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Whole-Cell Bioreporters for the Detection of Bioavailable Metals

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Whole Cell Sensing System II

Part of the book series: Advances in Biochemical Engineering / Biotechnology ((ABE,volume 118))

Abstract

Whole-cell bioreporters are living microorganisms that produce a specific, quantifiable output in response to target chemicals. Typically, whole-cell bioreporters combine a sensor element for the substance of interest and a reporter element coding for an easily detectable protein. The sensor element is responsible for recognizing the presence of an analyte. In the case of metal bioreporters, the sensor element consists of a DNA promoter region for a metal-binding transcription factor fused to a promoterless reporter gene that encodes a signal-producing protein. In this review, we provide an overview of specific whole-cell bioreporters for heavy metals. Because the sensing of metals by bioreporter microorganisms is usually based on heavy metal resistance/homeostasis mechanisms, the basis of these mechanisms will also be discussed. The goal here is not to present a comprehensive summary of individual metal-specific bioreporters that have been constructed, but rather to express views on the theory and applications of metal-specific bioreporters and identify some directions for future research and development.

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Acknowledgments

AH is funded by EnSTe graduate school. MV has been financially supported by Academy of Finland and the Maj and Tor Nessling Foundation.

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  1. Department of Applied Chemistry and Microbiology, University of Helsinki, 56, 00014, Helsinki, Finland

    Anu Hynninen & Marko Virta

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  1. Anu Hynninen
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Correspondence to Marko Virta .

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  1. , Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 91904, Israel

    Shimshon Belkin

  2. , College of Life Sciences & Biotechnology, Korea University, Amam-dong 5-ga, Seoul, 136-701, Korea, Republic of (South Korea)

    Man Bock Gu

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Hynninen, A., Virta, M. (2009). Whole-Cell Bioreporters for the Detection of Bioavailable Metals. In: Belkin, S., Gu, M. (eds) Whole Cell Sensing System II. Advances in Biochemical Engineering / Biotechnology, vol 118. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/10_2009_9

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