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Abstract

HKU’s iGEM team aims to introduce an acyl homoerine lactone (AHL)-degrading genetic system into the non-biolfilm-forming and non-virulent BL21 Escherichia coli strain. PvdQ, an enzyme naturally produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, is an acylase that functions to degrade long chain AHLs that bacteria like Pseudomonas putida or aeruginosa itself utilize for biofilm formation. Biofilms are population density-dependent structures formed by quorum sensing bacteria that produce and secrete auto-inducers, which signal selective gene transcription. These signaling molecules, namely the AHLs, are responsible for most bacterial pathogenicity including the opportunistic respiratory infections caused by P.aeuroginosa in immunocompromised patients.

As a step towards combating these infections, E.coli can be effectively used as a protein factory to maximize pvdQ yield in vitro or ex vivo. Our most preliminary biobrick is a constitutive promoter that drives baseline, exponential expression of pvdQ. This genetic pathway is advantageous because the pvdQ gene is constitutively transcribed regardless of environmental and endogenous factors.