Edinburgh/DivisionPopper

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Bacterial counter

The idea is to use a variety of recombinases to delete or invert sections of DNA and use this to count or trigger the expression of genes.

Project Goal

The aim is to produce output as a function of cell division. This can have the added potential of performing programmed cell death after a determined number of cell divisions. We also hope to further analyse cell division and recombinase mechanisms.

Current Device Idea

This device should output a PoPS signal every time a cell division occurs This can then be hooked up to another device such as a counter.

This device realise on dif sites flipping only once per division. In it's current configuration, Promoter A is repressed by represser A which is continually being produced. At this time there is no represser B being produced.

When cell division occurs, the section of DNA between the two dif sites gets reversed. Initially there is no represser B present in the cell so promoter B is able to produce an output of PoPS. As time goes on represser B gets produced and 'turns off' promoter B. At the same time represser A is no longer being produced and degrades so when the next division occurs, promoter A will be capable of producing a PoPS output and the process repeats.

Assumptions

• The Dif sites flip only once during cell division
• Repressors A and B are produced and degrade faster than the cell cycle
• Promoter B does not interfere with the production of represser A

Initial Experiments

As stated before, the device relies on the dif site flipping only once per cell division. To test whether or not this actually happens, we have devised two simpler experiments.

Exp 1

This experiment will prove whether or not the DNA between the two dif sites flip at all during cell division. If the a flip occurs, then the direction the promoter operates will be changed and GFP will be expressed.

Exp 2

This will prove whether or not it flips once during division, this will require fast degrading fluorescent proteins.

After each division we expect to see a change in colour as the promoter is activating a separate gene

Exp 3

Currently we are planning to test how the dif sites flip using exps 1 & 2 however there is still a large  jump to the final device.

It was suggested we should test the represser part of the system without the dif sites

The represser part of the system is simply a pair of inverters.

There are 3 basic types of inverter in the registry:

• TetR BBa_Q04400 “this inverter functions well. [jb, 5/24/04]”
• CI (Lambda) BBa_Q04510 “this inverter functions well. [jb, 5/24/04]”
• LacI BBa_Q04121 "a strong 'on' state with significant background in the 'off' state. [jb,5/24/04]”

Suggested exp 3

This will test to see if promoter B causes problems with promoter 0 promoting represer A and tests the standard represser inverter found in the registry.

Parts required:

• Promoter 0 – suggest BBa_I0500 (arabinose) – Plate 2,  9I
• Promoter B – backward lacI – Used in exp 1
• Inverter – suggest BBa_Q04510 (CI (Lambda)) – Plate 2, 13K
• Reporter – use same as experiment 1