群体感应基因电路的设计与应用进展

Progress in design and application of quorum sensing gene circuits

摘要:

群体感应(quorum sensing, QS)是一种细菌协调菌群行为的通信系统。自然界中广泛存在的QS系统通过对外界环境的感知来提升微生物群落生殖繁衍的能力。由于其自主感知和密度依赖的自然特性和模块化、易于工程化改造的特性在合成生物学技术的推动下，取得了快速的发展和应用。QS机制的阐明为基因回路的设计及验证和执行预期的生物功能奠定了基础。然而，如何保证QS基因回路的有效性和功能稳定性是合成生物学应用的重大挑战。因此，本综述中先对自然常见的QS调控机制和基因电路的发展进行整理，然后对其在细胞之间通信中的组装优化进行分析和概括，接着对其在群落中的应用进展进行梳理，最后对QS基因电路如何更好地应用于微生物改造提出了建议和展望。

关键词:群体感应;细胞通信;基因回路;人工合成菌群;动态调控

Abstract:

Quorum sensing (QS) is a communication system in bacteria that coordinates group behaviors. QS systems widely found in nature enhance the reproductive capacity of microbial communities by sensing the external environment. Due to its natural properties of autonomous perception, density-dependence coupled with modularity, and ease of engineering modification, QS has achieved rapid development and application, facilitated by synthetic biology technology. The elucidation of QS mechanisms has laid the foundation for the design of genetic circuits, which are then applied to verify and perform expected biological functions. However, how to ensure the effectiveness and functional stability of QS gene circuits is a major challenge in synthetic biology applications. Therefore, this review first summarized the natural and common QS regulatory mechanisms and the development of genetic circuits. Subsequently, an analysis and summary of the assembly optimization in intercellular communication were provided, followed by an overview of its application progress in communities. Finally, suggestions and development trends were proposed for the better application of QS genetic circuits in microbial engineering.

Key words:quorum sensing;cellular communication;genetic circuit;synthetic microbial consortia;dynamic regulation