Context-Aware Synthetic Promoter Design Using Neural Networks Enables Rewiring of Eukaryotic Transcriptional Networks

Abstract

Gene regulation through promoter engineering is a cornerstone of synthetic biology, enabling precise control over transcriptional networks. However, experimental approaches remain labor-intensive. While artificial neural networks (ANNs) have improved regulatory element prediction, tools for promoter-transcription factor binding site (TFBS) recombination are still lacking. We present an ANN framework for context-aware design of synthetic promoters in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The model predicts optimal TFBS insertion sites and the extent of promoter rewriting needed for successful integration. Applying this, we screened 6,011 native yeast promoters for compatibility with the TetR TFBS, generating a ranked list of high-confidence promoter-TFBS pairs. Experimental validation showed that model-designed promoters achieved repression rates up to 98.4%, without prior experimental characterization or tuning. We further rewired the yeast transcriptional network by introducing glucose-dependent regulation of an essential gene via Mig1 TFBS insertion. These results establish a scalable, predictive method for engineering regulatory sequences and reprogramming transcriptional logic.