Light-Controlled Cell Density

As every iGEM project is about synthetic biology, we have our own contribution to make on that count. This year we have worked to thoroughly characterize the photosensitizing protein KillerRed a recently discovered tool with many potential uses. Our attempt to use it as a population regulator is just one among others like precise cell killing on a Petri dish or Chromophore-Assisted Light Inactivation (CALI) of specific proteins inside cells.

References

[1] M.E. Bulina et al., A genetically encoded photosensitizer, Nature Biotechnology, January 2006.
[2] Sergei Pletnev et al., Structural Basis for Phototoxicity of the Genetically Encoded Photosensitizer KillerRed, The Journal of Biological Chemistry, November 2009.
[3] Russell B. Vegh et al., Reactive oxygen species in photochemistry of the red fluorescent protein ‘‘Killer Red’’, Chem. Commun., 2011.
[4] N C Shaner et al., Improved monomeric red, orange and yellow fluorescent proteins derived from Discosomasp. red fluorescent protein, Nature Biotechnology, 2004.
[5] W Waldeck et al., ROS-mediated killing efficiency with visible light of bacteria carrying different red fluorochrome proteins, Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology, 2012.
[6] M.E. Bulina et al., A genetically encoded photosensitizer, Nature Biotechnology, January 2006.
[7] J D Oliver, Recent findings on the viable but nonculturable state in pathogenic bacteria, FEMS Microbiol. Rev., 2010.
[8] M E Bulina et al., Chromophore-assisted light inactivation (CALI) using the phototoxic fluorescent protein KillerRed, Nature Protocol, 2006.
[9] E Cabiscol et al., Oxidative stress in bacteria and protein damage by reactive oxygen species, International Microbiology, 2000.
[10] http://www.evrogen.com/products/KillerRed/KillerRed_Detailed_description.shtml
[11] F Baumgart et al., Light inactivation of water transport and protein–protein interactions of aquaporin–Killer Red chimeras, J Gen Physiol., 2012.
[12] Kubitschek HE, Cell volume increase in Escherichia coli after shifts to richer media, J. Bacteriol., 1990.