Bacterial Transformation and GFP stories Kate Andrews Lorraine

Bacterial Transformation and GFP stories Kate Andrews Lorraine Bruce Marjorie Smith

The practical task Students transform a laboratory strain of Escherichia coli with plasmid DNA. v v The plasmid contains a gene encoding a green fluorescent protein (GFP) from the jellyfish Aequorea victoria. v GFP glows brightly when illuminated with ultraviolet light. . . v. . so it acts as a ‘reporter’ to confirm that the bacteria have indeed been transformed.

The bacterium Bacterial chromosome Plasmids Cytoplasm Ribosomes Cell wall Cell membranes

The plasmid Transformation is inefficient - only a small proportion of the E. coli cells take up plasmid DNA. Kanamycin resistance. . . origin of replication that allows the Also on the plasmid is an plasmid to be duplicated within the cells. . control region - a ‘genetic switch’ which activates transcription of the GFP gene IPTG ‘switch’. incorporated into the agar medium mimics the sugar lactose, activating the

The plasmid Origin of replication Kanamycin resistance gene the enzyme encoded by this gene stops the antibiotic kanamycin from working this is needed so that the plasmid can be copied, using the bacterium’s DNA copying machinery GFP gene This gene encodes green fluorescent protein, which glows in UV light

Why use kanamycin? v unlike ampicillin and many other antibiotics, kanamycin is very seldom used to treat human disease v kanamycin is not absorbed by the gut (in clinical use, it has to be injected). Therefore the safety hazard posed by accidental ingestion is reduced v ampicillin resistance genes (β-lactamases) often confer resistance to other related antibiotics whereas the kan. R gene affects a lesser range of antibiotics of limited therapeutic use

Aequorea victoria

Why does the jellyfish make GFP? No one knows why the jellyfish Aequorea victoria makes GFP in made only in small spots around the rim of the jellyfish where it is co-expressed with a luminous protein, aequorin. Some of the light from the luminous aequorin is absorbed by the GFP, causing it to fluoresce a blue-green colour. GFP does not fluoresce except when illuminated: it is not luminous, and does not glow in the dark.

Green fluorescent protein

Someone trained to level 3 v media preparation and disposal v sub-culturing and storage of cultures v preparation and maintenance of spills kit v sterilisation of equipment http: //www. sserc. org. uk/index. php/health-safety/health-a-safety-home 140

Good microbiological laboratory practice (GMLP) v Regard all micro-organisms as potential pathogens v Cover exposed cuts and abrasions with waterproof dressings v Wash hands before and after practical work v Laboratory windows and doors should be closed

v Wipe the bench surface with 1 % bleach before and at the end of the procedure v Wash hands before and at the end v Work within a 20 cm radius of a lit bunsen flame (blue) to create an up-flow of warm air which will carry away any potentially contaminating organisms

v Label plates carefully (plates on underside) v Handle, pipettes , loops and spreaders carefully – dispose of these into Virkon™ v Don’t put lids of plate on bench…. . v Inoculated plates should be sealed diametrically with small pieces of sticky tape

Plasmid DNA in buffer

Label the Petri dish you are going to inoculate: v Small, neat writing v Edge of plate v Your initials, the date and the name of the bacterium

Use a sterile loop to pick up one, or two colonies of bacteria from the stock plate

Put the loop of bacteria into the ice-cold plasmid DNA solution. . . Hold the tube almost horizontally Place the contaminated loop in the discard jar

Close the tube tightly and put on ice for 15 minutes. This allows the bacteria to take up the plasmid DNA.

Aims: v. . . key technique used in genetic modification v. . . basic microbiological techniques v. . . context for discussion of some of the ethical, social and safety issues associated with genetic modification v. . . plan and carry out (necessarily limited) open-ended practical investigations

Curriculum links Human Cells Metabolism and Survival Control of metabolic pathways (presence or absence of particular enzymes) and the regulation of the rate of reaction of key enzymes within the pathway Enzyme induction experiments such as ONPG and lactose metabolism in E. coli and PGlo experiments. Regulation can be controlled by intra- and extra cellular signal molecules.

Experimental design. . . Thinking about ‘controls’. . . . -p. GLO +p. GLO LB LB/kanamycin LB/amp/ara No plasmid but nothing to stop bacteria growing. No plasmid therefore bacteria are killed by ampicillin. Bacteria with plasmid can grow. They have antibiotic resistance. No IPTG therefore no GFP expression IPTG has switched on GFP protein expression

Experimental design. . . Thinking about ‘controls’. . . . Several plates and types of agar media. . . adding considerably to the preparation time required. . . the cost of carrying out the work. Educational benefit minimal, if ‘controls’ are simply presented as part of a predetermined procedure. . . little thought required. Greater value in asking students to consider appropriate controls themselves. . .

Use a sterile pipette to place 3 drops of bacterial suspension onto the centre of the your Petri dish. Place the contaminated pipette and the opened tube of bacteria into the discard jar.

Use a sterile spreader to coat the surface of the agar with the bacterial suspension. Rotate the plate as you do this, so that the culture is spread evenly over the plate. Place the contaminated spreader in the discard jar. Seal the Petri dish with adhesive tape – 2 small pieces opposite sides.

Petri dishes should be incubated upside down at 300 C Clean the work area with 1% bleach. Wash your hands.

Safety and genetic modification (TG p. 12) Contained Use All practical work that involves the production or use of genetically-modified organisms (GMOs) is strictly regulated by law throughout the European Union. ‘Contained Use’ e. g. , work in a laboratory ‘Deliberate Releases’ of GMOs into the environment e. g. , field trials of geneticallymodified crops. Self-cloning (making copies of DNA within an organism) using non-pathogenic microorganisms, such as the weakened laboratory strain E. coli provided with this kit, is exempt from the Contained Use regulations. The bacteria produced are covered by the Deliberate Release regulations, however, and it is therefore essential to ensure that an accidental ‘release’ of the organism into the environment does not occur.

Physical containment The genetically-modified microorganisms (GMMOs) must be physically contained by good microbiology laboratory practice, including the destruction of the cultures after use. Biological containment. . . by the selection of a suitable host strain and the careful construction of the plasmid DNA. . . the strain of E. coli lacks the ability to pass on the introduced DNA by the natural bacterial ‘mating’ process of conjugation. . the plasmid DNA is non-methylated so that if it did enter a wild-type bacterium, it would be degraded by that organism’s own restriction enzymes.

BIOHAZARD TRANSFORMED CELLS MUST BE DESTROYED AFTER USE

After about 24 hours, examine the bacteria under ultraviolet light.

The assignment investigation stage: v select an appropriate biology topic… v investigate/research the topic, focusing on applications and impact on society/the environment v process the information/data collected controlled assessment stage: v knowledge and understanding v application v balanced evaluation v reasoned conclusion 33

http: //www. plantsci. cam. ac. uk/Haseloff/imagi ng/cell_images/awards. html

GFP stories

Pupil feedback Fluorofish: the pupils came up with excellent reasons why it is morally right or morally wrong to make fluoro fish for sale as pets. The glowing pigs debate became quite animated; some pupils felt it is OK to farm pigs for food but not to deliberately give them diseases just to help humans. The pupils felt that this way of learning is more fun than ‘normal lessons’ and that it would be a good way to learn curricular topics too.