Coding

Part:BBa_K5237015

Designed by: Rammukund Kishore Kumar   Group: iGEM24_Heidelberg   (2024-09-29)
Revision as of 17:22, 30 September 2024 by Rammukund (Talk | contribs)


BBa_K5237015

Anti-EGFR adhesin

This part contains the N-terminus of intimin harbouring the anti-EGFR (wild-type 7D12) adhesin and can be used for surface display of anti-EGFR nanobodies on E.coli. With this part, we sought to enhance bacterial binding to mammalian cells and potentially improve the chances of DNA delivery by the Type IV secretion system (T4SS).

 

The PICasSO Toolbox


Figure 1: Example how the part collection can be used to engineer new staples


The 3D organization of the genome plays a crucial role in regulating gene expression in eukaryotic cells, impacting cellular behavior, evolution, and disease. Beyond the linear DNA sequence, the spatial arrangement of chromatin, influenced by DNA-DNA interactions, shapes pathways of gene regulation. However, the tools to precisely manipulate this genomic architecture remain limited, rendering it challenging to explore the full potential of the 3D genome in synthetic biology. We - iGEM Team Heidelberg 2024 - have developed PICasSO, a powerful molecular toolbox based on various DNA-binding proteins to address this issue.

The PICasSO part collection offers a comprehensive, modular platform for precise manipulation and re-programming of DNA-DNA interactions using protein staples in living cells, enabling researchers to recreate natural 3D genomic interactions, such as enhancer hijacking, or to design entirely new spatial architectures for gene regulation. Beyond its versatility, PICasSO includes robust assay systems to support the engineering, optimization, and testing of new staples, ensuring functionality in vitro and in vivo. We took special care to include parts crucial for testing every step of the cycle (design, build, test, learn) when engineering new parts

At its heart, the PICasSO part collection consists of three categories.
(i) Our DNA-binding proteins include our finalized enhancer hijacking Cas staple as well as half staples that can be used by scientists to compose entirely new Cas staples in the future. We also include our simple staples that serve as controls for successful stapling and can be further engineered to create alternative, simpler and more compact staples.
(ii) As functional elements, we list additional parts that enhance the functionality of our Cas and Basic staples. These consist of protease-cleavable peptide linkers and inteins that allow condition-specific, dynamic stapling in vivo. Besides staple functionality, we also include the parts to enable the efficient delivery of PICasSO's constructs with our interkingdom conjugation system.
(iii) As the final component of our collection, we provide parts that support the use of our custom readout systems. These include components of our established FRET-based proximity assay system, enabling users to confirm accurate stapling. Additionally, we offer a complementary, application-oriented testing system for functional readout via a luciferase reporter, which allows for straightforward experimental simulation of enhancer hijacking.

The following table gives a complete overview of all parts in our PICasSO toolbox. The highlighted parts showed exceptional performance as described on our iGEM wiki and can serve as a reference. The other parts in the collection are versatile building blocks designed to provide future iGEMers with the flexibility to engineer their own custom Cas staples, enabling further optimization and innovation.

Our part collection includes:

DNA-binding proteins: The building blocks for engineering of custom staples for DNA-DNA interactions with a modular system ensuring easy assembly.
BBa_K5237000 fgRNA Entryvector MbCas12a-SpCas9 Entryvector for simple fgRNA cloning via SapI
BBa_K5237001 Staple subunit: dMbCas12a-Nucleoplasmin NLS Staple subunit that can be combined to form a functional staple, for example with fgRNA and dCas9
BBa_K5237002 Staple subunit: SV40 NLS-dSpCas9-SV40 NLS Staple subunit that can be combined to form a functional staple, for example with our fgRNA or dCas12a
BBa_K5237003 Cas-Staple: SV40 NLS-dMbCas12a-dSpCas9-Nucleoplasmin NLS Functional Cas staple that can be combined with sgRNA or fgRNA to bring two DNA strands in close proximity
BBa_K5237004 Staple subunit: Oct1-DBD Staple subunit that can be combined to form a functional staple, for example with TetR.
Can also be combined with a fluorescent protein as part of the FRET proximity assay
BBa_K5237005 Staple subunit: TetR Staple subunit that can be combined to form a functional staple, for example with Oct1.
Can also be combined with a fluorescent protein as part of the FRET proximity assay
BBa_K5237006 Simple taple: TetR-Oct1 Functional staple that can be used to bring two DNA strands in close proximity
BBa_K5237007 Staple subunit: GCN4 Staple subunit that can be combined to form a functional staple, for example with rGCN4
BBa_K5237008 Staple subunit: rGCN4 Staple subunit that can be combined to form a functional staple, for example with rGCN4
BBa_K5237009 Mini staple: bGCN4 Assembled staple with minimal size that can be further engineered
Functional elements: Protease cleavable peptide linkers and inteins are used to control and modify staples for further optimization for custom applications.
BBa_K5237010 Cathepsin B-Cleavable Linker (GFLG) Cathepsin B cleavable peptide linker, that can be used to combine two staple subunits ,to make responsive staples
BBa_K5237011 Cathepsin B Expression Cassette Cathepsin B which can be selectively express to cut the cleavable linker
BBa_K5237012 Caged NpuN Intein Undergoes protein transsplicing after protease activation, can be used to create functionalized staple units
BBa_K5237013 Caged NpuC Intein Undergoes protein transsplicing after protease activation, can be used to create functionalized staple units
BBa_K5237014 fgRNA processing casette Processing casette to produce multiple fgRNAs from one transcript, can be used for multiplexing
BBa_K5237015 Intimin anti-EGFR Nanobody Interkindom conjugation between bacteria and mammalian cells, as alternative delivery tool for large constructs
Readout Systems: FRET and enhancer recruitment to measure proximity of stapled DNA in bacterial and mammalian living cells enabling swift testing and easy development for new systems.
BBa_K5237016 FRET-Donor: mNeonGreen-Oct1 Donor part for the FRET assay binding the Oct1 binding cassette. Can be used to visualize DNA-DNA proximity
BBa_K5237017 FRET-Acceptor: TetR-mScarlet-I Acceptor part for the FRET assay binding the TetR binding cassette. Can be used to visualize DNA-DNA proximity
BBa_K5237018 Oct1 Binding Casette DNA sequence containing 12 Oct1 binding motifs, can be used for different assays such as the FRET proximity assay
BBa_K5237019 TetR Binding Cassette DNA sequence containing 12 Oct1 binding motifs, can be used for different assays such as the FRET proximity assay
BBa_K5237020 Cathepsin B-Cleavable Trans-Activator: NLS-Gal4-GFLG-VP64 Readout system that responds to protease activity. It was used to test Cathepsin-B cleavable linker.
BBa_K5237021 NLS-Gal4-VP64 Trans-activating enhancer, that can be used to simulate enhancer hijacking.
BBa_K5237022 mCherry Expression Cassette: UAS, minimal Promotor, mCherry Readout system for enhancer binding. It was used to test Cathepsin-B cleavable linker.
BBa_K5237023 Oct1 - 5x UAS binding casette Oct1 and UAS binding cassette, that was used for the simulated enhancer hijacking assay.
BBa_K5237024 TRE-minimal promoter- firefly luciferase Contains Firefly luciferase controlled by a minimal promoter. It was used as a luminescence readout for simulated enhancer hijacking.

1. Sequence overview

Sequence and Features


Assembly Compatibility:
  • 10
    INCOMPATIBLE WITH RFC[10]
    Illegal EcoRI site found at 105
    Illegal EcoRI site found at 2259
    Illegal PstI site found at 401
    Illegal PstI site found at 649
    Illegal PstI site found at 1096
  • 12
    INCOMPATIBLE WITH RFC[12]
    Illegal EcoRI site found at 105
    Illegal EcoRI site found at 2259
    Illegal PstI site found at 401
    Illegal PstI site found at 649
    Illegal PstI site found at 1096
    Illegal NotI site found at 2410
  • 21
    INCOMPATIBLE WITH RFC[21]
    Illegal EcoRI site found at 105
    Illegal EcoRI site found at 2259
    Illegal BamHI site found at 1983
  • 23
    INCOMPATIBLE WITH RFC[23]
    Illegal EcoRI site found at 105
    Illegal EcoRI site found at 2259
    Illegal PstI site found at 401
    Illegal PstI site found at 649
    Illegal PstI site found at 1096
  • 25
    INCOMPATIBLE WITH RFC[25]
    Illegal EcoRI site found at 105
    Illegal EcoRI site found at 2259
    Illegal PstI site found at 401
    Illegal PstI site found at 649
    Illegal PstI site found at 1096
    Illegal NgoMIV site found at 2004
  • 1000
    COMPATIBLE WITH RFC[1000]

2. Usage and Biology

This part contains the N-terminus of intimin harbouring the anti-EGFR (wild-type 7D12) adhesin and can be used for surface display of anti-EGFR nanobodies on E.coli.

Salema et al., (2013) showed efficient presentation of nanobodies on the surface of E.coli K-12 cells by fusing them to the β domain of intimin. The β domain of intimin comes from the pNeae2 plasmid (addgene #168300) and encodes an N-terminal signal peptide for Sec-dependent translocation into the periplasm, a LysM domain that interacts with the peptidoglycan and provides anchoring, and a β-barrel that inserts into the outer membrane. The coding sequence of the anti-EGFR nanobody is located in the C-terminus (that is exposed to the extracellular milieu) between the E tag (GAPVPYPDPLEP) and the myc tag (EQKLISEED). These tags can be utilized for purification or detection of the protein.

The idea behind engineering this part was to use it for increasing cell-cell contact between bacteria and mammalian cells and thereby potentially enhancing the chances of inter-kingdom conjugational DNA transfer.

This part is a member of the PICasSO parts collection and can be used to promote adhesion to mammalian cell surfaces. The anti-EGFR nanobody can easily be swapped with other nanobodies to alter the target specificity or binding affinities.

3. Assembly and part evolution

The pNeae2 plasmid was obtained from addgene (#168300). Codon optimized DNA sequence of chain L anti-EGFR (7D12) nanobody (Schmitz et al., 2013) for expression in E.coli was procured as a gBlock containing 5' and 3' restriction sites for SfiI and NotI. Attempts at cloning the anti-EGFR nanobody by restriction ligation (using SfiI and NotI) into the coding sequence of intimin in pNeae2 (suggested cloning strategy in literature Salema et al., (2013)) were unsuccessful. Gibson assembly shall be attempted in the near future.

4. Results

Despite unsuccessful cloning of anti-EGFR nanobody into the CDS of intimin, protein expression was tested in E.coli 10-beta as they will used as the donor strain for our upcoming conjugation tests. The E.coli 10-beta cells were transformed with pNeae2, and protein expression was induced with 50 µMIPTG. A Western Blot against the myc epitope on the C-terminus of intimin revealed expression of myc-tagged intimin (~76 kDa) after induction (Figure 1).

Upcoming experiments shall address the interaction between the anti-EGFR adhesin and EGFR in vitro and also examine the increased localization of adhesin-expressing bacteria on the surface of mammalian cells.

Anti-myc Western Blot
Figure 1: Fluorescence western blot scan showing expression of myc-tagged intimin by E.coli 10-beta after IPTG induction. E.coli 10-beta were transformed with pNeae2, induced with 50 µM IPTG and lysed. Lane 1 was loaded with 30 µg of total protein from the E.coli lysate after IPTG induction and Lane 2 was loaded with 30 µg of total protein from the uninduced E.coli lysate. The blue arrow indicates the position of the myc-tagged intimin (~76 kDa)

5. References

Salema, V., Marín, E., Martínez-Arteaga, R., Ruano-Gallego, D., Fraile, S., Margolles, Y., Teira, X., Gutierrez, C., Bodelón, G., & Fernández, L. Á. (2013). Selection of Single Domain Antibodies from Immune Libraries Displayed on the Surface of E. coli Cells with Two β-Domains of Opposite Topologies. PLoS ONE, 8(9). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0075126

Schmitz, K. R., Bagchi, A., Roovers, R. C., Van Bergen En Henegouwen, P. M. P., & Ferguson, K. M. (2013). Structural evaluation of EGFR inhibition mechanisms for nanobodies/VHH domains. Structure, 21(7).https://doi.org/10.1016/j.str.2013.05.008

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