Open AccessScaffold‐fused riboregulators for enhanced gene activation in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803
Author(s) -
Sakai Yuta,
Abe Koichi,
Nakashima Saki,
Ellinger James J.,
Ferri Stefano,
Sode Koji,
Ikebukuro Kazunori
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
microbiologyopen
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.881
H-Index - 36
ISSN - 2045-8827
DOI - 10.1002/mbo3.257
Subject(s) - synechocystis , gene , gene expression , biology , rna , regulation of gene expression , gene cluster , synthetic biology , non coding rna , escherichia coli , computational biology , microbiology and biotechnology , genetics , mutant
Cyanobacteria are an attractive host for biofuel production because they can produce valuable chemical compounds from CO 2 fixed by photosynthesis. However, the available genetic tools that enable precise gene regulation for the applications of synthetic biology are insufficient. Previously, we engineered an RNA ‐based posttranscriptional regulator, termed riboregulator, for the control of target gene expression in cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803. Moreover, we enhanced the gene regulation ability of the riboregulators in Escherichia coli by fusing and engineering a scaffold sequence derived from naturally occurring E. coli noncoding small RNA s. Here, we demonstrated that the scaffold sequence fused to the riboregulators improved their gene regulation ability in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803. To further improve gene regulation, we expressed an exogenous RNA chaperone protein that is responsible for noncoding small RNA ‐mediated gene regulation, which resulted in higher target gene expression. The scaffold sequence derived from natural E. coli noncoding small RNA s is effective for designing RNA ‐based genetic tools and scaffold‐fused riboregulators are a strong RNA ‐tool to regulate gene expression in cyanobacteria.