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* These authors contributed equally
The goal of this protocol is to provide a detailed, step-by-step guide for assembling multi-gene constructs using the modular cloning system based on Golden Gate cloning. It also gives recommendations on critical steps to ensure optimal assembly based on our experiences.
The Golden Gate cloning method enables the rapid assembly of multiple genes in any user-defined arrangement. It utilizes type IIS restriction enzymes that cut outside of their recognition sites and create a short overhang. This modular cloning (MoClo) system uses a hierarchical workflow in which different DNA parts, such as promoters, coding sequences (CDS), and terminators, are first cloned into an entry vector. Multiple entry vectors then assemble into transcription units. Several transcription units then connect into a multi-gene plasmid. The Golden Gate cloning strategy is of tremendous advantage because it allows scar-less, directional, and modular assembly in a one-pot reaction. The hierarchical workflow typically enables the facile cloning of a large variety of multi-gene constructs with no need for sequencing beyond entry vectors. The use of fluorescent protein dropouts enables easy visual screening. This work provides a detailed, step-by-step protocol for assembling multi-gene plasmids using the yeast modular cloning (MoClo) kit. We show optimal and suboptimal results of multi-gene plasmid assembly and provide a guide for screening for colonies. This cloning strategy is highly applicable for yeast metabolic engineering and other situations in which multi-gene plasmid cloning is required.
Synthetic biology aims to engineer biological systems with new functionalities useful for pharmaceutical, agricultural, and chemical industries. Assembling large numbers of DNA fragments in a high-throughput manner is a foundational technology in synthetic biology. Such a complicated process can break down into multiple levels with decreasing complexity, a concept borrowed from basic engineering sciences1,2. In synthetic biology, DNA fragments usually assemble hierarchically based on functionality: (i) Part level: "parts" refers to DNA fragments with a specific function, such as a promoter, a coding se....
NOTE: The hierarchical cloning protocol offered in this toolkit can be divided into three major steps: 1. Cloning part plasmids; 2. Cloning transcription units (TUs); 3. Cloning multi-gene plasmids (Figure 1). This protocol starts from the primer design and ends with applications of the cloned multi-gene plasmid.
1. Primer design for cloning the part plasmid (pYTK001):
Here the results of four replicative multi-gene plasmids for β-carotene (yellow) and lycopene (red) production. One integrative multi-gene plasmid for disrupting the ADE2 locus was constructed, the colonies of which are red.
Cloning CDSs into the entry vector (pYTK001)
ERG20 was amplified from the yeast genome and the three carotenoid genes crtE, crtYB, crtI
The MoClo based cloning kit developed by Lee et al. provides an excellent resource for quick assembly of one to five transcription units into a multi-gene plasmid either for replication or integration into the yeast genome. The use of this kit eliminates the time-consuming cloning bottleneck that frequently exists for expressing multiple genes in yeast.
We tested five different conditions for the digestion/ligation cycles of Golden Gate cloning with T4 DNA ligase. We found that 30 cycles of di.......
This work was funded by the Research Foundation for the State University of New York (Award #: 71272) and the IMPACT Award of University at Buffalo (Award #: 000077).
....Name | Company | Catalog Number | Comments |
0.5 mm Glass beads | RPI research products | 9831 | For lysing yeast cells |
Bacto Agar | BD & Company | 214010 | Component of the yeast complete synthetic medium (CSM) |
Bacto Peptone | BD& Company | 211677 | Component of the yeast extract peptone dextrose medium (YPD) |
BsaI-HFv2 | New England Biolabs | R3733S | a highly efficient version of BsaI restriction enzyme |
Carbenicillin | Fisher Bioreagents | 4800-94-6 | Antibiotic for screening at the transcription unit level |
Chloramphenicol | Fisher Bioreagents | 56-75-7 | Antibiotic for screening at the entry vector level |
CSM-His | Sunrise Sciences | 1006-010 | Amino acid supplement of the yeast complete synthetic medium (CSM) |
Dextrose | Fisher Chemical | D16-500 | Carbon source of the yeast complete synthetic medium (CSM) |
Difco Yeast Nitrogen Base w/o Amino Acids | BD & Company | 291940 | Nitrogen source of the yeast complete synthetic medium (CSM) |
dNTP mix | Promega | U1515 | dNTPs for PCR |
Esp3I | New England Biolabs | R0734S | a highly efficient isoschizomer of BsmBI |
Frozen-EZ Yeast Trasformation II Kit | Zymo Research | T2001 | For yeast transformation |
Hexanes | Fisher Chemical | H302-1 | For carotenoid extraction from yeast cells |
Kanamycin | Fisher Bioreagents | 25389-94-0 | Antibiotic for screening at the multigene plasmid level |
LB Agar, Miller | Fisher Bioreagents | BP1425-2 | Lysogenic agar medium for E. coli culturing |
LB Broth, Miller | Fisher Bioreagents | BP1426-2 | Lysogenic liquid medium for E. coli culturing |
Lycopene | Cayman chemicals | NC1142173 | For lycopene quantification |
MoClo YTK | Addgene | 1000000061 | Depositing Lab: John Deuber |
Monarch Plasmid Miniprep Kit | New England Biolabs | T1010L | For plasmid purification from E.coli |
Nanodrop Spectrophotometer | Thermo Scientific | ND2000c | For measuring accurate DNA concentrations |
NotI-HF | New England Biolabs | R3189S | Restriction enzyme for integrative multigene plasmid linearization |
Nourseothricin Sulphate | Goldbio | N-500-100 | Antibiotic Selection marker for the pCAS plasmid used in this study |
Phusion HF reaction Buffer (5X) | New England Biolabs | B0518S | Buffer for PCR using Phusion polymerase |
Phusion High Fidelity DNA Polymerase | New England Biolabs | M0530S | High fidelity polymerase for all the PCR reactions |
pLM494 | Addgene | 100539 | Plasmid used to amplify crtI, crtYB and crtE used in this study |
Quartz Cuvette | Thermo Electron | 10050801 | For quantifing carotenoids |
T4 ligase | New England Biolabs | M0202S | Ligase for Golden Gate cloning |
Thermocycler | BIO-RAD | 1851148 | For performing all the PCR and cloning reactions |
Tissue Homogenizer | Bullet Blender | Model: BBX24 | For homogenization of yeast cells |
UV-Vis Spectrophotometer | Thermo Scientific | Genesys 150 | For quantifing carotenoids |
Yeast Extract | Fisher Bioreagents | BP1422-500 | Component of the yeast extract peptone dextrose medium (YPD) |
β-carotene | Alfa Aesar | AAH6010603 | For β-carotene quantification |
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