title: Strategies for enhancing bioluminescent bacterial sensor performance by promoter region manipulation.
abstract: Genetically engineered microbial reporter strains are based upon the fusion of an inducible sensing element upstream of a reporting element, so that the construct emits a dose-dependent signal when exposed to the inducing compound(s) or stress factor(s). In this communication we described several general approaches undertaken in order to enhance the sensing performance of such promoter::reporter fusions. Significant improvements in detection sensitivity, response kinetics and signal intensity were achieved by modification of the length of the promoter-containing DNA fragment, by random or site-directed mutagenesis and by promoter duplication. The general nature of these genetics manipulations makes them applicable to other types of promoter::reporter fusions.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel. sharony@ekmd.huji.ac.il
authors.forename: Sharon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yagur-Kroll
authors.forename: Benny
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bilic
authors.forename: Shimshon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Belkin
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D015374:Biosensing Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D005818:Genetic Engineering / Q000379:methods*; D008164:Luminescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D016297:Mutagenesis, Site-Directed; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D008164:Luminescent Proteins