Digital switching in a biosensor circuit via programmable timing of gene availability.

ABSTRACT: Transient delivery of gene circuits is required in many potential applications of synthetic biology, yet the pre-steady-state processes that dominate this delivery route pose major challenges for robust circuit deployment. Here we show that site-specific recombinases can rectify undesired effects by programmable timing of gene availability in multigene circuits. We exemplify the concept with a proportional sensor for endogenous microRNA (miRNA) and show a marked reduction in its ground state leakage due to desynchronization of the circuit's repressor components and their repression target. The new sensors display a dynamic range of up to 1,000-fold compared to 20-fold in the standard configuration. We applied the approach to classify cell types on the basis of miRNA expression profile and

SUBMITTER: Lapique N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4232471 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature