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Method Article
* These authors contributed equally
This paper presents a series of protocols for developing engineered cells and functionalized surfaces that enable synthetically engineered E. coli to control and manipulate programmable material surfaces.
We have developed an abiotic-biotic interface that allows engineered cells to control the material properties of a functionalized surface. This system is made by creating two modules: a synthetically engineered strain of E. coli cells and a functionalized material interface. Within this paper, we detail a protocol for genetically engineering selected behaviors within a strain of E. coli using molecular cloning strategies. Once developed, this strain produces elevated levels of biotin when exposed to a chemical inducer. Additionally, we detail protocols for creating two different functionalized surfaces, each of which is able to respond to cell-synthesized biotin. Taken together, we present a methodology for creating a linked, abiotic-biotic system that allows engineered cells to control material composition and assembly on nonliving substrates.
Here, we report the procedures for developing a programmable substrate capable of responding to a chemical signal from an engineered cell line.1 We do this by creating a biotin-streptavidin interface that responds to biotin produced by synthetically engineered Escherichia coli (E. coli) cells. Previously, programmable surfaces have been engineered for a wide range of applications from toxin detection2 and point-of-care diagnosis3 to defense and security.4 While programmable surfaces can be useful as sensors and actuators, they can be made "smarter" by endowing them with the ability to adapt to different environmental challenges. In contrast, even simple microorganisms, such as E. coli, have inherent adaptability and are capable of responding to challenges with sophisticated and often unexpected solutions. This adaptability has enabled E. coli populations, controlled by their complex gene networks, to cost-effectively seek resources,5 create value-added products,6 and even power micro-scale robotics.7 By coupling the adaptive advantages of living cells with the use of programmable surfaces, we can create a smart substrate capable of responding to different environmental conditions.
Synthetic biology has given researchers new abilities to program the behavior of living organisms. By engineering cells to contain new gene regulatory networks, researchers can design cells that exhibit a range of programmed behaviors.8,9 Beyond basic research, these behaviors may be used for applications such as controlling material assembly and biologically producing value-added products.10 Herein, we detail how we used the tools of synthetic biology to engineer an E. coli strain that synthesizes biotin upon induction. This strain was developed by using restriction enzyme cloning methods to assemble a plasmid, pKE1-lacI-bioB. This plasmid, when transformed into E. coli strain K-12 MG1655, endows cells with the ability to express elevated levels of bioB, an essential enzyme for biotin synthesis. When transformed cells were induced with isopropyl β-D-1-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG) and provided with a biotin precursor, desthiobiotin (DTB), elevated levels of biotin were produced.
Biotin's binding interaction with streptavidin is one of the strongest non-covalent bonds found in nature. As such, the biotin-streptavidin interaction is both well-characterized and highly employed in biotechnology.11 Within this manuscript, we present two strategies employing the biotin-streptavidin interaction to sense and detect cell-produced biotin with a functionalized surface. We refer to these contrasting surfaces as "indirect" and "direct" control schemes. In the indirect control scheme, cell-produced biotin competes with biotin that has been conjugated and immobilized on a polystyrene surface for streptavidin binding sites. In addition, the streptavidin is conjugated with horseradish peroxidase (HRP). HRP modifies 3, 3', 5, 5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB), to produce an optical signal,12 which may be monitored by quantifying the spectral absorbance (i.e., optical density) at 450 nm (OD450). Thus, the indirect control scheme allows researchers to measure cell-produced biotin by monitoring the attentuation of the OD450 signal.
The direct control scheme exploits the streptavidin-biotin event by immobilizing streptavidin directly to a material surface and allowing cell-produced biotin and biotinylated HRP to compete for streptavidin binding sites. Again, the relative levels of cell-produced biotin are monitored by measuring an OD450 signal.
Taken together, the engineered cells and functionalized surfaces allow us to control the properties of a programmable surface by inducing networks in living cells. In other words, we have created a system that takes advantage of the adaptability of living organisms and the reliability and specification of an engineered material interface by linking these systems together.
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1. Media and Culture Preparation
2. Generation of Biotin Producing E. coli (Plasmid pKE1-lacI-bioB)
NOTE: The genetic circuit contains two parts: a lacI repressor, driven by a PL,tetO-1 promoter resulting in constitutive expression due to the absence of a tetR repressor protein, as well as a biotin expression system containing the Ptrc-2 promoter followed by a strong ribosome binding site (rbs) driving expression of bioB. All cloning was executed in a commercial, rapidly dividing E. coli strain. The final construct was transformed into E. coli MG1655WT for testing. Primers (Table 2) were purchased commercially.
3. Cell Characterization: Growth Curve and Dose Response
4. Inducing Biotin Production from Engineered Cells and Supernatant Preparation
5. Indirect Control Scheme Functionalized Surface Preparation
6. Direct Control Scheme Functionalized Surface Preparation
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Representative results are presented in the accompanying five figures. First, we present the cloning process graphically (Figure 1) so that the reader can visually follow the critical steps for creating the synthetically engineered E. coli strain. In order to characterize the population dynamics of the cells, we provide a growth curve (Figure 2) generated by measuring the optical density at 600 nm (OD600) of the population. Then, we sh...
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We have presented a new strategy for interfacing engineered living cells with a functionalized material surface. This was accomplished by developing a cell line capable of synthesizing elevated levels of biotin when induced with IPTG. The elevated levels of biotin may then be used to modify the functionalized surface. The protocols detailed how to engineer the E. coli cell line and how to create two different functionalized surfaces.
Critical steps in this protocol occur throughout th...
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The authors have nothing to disclose.
The authors gratefully acknowledge support from award FA9550-13-1-0108 from the Air Force Office of Scientific Research of the USA. The authors additionally acknowledge support from award N00014-15-1-2502 from the Office of Naval Research of the USA, funding from the Institute for Critical Technology and Applied Science at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, and from the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program, award number 1607310.
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Name | Company | Catalog Number | Comments |
LB Broth, Miller | Fisher Scientific | 12-795-027 | |
Agar | Fisher Scientific | BP9744500 | |
Carbenicillin | Fisher Scientific | BP26481 | |
M9, Minimimal Salts, 5x | Sigma-Aldrich | M6030 | |
Casamino Acids | Fisher Scientific | BP1424-100 | |
Magnesium Sulfate, Anhydrous | Fisher Scientific | M65-500 | |
Calcium Chloride, Dihydrate | Fisher Scientific | C79-500 | |
Dextrose (D-Glucose), Anhydrous | Fisher Scientific | D16-1 | |
NEB Turbo Cell Line | New England Biolabs | C2984l | |
Oligonucleotide Primers | Thermo Fisher Scientific | N/A | 25N synthesis, DSL purification |
Q5 High-Fidelity Polymerase | New England Biolabs | M0491S | |
Q5 Reaction Buffer | New England Biolabs | B9027S | |
dNTP Solution Mix | New England Biolabs | N0447S | |
Agarose | Bioexpress | E-3120-125 | |
Ethidium Bromide, 1% | Fisher Scientific | BP1302-10 | |
Gel Extraction Kits | Epoch Biolabs | 2260250 | |
GenCatch Plasmid DNA Miniprep Kit | Epoch Biolabs | 2160250 | |
AatII | New England Biolabs | R0117S | |
SacII | New England Biolabs | R0157S | |
HindIII-HF | New England Biolabs | R3104S | |
EcoRI-HF | New England Biolabs | R3101S | |
Cutsmart Buffer | New England Biolabs | B7204S | |
T4 DNA Ligase | New England Biolabs | M0202S | |
T4 DNA Ligase Reaction Buffer | New England Biolabs | B0202S | |
ColiRolle Glass Plating Beads | EMD Millipore | 7101-3 | |
Glycerol | Fisher Scientific | BP229-1 | |
Isopropyl β-D-1-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG) | Fisher Scientific | BP1755-10 | |
NHS-Desthiobiotin (DTB) | Thermo Fisher Scientific | 16129 | |
Succinimidyl Trans-4-(maleimidylmethyl) Cyclohexane-1-Carboxylate (SMCC) | Thermo Fisher Scientific | S1534 | |
Dimethyl Sulfoxide (DMSO) | Fisher Scientific | BP231-100 | |
Succinimidyl 3-(2-pyridyldithio) Propionate (SPDP) | Thermo Fisher Scientific | S1531 | |
NHS-LC-LC-biotin | Thermo Fisher Scientific | 21343 | |
Horseradish Peroxidase (HRP) | Thermo Fisher Scientific | 31490 | |
Phosphate Buffered Saline (PBS), 10x Solution | Fisher Scientific | BP399500 | |
Streptavidin (SA) | Thermo Fisher Scientific | 21145 | |
Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) | Fisher Scientific | BP1600-100 | |
Dithiothreitol (DTT) | Fisher Scientific | BP172-5 | |
Ethylenediaminetetaacetic acid (EDTA) | Fisher Scientific | S311-500 | |
Tween 80 | Fisher Scientific | T164-500 | |
Hydrogen Peroxide | Fisher Scientific | H325-4 | |
3, 3', 5, 5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) | Fisher Scientific | AC229280050 | |
Vivaspin 500 Centrifugal Concentrators | Viva Products | VS0192 | |
Sodium Acetate, Anhydrous | Fisher Scientific | BP333-500 | |
96-Well Polystyrene Plates | Thermo Fisher Scientific | 266120 |
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