title: Refactoring the λ phage lytic/lysogenic decision with a synthetic regulator.
abstract: In this work, we explore the refactoring of the circuitry of λ phage by engineering a new-to-nature regulator that responds to an ad hoc input signal that behaves orthogonal with respect to the host cell. We tailored a chimeric regulator, termed Qλ, between the CI protein of the λ phage and the BzdR repressor from Azoarcus sp. strain CIB that responds to benzoyl-CoA. When the Qλ was expressed in the appropriate Escherichia coli cells, it was able to reprogram the lytic/lysogenic λ phage decision according to the intracellular production of benzoyl-CoA. Our results are also an example of how generating new artificial regulators that respond to effectors of choice may be useful to control different cellular processes.
authors.affiliation: Environmental Biology Department, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas-CSIC, Ramiro de Maeztu 9, 28040, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Gonzalo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Durante-Rodríguez
authors.affiliation: Institute of Physical Chemistry Rocasolano-CSIC, Serrano 119, 28006, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: José Miguel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Mancheño
authors.affiliation: Environmental Biology Department, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas-CSIC, Ramiro de Maeztu 9, 28040, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Díaz
authors.affiliation: Environmental Biology Department, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas-CSIC, Ramiro de Maeztu 9, 28040, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Carmona
mesh_terms: D000214:Acyl Coenzyme A / Q000378:metabolism*; D010582:Bacteriophage lambda / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics / Q000821:virology; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics*; D008242:Lysogeny / Q000235:genetics*; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D000214:Acyl Coenzyme A; C037817:benzoyl-coenzyme A
keywords: Azoarcus; protein engineering; synthetic biology; transcriptional regulation