Team:SMTexas/Design

From 2014hs.igem.org

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<h5>frmR Gene (Detects Formaldehyde) </h5>
<h5>frmR Gene (Detects Formaldehyde) </h5>
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The frmR gene is induced by formaldehyde, a VOC that exists in higher concentrations in the breath of lung cancer patients.  In E. Coli, frmR is followed by a promoter, which in turn is followed by an operator and the GFP coding gene. frmR, which functions as a regulatory gene, codes for a protein which acts as an active repressor for the operator.  Thus, RNA polymerase cannot pass through the operator and transcribe GFP. Formaldehyde, which acts as a co-repressor, would bind to the protein and conform it into an inactive shape, allowing the RNA polymerase to pass through the operator and transcribe the GFP protein.  Thus, if formaldehyde is present, the GFP gene is expressed, and the bacteria will glow in the presence of the VOC.  
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Formaldehyde induces the frmR gene, functioning as a regulatory gene of Green Fluorescent protein. When transcribed, it expresses a regulatory protein that binds to an downstream operator that prevents the movement of RNA polymerase. Under typical conditions, the promoter downstream of the regulatory gene increases the affinity of RNA polymerase to the DNA strand, but the transcription enzyme cannot bypass the operator and transcribe GFP, the gene that is ultimately under regulation. In such a scenario, the regulatory protein that frmR expresses functions as a repressor and effectively inhibits transcription of the coding sequence. Formaldehyde, on the other hand, induces the transcription of GFP and ultimately causes bacterial fluorescence. Acting as a corepressor, the VOC binds to the regulatory protein and conforms it into an inactive shape, allowing for the passage of RNA polymerase through the operator and transcribe the GFP protein.
<table><tr><td width="1200" align="center"><img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2014hs/1/11/FrmR.png"></td></tr></table>
<table><tr><td width="1200" align="center"><img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2014hs/1/11/FrmR.png"></td></tr></table>
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Revision as of 17:00, 19 June 2014