A strategy for enhanced circular DNA construction efficiency based on DNA cyclization after microbial transformation.

BACKGROUND: With the rapid development of synthetic biology, the demand for assembling multiple DNA (genes) fragments into a large circular DNA structure in one step has dramatically increased. However, for constructions of most circular DNA, there are two contradictions in the ligation/assembly and transformation steps. The ligation/assembly consists of two different reactions: 1) the ligation/assembly between any two pieces of a linear form DNA; 2) the cyclization (or self-ligation) of a single linear form DNA. The first contradiction is that the bimolecular ligation/assembly requires a higher DNA concentration while the cyclization favors a lower one; the second contradiction is that a successful transformation of a ligation/assembly product requires a relatively high DNA concentration again. This study is the first attempt to use linear plasmid and Cyclization After Transformation (CAT) strategy to neutralize those contradictions systematically. RESULTS: The linear assembly combined with CAT method was demonstrated to increase the overall construction efficiency by 3-4 times for both the traditional ligation and for the new in vitro recombination-based assembly methods including recombinant DNA, Golden Gate, SLIC (Sequence and Ligation Independent Cloning) and Gibson Isothermal Assembly. Finally, the linear assembly combined with CAT method was successfully applied to assemble a pathway of 7 gene fragments responsible for synthesizing precorrin 3A which is an important intermediate in VB12 production. CONCLUSION: The linear assembly combined with CAT strategy method can be regarded as a general strategy to enhance the efficiency of most existing circular DNA construction technologies and could be used in construction of a metabolic pathway consisting of multiple genes.

Effects of chromosomal gene copy number and locations on polyhydroxyalkanoate synthesis by Escherichia coli and Halomonas sp.

Chromosomal integration and expression of heterologous gene(s) are favored in industrial biotechnology due to the inheriting expression stability. Yet, chromosomal expression is commonly weaker than plasmid one. The effect on gene expression level at 13 chromosomal locations in Escherichia coli was investigated using the polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) synthesis pathway encoded by a phaCAB operon as a reporter. When 11 copies of phaCAB were randomly integrated into 11 of the 13 chromosomal locations, respectively, 5.2 wt% of PHB was produced. PHB (34.1 wt%) was accumulated by a recombinant E. coli inserted chromosomally with 50 copies of phaCAB in the active asnB site using a Cre-loxP recombination method. This PHB accumulation level was equivalent to a medium-copy-number plasmid expression system, suggesting the importance of chromosomal gene copy number for PHB production by E. coli. This result was used to manipulate a Halomonas strain. One copy of genes scpAB encoding methylmalonyl-CoA mutase and methylmalonyl-CoA decarboxylase was inserted into the strongest expression site porin in the chromosome of the 2-methylcitrate synthase (prpC) deleted mutant Halomonas TD08, leading to the synthesis of poly(hydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) from glucose as the sole carbon source. The chromosome-engineered strain produced PHBV consisting of 5-12 mol% 3-hydroxyvalerate (3HV) stably compared with unstable fluctuation of 7-25 mol% 3HV by a medium-copy-number plasmid system. These results demonstrated that chromosome engineering based on active transcriptional site and gene copy number is more feasible for polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) synthesis in Halomonas TD08 compared with in E. coli.

Development of Halomonas TD01 as a host for open production of chemicals.

Genetic engineering of Halomonas spp. was seldom reported due to the difficulty of genetic manipulation and lack of molecular biology tools. Halomonas TD01 can grow in a continuous and unsterile process without other microbial contaminations. It can be therefore exploited for economic production of chemicals. Here, Halomonas TD01 was metabolically engineered using the gene knockout procedure based on markerless gene replacement stimulated by double-strand breaks in the chromosome. When gene encoding 2-methylcitrate synthase in Halomonas TD01 was deleted, the conversion efficiency of propionic acid to 3-hydroxyvalerate (3HV) monomer fraction in random PHBV copolymers of 3-hydroxybutyrate (3HB) and 3HV was increased from around 10% to almost 100%, as a result, cells were grown to accumulate 70% PHBV in dry weight (CDW) consisting of 12mol% 3HV from 0.5g/L propionic acid in glucose mineral medium. Furthermore, successful deletions on three PHA depolymerases eliminate the possible influence of PHA depolymerases on PHA degradation in the complicated industrial fermentation process even though significant enhanced PHA content was not observed. In two 500L pilot-scale fermentor studies lasting 70h, the above engineered Halomonas TD01 grew to 112g/L CDW containing 70wt% P3HB, and to 80g/L CDW with 70wt% P(3HB-co-8mol% 3HV) in the presence of propionic acid. The cells grown in shake flasks even accumulated close to 92% PHB in CDW with a significant increase of glucose to PHB conversion efficiency from around 30% to 42% after 48h cultivation when pyridine nucleotide transhydrogenase was overexpressed. Halomonas TD01 was also engineered for producing a PHA regulatory protein PhaR which is a robust biosurfactant.

Development of an enhanced chromosomal expression system based on porin synthesis operon for halophile Halomonas sp.

Since halophile Halomonas spp. can grow contamination free in seawater under unsterile and continuous conditions, it holds great promise for industrial biotechnology to produce low-cost chemicals in an economic way. Yet, metabolic engineering methods are urgently needed for Halomonas spp. It is commonly known that chromosomal expression is more stable yet weaker than plasmid one is. To overcome this challenge, a novel chromosomal expression method was developed for halophile Halomonas TD01 and its derivatives based on a strongly expressed porin gene as a site for external gene integration. The gene of interest was inserted downstream the porin gene, forming an artificial operon porin-inserted gene. This chromosome expression system was proven functional by some examples: First, chromosomal expression of heterologous polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) synthase gene phaC Re from Ralstonia eutropha completely restored the PHB accumulation level in endogenous phaC knockout mutant of Halomonas TD01. The integrated phaC Re was expressed at the highest level when inserted at the locus of porin compared with insertions in other chromosome locations. Second, an inducible expression system was constructed in phaC-deleted Halomonas TD01 by integrating the lac repressor gene (lacI) into the porin site in the host chromosome. The native porin promoter was inserted with the key 21 bp DNA of lac operator (lacO) sequence to become an inducible promoter encoded in a plasmid. This inducible system allowed on-off switch of gene expression in Halomonas TD strains. Thus, the stable and strong chromosomal expression method in Halomonas TD spp. was established.