for analysis, construction and deployment of complex bacterial phenotypes. The period between the first version of SEVA-DB and the present time has witnessed several technical, computational and conceptual advances in genetic/genomic engineering of prokaryotes that have enabled upgrading of the utilities of the updated database. Novelties include not only a more user-friendly web interface and many more plasmid vectors, but also new links of the plasmids to advanced bioinformatic tools. These provide an intuitive visualization of the constructs at stake and a range of virtual manipulations of DNA segments that were not possible before. Finally, the list of canonical SEVA plasmids is available in machine-readable SBOL (Synthetic Biology Open Language) format. This ensures interoperability with other platforms and affords simulations of their behaviour under different in vivo conditions. We argue that the SEVA-DB will remain a useful resource for extending Synthetic Biology approaches towards non-standard bacterial species as well as genetically programming new prokaryotic chassis for a suite of fundamental and biotechnological endeavours.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esteban Martínez-García
- Systems Biology Program, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología CSIC, Campus de la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049 Spain
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Sofía Fraile
- Systems Biology Program, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología CSIC, Campus de la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049 Spain
| | - Víctor de Lorenzo
- Systems Biology Program, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología CSIC, Campus de la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049 Spain
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12
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Lin D, O'Callaghan CA. MetClo: methylase-assisted hierarchical DNA assembly using a single type IIS restriction enzyme. Nucleic Acids Res 2019; 46:e113. [PMID: 29986052 PMCID: PMC6212791 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gky596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2017] [Accepted: 06/27/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Efficient DNA assembly is of great value in biological research and biotechnology. Type IIS restriction enzyme-based assembly systems allow assembly of multiple DNA fragments in a one-pot reaction. However, large DNA fragments can only be assembled by alternating use of two or more type IIS restriction enzymes in a multi-step approach. Here, we present MetClo, a DNA assembly method that uses only a single type IIS restriction enzyme for hierarchical DNA assembly. The method is based on in vivo methylation-mediated on/off switching of type IIS restriction enzyme recognition sites that overlap with site-specific methylase recognition sequences. We have developed practical MetClo systems for the type IIS enzymes BsaI, BpiI and LguI, and demonstrated hierarchical assembly of large DNA fragments up to 218 kb. The MetClo approach substantially reduces the need to remove internal restriction sites from components to be assembled. The use of a single type IIS enzyme throughout the different stages of DNA assembly allows novel and powerful design schemes for rapid large-scale hierarchical DNA assembly. The BsaI-based MetClo system is backward-compatible with component libraries of most of the existing type IIS restriction enzyme-based assembly systems, and has potential to become a standard for modular DNA assembly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Da Lin
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford OX3 7BN, UK
| | - Christopher A O'Callaghan
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford OX3 7BN, UK
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13
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Li L, Liu X, Wei K, Lu Y, Jiang W. Synthetic biology approaches for chromosomal integration of genes and pathways in industrial microbial systems. Biotechnol Adv 2019; 37:730-745. [PMID: 30951810 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2019.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2019] [Revised: 04/01/2019] [Accepted: 04/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Industrial biotechnology is reliant on native pathway engineering or foreign pathway introduction for efficient biosynthesis of target products. Chromosomal integration, with intrinsic genetic stability, is an indispensable step for reliable expression of homologous or heterologous genes and pathways in large-scale and long-term fermentation. With advances in synthetic biology and CRISPR-based genome editing approaches, a wide variety of novel enabling technologies have been developed for single-step, markerless, multi-locus genomic integration of large biochemical pathways, which significantly facilitate microbial overproduction of chemicals, pharmaceuticals and other value-added biomolecules. Notably, the newly discovered homology-mediated end joining strategy could be widely applicable for high-efficiency genomic integration in a number of homologous recombination-deficient microbes. In this review, we explore the fundamental principles and characteristics of genomic integration, and highlight the development and applications of targeted integration approaches in the three representative industrial microbial systems, including Escherichia coli, actinomycetes and yeasts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Li
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Xiaocao Liu
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China; School of Life Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, China
| | - Keke Wei
- Department of Biochemistry, Shanghai Institute of Pharmaceutical Industry, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Yinhua Lu
- College of Life Sciences, Shanghai Normal University, 200232, China.
| | - Weihong Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China.
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14
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Yip CH, Yarkoni O, Ajioka J, Wan KL, Nathan S. Recent advancements in high-level synthesis of the promising clinical drug, prodigiosin. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2019; 103:1667-1680. [PMID: 30637495 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-018-09611-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2018] [Revised: 12/27/2018] [Accepted: 12/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Prodigiosin, a red linear tripyrrole pigment and a member of the prodiginine family, is normally secreted by the human pathogen Serratia marcescens as a secondary metabolite. Studies on prodigiosin have received renewed attention as a result of reported immunosuppressive, antimicrobial and anticancer properties. High-level synthesis of prodigiosin and the bioengineering of strains to synthesise useful prodiginine derivatives have also been a subject of investigation. To exploit the potential use of prodigiosin as a clinical drug targeting bacteria or as a dye for textiles, high-level synthesis of prodigiosin is a prerequisite. This review presents an overview on the biosynthesis of prodigiosin from its natural host Serratia marcescens and through recombinant approaches as well as highlighting the beneficial properties of prodigiosin. We also discuss the prospect of adopting a synthetic biology approach for safe and cost-effective production of prodigiosin in a more industrially compliant surrogate host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chee-Hoo Yip
- School of Biosciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM, Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QP, UK
| | - Orr Yarkoni
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QP, UK
| | - James Ajioka
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QP, UK
| | - Kiew-Lian Wan
- School of Biosciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM, Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Sheila Nathan
- School of Biosciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM, Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia.
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15
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Mann DGJ, Bevan SA, Harvey AJ, Leffert-Sorenson RA. The Use of an Automated Platform to Assemble Multigenic Constructs for Plant Transformation. Methods Mol Biol 2019; 1864:19-35. [PMID: 30415326 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-8778-8_2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Compared to traditional means, modern DNA assembly methods allow cloning of large, multigenic vectors for plant transformation in rapid fashion. These methods are often robust and efficient and can assemble multiple DNA fragments into a single vector in one reaction. Here we describe the use of an automated DNA assembly platform for the generation of complex, multigenic T-DNA binary vectors using a hierarchical Golden Gate cloning strategy. These DNA constructs contained diverse DNA elements for the expression of multiple genes for trait stacking in the crop of interest. This platform streamlines the DNA assembly and validation process through high-efficiency cloning methods, integrated automation equipment, and increased throughput. The implementation of this platform removes bottlenecks for routine molecular biology and opens new possibilities for downstream experimental idea testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- David G J Mann
- Corteva Agriscience™, Agriculture Division of DowDuPont™, Indianapolis, IN, USA.
| | - Scott A Bevan
- Corteva Agriscience™, Agriculture Division of DowDuPont™, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Anthony J Harvey
- Corteva Agriscience™, Agriculture Division of DowDuPont™, Indianapolis, IN, USA
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16
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Liu G, Qu Y. Engineering of filamentous fungi for efficient conversion of lignocellulose: Tools, recent advances and prospects. Biotechnol Adv 2018; 37:519-529. [PMID: 30576717 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2018.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2017] [Revised: 12/13/2018] [Accepted: 12/14/2018] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Filamentous fungi, as the main producers of lignocellulolytic enzymes in industry, need to be engineered to improve the economy of large-scale lignocellulose conversion. Investigation of the cellular processes involved in lignocellulolytic enzyme production, as well as optimization of enzyme mixtures for higher hydrolysis efficiency, have provided effective targets for the engineering of lignocellulolytic fungi. Recently, the development of efficient genetic manipulation systems in several lignocellulolytic fungi opens up the possibility of systems engineering of these strains. Here, we review the recent progresses made in the engineering of lignocellulolytic fungi and highlight the research gaps in this area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guodong Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, China; Shandong Key Laboratory of Water Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, China
| | - Yinbo Qu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, China; National Glycoengineering Research Center, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, China.
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17
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Zhao N, Qian L, Luo G, Zheng S. Synthetic biology approaches to access renewable carbon source utilization in Corynebacterium glutamicum. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2018; 102:9517-9529. [DOI: 10.1007/s00253-018-9358-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2018] [Revised: 08/30/2018] [Accepted: 08/31/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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18
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A novel electrochemical biosensor for HIV-related DNA detection based on toehold strand displacement reaction and cruciform DNA crystal. J Electroanal Chem (Lausanne) 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jelechem.2018.05.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
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19
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Zeng F, Zang J, Zhang S, Hao Z, Dong J, Lin Y. AFEAP cloning: a precise and efficient method for large DNA sequence assembly. BMC Biotechnol 2017; 17:81. [PMID: 29137618 PMCID: PMC5686892 DOI: 10.1186/s12896-017-0394-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2017] [Accepted: 10/30/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Recent development of DNA assembly technologies has spurred myriad advances in synthetic biology, but new tools are always required for complicated scenarios. Here, we have developed an alternative DNA assembly method named AFEAP cloning (Assembly of Fragment Ends After PCR), which allows scarless, modular, and reliable construction of biological pathways and circuits from basic genetic parts. Methods The AFEAP method requires two-round of PCRs followed by ligation of the sticky ends of DNA fragments. The first PCR yields linear DNA fragments and is followed by a second asymmetric (one primer) PCR and subsequent annealing that inserts overlapping overhangs at both sides of each DNA fragment. The overlapping overhangs of the neighboring DNA fragments annealed and the nick was sealed by T4 DNA ligase, followed by bacterial transformation to yield the desired plasmids. Results We characterized the capability and limitations of new developed AFEAP cloning and demonstrated its application to assemble DNA with varying scenarios. Under the optimized conditions, AFEAP cloning allows assembly of an 8 kb plasmid from 1-13 fragments with high accuracy (between 80 and 100%), and 8.0, 11.6, 19.6, 28, and 35.6 kb plasmids from five fragments at 91.67, 91.67, 88.33, 86.33, and 81.67% fidelity, respectively. AFEAP cloning also is capable to construct bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC, 200 kb) with a fidelity of 46.7%. Conclusions AFEAP cloning provides a powerful, efficient, seamless, and sequence-independent DNA assembly tool for multiple fragments up to 13 and large DNA up to 200 kb that expands synthetic biologist’s toolbox. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi: 10.1186/s12896-017-0394-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fanli Zeng
- College of Life Sciences, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding, 071001, People's Republic of China
| | - Jinping Zang
- College of Life Sciences, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding, 071001, People's Republic of China
| | - Suhua Zhang
- Institute of Biophysics, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin, 300401, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhimin Hao
- College of Life Sciences, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding, 071001, People's Republic of China
| | - Jingao Dong
- College of Life Sciences, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding, 071001, People's Republic of China.
| | - Yibin Lin
- McGovern Medical School, the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, 77030, USA.
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20
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Juhas M, Ajioka JW. T7 RNA polymerase-driven inducible cell lysis for DNA transfer from Escherichia coli to Bacillus subtilis. Microb Biotechnol 2017; 10:1797-1808. [PMID: 28815907 PMCID: PMC5658589 DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.12843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2017] [Revised: 07/15/2017] [Accepted: 07/28/2017] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The majority of the good DNA editing techniques have been developed in Escherichia coli; however, Bacillus subtilis is better host for a plethora of synthetic biology and biotechnology applications. Reliable and efficient systems for the transfer of synthetic DNA between E. coli and B. subtilis are therefore of the highest importance. Using synthetic biology approaches, such as streamlined lambda Red recombineering and Gibson Isothermal Assembly, we integrated genetic circuits pT7L123, Repr‐ts‐1 and pLT7pol encoding the lysis genes of bacteriophages MS2, ΦX174 and lambda, the thermosensitive repressor and the T7 RNA polymerase into the E. coli chromosome. In this system, T7 RNA polymerase regulated by the thermosensitive repressor drives the expression of the phage lysis genes. We showed that T7 RNA polymerase significantly increases efficiency of cell lysis and transfer of the plasmid and bacterial artificial chromosome‐encoded DNA from the lysed E. coli into B. subtilis. The T7 RNA polymerase‐driven inducible cell lysis system is suitable for the efficient cell lysis and transfer of the DNA engineered in E. coli to other naturally competent hosts, such as B. subtilis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario Juhas
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, CB2 1QP, Cambridge, UK
| | - James W Ajioka
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, CB2 1QP, Cambridge, UK
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21
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Juhas M, Wong C, Ajioka JW. Combining Genes from Multiple Phages for Improved Cell Lysis and DNA Transfer from Escherichia coli to Bacillus subtilis. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0165778. [PMID: 27798678 PMCID: PMC5087902 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0165778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2016] [Accepted: 10/18/2016] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The ability to efficiently and reliably transfer genetic circuits between the key synthetic biology chassis, such as Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis, constitutes one of the major hurdles of the rational genome engineering. Using lambda Red recombineering we integrated the thermosensitive lambda repressor and the lysis genes of several bacteriophages into the E. coli chromosome. The lysis of the engineered autolytic cells is inducible by a simple temperature shift. We improved the lysis efficiency by introducing different combinations of lysis genes from bacteriophages lambda, ΦX174 and MS2 under the control of the thermosensitive lambda repressor into the E. coli chromosome. We tested the engineered autolytic cells by transferring plasmid and bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC)-borne genetic circuits from E. coli to B. subtilis. Our engineered system combines benefits of the two main synthetic biology chassis, E. coli and B. subtilis, and allows reliable and efficient transfer of DNA edited in E. coli into B. subtilis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario Juhas
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- * E-mail: (MJ); (JWA)
| | - Christine Wong
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - James W. Ajioka
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- * E-mail: (MJ); (JWA)
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22
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Juhas M, Ajioka JW. Lambda Red recombinase-mediated integration of the high molecular weight DNA into the Escherichia coli chromosome. Microb Cell Fact 2016; 15:172. [PMID: 27716307 PMCID: PMC5050610 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-016-0571-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2016] [Accepted: 09/28/2016] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Escherichia coli K-12 is a frequently used host for a number of synthetic biology and biotechnology applications and chassis for the development of the minimal cell factories. Novel approaches for integrating high molecular weight DNA into the E. coli chromosome would therefore greatly facilitate engineering efforts in this bacterium. Results We developed a reliable and flexible lambda Red recombinase-based system, which utilizes overlapping DNA fragments for integration of the high molecular weight DNA into the E. coli chromosome. Our chromosomal integration strategy can be used to integrate high molecular weight DNA of variable length into any non-essential locus in the E. coli chromosome. Using this approach we integrated 15 kb DNA encoding sucrose catabolism and lactose metabolism and transport operons into the fliK locus of the flagellar region 3b in the E. coli K12 MG1655 chromosome. Furthermore, with this system we integrated 50 kb of Bacillus subtilis 168 DNA into two target sites in the E. coli K12 MG1655 chromosome. The chromosomal integrations into the fliK locus occurred with high efficiency, inhibited motility, and did not have a negative effect on the growth of E. coli. Conclusions In addition to the rational design of synthetic biology devices, our high molecular weight DNA chromosomal integration system will facilitate metabolic and genome-scale engineering of E. coli. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12934-016-0571-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario Juhas
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QP, UK.
| | - James W Ajioka
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QP, UK
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23
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Camattari A, Goh A, Yip LY, Tan AHM, Ng SW, Tran A, Liu G, Liachko I, Dunham MJ, Rancati G. Characterization of a panARS-based episomal vector in the methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris for recombinant protein production and synthetic biology applications. Microb Cell Fact 2016; 15:139. [PMID: 27515025 PMCID: PMC4981965 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-016-0540-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2016] [Accepted: 08/03/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Recombinant protein production in the methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris largely relies on integrative vectors. Although the stability of integrated expression cassettes is well appreciated for most applications, the availability of reliable episomal vectors for this host would represent a useful tool to expedite cloning and high-throughput screening, ameliorating also the relatively high clonal variability reported in transformants from integrative vectors caused by off-target integration in the P. pastoris genome. Recently, heterologous and endogenous autonomously replicating sequences (ARS) were identified in P. pastoris by genome mining, opening the possibility of expanding the available toolbox to include efficient episomal plasmids. The aim of this technical report is to validate a 452-bp sequence (“panARS”) in context of P. pastoris expression vectors, and to compare their performance to classical integrative plasmids. Moreover, we aimed to test if such episomal vectors would be suitable to sustain in vivo recombination, using fragments for transformation, directly in P. pastoris cells. Results A panARS-based episomal vector was evaluated using blue fluorescent protein (BFP) as a reporter gene. Normalized fluorescence from colonies carrying panARS-BFP outperformed the level of signal obtained from integrative controls by several-fold, whereas endogenous sequences, identified from the P. pastoris genome, were not as efficient in terms of protein production. At the single cell level, panARS-BFP clones showed lower interclonal variability but higher intraclonal variation compared to their integrative counterparts, supporting the idea that heterologous protein production could benefit from episomal plasmids. Finally, efficiency of 2-fragment and 3-fragment in vivo recombination was tested using varying lengths of overlapping regions and molar ratios between fragments. Upon optimization, minimal background was obtained for in vivo assembled vectors, suggesting this could be a quick and efficient method to generate of episomal plasmids of interest. Conclusions An expression vector based on the panARS sequence was shown to outperform its integrative counterparts in terms of protein productivity and interclonal variability, facilitating recombinant protein expression and screening. Using optimized fragment lengths and ratios, it was possible to perform reliable in vivo recombination of fragments in P. pastoris. Taken together, these results support the applicability of panARS episomal vectors for synthetic biology approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Camattari
- Bioprocessing Technology Institute (A-STAR), 20 Biopolis Way, #06-01 Centros, Singapore, 138668, Singapore.
| | - Amelia Goh
- Bioprocessing Technology Institute (A-STAR), 20 Biopolis Way, #06-01 Centros, Singapore, 138668, Singapore
| | - Lian Yee Yip
- Bioprocessing Technology Institute (A-STAR), 20 Biopolis Way, #06-01 Centros, Singapore, 138668, Singapore
| | - Andy Hee Meng Tan
- Bioprocessing Technology Institute (A-STAR), 20 Biopolis Way, #06-01 Centros, Singapore, 138668, Singapore
| | - Sze Wai Ng
- Bioprocessing Technology Institute (A-STAR), 20 Biopolis Way, #06-01 Centros, Singapore, 138668, Singapore
| | - Anthony Tran
- Institute of Medical Biology (A-STAR), 8a Biomedical Grove, #06-06, Singapore, 138648, Singapore
| | - Gaowen Liu
- Institute of Medical Biology (A-STAR), 8a Biomedical Grove, #06-06, Singapore, 138648, Singapore
| | - Ivan Liachko
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Maitreya J Dunham
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Giulia Rancati
- Institute of Medical Biology (A-STAR), 8a Biomedical Grove, #06-06, Singapore, 138648, Singapore
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