ACEMBL tool-kits for high-throughput multigene delivery and expression in prokaryotic and eukaryotic hosts

Abstract

Multicomponent biological systems perform a wide variety of functions and are crucially important for a broad range of critical health and disease states. A multitude of applications in contemporary molecular and synthetic biology rely on efficient, robust and flexible methods to assemble multicomponent DNA circuits as a prerequisite to recapitulate such biological systems in vitro and in vivo. Numerous functionalities need to be combined to allow for the controlled realization of information encoded in a defined DNA circuit. Much of biological function in cells is catalyzed by multiprotein machines typically made up of many subunits. Provision of these multiprotein complexes in the test-tube is a vital prerequisite to study their structure and function, to understand biology and to develop intervention strategies to correct malfunction in disease states. ACEMBL is a technology concept that specifically addresses the requirements of multicomponent DNA assembly into multigene constructs, for gene delivery and the production of multiprotein complexes in high-throughput. ACEMBL is applicable to prokaryotic and eukaryotic expression hosts, to accelerate basic and applied research and development. The ACEMBL concept, reagents, protocols and its potential are reviewed in this contribution.