mRFP under Arsenite Inducible Promoter ([http://parts.igem.org/Part:BBa_K1106003 Bba_K1106003]) characterization

Objective

Asess mRFP production, stability and naked eye discernibility range under inducible conditions.

General procedure

Different assays were performed using E. coli (DH5α strain) harbouring a plasmid that encodes mRFP under arsenite inducible promoter (ArsRFP culture).

mRFP production at different arsenite concentrations

Method

ArsRFP cultures were grown with different arsenite concentrations ( 0, 50, 200 and 1000ppb). 1ml aliquots were taken after 24 hours and fluorescence was measured.

Results

mRFP fluorescence increases with higher arsenite concentrations, in a sigmoidal way.

mRFP production over time

Method

A 100 ml ArsRFP culture was grown at 30°C until it reached OD=0.4 (OD 600nm). At this point arsenite was added (1000ppb final concentration) and fluorescence was measured every 30 minutes during 8 hours at 584 nm excitation peak and 608 nm emission peak.

Results

As shown in the figure below, mRFP production increses over time with arsenite (1000 ppb). However, there is a 3 hours lag after inoculation.

mRFP stability over time

Method

ArsRFP culture was grown overnight at 37ºC in 10 ml LB medium with 2000ppb arsenite concentration. The following day, the culture was centrifuged and the supernatant was discarded in order to remove the arsenite, thus stopping the induction. Afterwars, fresh LB medium was added and the pellet was resuspended. This was done twice and the culture was returned to 37ºC incubation. 1 ml of this culture was taken every 12 hours for the following 4 days. Finally, fluorescence was measured.

Results

mRFP degradation is shown over time, specially during the first 24 hours.

Naked eye discernibility range of mRFP production by arsenite inducible promoter

Method

The objective of this assay is to figure out whether bacteria that get colored in the presence of arsenic, reach saturation over time when induced with different arsenite concentrations and if the colour intensity is distinguishable between each other at naked eye. To achieve this, E. Coli DH5alfa Bacteria harbouring a plasmid that encodes mRFP generator under arsenite promoter, were grown with different arsenite concentration ( 0, 10, 50, 200 and 1000ppb). 1ml aliquots were taken every 12 hours and were centrifuged at 10.000rpm for 5 minutes. Pictures of the pellets were taken in order to compare colour difference at naked eye. mRFP fluorescence was also measured with a fluorimeter at X nm for excitation and X nm for emission.

Results

As it can be seen in the pictures below, the colour production can be clearly distinguish between different arsenic concentrations after 24 hours of induction and between the higher arsenite concentrations only. It can also be noticed that over time the production grows and that after 62 hours time the difference between 200 and 1000ppb is not clear.

So, in order to accelerate the colour production and its quantity at lower arsenite concentrations but at the same time avoiding saturation in all the samples to keep the difference observable at naked eye we reached the conclusion that a signal amplification system has to be added but also with some switch to stop the production.

Induction over time

After 12 hours of induction:

After 24 hours of induction:

After 36 hours of induction:

After 48 hours of induction:

After 50 hours of induction:

After 62 hours of induction: