Combinatorial metabolic engineering using an orthogonal tri-functional CRISPR system

Nat Commun. 2017 Nov 22;8(1):1688. doi: 10.1038/s41467-017-01695-x.

Abstract

Designing an optimal microbial cell factory often requires overexpression, knock-down, and knock-out of multiple gene targets. Unfortunately, such rewiring of cellular metabolism is often carried out sequentially and with low throughput. Here, we report a combinatorial metabolic engineering strategy based on an orthogonal tri-functional CRISPR system that combines transcriptional activation, transcriptional interference, and gene deletion (CRISPR-AID) in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. This strategy enables perturbation of the metabolic and regulatory networks in a modular, parallel, and high-throughput manner. We demonstrate the application of CRISPR-AID not only to increase the production of β-carotene by 3-fold in a single step, but also to achieve 2.5-fold improvement in the display of an endoglucanase on the yeast surface by optimizing multiple metabolic engineering targets in a combinatorial manner.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • CRISPR-Cas Systems*
  • Cell Membrane / metabolism
  • Cellulase / genetics
  • Cellulase / metabolism
  • Gene Deletion
  • Genes, Fungal
  • Metabolic Engineering / methods*
  • Metabolic Networks and Pathways / genetics
  • RNA Interference
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae / genetics
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae / metabolism
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins / genetics
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins / metabolism
  • Transcriptional Activation
  • beta Carotene / biosynthesis

Substances

  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins
  • beta Carotene
  • Cellulase