Team:SVCE Chennai



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Welcome to SVCE iGEM 2015!

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Minicells are achromosomal cells formed by aberrant cell division in living cells. Several mutant strains of E. coli (P678-54, χ925) have been isolated that have been shown to harbor a mutation in a particular set of genes. FtsZ, one of the proteins involved in cell division has been shown to be one of those. Overexpression of this protein leads to septation at the poles, leading to the formation of the so-called minicells. The non-replicative behaviour of the minicells gives rise to a broad spectrum of applications. Our project focusses on engineering minicells to produce certain novel peptides called bacteriocins. Bacteriocins are antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) produced by almost all bacteria having specific detrimental effect on the surrounding microbial community. Hence engineering minicells to produce bacteriocins can have a wide range of applications in fields like animal husbandry, human probiotics and strain selection.

Minicells will be engineered as probiotics to produce bacteriocins and can be used as a defence against common infections and diseases in the gastro-intestinal tract. Because the minicells do not have the ability to multiply, there is no risk of infection associated with children and immune-compromised people. Pseudomonas aeruginosa has been selected as a model gastro-intestinal pathogen. The appropriate bacteriocin has been chosen to be Thuricin S, produced by Bacillus thuringiensis.

One of the most common issues in the field of Medicine and in general, Biology, the formation of MRSA biofilms, can also be addressed with this approach. Studies have shown that a bacteriocin, Lysostaphin, can penetrate the biofilm and act on Staphylococcus aureus. But, the organism has already developed resistance towards lysostaphin. Building on that premise, we will be engineering minicells to produce Bactofencin A, a novel cationic bacteriocin produced by Staphylococcus simulans and test its functionality.

Aside from the above areas, there are other prospective areas where minicells producing bacteriocins can be applied. Bacteriocins are highly specific with respect to their target organism and will selectively kill the undesired organism to which it is directed against. This property can be utilized for strain selection on petri-plates. In addition, Clostridium botulinum – specific bacteriocin producing minicells can also be engineered to prevent botulism through packaged foods.

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