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Zhang Q, Wei Z, Jia X. Controllable detection threshold achieved through the toehold switch system in a mercury ion whole-cell biosensor. Biosens Bioelectron 2024; 256:116283. [PMID: 38608495 DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2024.116283] [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: 01/15/2024] [Revised: 04/02/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024]
Abstract
Due to the toxicity of mercury and its harmful effects on human health, it is essential to establish a low-cost, highly sensitive and highly specific monitoring method with a wide detection range, ideally with a simple visual readout. In this study, a whole-cell biosensor with adjustable detection limits was developed for the detection of mercury ions in water samples, allowing controllable threshold detection with an expanded detection range. Gene circuits were constructed by combining the toehold switch system with lactose operon, mercury-ion-specific operon, and inducible red fluorescent protein gene. Using MATLAB for design and selection, a total of eleven dual-input single-output sensing logic circuits were obtained based on the basic logic of gene circuit construction. Then, biosensor DTS-3 was selected based on its fluorescence response at different isopropyl β-D-Thiogalactoside (IPTG) concentrations, exhibiting the controllable detection threshold. At 5-20 μM IPTG, DTS-3 can achieve variable threshold detection in the range of 0.005-0.0075, 0.06-0.08, 1-2, and 4-6 μM mercury ion concentrations, respectively. Specificity experiments demonstrated that DTS-3 exhibits good specificity, not showing fluorescence response changes compared with other metal ions. Furthermore spiked sample experiments demonstrated its good resistance to interference, allowing it to distinguish mercury ion concentrations as low as 7.5 nM by the naked eye and 5 nM using a microplate reader. This study confirms the feasibility and performance of biosensor with controllable detection threshold, providing a new detection method and new ideas for expanding the detection range of biosensors while ensuring rapid and convenient measurements without compromising sensitivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qinglong Zhang
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, PR China.
| | - Zixiang Wei
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, PR China.
| | - Xiaoqiang Jia
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, PR China; Frontier Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (MOE), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300350, PR China.
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2
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Wei Y, Shi D, Chen T, Zhou S, Yang Z, Li H, Yang D, Li J, Jin M. CRISPR/Cas9-based engineered Escherichia coli biosensor for sensitive and specific detection of Cd(II) in drinking water. CHEMOSPHERE 2024; 362:142607. [PMID: 38876330 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.142607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2024] [Revised: 06/10/2024] [Accepted: 06/12/2024] [Indexed: 06/16/2024]
Abstract
Cadmium (Cd) is a ubiquitous pollutant that poses a potential threat to human health. Monitoring Cd(II) in drinking water has significant implications for preventing potential threats of Cd(II) to human. However, the weak signal output and response to nontarget interference limit the detection of Cd(II) using bacterial biosensors. In this study, to enable sensitive and specific detection of Cd(II) in water, a stable whole-cell biosensor, K12-PMP-luxCDABE-△cysI, was constructed in a dual-promoter mode by fusing the mercury promoter Pmer, regulatory gene merR(m), and luciferase gene luxCDABE into the E.coli chromosome based on CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing technology. By knocking out the cadmium-resistance-gene cysI, the sensitivity of the biosensor to Cd(II) was further enhanced. The constructed E. coli biosensor K12-PMP-luxCDABE-△cysI exhibited good nonlinear responses to 0.005-2 mg/L Cd(II). Notably, among the three constructed E. coli biosensor, it exhibited the strongest fluorescence intensity, with the limit of detection meeting the allowable limit for Cd(II) in drinking water. Simultaneously, it could specifically detect Cd(II). Nontarget metal ions, such as Zn(II), Hg(II), and Pb(II), did not affect its performance. Furthermore, it exhibited superior performance in detecting Cd(II) in real drinking water samples by avoiding background interference, and showed excellent stability with the relative standard deviation under 5%. Thus, K12-PMP-luxCDABE-△cysI holds promise as a potential tool for the detection of Cd(II) in drinking water.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yijun Wei
- Military Medical Sciences Academy, Academy of Military Sciences
| | - Danyang Shi
- Military Medical Sciences Academy, Academy of Military Sciences
| | - Tianjiao Chen
- Military Medical Sciences Academy, Academy of Military Sciences
| | - Shuqing Zhou
- Military Medical Sciences Academy, Academy of Military Sciences
| | - Zhongwei Yang
- Military Medical Sciences Academy, Academy of Military Sciences
| | - Haibei Li
- Military Medical Sciences Academy, Academy of Military Sciences
| | - Dong Yang
- Military Medical Sciences Academy, Academy of Military Sciences
| | - Junwen Li
- Military Medical Sciences Academy, Academy of Military Sciences
| | - Min Jin
- Military Medical Sciences Academy, Academy of Military Sciences.
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3
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Halema AA, El-Beltagi HS, Al-Dossary O, Alsubaie B, Henawy AR, Rezk AA, Almutairi HH, Mohamed AA, Elarabi NI, Abdelhadi AA. Omics technology draws a comprehensive heavy metal resistance strategy in bacteria. World J Microbiol Biotechnol 2024; 40:193. [PMID: 38709343 DOI: 10.1007/s11274-024-04005-y] [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: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024]
Abstract
The rapid industrial revolution significantly increased heavy metal pollution, becoming a major global environmental concern. This pollution is considered as one of the most harmful and toxic threats to all environmental components (air, soil, water, animals, and plants until reaching to human). Therefore, scientists try to find a promising and eco-friendly technique to solve this problem i.e., bacterial bioremediation. Various heavy metal resistance mechanisms were reported. Omics technologies can significantly improve our understanding of heavy metal resistant bacteria and their communities. They are a potent tool for investigating the adaptation processes of microbes in severe conditions. These omics methods provide unique benefits for investigating metabolic alterations, microbial diversity, and mechanisms of resistance of individual strains or communities to harsh conditions. Starting with genome sequencing which provides us with complete and comprehensive insight into the resistance mechanism of heavy metal resistant bacteria. Moreover, genome sequencing facilitates the opportunities to identify specific metal resistance genes, operons, and regulatory elements in the genomes of individual bacteria, understand the genetic mechanisms and variations responsible for heavy metal resistance within and between bacterial species in addition to the transcriptome, proteome that obtain the real expressed genes. Moreover, at the community level, metagenome, meta transcriptome and meta proteome participate in understanding the microbial interactive network potentially novel metabolic pathways, enzymes and gene species can all be found using these methods. This review presents the state of the art and anticipated developments in the use of omics technologies in the investigation of microbes used for heavy metal bioremediation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asmaa A Halema
- Genetics Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University, Giza, 12613, Egypt
| | - Hossam S El-Beltagi
- Agricultural Biotechnology Department, College of Agriculture and Food Sciences, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa, 31982, Saudi Arabia.
- Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University, Giza, 12613, Egypt.
| | - Othman Al-Dossary
- Agricultural Biotechnology Department, College of Agriculture and Food Sciences, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa, 31982, Saudi Arabia
| | - Bader Alsubaie
- Agricultural Biotechnology Department, College of Agriculture and Food Sciences, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa, 31982, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ahmed R Henawy
- Microbiology Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University, Giza, 12613, Egypt
| | - Adel A Rezk
- Agricultural Biotechnology Department, College of Agriculture and Food Sciences, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa, 31982, Saudi Arabia
- Plant Virology Department, Plant Pathology Research Institute, Agriculture Research Center, Giza, 12619, Egypt
| | - Hayfa Habes Almutairi
- Chemistry Department, College of Science, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa, 31982, Saudi Arabia
| | - Amal A Mohamed
- Chemistry Dept, Al-Leith University College, Umm Al-Qura University, P.O. Box 6725- 21955, Makkah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Nagwa I Elarabi
- Genetics Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University, Giza, 12613, Egypt
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4
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Zhang K, Cao F, Zhao Y, Wang H, Chen L. Antibacterial Ingredients and Modes of the Methanol-Phase Extract from the Fruit of Amomum villosum Lour. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 13:834. [PMID: 38592864 PMCID: PMC10975419 DOI: 10.3390/plants13060834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2024] [Revised: 03/06/2024] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
Epidemics of infectious diseases threaten human health and society stability. Pharmacophagous plants are rich in bioactive compounds that constitute a safe drug library for antimicrobial agents. In this study, we have deciphered for the first time antibacterial ingredients and modes of the methanol-phase extract (MPE) from the fruit of Amomum villosum Lour. The results have revealed that the antibacterial rate of the MPE was 63.64%, targeting 22 species of common pathogenic bacteria. The MPE was further purified by high performance liquid chromatography (Prep-HPLC), and three different constituents (Fractions 1-3) were obtained. Of these, the Fraction 2 treatment significantly increased the cell membrane fluidity and permeability, reduced the cell surface hydrophobicity, and damaged the integrity of the cell structure, leading to the leakage of cellular macromolecules of Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogens (p < 0.05). Eighty-nine compounds in Fraction 2 were identified by ultra HPLC-mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS) analysis, among which 4-hydroxyphenylacetylglutamic acid accounted for the highest 30.89%, followed by lubiprostone (11.86%), miltirone (10.68%), and oleic acid (10.58%). Comparative transcriptomics analysis revealed significantly altered metabolic pathways in the representative pathogens treated by Fraction 2 (p < 0.05), indicating multiple antibacterial modes. Overall, this study first demonstrates the antibacterial activity of the MPE from the fruit of A. villosum Lour., and should be useful for its application in the medicinal and food preservative industries against common pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaiyue Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Quality and Safety Risk Assessment for Aquatic Products on Storage and Preservation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the People’s Republic of China, Shanghai 201306, China
- College of Food Science and Technology, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China
| | - Fengfeng Cao
- Key Laboratory of Quality and Safety Risk Assessment for Aquatic Products on Storage and Preservation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the People’s Republic of China, Shanghai 201306, China
- College of Food Science and Technology, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China
| | - Yueliang Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Quality and Safety Risk Assessment for Aquatic Products on Storage and Preservation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the People’s Republic of China, Shanghai 201306, China
- College of Food Science and Technology, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China
| | - Hengbin Wang
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology, Oncology, and Palliative Care, Massey Cancer Center, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298, USA
| | - Lanming Chen
- Key Laboratory of Quality and Safety Risk Assessment for Aquatic Products on Storage and Preservation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the People’s Republic of China, Shanghai 201306, China
- College of Food Science and Technology, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China
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5
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Tulin G, Figueroa NR, Checa SK, Soncini FC. The multifarious MerR family of transcriptional regulators. Mol Microbiol 2024; 121:230-242. [PMID: 38105009 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.15212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Revised: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
The MerR family of transcriptional regulators includes a variety of bacterial cytoplasmic proteins that respond to a wide range of signals, including toxins, metal ions, and endogenous metabolites. Its best-characterized members share similar structural and functional features with the family founder, the mercury sensor MerR, although most of them do not respond to metal ions. The group of "canonical" MerR homologs displays common molecular mechanisms for controlling the transcriptional activation of their target genes in response to inducer signals. This includes the recognition of distinctive operator sequences located at suboptimal σ70 -dependent promoters. Interestingly, an increasing number of proteins assigned to the MerR family based on their DNA-binding domain do not match in structure, sequence, or mode of action with any of the canonical MerR-like regulators. Here, we analyzed several members of the family, including this last group. Based on a phylogenetic analysis, and similarities in structural/functional features and position of their target operators relative to the promoter elements, we propose to assign these "atypical/divergent" MerR regulators to a phylogenetically separated group. These atypical/divergent homologs represent a new class of transcriptional regulators with novel regulatory mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gonzalo Tulin
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario, Departamento de Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Rosario, Argentina
| | - Nicolás R Figueroa
- Centro de Estudios Fotosintéticos y Bioquímicos, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Rosario, Argentina
| | - Susana K Checa
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario, Departamento de Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Rosario, Argentina
| | - Fernando C Soncini
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario, Departamento de Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Rosario, Argentina
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6
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Hui CY, Ma BC, Wang YQ, Yang XQ, Cai JM. Designed bacteria based on natural pbr operons for detecting and detoxifying environmental lead: A mini-review. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2023; 267:115662. [PMID: 37939554 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2023.115662] [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: 09/30/2023] [Revised: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023]
Abstract
Lead (Pb), a naturally occurring element, is redistributed in the environment mainly due to anthropogenic activities. Pb pollution is a crucial public health problem worldwide due to its adverse effects. Environmental bacteria have evolved various protective mechanisms against high levels of Pb. The pbr operon, first identified in Cupriavidus metallidurans CH34, encodes a unique Pb(II) resistance mechanism involving transport, efflux, sequestration, biomineralization, and precipitation. Similar pbr operons are gradually found in diverse bacterial strains. This review focuses on the pbr-encoded Pb(II) resistance system. It summarizes various whole-cell biosensors harboring artificially designed pbr operons for Pb(II) biomonitoring with fluorescent, luminescent, and colorimetric signal output. Optimization of genetic circuits, employment of pigment-based reporters, and screening of host cells are promising in improving the sensitivity, selectivity, and response range of whole-cell biosensors. Engineered bacteria displaying Pb(II) binding and sequestration proteins, including PbrR and its derivatives, PbrR2 and PbrD, for adsorption are involved. Although synthetic bacteria show great potential in determining and removing Pb at the nanomolar level for environmental protection and food safety, some challenges must be addressed to meet demanding application requirements.
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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
| | - Yong-Qiang Wang
- Shenzhen Prevention and Treatment Center for Occupational Diseases, 2019 Buxin Road, Shenzhen 518020, China
| | - Xue-Qin Yang
- Shenzhen Prevention and Treatment Center for Occupational Diseases, 2019 Buxin Road, Shenzhen 518020, China
| | - Jin-Min Cai
- Shenzhen Prevention and Treatment Center for Occupational Diseases, 2019 Buxin Road, Shenzhen 518020, China
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7
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Ghataora JS, Gebhard S, Reeksting BJ. Chimeric MerR-Family Regulators and Logic Elements for the Design of Metal Sensitive Genetic Circuits in Bacillus subtilis. ACS Synth Biol 2023; 12:735-749. [PMID: 36629785 PMCID: PMC10028694 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.2c00545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Whole-cell biosensors are emerging as promising tools for monitoring environmental pollutants such as heavy metals. These sensors constitute a genetic circuit comprising a sensing module and an output module, such that a detectable signal is produced in the presence of the desired analyte. The MerR family of metal-responsive regulators offers great potential for the construction of metal sensing circuits, due to their high sensitivity, tight transcription control, and large diversity in metal-specificity. However, the sensing diversity is broadest in Gram-negative systems, while chassis organisms are often selected from Gram-positive species, particularly sporulating bacilli. This can be problematic, because Gram-negative biological parts, such as promoters, are frequently observed to be nonfunctional in Gram-positive hosts. Herein, we combined construction of synthetic genetic circuits and chimeric MerR regulators, supported by structure-guided design, to generate metal-sensitive biosensor modules that are functional in the biotechnological work-horse species Bacillus subtilis. These chimeras consist of a constant Gram-positive derived DNA-binding domain fused to variable metal binding domains of Gram-negative origins. To improve the specificity of the whole-cell biosensor, we developed a modular "AND gate" logic system based on the B. subtilis two-subunit σ-factor, SigO-RsoA, designed to maximize future use for synthetic biology applications in B. subtilis. This work provides insights into the use of modular regulators, such as the MerR family, in the design of synthetic circuits for the detection of heavy metals, with potentially wider applicability of the approach to other systems and genetic backgrounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasdeep S Ghataora
- Life Sciences Department, Milner Centre for Evolution, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath BA2 7AY, United Kingdom
| | - Susanne Gebhard
- Life Sciences Department, Milner Centre for Evolution, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath BA2 7AY, United Kingdom
| | - Bianca J Reeksting
- Life Sciences Department, Milner Centre for Evolution, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath BA2 7AY, United Kingdom
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8
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Hu S, Zhang G, Jia X. Improvement of a highly sensitive and specific whole-cell biosensor by adding a positive feedback amplifier. Synth Syst Biotechnol 2023; 8:292-299. [PMID: 37090062 PMCID: PMC10113786 DOI: 10.1016/j.synbio.2023.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Revised: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
In this study, we designed a Cd2+ whole-cell biosensor with both positive and negative feedback cascade amplifiers in Pseudomonas putida KT2440 (LTCM) based on our previous design with only a negative feedback amplifier (TCM). The results showed that the newly developed biosensor LTCM was greatly improved compared to TCM. Firstly, the linear response range of LTCM was expanded while the maximum linear response range was raised from 0.05 to 0.1 μM. Meanwhile, adding a positive feedback amplifier further increased the fluorescence output signal of LTCM 1.11-2.64 times under the same culture conditions. Moreover, the response time of LTCM for detection of practical samples was reduced from 6 to 4 h. At the same time, LTCM still retained very high sensitivity and specificity, while its lowest detection limit was 0.1 nM Cd2+ and the specificity was 23.29 (compared to 0.1 nM and 17.55 in TCM, respectively). In summary, the positive and negative feedback cascade amplifiers effectively improved the performance of the biosensor LTCM, resulting in a greater linear response range, higher output signal intensity, and shorter response time than TCM while retaining comparable sensitivity and specificity, indicating better potential for practical applications.
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9
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Avendaño‐Herrera R, Olsen AB, Saldarriaga‐Cordoba M, Colquhoun DJ, Reyes V, Rivera‐Bohle J, Duchaud E, Irgang R. Isolation, identification, virulence potential, and genomic features of
Tenacibaculum piscium
isolates recovered from Chilean salmonids. Transbound Emerg Dis 2022; 69:e3305-e3315. [DOI: 10.1111/tbed.14606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Revised: 05/20/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ruben Avendaño‐Herrera
- Universidad Andrés Bello Laboratorio de Patología de Organismos Acuáticos y Biotecnología Acuícola Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida Viña del Mar Chile
- Centro FONDAP INCAR Universidad Andrés Bello Viña del Mar Chile
| | - Anne Berit Olsen
- Section of Aquatic Biosecurity Research Norwegian Veterinary Institute Bergen Norway
| | - Mónica Saldarriaga‐Cordoba
- Centro FONDAP INCAR Universidad Andrés Bello Viña del Mar Chile
- CIRENYS Universidad Bernardo O'Higgins Santiago Chile
| | | | - Víctor Reyes
- Farmacología en Aquacultura Veterinaria FAV S.A Puerto Varas Chile
| | | | - Eric Duchaud
- UMR 0892‐Virologie et Immunologie Moléculaires Université Paris‐Saclay UVSQ INRAE Jouy‐en‐Josas France
| | - Rute Irgang
- Centro FONDAP INCAR Universidad Andrés Bello Viña del Mar Chile
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10
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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.
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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
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11
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Detection of environmental pollutant cadmium in water using a visual bacterial biosensor. Sci Rep 2022; 12:6898. [PMID: 35477977 PMCID: PMC9046199 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-11051-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Cadmium (Cd) contamination in water and soil is considered an environmental pollutant. Food crops can absorb and accumulate bioavailable Cd. Continuous monitoring of Cd levels in the environment can minimize exposure and harm to humans. Visual pigments have been demonstrated to have great potential in the development of minimal-equipment biosensors. In the present study, a metabolically engineered bacterium was employed to produce blue-purple pigment violacein responsive to toxic Cd(II). The high stability of the bisindole pigment contributed to determining the violacein at wavelengths of 578 nm. Visual and quantifiable signals could be captured after a 1.5-h Cd(II) exposure. This novel biosensor showed significantly stronger responses to Cd(II) than to other heavy metals including Pb(II), Zn(II), and Hg(II). A significant increase in pigment signal was found to respond to as low as 0.049 μM Cd(II). The naked eye can detect the color change when violacein-based biosensor is exposed to 25 μM Cd(II). A high-throughput method for rapid determination of soluble Cd(II) in environmental water was developed using a colorimetric microplate.
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12
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Silica Meets Tannic Acid: Designing Green Nanoplatforms for Environment Preservation. MOLECULES (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 27:molecules27061944. [PMID: 35335307 PMCID: PMC8948831 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27061944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2022] [Revised: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
Hybrid tannic acid-silica-based porous nanoparticles, TA-SiO2 NPs, have been synthesized under mild conditions in the presence of green and renewable tannic acid biopolymer, a glycoside polymer of gallic acid present in a large part of plants. Tannic acid (TA) was exploited as both a structuring directing agent and green chelating site for heavy metal ions recovery from aqueous solutions. Particles morphologies and porosity were easily tuned by varying the TA initial amount. The sample produced with the largest TA amount showed a specific surface area an order of magnitude larger than silica nanoparticles. The adsorption performance was investigated by using TA-SiO2 NPs as adsorbents for copper (II) ions from an aqueous solution. The effects of the initial Cu2+ ions concentration and the pH values on the adsorption capability were also investigated. The resulting TA-SiO2 NPs exhibited a different adsorption behaviour towards Cu2+, which was demonstrated through different tests. The largest adsorption (i.e., ~50 wt% of the initial Cu2+ amount) was obtained with the more porous nanoplatforms bearing a higher final TA content. The TA-nanoplatforms, stable in pH value around neutral conditions, can be easily produced and their use would well comply with a green strategy to reduce wastewater pollution.
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13
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Tang X, Huang Y, Li Y, Yang Y, Cheng X, Jiao G, Dai H. The response of bacterial communities to V and Cr and novel reducing bacteria near a vanadium‑titanium magnetite refinery. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 806:151214. [PMID: 34715225 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.151214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2021] [Revised: 10/21/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Soil contamination with multiple heavy metals has always been a pressing issue, but little attention has been given to V and Cr and their chemical fractions' impacts on microorganisms because Cr2O3 usually occurs as an associated mineral in vanadium mines. To investigate this issue, samples (N1-N6) less affected by anthropogenic activities were selected for microbial analysis. The area near the refinery was heavily contaminated according to the PLI (pollution load index). Actinobacteriota, Proteobacteria, and Chloroflexi were the dominant phyla in the soil. The diversity of bacteria was positively influenced by V and Cr and negatively influenced by pH, while the abundance was positively correlated with soil nutrients. Interestingly, the influence of heavy metals in the residual fraction on the microbial community structure and functional metabolism was higher than that in the oxidizable fraction, which may be due to the relatively low heavy metal valence of the oxidizable fraction, suggesting that low valence binding forms of multivalence elements have little effect on microorganisms in the soil. Ultimately, two strains with great efficiency in reducing V and Cr were screened, and co-occurrence network characteristics with significant positive interactions suggested that Bacillus can coordinate community structure in the same niche. This research will help to explore the bioavailability of heavy metals and further achieve the bioremediation of heavy metal contamination in soil.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Geohazard Prevention and Geoenvironment Protection, College of Geosciences, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu 610059, Sichuan, China
| | - Yi Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Geohazard Prevention and Geoenvironment Protection, College of Geosciences, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu 610059, Sichuan, China; State Key Laboratory of Collaborative Control and Joint Remediation of Soil and Water Pollution, College of Ecology and Environment, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu 610059, Sichuan, China.
| | - Ying Li
- State Key Laboratory of Geohazard Prevention and Geoenvironment Protection, College of Geosciences, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu 610059, Sichuan, China
| | - Ying Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Geohazard Prevention and Geoenvironment Protection, College of Geosciences, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu 610059, Sichuan, China
| | - Xin Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Collaborative Control and Joint Remediation of Soil and Water Pollution, College of Ecology and Environment, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu 610059, Sichuan, China
| | - Ganghui Jiao
- State Key Laboratory of Geohazard Prevention and Geoenvironment Protection, College of Geosciences, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu 610059, Sichuan, China
| | - Hao Dai
- State Key Laboratory of Collaborative Control and Joint Remediation of Soil and Water Pollution, College of Ecology and Environment, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu 610059, Sichuan, China
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14
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Mazzei L, Musiani F, Żerko S, Koźminski W, Cianci M, Beniamino Y, Ciurli S, Zambelli B. Structure, dynamics, and function of SrnR, a transcription factor for nickel-dependent gene expression. Metallomics 2021; 13:6445039. [PMID: 34850061 DOI: 10.1093/mtomcs/mfab069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
Streptomyces griseus, a bacterium producing antibacterial drugs and featuring possible application in phytoremediation, expresses two metal-dependent superoxide dismutase (SOD) enzymes, containing either Fe(II) or Ni(II) in their active site. In particular, the alternative expression of the two proteins occurs in a metal-dependent mode, with the Fe(II)-enzyme gene (sodF) repressed at high intracellular Ni(II) concentrations by a two-component system (TCS). This complex involves two proteins, namely SgSrnR and SgSrnQ, which represent the transcriptional regulator and the Ni(II) sensor of the system, respectively. SgSrnR belongs to the ArsR/SmtB family of metal-dependent transcription factors; in the apo-form and in the absence of SgSrnQ, it can bind the DNA operator of sodF, upregulating gene transcription. According to a recently proposed hypothesis, Ni(II) binding to SgSrnQ would promote its interaction with SgSrnR, causing the release of the complex from DNA and the consequent downregulation of the sodF expression. SgSrnQ is predicted to be highly disordered, thus the understanding, at the molecular level, of how the SgSrnR/SgSrnQ TCS specifically responds to Ni(II) requires the knowledge of the structural, dynamic, and functional features of SgSrnR. These were investigated synergistically in this work using X-ray crystallography, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, atomistic molecular dynamics calculations, isothermal titration calorimetry, and in silico molecular docking. The results reveal that the homodimeric apo-SgSrnR binds to its operator in a two-step process that involves the more rigid globular portion of the protein and leaves its largely disordered regions available to possibly interact with the disordered SgSrnQ in a Ni-dependent process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Mazzei
- Laboratory of Bioinorganic Chemistry, Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology (FaBiT), University of Bologna, Via Giuseppe Fanin 40, I-40127 Bologna. Italy
| | - Francesco Musiani
- Laboratory of Bioinorganic Chemistry, Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology (FaBiT), University of Bologna, Via Giuseppe Fanin 40, I-40127 Bologna. Italy
| | - Szymon Żerko
- Faculty of Chemistry, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, University of Warsaw, Żwirki i Wigury 101, 02-089, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Wiktor Koźminski
- Faculty of Chemistry, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, University of Warsaw, Żwirki i Wigury 101, 02-089, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Michele Cianci
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, I-60131 Ancona, Italy
| | - Ylenia Beniamino
- Laboratory of Bioinorganic Chemistry, Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology (FaBiT), University of Bologna, Via Giuseppe Fanin 40, I-40127 Bologna. Italy
| | - Stefano Ciurli
- Laboratory of Bioinorganic Chemistry, Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology (FaBiT), University of Bologna, Via Giuseppe Fanin 40, I-40127 Bologna. Italy
| | - Barbara Zambelli
- Laboratory of Bioinorganic Chemistry, Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology (FaBiT), University of Bologna, Via Giuseppe Fanin 40, I-40127 Bologna. Italy
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15
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Hui CY, Guo Y, Liu L, Yi J. Recent advances in bacterial biosensing and bioremediation of cadmium pollution: a mini-review. World J Microbiol Biotechnol 2021; 38:9. [PMID: 34850291 DOI: 10.1007/s11274-021-03198-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Cadmium (Cd) pollution has become a global environmental issue because Cd gets easily accumulated and translocated in the food chain, threatening human health. Considering the detrimental effects and non-biodegradability of environmental Cd, this is an urgent issue that needs to be addressed through the development of robust, cost-effective, and eco-friendly green routes for monitoring and remediating toxic levels of Cd. This article attempts to review various bacterial approaches toward biosensing and bioremediation of Cd in the environment. This review focuses on the recent development of bacterial cell-based biosensors for the detection of bioavailable Cd and the bioremediation of toxic Cd by natural or genetically-engineered bacteria. The present limitations and future perspectives of these available bacterial approaches are outlined. New trends for integrating synthetic biology and metabolic engineering into the design of bacterial biosensors and bioadsorbers are additionally highlighted.
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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
| | - Lisa Liu
- Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Juan Yi
- Department of Pathology & Toxicology, Shenzhen Prevention and Treatment Center for Occupational Diseases, Shenzhen, China
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16
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Kannappan S, Ramisetty BCM. Engineered Whole-Cell-Based Biosensors: Sensing Environmental Heavy Metal Pollutants in Water-a Review. Appl Biochem Biotechnol 2021; 194:1814-1840. [PMID: 34783990 DOI: 10.1007/s12010-021-03734-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The frequent exposure and accumulation of heavy metals in organisms cause serious health issues affecting a range of organs such as the brain, liver, and reproductive organs in adults, infants, and children. Several parts of the world have high levels of heavy metals affecting millions of people, costing millions of dollars for improving the potability of water and medical treatment of the affected. Hence, water quality assessment is required to monitor the degree of heavy metal contamination in potable water. In nature, organisms respond to various environmental pollutants such as heavy metals, allowing their survival in a diverse environmental niche. With the advent of recombinant DNA technology, it is now possible to manipulate these natural bioreporters into controlled systems which either turn on or off gene expression or activity of enzymes in the presence of specific heavy metals (compound-specific biosensors) otherwise termed as whole-cell biosensors (WCBs). WCBs provide an upper hand compared to other immunosensors, enzyme-based sensors, and DNA-based sensors since microbes can be relatively easily manipulated, scaled up with relative ease, and can detect only the bioavailable heavy metals. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge of the various mechanisms of toxicity elicited by various heavy metals, thence emphasizing the need to develop heavy metal sensing platforms. Following this, the biosensor-based platforms including WCBs for detecting heavy metals developed thus far have been briefly elaborated upon, emphasizing the challenges and solutions associated with WCBs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shrute Kannappan
- Department of Precision Medicine, School of Medicine, Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), Suwon, 16419, South Korea
- Research Center for Advanced Materials Technology, Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), Suwon, 16419, South Korea
- School of Chemical and Biotechnology, SASTRA Deemed University, Thanjavur, India
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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.
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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
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18
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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.
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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.
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19
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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.
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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
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20
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La Mendola D, Arena G, Pietropaolo A, Satriano C, Rizzarelli E. Metal ion coordination in peptide fragments of neurotrophins: A crucial step for understanding the role and signaling of these proteins in the brain. Coord Chem Rev 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ccr.2021.213790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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21
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Giachino A, Focarelli F, Marles-Wright J, Waldron KJ. Synthetic biology approaches to copper remediation: bioleaching, accumulation and recycling. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2021; 97:6021318. [PMID: 33501489 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiaa249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2020] [Accepted: 12/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
One of the current aims of synthetic biology is the development of novel microorganisms that can mine economically important elements from the environment or remediate toxic waste compounds. Copper, in particular, is a high-priority target for bioremediation owing to its extensive use in the food, metal and electronic industries and its resulting common presence as an environmental pollutant. Even though microbe-aided copper biomining is a mature technology, its application to waste treatment and remediation of contaminated sites still requires further research and development. Crucially, any engineered copper-remediating chassis must survive in copper-rich environments and adapt to copper toxicity; they also require bespoke adaptations to specifically extract copper and safely accumulate it as a human-recoverable deposit to enable biorecycling. Here, we review current strategies in copper bioremediation, biomining and biorecycling, as well as strategies that extant bacteria use to enhance copper tolerance, accumulation and mineralization in the native environment. By describing the existing toolbox of copper homeostasis proteins from naturally occurring bacteria, we show how these modular systems can be exploited through synthetic biology to enhance the properties of engineered microbes for biotechnological copper recovery applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Giachino
- Faculty of Medical Sciences, Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4HH, United Kingdom
| | - Francesca Focarelli
- Faculty of Medical Sciences, Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4HH, United Kingdom
| | - Jon Marles-Wright
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, United Kingdom
| | - Kevin J Waldron
- Faculty of Medical Sciences, Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4HH, United Kingdom
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22
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Andrei A, Öztürk Y, Khalfaoui-Hassani B, Rauch J, Marckmann D, Trasnea PI, Daldal F, Koch HG. Cu Homeostasis in Bacteria: The Ins and Outs. MEMBRANES 2020; 10:E242. [PMID: 32962054 PMCID: PMC7558416 DOI: 10.3390/membranes10090242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2020] [Revised: 09/11/2020] [Accepted: 09/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Copper (Cu) is an essential trace element for all living organisms and used as cofactor in key enzymes of important biological processes, such as aerobic respiration or superoxide dismutation. However, due to its toxicity, cells have developed elaborate mechanisms for Cu homeostasis, which balance Cu supply for cuproprotein biogenesis with the need to remove excess Cu. This review summarizes our current knowledge on bacterial Cu homeostasis with a focus on Gram-negative bacteria and describes the multiple strategies that bacteria use for uptake, storage and export of Cu. We furthermore describe general mechanistic principles that aid the bacterial response to toxic Cu concentrations and illustrate dedicated Cu relay systems that facilitate Cu delivery for cuproenzyme biogenesis. Progress in understanding how bacteria avoid Cu poisoning while maintaining a certain Cu quota for cell proliferation is of particular importance for microbial pathogens because Cu is utilized by the host immune system for attenuating pathogen survival in host cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreea Andrei
- Institut für Biochemie und Molekularbiologie, ZBMZ, Medizinische Fakultät, Albert-Ludwigs Universität Freiburg; Stefan Meier Str. 17, 79104 Freiburg, Germany; (A.A.); (Y.O.); (J.R.); (D.M.)
- Fakultät für Biologie, Albert-Ludwigs Universität Freiburg; Schänzlestrasse 1, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Yavuz Öztürk
- Institut für Biochemie und Molekularbiologie, ZBMZ, Medizinische Fakultät, Albert-Ludwigs Universität Freiburg; Stefan Meier Str. 17, 79104 Freiburg, Germany; (A.A.); (Y.O.); (J.R.); (D.M.)
| | | | - Juna Rauch
- Institut für Biochemie und Molekularbiologie, ZBMZ, Medizinische Fakultät, Albert-Ludwigs Universität Freiburg; Stefan Meier Str. 17, 79104 Freiburg, Germany; (A.A.); (Y.O.); (J.R.); (D.M.)
| | - Dorian Marckmann
- Institut für Biochemie und Molekularbiologie, ZBMZ, Medizinische Fakultät, Albert-Ludwigs Universität Freiburg; Stefan Meier Str. 17, 79104 Freiburg, Germany; (A.A.); (Y.O.); (J.R.); (D.M.)
| | | | - Fevzi Daldal
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA;
| | - Hans-Georg Koch
- Institut für Biochemie und Molekularbiologie, ZBMZ, Medizinische Fakultät, Albert-Ludwigs Universität Freiburg; Stefan Meier Str. 17, 79104 Freiburg, Germany; (A.A.); (Y.O.); (J.R.); (D.M.)
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23
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Malandrino P, Russo M, Gianì F, Pellegriti G, Vigneri P, Belfiore A, Rizzarelli E, Vigneri R. Increased Thyroid Cancer Incidence in Volcanic Areas: A Role of Increased Heavy Metals in the Environment? Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21103425. [PMID: 32408629 PMCID: PMC7279170 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21103425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2020] [Revised: 05/09/2020] [Accepted: 05/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Thyroid cancer incidence is significantly increased in volcanic areas, where relevant non-anthropogenic pollution with heavy metals is present in the environment. This review will discuss whether chronic lifelong exposure to slightly increased levels of metals can contribute to the increase in thyroid cancer in the residents of a volcanic area. The influence of metals on living cells depends on the physicochemical properties of the metals and their interaction with the target cell metallostasis network, which includes transporters, intracellular binding proteins, and metal-responsive elements. Very little is known about the carcinogenic potential of slightly increased metal levels on the thyroid, which might be more sensitive to mutagenic damage because of its unique biology related to iodine, which is a very reactive and strongly oxidizing agent. Different mechanisms could explain the specific carcinogenic effect of borderline/high environmental levels of metals on the thyroid, including (a) hormesis, the nonlinear response to chemicals causing important biological effects at low concentrations; (b) metal accumulation in the thyroid relative to other tissues; and (c) the specific effects of a mixture of different metals. Recent evidence related to all of these mechanisms is now available, and the data are compatible with a cause–effect relationship between increased metal levels in the environment and an increase in thyroid cancer incidence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pasqualino Malandrino
- Endocrinology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, Garibaldi-Nesima Medical Center, 95122 Catania, Italy; (P.M.); (M.R.); (F.G.); (G.P.); (A.B.)
| | - Marco Russo
- Endocrinology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, Garibaldi-Nesima Medical Center, 95122 Catania, Italy; (P.M.); (M.R.); (F.G.); (G.P.); (A.B.)
| | - Fiorenza Gianì
- Endocrinology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, Garibaldi-Nesima Medical Center, 95122 Catania, Italy; (P.M.); (M.R.); (F.G.); (G.P.); (A.B.)
| | - Gabriella Pellegriti
- Endocrinology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, Garibaldi-Nesima Medical Center, 95122 Catania, Italy; (P.M.); (M.R.); (F.G.); (G.P.); (A.B.)
| | - Paolo Vigneri
- Medical Oncology and the Center of Experimental Oncology and Hematology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, A.O.U. Policlinico Vittorio Emanuele, 95125 Catania, Italy;
| | - Antonino Belfiore
- Endocrinology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, Garibaldi-Nesima Medical Center, 95122 Catania, Italy; (P.M.); (M.R.); (F.G.); (G.P.); (A.B.)
| | - Enrico Rizzarelli
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Catania, 95125 Catania, Italy;
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Cristallography Institute (Catania Section), via P. Gaifami 18, 95126 Catania, Italy
- Consorzio Interuniversitario di Ricerca in Chimica dei Metalli nei Sistemi Biologici (CIRCMSB), via Celso Ulpiani 27, 70126 Bari, Italy
| | - Riccardo Vigneri
- Endocrinology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, Garibaldi-Nesima Medical Center, 95122 Catania, Italy; (P.M.); (M.R.); (F.G.); (G.P.); (A.B.)
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Cristallography Institute (Catania Section), via P. Gaifami 18, 95126 Catania, Italy
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-095-759-8747
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Baksh KA, Zamble DB. Allosteric control of metal-responsive transcriptional regulators in bacteria. J Biol Chem 2020; 295:1673-1684. [PMID: 31857375 PMCID: PMC7008368 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.rev119.011444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Many transition metals are essential trace nutrients for living organisms, but they are also cytotoxic in high concentrations. Bacteria maintain the delicate balance between metal starvation and toxicity through a complex network of metal homeostasis pathways. These systems are coordinated by the activities of metal-responsive transcription factors-also known as metal-sensor proteins or metalloregulators-that are tuned to sense the bioavailability of specific metals in the cell in order to regulate the expression of genes encoding proteins that contribute to metal homeostasis. Metal binding to a metalloregulator allosterically influences its ability to bind specific DNA sequences through a variety of intricate mechanisms that lie on a continuum between large conformational changes and subtle changes in internal dynamics. This review summarizes recent advances in our understanding of how metal sensor proteins respond to intracellular metal concentrations. In particular, we highlight the allosteric mechanisms used for metal-responsive regulation of several prokaryotic single-component metalloregulators, and we briefly discuss current open questions of how metalloregulators function in bacterial cells. Understanding the regulation and function of metal-responsive transcription factors is a fundamental aspect of metallobiochemistry and is important for gaining insights into bacterial growth and virulence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karina A Baksh
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Deborah B Zamble
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada; Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H6, Canada.
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Hui CY, Guo Y, Liu L, Zhang NX, Gao CX, Yang XQ, Yi J. Genetic control of violacein biosynthesis to enable a pigment-based whole-cell lead biosensor. RSC Adv 2020; 10:28106-28113. [PMID: 35519119 PMCID: PMC9055639 DOI: 10.1039/d0ra04815a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2020] [Accepted: 07/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Environmental risks continue to grow due to heavy metal contamination caused by anthropogenic activities. Accumulation of harmful quantities of lead poses a threat to aquatic organisms, plants, and human beings. Whole-cell biosensors, which can proliferate independently, can detect the bioavailable fraction to assess the effect of target heavy metal on the environmental ecosystem. In this study, the biosynthesis pathway of violacein was heterogeneously constructed under the control of the T7 lac promoter in E. coli. A dose–response relationship existed between the inducer and the production of violacein. The biosynthesis pathway of violacein was finally engineered under the regulation of Pb(ii)-dependent metalloregulator PbrR to assemble Pb(ii)-inducible whole-cell biosensor. It permitted specific biosensing of Pb(ii) with extraordinary selectivity, and could resist the interferences from various metal ions. Color change by the intracellular accumulation of violacein could be recognized with the naked eye directly with high concentration of lead exposure, and quantified by determining the absorbance at 490 nm after butanol extraction. A good linear range for Pb(ii) concentrations of 0.1875–1.5 μM was obtained. The novel pigment-based whole-cell biosensor could detect concentrations as low as 0.1875 μM Pb(ii) based on in vitro quantification of violacein extracted by butanol, which is significantly lower than reported fluorescent protein-based PbrR-regulated biosensors based on direct measurement of whole cell fluorescence. These results indicate that genetically controlled violacein biosynthesis can enable a sensitive, visual, and qualitative biosensor for monitoring the presence of bioavailable Pb(ii) in lead-contaminated water. Genetically controlled violacein biosynthesis can enable a sensitive, visual, and qualitative biosensor for monitoring the presence of bioavailable lead.![]()
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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
| | - Lisa Liu
- Institute of Translational Medicine
- Shenzhen Second People's Hospital
- Shenzhen
- China
| | - Nai-xing Zhang
- National Key Clinical Specialty of Occupational Diseases
- 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
| | - Xue-qin Yang
- 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
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