Building synthetic protein–based switches

Abstract

Synthetic Biology Synthetic circuits can potentially help to control complex biological processes, but systems based on regulating gene expression respond to stimuli at the minute to the hour time scale. Working in yeast cells, Mishra et al. report synthetic regulatory circuits based on protein phosphorylation reactions that respond to inputs within seconds (see the Perspective by Kholodenko and Okada). Multicomponent logic gates allowed ultrasensitive and stable switching between states. After validating their effective synthetic circuit, the authors searched known yeast protein interaction networks for similar regulatory motifs and found previously unrecognized circuits that function as native toggle switches in yeast. Science , aav0780, this issue p. [eaav0780][1]; see also abj5028, p. [25][2] [1]: /lookup/doi/10.1126/science.aav0780 [2]: /lookup/doi/10.1126/science.abj5028