In vitro allosteric transcription factor-based biosensing

Shanshan Li; Zilong Li; Gao-Yi Tan; Zhenguo Xin; Weishan Wang

doi:10.1016/j.tibtech.2023.03.001

In vitro allosteric transcription factor-based biosensing

Trends Biotechnol. 2023 Aug;41(8):1080-1095. doi: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2023.03.001. Epub 2023 Mar 25.

Authors

Shanshan Li¹, Zilong Li², Gao-Yi Tan³, Zhenguo Xin⁴, Weishan Wang⁵

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, PR China.
² State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, CAS, Beijing 100101, PR China.
³ State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering and School of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, PR China.
⁴ State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, CAS, Beijing 100101, PR China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, PR China.
⁵ State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, CAS, Beijing 100101, PR China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, PR China. Electronic address: wangws@im.ac.cn.

PMID: 36967257
DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2023.03.001

Abstract

A biosensor is an analytical device that converts a biological response into a measurable output signal. Bacterial allosteric transcription factors (aTFs) have been utilized as a novel class of recognition elements for in vitro biosensing, which circumvents the limitations of aTF-based whole-cell biosensors (WCBs) and helps to meet the increasing requirement of small-molecule biosensors for diverse applications. In this review, we summarize the recent advances related to the configuration of aTF-based biosensors in vitro. Particularly, we evaluate the advantages of aTFs for in vitro biosensing and highlight their great potential for the establishment of robust and easy-to-implement biosensing strategies. We argue that key technical innovations and generalizable workflows will enhance the pipeline for facile construction of diverse aTF-based small-molecule biosensors.

Keywords: allosteric transcription factor; biosensing; recognition element; small molecule.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Bacteria / metabolism
Biosensing Techniques*
Gene Expression Regulation
Transcription Factors* / genetics
Transcription Factors* / metabolism

Substances

Transcription Factors