A de novo yeast neochromosome carrying all 275 tRNA genes was built and characterized; it imposes a growth burden, with genome doubling and deletions in haploids possibly reflecting compensation.

Cell · Nov 1, 2023Peer-reviewedSynthetic Biology✦ In-depth digest

Debugging and consolidating multiple synthetic chromosomes reveals combinatorial genetic interactions

Yu Zhao, Camila Coelho, Amanda L. Hughes, Luciana Lazar‐Stefanita, Sandy Yang, Aaron N. Brooks, Roy S. K. Walker, Weimin Zhang, Stephanie L. Lauer, Cindy Hernandez, Jitong Cai, LESLIE ANN MITCHELL, Neta Agmon, Yue Shen, Joseph Sall, , Jef D. Boeke

The paper uses CRISPR D-BUGS and chromosome swapping to identify and resolve genetic interactions in synthetic chromosomes, revealing unexpected links between transcription, inositol metabolism, and tRNA abundance.

Cell · Nov 1, 2023Peer-reviewedGenomics

MtrA regulation of essential peptidoglycan cleavage in Mycobacterium tuberculosis during infection

Eliza J. R. Peterson, Aaron N. Brooks, David J. Reiss, Amardeep Kaur, Wei‐Ju Wu, Robert Morrison, Vivek Srinivas, Serdar Turkarslan, Min Pan, Warren Carter, Mario L. Arrieta‐Ortiz, Rene A. Ruiz, Apoorva Bhatt, Nitin S. Baliga

This study identifies MtrA as a critical regulator of peptidoglycan cleavage in Mtb, essential for survival under acidic stress and a potential drug target.

bioRxiv · Feb 25, 2021 · PreprintSystems Biology