ABSTRACT
A major goal of synthetic biology is to reprogram cells to perform complex tasks. Here we show how a combination of in vitro and in vivo selection rapidly identifies a synthetic riboswitch that activates protein translation in response to the herbicide atrazine. We further demonstrate that this riboswitch can reprogram bacteria to migrate in the presence of atrazine. Finally, we show that incorporating a gene from an atrazine catabolic pathway allows these cells to seek and destroy atrazine.
Subject(s)
Atrazine/metabolism , Bacteria/genetics , Bacteria/metabolism , Herbicides/metabolism , Acetone/metabolism , Atrazine/chemical synthesis , Atrazine/pharmacology , Bacteria/drug effects , Bacterial Physiological Phenomena , Base Sequence , Cell Movement , Cloning, Molecular , DNA, Bacterial/genetics , Ethanolamines/metabolism , Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial , Herbicides/chemical synthesis , Kinetics , Light , Molecular Sequence Data , RNA, Bacterial/chemistry , RNA, Bacterial/genetics , RNA, Bacterial/metabolism , beta-Galactosidase/metabolismABSTRACT
Libraries of monovalent compounds can be reacted with each other to give libraries of bivalent ones. If those reactions are efficient, and if the products do not need to be purified, large numbers of bivalent compounds can be produced rapidly, and one might say there is a "combinatorial advantage" to doing so. However, selective formation of heterobivalent products must be possible otherwise statistical mixtures will form. This tutorial review describes methods that will give heterobivalent compounds almost exclusively. Although there are relatively few methods that will give that desired selectivity, such methods are becoming increasingly important as the potential applications of bi- and multivalent compounds emerge.
