Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40481524›Full record

ArticleJournal of biological engineering2025

Modular and signal-responsive transcriptional regulation using CRISPRi-aided genetic switches in Escherichia coli.

Seong Keun Kim, Seung-Gyun Woo, Jun-Hong Park, Seung-Goo Lee, Dae-Hee Lee

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of biological engineering, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Seong Keun Kim *Synthetic Biology Research Center and The K-Biofoundry, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea.
Seung-Gyun Woo *Synthetic Biology Research Center and The K-Biofoundry, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea.
Jun-Hong ParkSynthetic Biology Research Center and The K-Biofoundry, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea.
Seung-Goo LeeSynthetic Biology Research Center and The K-Biofoundry, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea. sglee@kribb.re.kr.
Dae-Hee LeeSynthetic Biology Research Center and The K-Biofoundry, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea. dhlee@kribb.re.kr.

Funding

Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology KGM1302511Ministry of Science and ICT and the Ministry of Health & Welfare, Republic of Korea RS-2024-00468410National Research Foundation of Korea 2018M3A9H3024746, 2021M3A9I4022731, RS-2024-00445145, RS-2024-00509115
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPrecise and dynamic transcriptional regulation is a cornerstone of synthetic biology, enabling the construction of robust genetic circuits and programmable cellular systems. However, existing regulatory tools are often limited by issues such as leaky transcription and insufficient tunability, particularly in high-expression or complex genetic contexts. This study aimed to develop a CRISPRi-aided genetic switch platform that overcomes these limitations and expands the functionality of transcriptional regulation tools in synthetic biology.

resultsWe established a versatile CRISPRi-aided genetic switch platform by integrating transcription factor-based biosensors with the Type V-A FnCas12a CRISPR system. Exploiting the RNase activity of FndCas12a, this system processes CRISPR RNAs (crRNAs) directly from biosensor-responsive mRNA transcripts, enabling precise, signal-dependent transcriptional regulation. To mitigate basal transcription and enhance regulatory precision, transcriptional terminator filters were incorporated, reducing leaky expression and increasing the dynamic range of target gene regulation. The platform demonstrated exceptional adaptability across diverse applications, including ligand-inducible genetic switches for transcriptional control, signal amplification circuits for enhanced output, and metabolic genetic switches for pathway reprogramming. Notably, the metabolic genetic switch dynamically repressed the endogenous gapA gene while compensating with orthologous gapC expression, effectively redirecting metabolic flux to balance cell growth.

conclusionsThe CRISPRi-aided genetic switch provides a powerful and flexible toolkit for synthetic biology, addressing the limitations of existing systems. By enabling precise and tunable transcriptional regulation, it offers robust solutions for a wide array of biotechnological applications, including pathway engineering and synthetic gene networks.

Indexed as

CRISPR interferenceGenetic switchMetabolic genetic switchSignal amplifierTranscriptional regulation

Identifiers

PMID40481524
PMCPMC12142916

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.