A plasmid-based Escherichia coli gene expression system with cell-to-cell variation below the extrinsic noise limit.

ABSTRACT: Experiments in synthetic biology and microbiology can benefit from protein expression systems with low cell-to-cell variability (noise) and expression levels precisely tunable across a useful dynamic range. Despite advances in understanding the molecular biology of microbial gene regulation, many experiments employ protein-expression systems exhibiting high noise and nearly all-or-none responses to induction. I present an expression system that incorporates elements known to reduce gene expression noise: negative autoregulation and bicistronic transcription. I show by stochastic simulation that while negative autoregulation can produce a more gradual response to induction, bicistronic expression of a repressor and gene of interest can be necessary to reduce noise below the extrinsic limit.

SUBMITTER: Hensel Z 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5662224 | biostudies-literature | 2017

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature