Team:Valencia/Project
From 2012.igem.org
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<i>A. fischeri</i>’s genes for bioluminescence are regulated by an <strong>operator which is only activated at high concentrations of AHL</strong> (Acyl-homoserine-lactone), an own secreted quorum sensing molecule which is abundantly present at high population densities (aggregated in colonies, biofilms, host glands or phycospheres). When this bacterium lives free in open waters it does not express bioluminescence (Miyashiro and Ruby, 2012).<br><br> | <i>A. fischeri</i>’s genes for bioluminescence are regulated by an <strong>operator which is only activated at high concentrations of AHL</strong> (Acyl-homoserine-lactone), an own secreted quorum sensing molecule which is abundantly present at high population densities (aggregated in colonies, biofilms, host glands or phycospheres). When this bacterium lives free in open waters it does not express bioluminescence (Miyashiro and Ruby, 2012).<br><br> | ||
<center><a href="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2012/7/74/Definitivo_noche_y_d%C3%ADa.png"><img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2012/9/93/E4ea72b3edbf2ee66cccb588b372245b.gif" alt=""title="click to see it bigger!"></a></center> | <center><a href="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2012/7/74/Definitivo_noche_y_d%C3%ADa.png"><img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2012/9/93/E4ea72b3edbf2ee66cccb588b372245b.gif" alt=""title="click to see it bigger!"></a></center> | ||
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To <strong>induce bioluminescence</strong> in our system, we have modified <i>S. elongatus</i> to <strong>synthesize and export AHL</strong> to the common broth, in order to induce bioluminescence in <i>A. fischeri</i>. As our biolamp only requires to be ‘switched on’ at night, we are preceding the gene expressing AHLase enzyme (luxI) with a photosensitive operator. The genetic construct is based on the cyanobacterial <strong>promotor <i>psbAI</i></strong>, which responds to light through the molecular physiology of the cyanophyte photosystem (Golden, 1995). As we require an inverse response to light stress, we annexed the <a href="http://partsregistry.org/Part:BBa_Q04510" target="_blank">cI lambda inverter</a>, before ligating the luxI gene.<br><br> | To <strong>induce bioluminescence</strong> in our system, we have modified <i>S. elongatus</i> to <strong>synthesize and export AHL</strong> to the common broth, in order to induce bioluminescence in <i>A. fischeri</i>. As our biolamp only requires to be ‘switched on’ at night, we are preceding the gene expressing AHLase enzyme (luxI) with a photosensitive operator. The genetic construct is based on the cyanobacterial <strong>promotor <i>psbAI</i></strong>, which responds to light through the molecular physiology of the cyanophyte photosystem (Golden, 1995). As we require an inverse response to light stress, we annexed the <a href="http://partsregistry.org/Part:BBa_Q04510" target="_blank">cI lambda inverter</a>, before ligating the luxI gene.<br><br> | ||
An important part of our project was to use the <strong>photosynthetic organism as a chemical energy donor</strong> for the luminescent heterotrophic population. To achieve this, we used a strain of <i>S. elongatus</i> developed by Ducat et al. (2012) from Harvard University which was transformed with a gene that expresses a transporter protein (cscB) to export sucrose to the culture medium in the presence of salt. This is how we render our biolamp self-sustainable, as the <strong>energy captured from the sun by <i>S. elongatus</i> is exported so that <i>A. fischeri</i> can use it</strong>.<br><br></p> | An important part of our project was to use the <strong>photosynthetic organism as a chemical energy donor</strong> for the luminescent heterotrophic population. To achieve this, we used a strain of <i>S. elongatus</i> developed by Ducat et al. (2012) from Harvard University which was transformed with a gene that expresses a transporter protein (cscB) to export sucrose to the culture medium in the presence of salt. This is how we render our biolamp self-sustainable, as the <strong>energy captured from the sun by <i>S. elongatus</i> is exported so that <i>A. fischeri</i> can use it</strong>.<br><br></p> |
Latest revision as of 03:51, 27 September 2012
Synechosunshine: photosynthetically powered biolamp
![](https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2012/6/6f/Vibrio_brillando_VLC.jpg)
Our main goal for iGEM 2012 is the creation of a self-sufficient biolamp powered by solar light. In order to do this we have taken advantage of an artificial consortium between two naturally coexisting microorganisms: Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942 and Aliivibrio fischeri. A. fischeri is a marine heterotrophic bacterium, capable of producing bioluminescence after activation by quorum sensing signals, while S. elongatus is a photosynthetic cyanobacterium that will allow the system to be fed by solar light.
A. fischeri’s genes for bioluminescence are regulated by an operator which is only activated at high concentrations of AHL (Acyl-homoserine-lactone), an own secreted quorum sensing molecule which is abundantly present at high population densities (aggregated in colonies, biofilms, host glands or phycospheres). When this bacterium lives free in open waters it does not express bioluminescence (Miyashiro and Ruby, 2012).
![click to see it bigger!](https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2012/9/93/E4ea72b3edbf2ee66cccb588b372245b.gif)
An important part of our project was to use the photosynthetic organism as a chemical energy donor for the luminescent heterotrophic population. To achieve this, we used a strain of S. elongatus developed by Ducat et al. (2012) from Harvard University which was transformed with a gene that expresses a transporter protein (cscB) to export sucrose to the culture medium in the presence of salt. This is how we render our biolamp self-sustainable, as the energy captured from the sun by S. elongatus is exported so that A. fischeri can use it.
References
Ducat, D. C., Avelar-Rivas, A. J., Way, J. C. & Silver, P. A. (2012) Rerouting carbon flux to enhance photosynthetic productivity. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 78(8):2660–2668.
Golden, S. S. (1995) Light-Responsive Gene Expression in Cyanobacteria. J. Bacteriology, 177(7): 1651-1654.
Miyashiro, T. & Ruby G. E. (2012) Shedding light on bioluminiscence regulation in Vibrio fischeri. Mol. Micro., 84(5):795-806.