Controlling localization of Escherichia coli populations using a two-part synthetic motility circuit: An accelerator and brake. 2017

Ryan McKay, and Pricila Hauk, and Hsuan-Chen Wu, and Alex Eli Pottash, and Wu Shang, and Jessica Terrell, and Gregory F Payne, and William E Bentley
Fischell Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland.

Probiotics, whether taken as capsules or consumed in foods, have been regarded as safe for human use by regulatory agencies. Being living cells, they serve as "tunable" factories for the synthesis of a vast array of beneficial molecules. The idea of reprogramming probiotics to act as controllable factories, producing potential therapeutic molecules under user-specified conditions, represents a new and powerful concept in drug synthesis and delivery. Probiotics that serve as drug delivery vehicles pose several challenges, one being targeting (as seen with nanoparticle approaches). Here, we employ synthetic biology to control swimming directionality in a process referred to as "pseudotaxis." Escherichia coli, absent the motility regulator cheZ, swim sporadically, missing the traditional "run" in the run:tumble swimming paradigm. Upon introduction of cheZ in trans and its signal-generated upregulation, engineered bacteria can be "programmed" to swim toward the source of the chemical cue. Here, engineered cells that encounter sufficient levels of the small signal molecule pyocyanin, produce an engineered CheZ and swim with programmed directionality. By incorporating a degradation tag at the C-terminus of CheZ, the cells stop running when they exit spaces containing pyocyanin. That is, the engineered CheZ modified with a C-terminal extension derived from the putative DNA-binding transcriptional regulator YbaQ (RREERAAKKVA) is consumed by the ClpXP protease machine at a rate sufficient to "brake" the cells when pyocyanin levels are too low. Through this process, we demonstrate that over time, these engineered E. coli accumulate in pyocyanin-rich locales. We suggest that such approaches may find utility in engineering probiotics so that their beneficial functions can be focused in areas of principal benefit.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D011710 Pyocyanine Antibiotic pigment produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Pyocyanin
D002633 Chemotaxis The movement of cells or organisms toward or away from a substance in response to its concentration gradient. Haptotaxis
D004926 Escherichia coli A species of gram-negative, facultatively anaerobic, rod-shaped bacteria (GRAM-NEGATIVE FACULTATIVELY ANAEROBIC RODS) commonly found in the lower part of the intestine of warm-blooded animals. It is usually nonpathogenic, but some strains are known to produce DIARRHEA and pyogenic infections. Pathogenic strains (virotypes) are classified by their specific pathogenic mechanisms such as toxins (ENTEROTOXIGENIC ESCHERICHIA COLI), etc. Alkalescens-Dispar Group,Bacillus coli,Bacterium coli,Bacterium coli commune,Diffusely Adherent Escherichia coli,E coli,EAggEC,Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli,Enterococcus coli,Diffusely Adherent E. coli,Enteroaggregative E. coli,Enteroinvasive E. coli,Enteroinvasive Escherichia coli
D000072236 Methyl-Accepting Chemotaxis Proteins Transmembrane sensor receptor proteins that are central components of the chemotactic systems of a number of motile bacterial species which include ESCHERICHIA COLI and SALMONELLA TYPHIMURIUM. Methyl-accepting chemotaxis proteins derive their name from a sensory adaptation process which involves methylation at several glutamyl residues in their cytoplasmic domain. Methyl-accepting chemotaxis proteins trigger chemotactic responses across spatial chemical gradients, causing organisms to move either toward favorable stimuli or away from toxic ones. Methyl-Accepting Chemotaxis Protein,MACP-I,MACP-II,Methyl Accepting Chemotaxis Protein 1,Methyl Accepting Chemotaxis Protein 2,Methyl Accepting Chemotaxis Protein 3,Methyl-Accepting Chemotaxis Protein I,Methyl-Accepting Chemotaxis Protein II,Methyl-Accepting Chemotaxis Protein III,Chemotaxis Protein, Methyl-Accepting,Chemotaxis Proteins, Methyl-Accepting,Methyl Accepting Chemotaxis Protein,Methyl Accepting Chemotaxis Protein I,Methyl Accepting Chemotaxis Protein II,Methyl Accepting Chemotaxis Protein III,Methyl Accepting Chemotaxis Proteins,Protein, Methyl-Accepting Chemotaxis,Proteins, Methyl-Accepting Chemotaxis
D015534 Trans-Activators Diffusible gene products that act on homologous or heterologous molecules of viral or cellular DNA to regulate the expression of proteins. Nuclear Trans-Acting Factor,Trans-Acting Factors,Trans-Acting Factor,Trans-Activator,Transactivator,Transactivators,Factor, Nuclear Trans-Acting,Factor, Trans-Acting,Factors, Trans-Acting,Nuclear Trans Acting Factor,Trans Acting Factor,Trans Acting Factors,Trans Activator,Trans Activators,Trans-Acting Factor, Nuclear
D053263 Gene Regulatory Networks Interacting DNA-encoded regulatory subsystems in the GENOME that coordinate input from activator and repressor TRANSCRIPTION FACTORS during development, cell differentiation, or in response to environmental cues. The networks function to ultimately specify expression of particular sets of GENES for specific conditions, times, or locations. Gene Circuits,Gene Modules,Gene Networks,Transcriptional Networks,Gene Module,Circuit, Gene,Circuits, Gene,Gene Circuit,Gene Network,Gene Regulatory Network,Module, Gene,Modules, Gene,Network, Gene,Network, Gene Regulatory,Network, Transcriptional,Networks, Gene,Networks, Gene Regulatory,Networks, Transcriptional,Regulatory Network, Gene,Regulatory Networks, Gene,Transcriptional Network
D058615 Synthetic Biology A field of biological research combining engineering in the formulation, design, and building (synthesis) of novel biological structures, functions, and systems. Biologies, Synthetic,Biology, Synthetic,Synthetic Biologies
D024861 Genetic Enhancement The use of genetic methodologies to improve functional capacities of an organism rather than to treat disease. Enhancement, Genetic,Enhancements, Genetic,Genetic Enhancements
D029968 Escherichia coli Proteins Proteins obtained from ESCHERICHIA COLI. E coli Proteins

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