Light-Controlled Cell Factories: Employing Photocaged Isopropyl-β- <scp>d</scp> -Thiogalactopyranoside for Light-Mediated Optimization of <i>lac</i> Promoter-Based Gene Expression and (+)-Valencene Biosynthesis in Corynebacterium glutamicum

Abstract

Optogenetic tools are light-responsive modules that allow for a simple triggering of cellular functions with unprecedented spatiotemporal resolution and in a noninvasive fashion. Specifically, light-controlled gene expression exhibits an enormous potential for various synthetic bio(techno)logical purposes. Before our study, poor inducibility, together with phenotypic heterogeneity, was reported for the IPTG-mediated induction of lac-based gene expression in Corynebacterium glutamicum By applying photocaged IPTG as a synthetic inducer, however, these drawbacks could be almost completely abolished. Especially for increasing numbers of parallelized expression cultures, noninvasive and spatiotemporal light induction qualifies for a precise, homogeneous, and thus higher-order control to fully automatize or optimize future biotechnological applications.