Biotechnology Bulletin ›› 2023, Vol. 39 ›› Issue (10): 80-92.doi: 10.13560/j.cnki.biotech.bull.1985.2023-0271

Previous Articles     Next Articles

Development of an L-tryptophan Biosensor Based on the Violacein Biosynthesis Pathway

LI Ren-han1,2(), ZHANG Le-le1,2, LIU Chun-li1,2,3, LIU Xiu-xia1,2,3, BAI Zhong-hu1,2,3, YANG Yan-kun1,2,3(), LI Ye1,2,3()   

  1. 1. The Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122
    2. National Engineering Research Center for Cereal Fermentation and Food Biomanufacturing, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122
    3. Jiangsu Provincial Engineering Research Center for Bioactive Product Processing, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122
  • Received:2023-03-23 Online:2023-10-26 Published:2023-11-28
  • Contact: YANG Yan-kun, LI Ye E-mail:6200201078@stu.jiangnan.edu.cn;yangyankun@jiangnan.edu.cn;yeli0622@jiangnan.edu.cn

Abstract:

High-throughput screening combining with biosensors is a powerful tool for identifying high-yield L-tryptophan producing strains, but current L-tryptophan biosensors generally have the disadvantage of low operational and dynamic ranges. By expressing the violacein biosynthetic pathway in Escherichia coli and testing different sources of VioA enzyme and RBS engineering, a novel enzyme-coupled L-tryptophan biosensor was developed. It was found that the VioA enzyme from Chromobacterium violaceum expanded detection limit of the biosensor up to 0-10 g/L of exogenously added L-tryptophan. Reducing its translation initiation rate to approximately 2 000 expanded the dynamic range of the biosensor by 55-fold. Different strains of E. coli with varying L-tryptophan yields could be visually distinguished with the naked eye. This novel L-tryptophan biosensor can play a significant role in identifying high-yield L-tryptophan and its high-value derivatives producing strains through combining methods such as high-throughput screening.

Key words: Escherichia coli, violacein, L-tryptophan, biosensor