Engineering unnatural cells with a 21st amino acid as a living epigenetic sensor
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ABSTRACT: Living animals rely extensively on posttranslational modifications (PTMs) to regulate protein activity, stability, subcellular localization, and protein protein interactions. These modifications are tightly controlled by the balance of writer and eraser enzymes, which add or remove PTMs on proteins. Current strategies to measure writer and eraser activities in living animals largely depend on invasive methods such as single cell sequencing, quantitative mass spectrometry, or activity based probes, which often lack cell or tissue specificity. In this study, we report the development of autonomous cells, both prokaryotic and eukaryotic, with the ability to biosynthesize and genetically encode acetyllysine using genetic code expansion technology. These engineered living sensors with a site specific acetyllysine modification can be transplanted into living animals, enabling real time monitoring of PTM dynamics in living cells and their visualization within animal models. We further demonstrate the utility of these cells in tracking deacetylase activity and assessing the effects of deacetylase inhibitors on PTM dynamics in living animals.
INSTRUMENT(S): Rice University
ORGANISM(S): Escherichia Coli
SUBMITTER:
Han Xiao
PROVIDER: MSV000099031 | MassIVE |
REPOSITORIES: MassIVE
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