Biology subjects

Pryor, J. M.

Publications and source records attributed to Pryor, J. M..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2023

One-pot Golden Gate Assembly of an avian infectious bronchitis virus reverse-genetics system

Avian infectious bronchitis is an acute respiratory disease of poultry of particular concern for global food security. Investigation of Infectious Bronchitis Virus (IBV), the causative agent of avian infectious bronchitis, via reverse genetics enables deeper understanding of virus biology and a rapid response to emerging variants. Classic methods of reverse genetics for IBV can be time consuming, rely on recombination for the introduction of mutations, and, depending on the system, can be subject to genome instability and unreliable success rates. In this study, we have applied data-optimized Golden Gate Assembly design to create a rapidly executable, flexible, and faithful reverse genetics system for IBV. The IBV genome was divided into 12 fragments at high-fidelity fusion site breakpoints. All fragments were synthetically produced and propagated in E. coli plasmids, amenable to standard molecular biology techniques for DNA manipulation. The assembly can be carried out in a single reaction, with the products used directly in subsequent viral rescue steps. We demonstrate the use of this system for generation of point mutants and gene replacements. This Golden Gate Assembly-based reverse genetics system will enable rapid response to emerging variants of IBV, particularly important to vaccine development for controlling spread within poultry populations.

genetics↗

bioRxiv2020

Rapid 40 kb genome construction from 52 parts

Large DNA constructs (>10 kb), including small genomes and artificial chromosomes, are invaluable tools for genetic engineering and vaccine development. However, the manufacture of these constructs is laborious. To address this problem, we applied new design insights and modified protocols to Golden Gate assembly. While this methodology is routinely used to assemble 5-10 DNA parts in one-step, we found that optimized assembly permitted >50 DNA fragments to be faithfully assembled in a single reaction. We applied these insights to genome construction, carrying out rapid assembly of the 40 kb T7 bacteriophage genome from 52 parts and recovering infectious phage particles after cellular transformation. The new Golden Gate assembly protocols and design principles described here can be applied to rapidly engineer a wide variety of large and complex assembly targets.

synthetic biology↗

bioRxiv2018

Optimization of Golden Gate assembly through application of ligation sequence-dependent fidelity and bias profiling

Modern synthetic biology depends on the manufacture of large DNA constructs from libraries of genes, regulatory elements or other genetic parts. Type IIS restriction enzyme-dependent DNA assembly methods (e.g., Golden Gate) enable rapid one-pot, ordered, multi-fragment DNA assembly, facilitating the generation of high-complexity constructs. The order of assembly of genetic parts is determined by the ligation of flanking Watson-Crick base-paired overhangs. The ligation of mismatched overhangs leads to erroneous assembly, and the need to avoid such pairings has typically been accomplished by using small sets of empirically vetted junction pairs, limiting the number of parts that can be joined in a single reaction. Here, we report the use of a comprehensive method for profiling end-joining ligation fidelity and bias to predict highly accurate sets of connections for ligation-based DNA assembly methods. This data set allows quantification of sequence-dependent ligation efficiency and identification of mismatch-prone pairings. The ligation profile accurately predicted junction fidelity in ten-fragment Golden Gate assembly reactions, and enabled efficient assembly of a lac cassette from up to 24-fragments in a single reaction. Application of the ligation fidelity profile to inform choice of junctions thus enables highly flexible assembly design, with >20 fragments in a single reaction.

synthetic biology↗