iGEM NCTU_Formosa(2021)

Colony Result

  We successfully built DenTeeth with LL-37 .

Figure 1. Colony PCR result of DenTeeth after colony into E. coli BL21. (4685 b.p.)

Model

  Through the modeling built with substituting parameters from published articles, the growth of E. coli and P. gingivalis under the effect of LL-37 would be inhibited significantly. However, the figure also shows that E. coli could still live with LL-37. Simply speaking, we successfully test the feasibility of DenTeeth and find that we can improve the DenTeeth with both biobrick design and efficiency optimization model.

Figure 2. The growth curve of E. coli and P.gingivalis

Figure 3. The growth curve of E. coli and P.gingivalis

  Because P. gingivalis was in the RG2, so we could not do the LL-37 functional test by inhibit the growth of P. gingivalis. After reading some related papers, we found that the killing rate of E. coli was similar to that of P. gingivalis [4]. Based on these data, we determined to make E. coli, DH5α with pET32A, as the bacteria killed by DenTeeth in the LL-37 functional test.

Table 1. Parameters of the sterilization system of LL37

Functional Test

  After finishing the design of DenTeeth, we wanted to know whether its inhibition ability can have a function, so we designed the following experiment.
  By taking the method of dish culture and sticking up the filter paper, we dropped the DenTeeth on the filter in the center of the E. coli, DH5α with pET32A, plate. After twelve hours, a circular area around the spot of the DenTeeth formed, in which the bacteria colonies did not grow. Zone of inhibition proved that the LL-37 produced by DenTeeth could successfully secrete out and inhibit the growth of E. coli, DH5α with pET32A.

Figure 4. LL-37 Zone of inhibition