Synthetic biology tools for the efficient and functional expression of membrane proteins
Guidi, C., De Wannemaeker, L., Demeester, W., De Baets, J., Duchi, D., Maertens, J. & De Mey, M.Centre for Synthetic Biology, Ghent University, Belgium
Membrane proteins are an important class of molecules with a wide array of cellular functions and are part of many metabolic pathways. Despite their great potential to be used as therapeutic drug targets or in microbial cell factory optimisation, many challenges remain for efficient and functional expression in a host such as Escherichia coli. Recent progress in metabolic engineering and synthetic biology could disclose membrane proteins for several biotechnological applications. One of the advances in synthetic biology today, is the use of small RNAs (sRNA) to achieve RNA-based regulation in synthetic genetic circuitry. These sRNAs offer multiple advantages over protein-based, trancriptional regulation predominantly due to their low metabolic burden on the cell and the possibility to create an almost linear input-output response curve.
In this study, we aim to combine the opportunities of efficient membrane protein expression and recent advances in synthetic biology. First, a dynamically regulated sRNA-based circuit was developed to detect and improve the efficient expression of toxic and/or industrially relevant membrane proteins. Next this circuit was put to the test to improve special carbohydrate production by dynamic pathway control.
