A hybrid regulator in the TetR family with predictable properties in DNA-binding and allosteric response

• In Event: Poster Presentation and Judging for: Biomedical; Cell & Molecular Biology; Chemistry & Biochemistry; Marine Science; Systematics & Evolutionary Biology.
  In Poster Session: Biomedical Sciences Poster Session

Abstract

The use of synthetic biology to engineer novel microorganisms has the potential offer a variety of solutions in today’s medical industry. Transcriptional regulators in the TetR family are well understood and can be utilized to construct specific genetic circuits that behave in accordance to molecular inputs. Here we develop a hybrid regulator, by combining a DNA-binding module from TetR with a ligand-binding module from MphR, to produce a dynamic signal detection and response pathway among the cellular circuitry of Escherichia coli. Upon induction by small molecules, experiments show that the hybrid regulator constructed can detect and respond to changes in its environment. The modular aspects of hybrid regulators have the potential to serve a greater purpose in medical applications, where biospecificity in sensation is critical to treatment. By exhibiting the suitability of the TetR family for biological circuit construction, we can extend the threshold for what is feasible in cellular engineering.

Authors

• Ben Jordan, University of Texas at Tyler

• Rey Preston Dimas, UT Tyler

• Clement Chan, University of Texas at Tyler