基因电路研究现状及面临的问题

将不同基因按一定规则连接在一起即构成基因电路(Genetic circuits),上游基因的蛋白产物调控下游基因的表达活性,环环相扣,从而完成特定的生物学功能。通过构建基因逻辑电路并导入细胞,可以扩展和修饰细胞行为。迄今已构建了自抑制子(Autorepressor)、套环开关(Toggle-switch)、振动子(Oscillator)等原型基因电路。目前主要采用推理法和定向进化法设计和验证基因电路。类似目前的计算机编程,将来我们可随意设计细胞行为。

Progress in Research of Genetic Circuits

Genetic circuits are collections of basic elements that interact to produce a particular behavior. By constructing biochemical logic circuits and embedding them in cells, one can extend or modify the behavior of cells. To date, several small synthetic gene networks have been built that accomplish specific genetic regulatory functions in vivo: the autorepressor, in which a repressor regulates its own production to reduce noise in gene expression; the toggle-switch, in which two repressors inhibit each other's production to achieve a bistable system; the repressilator. in which three repressors are connected in a ring topology to produce repeated oscillation. "Rational" and "directed evolution" are currently used Genetic-circuit design tools. Someday we may be able to program cell behavior as easily as we program computers.