ACIAD2049 Downstream for P. destructans Detector

Introduction

The 2022 UT Austin iGEM Team’s Part Collection provides a number of DNA sequences and procedures for genetically engineering Acinetobacter baylyi ADP1. We were able to effectively engineer ADP1's genome using a two-step genetic engineering protocol. See the Engineering Page for more details on how we modified ADP1's genome. On this page, we explain how our part collection can be used alongside this two-step protocol to delete ADP1 genes, insert DNA sequences into any chromosomal location, and engineer an ADP1-based biosensor to detect any DNA sequence of interest. We hope this part collection guides future iGEM teams in engineering ADP1 and utilizing ADP1’s flexibility to tackle any challenge in synthetic biology.

Categorization

For our parts collection, we categorize our parts into the following categories:

Upstream - An Upstream basic part is a DNA sequence directly upstream of a target gene. These basic parts are homology flanks that are used for ADP1 Genetic Engineering. Examples include the ACIAD2049 Upstream for P. destructans (BBa_4342003) and pbpG Upstream (BBa_4342011).

Downstream - A Downstream basic part is a DNA sequence directly downstream of a target gene. These basic parts are homology flanks that are used for ADP1 Genetic Engineering. Examples include ACIAD2049 Downstream for P. destructans (BBa_4342004) and pbpG Downstream (BBa_4342012).

Integration Cassettes - An "Integration" cassette is a composite part consisting of an "Upstream" basic part, the tdk/kan basic part (BBa_4342000), and a "Downstream" basic part. These parts are designed to use in the first transformation step in ADP1 Genetic Engineering. Examples include the ACIAD2049 Integration cassette (BBa_4342019) and the acrB Integration cassette (BBa_4342023).

Rescue Cassettes - A "Rescue" cassette is a composite part consisting of an "Upstream" basic part, an optional genetic device, and a "Downstream" basic part. These parts are designed to use in the second transformation step in ADP1 Genetic Engineering. Examples include the ACIAD2049 Rescue cassette (BBa_4342020, Upstream + Downstream), the YFP Rescue cassette (BBa_4342030, Upstream + Genetic Device + Downstream), and the nptII Detector Rescue cassette (BBa_4342031, Upstream + Composite Part + Downstream).

Genetic Device - A "Genetic Device" is a basic part that can be any DNA sequence to be integrated into ADP1. Examples include the CymR YFP (BBa_4342008) and the nptII Broken Gene (BBa_4342015).

ACIAD2049 Downstream for P. destructans Detector is categorized as an Downstream basic part in our part collection.

We further categorize each part with a standardized Golden Gate Assembly (GGA) Type 1-8 Overhang [2]. Each type is ligated to a complementary type (ex. Type 2 can be ligated to Type 1 and Type 3). Moreover, some parts contain consecutive GGA Type numbers, such as Type 234. These DNA sequences start with a Type 2 Overhang and end with a Type 4 Overhang (ex. tdk/kan cassette (BBa_4342000).

Usage and Biology

ACIAD2049 is a nonessential gene in Acinetobacter baylyi ADP1 [1]. Knocking out this gene allows for the integration of other DNA sequences in its chromosomal location. Using this part, we demonstrate that ACIAD2049 can be replaced with any DNA construct. Specifically, we have inserted a DNA detection construct in place of ACIAD2049 to detect the presence of P. destructans, a fungus that causes White Nose Syndrome in bats. This demonstrates how ADP1 can be engineered to detect DNA in the environment.

Design

The ACIAD2049 Downstream for P. destructans part comprises the 1249 bp homology directly downstream of the ACIAD2049 gene in ADP1. We designed optimized primers, which include GC contents of over 40% and melting temperatures of under 70 °C. A BsaI restriction site is attached to the 5’ end, which is designed to ligate to the 3' end of the P. destructans Downstream part (BBa_4342006). See Figure 4 on the Engineering Page for more details on how to design primers containing the correct GGA Type Overhang and restriction sites.

This part contains a BsaI restriction site with a standard 4 bp GGA Type 8 Prefix [2]. See the Contribution page on our Wiki for more details on GGA Type Overhangs. This design allows for easy ligation with any part that contains a complementary 4 bp GGA Type 1 Prefix (BsaI).

Composite Parts

This basic part is used to assemble the P. destructans integration cassette (BBa_4342029) composite part.

Characterization

To confirm that we successfully created this part, we performed a PCR and gel electrophoresis using genomic DNA from the ADP1-ISx strain as a template. Bands were visible at ~1300 bp, confirming the amplification of the ACIAD2049 Downstream for P. destructans Detector part. A PCR master mix with diH₂O in place of template DNA was used as negative control.

References

[1] Suárez, G.A., Dugan, K.R., Renda, B.A., Leonard, S.P., Gangavarapu, L.S., and Barrick, J.E. (2020). Rapid and assured genetic engineering methods applied to Acinetobacter baylyi ADP1 genome streamlining. Nucleic Acids Research 48, 4585–4600. 10.1093/nar/gkaa204.

[2] Lee, M.E., DeLoache, W.C., Cervantes, B., and Dueber, J.E. (2015). A highly characterized yeast toolkit for modular, multipart assembly. ACS synthetic biology 4, 975–986. 10.1021/sb500366v.