Cell-free microcompartmentalised transcription-translation for the prototyping of synthetic communication networks

Emilien Dubuc; Pascal A Pieters; Ardjan J van der Linden; Jan Cm van Hest; Wilhelm Ts Huck; Tom Fa de Greef

doi:10.1016/j.copbio.2018.10.006

Cell-free microcompartmentalised transcription-translation for the prototyping of synthetic communication networks

Curr Opin Biotechnol. 2019 Aug:58:72-80. doi: 10.1016/j.copbio.2018.10.006. Epub 2018 Dec 26.

Authors

Emilien Dubuc¹, Pascal A Pieters¹, Ardjan J van der Linden¹, Jan Cm van Hest², Wilhelm Ts Huck³, Tom Fa de Greef⁴

Affiliations

¹ Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands; Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands; Computational Biology Group, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
² Department of Biomedical Engineering & Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
³ Department of Physical Organic Chemistry, Institute for Molecules and Materials, Radboud University, Nijmegen 6525 HP, The Netherlands.
⁴ Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands; Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands; Computational Biology Group, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands; Institute for Molecules and Materials, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ Nijmegen, The Netherlands. Electronic address: t.f.a.d.greef@tue.nl.

Abstract

Recent efforts in synthetic biology have shown the possibility of engineering distributed functions in populations of living cells, which requires the development of highly orthogonal, genetically encoded communication pathways. Cell-free transcription-translation (TXTL) reactions encapsulated in microcompartments enable prototyping of molecular communication channels and their integration into engineered genetic circuits by mimicking critical cell features, such as gene expression, cell size, and cell individuality within a community. In this review, we discuss the uses of cell-free transcription-translation reactions for the development of synthetic genetic circuits, with a special focus on the use of microcompartments supporting this reaction. We highlight several studies where molecular communication between non-living microcompartments and living cells have been successfully engineered.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Review

MeSH terms

Cell-Free System
Gene Regulatory Networks*
Synthetic Biology*

Grants and funding

677313/ERC_/European Research Council/International