Team:Tokyo Tech/Projects/Urea-cooler/data

From 2011.igem.org

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         <ul>
         <ul>
<li><a href="#1.1">1.1 Materials</a></li>
<li><a href="#1.1">1.1 Materials</a></li>
-
<li><a href="#1.2">1.2 Methods</a></li>
+
<li>
 +
                                <a href="#1.2">1.2 Methods</a>  
 +
                                <ul>
 +
                                                        <li><a href="#1.2.1">1.2.1 Preparation of samples for urea concentration assay</a></li>
 +
                                                        <li><a href="#1.2.2">1.2.2 Urea concentration assay</a></li>
 +
                                </ul>
 +
                                </li>                    
                                 <li><a href="#1.3">1.3 Results</a></li>
                                 <li><a href="#1.3">1.3 Results</a></li>
         </ul>
         </ul>
Line 337: Line 344:
         <ul>
         <ul>
<li><a href="#2.1">2.1 Materials</a></li>
<li><a href="#2.1">2.1 Materials</a></li>
-
<li><a href="#2.2">2.2 Methods</a></li>
+
<li>
 +
                                <a href="#2.2">2.2 Methods</a>
 +
                                <ul>
 +
                                                            <li><a href="#2.2.1">2.2.1 Preparation of samples for urea concentration assay</a></li>
 +
                                                            <li><a href="#2.2.2">2.2.2 Urea concentration assay</a></li>
 +
                                </ul>
 +
                                </li>
                                 <li><a href="#2.3">2.3 Results</a></li>
                                 <li><a href="#2.3">2.3 Results</a></li>
         </ul>
         </ul>
Line 356: Line 369:
<p>
<p>
Expression plasmids used in this study are shown in Table 1. <br />
Expression plasmids used in this study are shown in Table 1. <br />
 +
<div align="center">
<table border="1">
<table border="1">
<caption>
<caption>
Line 381: Line 395:
</tr>
</tr>
</table>
</table>
 +
</div>
Strain MG1655 was transformed with either mock, <i>rocF</i> or <i>rocF</i> + Arg box. As shown in Table 1, <i>rocF</i> gene was introduced on pSB3K3 and Arg boxes were introduced on pSB1C3.
Strain MG1655 was transformed with either mock, <i>rocF</i> or <i>rocF</i> + Arg box. As shown in Table 1, <i>rocF</i> gene was introduced on pSB3K3 and Arg boxes were introduced on pSB1C3.
</p>
</p>
<h3 id="1.2">1.2 Methods</h3>
<h3 id="1.2">1.2 Methods</h3>
-
<h4>1.2.1 Preparation of samples for urea concentration assay</h4>
+
<h4 id="1.2.1">1.2.1 Preparation of samples for urea concentration assay</h4>
<p>
<p>
<ol>
<ol>
-
<li>A single colony of cells transformed with engineered plasmids (mock,<i>rocF</i> or <i>rocF</i>+Arg box) was inoculated into 3 mL of LB with appropriate antibiotics and grown to saturation at 37&deg;C.</li>
+
<li>
-
<li>The saturated culture was diluted 50-fold, grown till the log phase (OD<sub>600</sub> = 0.5).</li>
+
A single colony of cells transformed with engineered plasmids (mock, <i>rocF</i> or <i>rocF</i> + Arg box) was inoculated into 3 mL of LB with appropriate antibiotics and grown to saturation at 37&deg;C.
-
<li>The culture was induced with 1 mM IPTG at 37&deg;C for 1 hour. </li>
+
</li>
-
<li>1.5 mL of culture was centrifuged at 9,000 rpm for 1 minute and the supernatant fluid was used as a sample for urea concentration assay. </li>
+
<li>
 +
The saturated culture was diluted 50-fold, grown till the log phase (OD<sub>600</sub> = 0.5).
 +
</li>
 +
<li>
 +
The culture was induced with 1 mM IPTG at 37&deg;C for 1 hour.
 +
</li>
 +
<li>
 +
1.5 mL of culture was centrifuged at 9,000 rpm for 1 minute and the supernatant fluid was used as a sample for urea concentration assay.
 +
</li>
</ol>
</ol>
</p>
</p>
-
<h4>1.2.2 Urea concentration assay</h4>
+
<h4 id="1.2.2">1.2.2 Urea concentration assay</h4>
-
<p>Urea concentrations of the samples were determined colorimetrically with <a href="http://www.clonagen.com/clonagen/ab52e63f-4e38-4465-b325-5fd126415f1a/quantichrom_urea_assay_kit_product.aspx">DIUR-500 -QuantiChrom™ Urea Assay Kit obtained from BioAssay Systems</a>.<br />
+
<p>
-
Detailed methods are as follows.
+
Urea concentrations of the samples were determined colorimetrically with <a href="http://www.clonagen.com/clonagen/ab52e63f-4e38-4465-b325-5fd126415f1a/quantichrom_urea_assay_kit_product.aspx">DIUR-500 -QuantiChrom™ Urea Assay Kit obtained from BioAssay Systems</a>.<br />
 +
Detailed methods are as follows.
<ol>
<ol>
-
<li>10 &micro;L of the supernatant fluid from each sample, 10 &micro;L blank(LB),and 10 &micro;L standard (10 mg/dL urea LB) were transferred to wells of clear bottom 96-well plates. </li>
 
-
<li>200 &micro;L working reagent for coloring reaction from DIUR-500 -QuantiChrom™ Urea Assay Kit was added and the wells were taped lightly to mix.</li>
 
-
<li>The mixture was incubated for 20 munites at room temperature.</li>
 
<li>
<li>
-
Optical density at 450 nm was read and urea concentration (mg/dL) of the sample was calculated as<br />
+
10 &micro;L of the supernatant fluid from each sample, 10 &micro;L blank(LB),and 10 &micro;L standard (10 mg/dL urea LB) were transferred to wells of clear bottom 96-well plates.
-
<img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2011/5/55/Kit_equation.png" alt="equation" />.<br />
+
</li>
 +
<li>
 +
200 &micro;L working reagent for coloring reaction from DIUR-500 -QuantiChrom™ Urea Assay Kit was added and the wells were taped lightly to mix.
 +
</li>
 +
<li>
 +
The mixture was incubated for 20 munites at room temperature.
 +
</li>
 +
<li>
 +
Optical density at 450 nm was read and urea concentration (mg/dL) of the sample was calculated as<br align="center" />
 +
<div>
 +
<img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2011/5/55/Kit_equation.png" alt="equation" />.
 +
</div><br />
ODSAMPLE, ODBLANK and ODSTANDARD are OD<sub>450</sub> values of sample, standard and blank, respectively.  
ODSAMPLE, ODBLANK and ODSTANDARD are OD<sub>450</sub> values of sample, standard and blank, respectively.  
</li>
</li>
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</p>
</p>
-
<h5>Linear plot of OD<sub>450</sub> vs. urea concentraion</h5>
+
<h5>Linear plot of OD<sub>450</sub> vs. urea concentration</h5>
-
<p>To test linearlity between OD<sub>450</sub> vs. urea concentraion, 0, 0.5, 1.0, 2.5, 7.5, 10 mg/dL urea LB were assayed in triplicate with this urea assay kit in the same way as our bacterial samples. Plot of OD<sub>450</sub> values vs. urea concentraions we tested showed very good linearlity as shown in Fig. 1<br />
+
<p>
-
<img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2011/8/81/Linear_plot.png" alt="Standard curve for coloring reaction in urea assay" width="400px" /><br />  
+
To test linearlity between OD<sub>450</sub> vs. urea concentration, 0, 0.5, 1.0, 2.5, 7.5, 10 mg/dL urea LB were assayed in triplicate with this urea assay kit in the same way as our bacterial samples. Plot of OD<sub>450</sub> values vs. urea concentrations we tested showed very good linearlity as shown in Fig. 1.<br />
-
fig. 1 Linear plot of OD<sub>450</sub> vs. urea concentraion
+
<div align="center">
 +
<img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2011/8/81/Linear_plot.png" alt="Standard curve for coloring reaction in urea assay" width="400px" /><br />  
 +
Fig. 1 Linear plot of OD<sub>450</sub> vs. urea concentration
 +
</div>
</p>
</p>
<h3 id="1.3">1.3 Results</h3>
<h3 id="1.3">1.3 Results</h3>
-
<p>Each sample was assayed in duplicate urea concentration detected in each sample is shown in Table 2. fig. 2 shows the average of these 2 values.<br />
+
<p>Each sample was assayed in duplicate urea concentration detected in each sample is shown in Table 2. Fig. 2 shows the average of these 2 values.<br />
</p>
</p>
 +
<div align="center">
<table border="2">
<table border="2">
<caption>Table 2. Urea concentrations detected in duplicated</caption>
<caption>Table 2. Urea concentrations detected in duplicated</caption>
Line 450: Line 486:
</tr>
</tr>
<tr>
<tr>
-
<td>B.D.</td>
+
<td>S.D.</td>
<td>0.80</td>
<td>0.80</td>
<td>0.44</td>
<td>0.44</td>
Line 456: Line 492:
</tr>
</tr>
</table>
</table>
 +
</div>
<center>
<center>
<img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2011/c/cb/Arg_box_on_1C3.png" width="400px" align="center" />
<img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2011/c/cb/Arg_box_on_1C3.png" width="400px" align="center" />
<div class="graph_title">
<div class="graph_title">
-
fig. 2  The average of concentration values detected in duplicate
+
Fig. 2  The average of concentration values detected in duplicate
</div>
</div>
</center><br />
</center><br />
Line 466: Line 503:
<h2 id="2.">2. Characterization of Ptrc-RBS-<i>rocF</i>-Argbox</h2>
<h2 id="2.">2. Characterization of Ptrc-RBS-<i>rocF</i>-Argbox</h2>
<h3 id="2.1">2.1 Materials</h3>
<h3 id="2.1">2.1 Materials</h3>
-
<p>Expression plasmids used in this study are listed in table 1.</p>
+
<p>Expression plasmids used in this study are listed in Table 1.</p>
 +
<div align="center">
<table border="3">
<table border="3">
<caption>Table 3. Expression plasmids used in this study</caption>
<caption>Table 3. Expression plasmids used in this study</caption>
Line 486: Line 524:
</tr>
</tr>
<tr>
<tr>
-
<td><i>rocF</i>+Arg box (3K3)</td>
+
<td><i>rocF</i> - Arg box (3K3)</td>
<td>pSB3K3</td>
<td>pSB3K3</td>
<td>Ptrc-<i>rocF</i>-Arg box</td>
<td>Ptrc-<i>rocF</i>-Arg box</td>
Line 501: Line 539:
</tr>
</tr>
<tr>
<tr>
-
<td><i>rocF</i>+Arg box (6A1)</td>
+
<td><i>rocF</i> - Arg box (6A1)</td>
<td>pSB6A1</td>
<td>pSB6A1</td>
<td>Ptrc-<i>rocF</i>-Arg box</td>
<td>Ptrc-<i>rocF</i>-Arg box</td>
</tr>
</tr>
</table>
</table>
 +
</div>
<p>
<p>
-
In one experiment, MG1655 (<i>argR</i> +) and JE6852 (<i>argR</i> -) were respectively transformed with either mock(3K3), <i>rocF</i>(3K3) or <i>rocF</i>-Arg box(3K3).
+
In one experiment, MG1655 (<i>argR</i> +) and JE6852 (<i>argR</i> -) were respectively transformed with either mock(3K3), <i>rocF</i> (3K3) or <i>rocF</i> - Arg box(3K3).
-
In another experiment, MG1655 (<i>argR</i> +) and  JD24293 (<i>argR</i> -) were respectively transformed with either mock(6A1), <i>rocF</i>(6A1) or <i>rocF</i>-Arg box(6A1).
+
In another experiment, MG1655 (<i>argR</i> +) and  JD24293 (<i>argR</i> -) were respectively transformed with either mock(6A1), <i>rocF</i> (6A1) or <i>rocF</i> - Arg box(6A1). Both JE6852 and JD24293 were obtained from National Institute of Genetics.
</p>
</p>
<h3 id="2.2">2.2 Methods</h3>
<h3 id="2.2">2.2 Methods</h3>
-
<h4>2.2.1 Preparation of samples for urea concentration assay</h4>
+
<h4 id="2.2.1">2.2.1 Preparation of samples for urea concentration assay</h4>
<p>
<p>
<ol>
<ol>
-
<li>A single colony of cells transformed with engineered plasmids (mock,<i>rocF</i> or <i>rocF</i>+Arg box) was inoculated into 3 mL of LB with appropriate antibiotics and grown to saturation at 37&deg;C.</li>
+
<li>
-
<li>The saturated culture was diluted 50-fold, grown till the log phase (OD<sub>600</sub> = 0.5).</li>
+
A single colony of cells transformed with engineered plasmids (mock, <i>rocF</i> or <i>rocF</i> - Arg box) was inoculated into 3 mL of LB with appropriate antibiotics and grown to saturation at 37&deg;C.
-
<li>The culture was induced with 1 mM IPTG at 37&deg;C for 1 hour. </li>
+
</li>
-
<li>1.5 mL of culture was centrifuged at 9,000 rpm for 1 minute and the supernatant fluid was used as a sample for urea concentration assay. </li>
+
<li>
 +
The saturated culture was diluted 50-fold, grown till the log phase (OD<sub>600</sub> = 0.5).
 +
</li>
 +
<li>
 +
The culture was induced with 1 mM IPTG at 37&deg;C for 1 hour.
 +
</li>
 +
<li>
 +
1.5 mL of culture was centrifuged at 9,000 rpm for 1 minute and the supernatant fluid was used as a sample for urea concentration assay.
 +
</li>
</ol>
</ol>
</p>
</p>
-
<h4>2.2.2 Urea concentration assay</h4>
+
<h4 id="2.2.2">2.2.2 Urea concentration assay</h4>
-
<p>Urea concentrations of the samples were determined colorimetrically with <a href="http://www.clonagen.com/clonagen/ab52e63f-4e38-4465-b325-5fd126415f1a/quantichrom_urea_assay_kit_product.aspx">DIUR-500 -QuantiChrom™ Urea Assay Kit obtained from BioAssay Systems</a>.<br />
+
<p>
 +
Urea concentrations of the samples were determined colorimetrically with <a href="http://www.clonagen.com/clonagen/ab52e63f-4e38-4465-b325-5fd126415f1a/quantichrom_urea_assay_kit_product.aspx">DIUR-500 -QuantiChrom™ Urea Assay Kit obtained from BioAssay Systems</a>.<br />
Detailed methods are as follows.
Detailed methods are as follows.
<ol>
<ol>
-
<li>10 &micro;L of the supernatant fluid from each sample, 10 &micro;L blank(LB),and 10 &micro;L standard (10 mg/dL urea LB) were transferred to wells of clear bottom 96-well plates. </li>
+
<li>
-
<li>200 &micro;L working reagent for coloring reaction from DIUR-500 -QuantiChrom™ Urea Assay Kit was added and the wells were taped lightly to mix.</li>
+
10 &micro;L of the supernatant fluid from each sample, 10 &micro;L blank(LB),and 10 &micro;L standard (10 mg/dL urea LB) were transferred to wells of clear bottom 96-well plates.
-
<li>The mixture was incubated for 20 munites at room temperature.</li>
+
</li>
 +
<li>
 +
200 &micro;L working reagent for coloring reaction from DIUR-500 -QuantiChrom™ Urea Assay Kit was added and the wells were taped lightly to mix.
 +
</li>
 +
<li>
 +
The mixture was incubated for 20 munites at room temperature.
 +
</li>
<li>
<li>
Optical density at 450 nm was read and urea concentration (mg/dL) of the sample was calculated as<br />
Optical density at 450 nm was read and urea concentration (mg/dL) of the sample was calculated as<br />
Line 541: Line 595:
</p>
</p>
-
<h5>Linear plot of OD<sub>450</sub> vs. urea concentraion</h5>
+
<h5>Linear plot of OD<sub>450</sub> vs. urea concentration</h5>
-
<p>To test linearlity between OD<sub>450</sub> vs. urea concentraion, 0, 0.5, 1.0, 2.5, 7.5, 10 mg/dL urea LB were assayed in triplicate with this urea assay kit in the same way as our bacterial samples. Plot of OD<sub>450</sub> values vs. urea concentraions we tested showed very good linearlity as shown in Fig. 1.<br />
+
<p>
-
<img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2011/8/81/Linear_plot.png" alt="Standard curve for coloring reaction in urea assay" width="400px" /><br />  
+
To test linearlity between OD<sub>450</sub> vs. urea concentration, 0, 0.5, 1.0, 2.5, 7.5, 10 mg/dL urea LB were assayed in triplicate with this urea assay kit in the same way as our bacterial samples. Plot of OD<sub>450</sub> values vs. urea concentrations we tested showed very good linearlity as shown in Fig. 1.<br />
-
fig. 3 Linear plot of OD<sub>450</sub> vs. urea concentraion
+
<div align="center">
 +
<img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2011/8/81/Linear_plot.png" alt="Standard curve for coloring reaction in urea assay" width="400px" /><br />  
 +
Fig. 3 Linear plot of OD<sub>450</sub> vs. urea concentration
 +
</div>
</p>
</p>
Line 552: Line 609:
<img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2011/b/bc/RocF_and_Arg_box_on_3K3.png" width="400px" align="center" />
<img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2011/b/bc/RocF_and_Arg_box_on_3K3.png" width="400px" align="center" />
  <div class="graph_title">
  <div class="graph_title">
-
fig. 4  Urea concentration detected in bacterial samples on pSB3K3
+
Fig. 4  Urea concentration detected in bacterial samples on pSB3K3
</div>
</div>
</center>
</center>
Line 558: Line 615:
<img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2011/0/01/RocF_and_Arg_box_on_6A1_%283%29.png" width="400px" align="center" />
<img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2011/0/01/RocF_and_Arg_box_on_6A1_%283%29.png" width="400px" align="center" />
  <div class="graph_title">
  <div class="graph_title">
-
fig. 5  Urea concentration detected in bacterial samples on pSB6A1
+
Fig. 5  Urea concentration detected in bacterial samples on pSB6A1
</div>
</div>
</center><br />
</center><br />
<p>
<p>
-
Similar results were obtained in both the experiment with samples on pSB3K3 and the experiment with samples on pSB6A1. In MG1655(<i>argR</i> +), addition of Trc promoter-<i>rocF</i> led to production of more urea compared to mock as expected. These results show that insertion of <i>rocF</i> resulted in arginase production, therefore completing the urea cycle in <i>E. coli</i>. In the same strain, however, addition of Arg box sequence led to little change in urea production. The reason why the effect of Arg boxes was not apparent is probably that both pSB3K3 and pSB6A1 are low-copy-number plasmids. Low-copy-number plasmids are not capable of introducing enough number of Arg boxes to effectively deactivate the arginine repressor. Both of the plasmids containing <i>rocF</i> gene in the strains with <i>argR</i>(a gene which codes arginine repressor) loss-of-function mutant produce urea more efficiently than those in MG1655(<i>argR</i> +).
+
Similar results were obtained in both the experiment with samples on pSB3K3 and the experiment with samples on pSB6A1. In MG1655(<i>argR</i> +), addition of Trc promoter-<i>rocF</i> led to production of more urea compared to mock as expected. These results show that insertion of <i>rocF</i> resulted in arginase production, therefore completing the urea cycle in <i>E. coli</i>. In the same strain, however, addition of Arg box sequence led to little change in urea production. The reason why the effect of Arg boxes was not apparent is probably that both pSB3K3 and pSB6A1 are low-copy-number plasmids. Low-copy-number plasmids are not capable of introducing enough number of Arg boxes to effectively deactivate the arginine repressor. Both of the plasmids containing <i>rocF</i> gene in the strains with a loss-of-function mutation in <i>argR</i>(a gene which codes arginine repressor) produce urea more efficiently than those in MG1655(<i>argR</i> +).
</p>
</p>
<p>
<p>
-
These results are in line with the fact that for strains with <i>argR</i> loss-of-function mutant, deactivation of arginine repressor by Arg boxes is not needed and addition of the Arg box does not result in a significant increase of urea production.  
+
These results are in line with the fact that for strains with a loss-of-function mutation in <i>argR</i> gene, deactivation of arginine repressor by Arg boxes is not needed and addition of the Arg box does not result in increase of urea production.  
</p>
</p>

Latest revision as of 03:51, 29 October 2011

Assay Method and Results

1. Characterization of rocF and Arg box

1.1 Materials

Expression plasmids used in this study are shown in Table 1.

Table 1. Expression plasmids used for Charcterization of rocF and Arg box
Designation pSB3K3 pSB1C3
mock PlacIQ Alcohol-dehydrogenase(promoter-less)
rocF Ptrc-rocF Alcohol-dehydrogenase(promoter-less)
rocF + Arg box Ptrc-rocF Arg box
Strain MG1655 was transformed with either mock, rocF or rocF + Arg box. As shown in Table 1, rocF gene was introduced on pSB3K3 and Arg boxes were introduced on pSB1C3.

1.2 Methods

1.2.1 Preparation of samples for urea concentration assay

  1. A single colony of cells transformed with engineered plasmids (mock, rocF or rocF + Arg box) was inoculated into 3 mL of LB with appropriate antibiotics and grown to saturation at 37°C.
  2. The saturated culture was diluted 50-fold, grown till the log phase (OD600 = 0.5).
  3. The culture was induced with 1 mM IPTG at 37°C for 1 hour.
  4. 1.5 mL of culture was centrifuged at 9,000 rpm for 1 minute and the supernatant fluid was used as a sample for urea concentration assay.

1.2.2 Urea concentration assay

Urea concentrations of the samples were determined colorimetrically with DIUR-500 -QuantiChrom™ Urea Assay Kit obtained from BioAssay Systems.
Detailed methods are as follows.

  1. 10 µL of the supernatant fluid from each sample, 10 µL blank(LB),and 10 µL standard (10 mg/dL urea LB) were transferred to wells of clear bottom 96-well plates.
  2. 200 µL working reagent for coloring reaction from DIUR-500 -QuantiChrom™ Urea Assay Kit was added and the wells were taped lightly to mix.
  3. The mixture was incubated for 20 munites at room temperature.
  4. Optical density at 450 nm was read and urea concentration (mg/dL) of the sample was calculated as
    equation.

    ODSAMPLE, ODBLANK and ODSTANDARD are OD450 values of sample, standard and blank, respectively.

Linear plot of OD450 vs. urea concentration

To test linearlity between OD450 vs. urea concentration, 0, 0.5, 1.0, 2.5, 7.5, 10 mg/dL urea LB were assayed in triplicate with this urea assay kit in the same way as our bacterial samples. Plot of OD450 values vs. urea concentrations we tested showed very good linearlity as shown in Fig. 1.

Standard curve for coloring reaction in urea assay
Fig. 1 Linear plot of OD450 vs. urea concentration

1.3 Results

Each sample was assayed in duplicate urea concentration detected in each sample is shown in Table 2. Fig. 2 shows the average of these 2 values.

Table 2. Urea concentrations detected in duplicated
Colony No. mock rocF rocF + Arg box
#1 1.9 4.9 7.3
#2 0.75 4.3 7.2
Average 1.3 4.6 7.2
S.D. 0.80 0.44 0.080
Fig. 2 The average of concentration values detected in duplicate

2. Characterization of Ptrc-RBS-rocF-Argbox

2.1 Materials

Expression plasmids used in this study are listed in Table 1.

Table 3. Expression plasmids used in this study
Designation Parent vector Introduced sequence(s)
Mock (3K3) pSB3K3 PlacIQ
rocF (3K3) pSB3K3 Ptrc-rocF
rocF - Arg box (3K3) pSB3K3 Ptrc-rocF-Arg box
Mock (6A1) pSB6A1 gfp (promoter-less)
rocF (6A1) pSB6A1 Ptrc-rocF
rocF - Arg box (6A1) pSB6A1 Ptrc-rocF-Arg box

In one experiment, MG1655 (argR +) and JE6852 (argR -) were respectively transformed with either mock(3K3), rocF (3K3) or rocF - Arg box(3K3). In another experiment, MG1655 (argR +) and JD24293 (argR -) were respectively transformed with either mock(6A1), rocF (6A1) or rocF - Arg box(6A1). Both JE6852 and JD24293 were obtained from National Institute of Genetics.

2.2 Methods

2.2.1 Preparation of samples for urea concentration assay

  1. A single colony of cells transformed with engineered plasmids (mock, rocF or rocF - Arg box) was inoculated into 3 mL of LB with appropriate antibiotics and grown to saturation at 37°C.
  2. The saturated culture was diluted 50-fold, grown till the log phase (OD600 = 0.5).
  3. The culture was induced with 1 mM IPTG at 37°C for 1 hour.
  4. 1.5 mL of culture was centrifuged at 9,000 rpm for 1 minute and the supernatant fluid was used as a sample for urea concentration assay.

2.2.2 Urea concentration assay

Urea concentrations of the samples were determined colorimetrically with DIUR-500 -QuantiChrom™ Urea Assay Kit obtained from BioAssay Systems.
Detailed methods are as follows.

  1. 10 µL of the supernatant fluid from each sample, 10 µL blank(LB),and 10 µL standard (10 mg/dL urea LB) were transferred to wells of clear bottom 96-well plates.
  2. 200 µL working reagent for coloring reaction from DIUR-500 -QuantiChrom™ Urea Assay Kit was added and the wells were taped lightly to mix.
  3. The mixture was incubated for 20 munites at room temperature.
  4. Optical density at 450 nm was read and urea concentration (mg/dL) of the sample was calculated as
    equation.
    ODSAMPLE, ODBLANK and ODSTANDARD are OD450 values of sample, standard and blank, respectively.

Linear plot of OD450 vs. urea concentration

To test linearlity between OD450 vs. urea concentration, 0, 0.5, 1.0, 2.5, 7.5, 10 mg/dL urea LB were assayed in triplicate with this urea assay kit in the same way as our bacterial samples. Plot of OD450 values vs. urea concentrations we tested showed very good linearlity as shown in Fig. 1.

Standard curve for coloring reaction in urea assay
Fig. 3 Linear plot of OD450 vs. urea concentration

2.3 Results

Fig. 4 Urea concentration detected in bacterial samples on pSB3K3
Fig. 5 Urea concentration detected in bacterial samples on pSB6A1

Similar results were obtained in both the experiment with samples on pSB3K3 and the experiment with samples on pSB6A1. In MG1655(argR +), addition of Trc promoter-rocF led to production of more urea compared to mock as expected. These results show that insertion of rocF resulted in arginase production, therefore completing the urea cycle in E. coli. In the same strain, however, addition of Arg box sequence led to little change in urea production. The reason why the effect of Arg boxes was not apparent is probably that both pSB3K3 and pSB6A1 are low-copy-number plasmids. Low-copy-number plasmids are not capable of introducing enough number of Arg boxes to effectively deactivate the arginine repressor. Both of the plasmids containing rocF gene in the strains with a loss-of-function mutation in argR(a gene which codes arginine repressor) produce urea more efficiently than those in MG1655(argR +).

These results are in line with the fact that for strains with a loss-of-function mutation in argR gene, deactivation of arginine repressor by Arg boxes is not needed and addition of the Arg box does not result in increase of urea production.

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