Hardware (DNA) circuits.
A scheme is presented whereby a new genetic control circuit can be introduced into an organism, permitting the experimenter to turn the expression of a given gene (or set of genes) on or off at will. The proposed scheme involves a positive feedback loop--here, a positive regulator, the CII protein of phage lambda, with its structural gene engineered so as to require CII for its expression. This feedback loop creates the possibility of two stable steady states, with gene cII ON or OFF. Genes added downstream of cII and lacking a promoter will follow the same expression as cII. Two additional circuits allow the experimenter to switch at will between the ON and OFF states.
D'Ari
Richard
R
Institut Jacques-Monod (CNRS, universités Paris-6 & 7), 2, place Jussieu, 75251 Paris, France. dari@ijm.jussieu.fr
Thomas
René
R
D010582:Bacteriophage lambda / Q000235:genetics; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics / Q000821:virology; D025461:Feedback, Physiological; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D005813:Genes, Synthetic; D005814:Genes, Viral; D005818:Genetic Engineering / Q000379:methods*; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D014764:Viral Proteins; D015678:Viral Structural Proteins / Q000235:genetics
D014157:Transcription Factors; D014764:Viral Proteins; D015678:Viral Structural Proteins; C039000:cII protein, bacteriophage lambda; D004247:DNA