Team:Chalmers-Gothenburg/Biodetection of hCG

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Biodetection of hCG hormone

Saccharomyces cerevisiae will be modified in such a way that the yeast cell should function as a biosensor for the human chorionic gonadotropin hormone (hCG). This hormone is produced in the body during pregnancy and consequently, the idea for the biosensor is to function as a simple pregnancy test. To construct the biosensor, the Ste2 receptor in the yeast pheromone signaling pathway will be replaced by the human luteinizing hormone receptor (LH/CG), which is the receptor that hCG binds to with high a�ffinity. The yeast strain that will be used contains a yeast/human chimeric Gα subunit, enabling coupling of the receptor with the already existing pheromone pathway in yeast. Consequently, binding of hCG should result in activation of the pathway. The genes tnaA and fmo, encoding tryptophanase and flavin-containing monooxygenase respectively, will also be introduced into the yeast strain. These enzymes catalyze the conversion of tryptophan to indigo. tnaA will be set under the control of the pheromone induced FIG1 promoter and fmo of the constitutive TEF1 promoter. Hence, detection of hCG should result in the production of bio-indigo. Another modification will be the deletion of the gene CWP2, encoding a cell wall mannoprotein in order to ensure hCG to pass the yeast cell wall.

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 ==Biodetection of hCG hormone==
 ''Saccharomyces cerevisiae'' will be modified in such a way that the yeast cell should
 function as a biosensor for the human chorionic gonadotropin hormone (hCG). This hormone is
-produced in the body during pregnancy and consequently, the idea is for the biosensor to function
+produced in the body during pregnancy and consequently, the idea for the biosensor is to function
-as a simple pregnancy test. To construct the biosensor, the human luteinizing hormone receptor (LH/CG), which is the receptor that hCG binds to with high affinity, will be expressed and coupled with with the already existing pheromone pathway in yeast. Consequently, binding of hCG should result in activation of the pathway. Two genes encoding tryptophanase and a monooxygenase respectively will also be introduced into the yeast strain. These enzymes catalyze the conversion of tryptophan to indigo and will be coupled with pheromone-induced promoters. Hence, detection of hCG should result in the production of bio-indigo. In order to ensure hCG to pass the yeast cell wall, the gene encoding a cell wall protein will also be deleted.
+as a simple pregnancy test. To construct the biosensor, the Ste2 receptor in the yeast pheromone
+signaling pathway will be replaced by the human luteinizing hormone receptor (LH/CG), which
+is the receptor that hCG binds to with high a�ffinity. The yeast strain that will be used contains
+a yeast/human chimeric Gα subunit, enabling coupling of the receptor with the already existing
+pheromone pathway in yeast. Consequently, binding of hCG should result in activation of the
+pathway. The genes tnaA and fmo, encoding tryptophanase and
+flavin-containing monooxygenase
+respectively, will also be introduced into the yeast strain. These enzymes catalyze the conversion
+of tryptophan to indigo. tnaA will be set under the control of the pheromone induced ''FIG1'' promoter
+and fmo of the constitutive TEF1 promoter. Hence, detection of hCG should result in the
+production of bio-indigo. Another modification will be the deletion of the gene ''CWP2'', encoding a cell wall mannoprotein in order to ensure hCG to pass the yeast cell wall.
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