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Induction of gene expression in bacteria at optimal growth temperatures

  • Applied genetics and molecular biotechnology
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Abstract

Traditional temperature-sensitive systems use either heat shock (40–42 °C) or cold shock (15–23 °C) to induce gene expression at temperatures that are not the optimal temperature for host cell growth (37 °C). This impacts the overall productivity and yield by disturbing cell growth and cellular metabolism. Here, we have developed a new system which controls gene expression in Escherichia coli at more permissive temperatures. The temperature-sensitive cI857-P L system and the classic lacI-P lacO system were connected in series to control the gene of interest. When the culture temperature was lowered, the thermolabile cI857 repressor was activated and blocked the expression of lacI from P L. Subsequently, the decrease of LacI derepressed the expression of gene of interest from P lacO . Using a green fluorescent protein marker, we demonstrated that (1) gene expression was tightly regulated at 42 °C and strongly induced by lowering temperature to 25–37 °C; (2) different levels of gene expression can be induced by varying culture temperature; and (3) gene expression after induction was sustained until the end of the log phase. We then applied this system in the biosynthesis of acetoin and demonstrated that high yield and production could be achieved using temperature induction. The ability to express proteins at optimal growth temperatures without chemical inducers is advantageous for large-scale and industrial fermentations.

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Acknowledgments

This work is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (no. 21106170), the “Twelfth Five-Year Plan” in the National Science and Technology for the Rural Development in China (no. 2012BAD32B06), the National Defense Innovation Foundation of Chinese Academy of Sciences (no. CXJJ-11-M56), and the project of Academy-Locality Cooperation Chinese Academy of Sciences.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, 266101, China

    Xinglin Jiang, Haibo Zhang, Jianming Yang, Yujin Cao, Dexin Feng & Mo Xian

  2. Graduate University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China

    Xinglin Jiang

  3. College of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430081, China

    Min Liu

  4. College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, 110866, China

    Hongru Feng

  5. College of Science, Jiangxi Agriculture University, Jiangxi, 330045, China

    Xiaobin Liu

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  1. Xinglin Jiang
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Correspondence to Dexin Feng or Mo Xian.

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Jiang, X., Zhang, H., Yang, J. et al. Induction of gene expression in bacteria at optimal growth temperatures. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 97, 5423–5431 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-012-4633-8

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