Current progress of targetron technology: development, improvement and application in metabolic engineering
Ya-Jun Liu1,2, Jie Zhang1,2,3, Gu-Zhen Cui1,2
1Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Energy Genetics, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, P.R. China.
Biotechnology Journal
|March 5, 2015
Summary
Targetron technology, using mobile group II introns, offers a flexible and efficient method for genetic engineering, especially in challenging microorganisms for biofuel production. This review highlights its mechanisms, improvements, and applications in industrial biotechnology.
Area of Science:
- Molecular Biology
- Biotechnology
- Microbial Engineering
Background:
- Targetrons are mobile group II introns facilitating DNA targeting through RNA-DNA interactions and reverse transcriptases.
- They are advantageous for engineering difficult microorganisms like cellulolytic bacteria for biomass conversion.
- Targetron technology is crucial for metabolic engineering in industrial microorganisms for biofuel and chemical production.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the progress of targetron technology.
- To provide insights into the application of targetron technology.
- To summarize retrohoming mechanisms, tool improvements, and applications in metabolic engineering.
Main Methods:
- Review of mesophilic and thermophilic targetron retrohoming mechanisms.
- Investigation of targetron tool enhancements for efficiency and specificity.
- Discussion of current applications in bacterial metabolic engineering.
Main Results:
- Targetron technology offers flexibility, feasibility, and efficiency in gene targeting.
- Improvements in targetron tools enhance target efficiency and specificity.
- Applications in metabolic engineering show promise for industrial production.
Conclusions:
- Targetron technology is vital for engineering industrial microorganisms, particularly for biofuel and chemical production.
- Despite limitations, targetron technology is expected to advance biochemistry research and industrial metabolic engineering.
- Further development will enhance its utility in synthetic biology and industrial applications.
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