A genetic bistable switch utilizing nonlinear protein degradation.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Bistability is a fundamental property in engineered and natural systems, conferring the ability to switch and retain states. Synthetic bistable switches in prokaryotes have mainly utilized transcriptional components in their construction. Using both transcriptional and enzymatic components, creating a hybrid system, allows for wider bistable parameter ranges in a circuit.

Results

In this paper, we demonstrate a tunable family of hybrid bistable switches in E. coli using both transcriptional components and an enzymatic component. The design contains two linked positive feedback loops. The first loop utilizes the lambda repressor, CI, and the second positive feedback loop incorporates the Lon protease found in Mesoplasma florum (mf-Lon). We experimentally tested for

SUBMITTER: Huang D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3439342 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature