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Resource Reallocation in Bacteria by Reengineering the Gene Expression Machinery
Hidde de Jong1, Johannes Geiselmann2, Delphine Ropers3
1Inria, Grenoble Rhône-Alpes Research Centre, Montbonnot, Saint Ismier Cedex, France.
Trends in Microbiology
|January 24, 2017
Summary
Scientists can reengineer bacterial transcription and translation machinery to control cellular functions and growth. This approach offers new avenues for microbial physiology research and biotechnological applications by reallocating cellular resources.
Area of Science:
- Microbial Physiology
- Synthetic Biology
- Biotechnology
Background:
- Bacteria possess intricate regulatory networks controlling transcription and translation for growth adaptation.
- Reengineering these networks offers novel ways to reorganize bacterial cellular functions.
- Advances in genome engineering and culturing methods enable new approaches.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review methods for reengineering bacterial transcription and translation machinery.
- To explore the concept of resource reallocation in bacteria.
- To discuss implications for microbial systems biology and biotechnology.
Main Methods:
- Review of recent breakthroughs in genome engineering.
- Analysis of miniaturized and automated culturing techniques.
- Examination of novel in vitro and in vivo gene expression systems.
Main Results:
- Reengineering RNA polymerase and ribosomes allows profound reorganization of bacterial resource allocation.
- This manipulation impacts cellular functions and growth rates.
- New perspectives for fundamental understanding and applications are emerging.
Conclusions:
- Reengineering bacterial transcription and translation machinery is a powerful tool.
- This approach facilitates microbial systems biology and biotechnological innovation.
- Resource reallocation is a key perspective for understanding these modifications.
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