Team:Evry/Sensor

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Iron coli project

Iron Sensor

We constructed iron sensors by combining 3 genetic parts: an E. coli promoter with a Ferric Uptake Regulator (Fur) binding site, a fluorescent reporter (sfGFP), and a transcriptional terminator.



Fig 1 Diagram of a genetic iron sensor. Iron binds the Ferric Uptake Regulator (Fur) to form a complex with high affinity for the Fur box in the promoter, here shown as the aceB promoter. Once the iron-Fur complex is bound to the promoter, it represses transcription of the target gene GFP. GFP expression is thus negatively correlated with iron availability.



Fig 2 Construction of an iron-responsive genetic element by fusing a Fur-regulated promoter with a reporter gene. Promoter-reporter fusions were made with flanking restriction sites that are compatible with Biobrick-based cloning.

Table I Genetic elements used to make iron-responsive sensors.

NAME FIGURE DESCRIPTION

E. coli promoter with Fur binding site

iron-Fur complex binds promoter to repress expression

sfGFP

Fluorescent reporter gene

Terminator

terminator to stop transcription

Plasmid

Biobrick-compatible plasmid backbone