It has been proposed1 that gene-regulatory circuits with virtually any desired property can be constructed from networks of simple regulatory elements. These properties, which include multistabil- ity and oscillations, have been found in specialized gene circuits such as the bacteriophage l switch2 and the Cyanobacteria circadian oscillator3 . However, these behaviours have not been demonstrated in networks of non-specialized regulatory compo- nents. Here we present the construction of a genetic toggle switchÐa synthetic, bistable gene-regulatory networkÐin Escherichia coli and provide a simple theory that predicts the conditions necessary for bistability. The toggle is constructed from any two repressible promoters arranged in a mutually inhibitory network. It is ¯ipped between stable states using transient chemical or thermal induction and exhibits a nearly ideal switching threshold. As a practical device, the toggle switch forms a synthetic, addressable cellular memory unit and has implications for biotechnology, biocomputing and gene therapy.
CITATION STYLE
Collins, J. J., Gardner, T. S., & Cantor, C. R. (2000). Construction of a genetic toggle switch in Escherichia coli. Nature, 403(6767), 339–342. Retrieved from http://www.nature.com/doifinder/10.1038/35002131%5Cnpapers3://publication/doi/10.1038/35002131
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