There is an ongoing need in the synthetic biology community for novel ways to regulate gene expression. Protein switches, which sense biological inputs and respond with functional outputs, represent one way to meet this need. Despite the fact that there is already a large pool of transcription factors and signaling proteins available, the pool of existing switches lacks the substrate specificities and activities required for certain applications. Therefore, a large number of techniques have been applied to engineer switches with novel properties. Here we discuss some of these techniques by broadly organizing them into three approaches. We show how novel switches can be created through mutagenesis, domain swapping, or domain insertion. We then briefly discuss their use as biosensors and in complex genetic circuits.
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October 2020
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Cover Image
Cover Image
Centrosomes are microtubule-organizing centres required for the asymmetric division of neural stem cells, which support neurodevelopment, as discussed in a mini-review by Robinson and colleagues (pages 2101–2115) In the cover image, microtubules are shown in yellow and neural stem cells (aPKC) are magenta. Image provided by Dorothy Lerit.
Review Article|
October 20 2020
Engineered protein switches for exogenous control of gene expression
Shaun Spisak;
Shaun Spisak
1Chemical Biology Interface Graduate Program, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N. Charles St., Baltimore, MD 21218, U.S.A.
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Marc Ostermeier
2Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, U.S.A.
Correspondence: Marc Ostermeier (oster@jhu.edu)
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Publisher: Portland Press Ltd
Received:
July 21 2020
Revision Received:
September 28 2020
Accepted:
September 30 2020
Online ISSN: 1470-8752
Print ISSN: 0300-5127
© 2020 The Author(s). Published by Portland Press Limited on behalf of the Biochemical Society
2020
Biochem Soc Trans (2020) 48 (5): 2205–2212.
Article history
Received:
July 21 2020
Revision Received:
September 28 2020
Accepted:
September 30 2020
Citation
Shaun Spisak, Marc Ostermeier; Engineered protein switches for exogenous control of gene expression. Biochem Soc Trans 30 October 2020; 48 (5): 2205–2212. doi: https://doi.org/10.1042/BST20200441
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