Guo Yan, Liu Ming-Qi, Yang Xue-Qin, Guo Ying-Yan, Hui Chang-Ye
National Key Clinical Specialty of Occupational Diseases, Shenzhen Prevention and Treatment Center for Occupational Diseases, Shenzhen, China.
School of Public Health, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan, China.
Appl Environ Microbiol. 2025 Jul 10:e0060125. doi: 10.1128/aem.00601-25.
The ubiquitous presence of arsenic pollution poses a significant threat to both ecosystem integrity and human health, necessitating the development of sensitive methods for arsenic detection. This study presents the development of innovative whole-cell biosensors that leverage the ArsR regulatory system within both naturally coupled and non-coupled genetic circuits, specifically optimized for detecting the highly toxic arsenic species (As(III)). These biosensors incorporate an indigoidine pigment as a reporting system and utilize the glycerol facilitator protein (GlpF) to enhance arsenic transport, offering a significant advantage over conventional detection methods by streamlining the detection process and eliminating the requirement for specialized instrumentation. Our findings reveal that the indigoidine-based biosensor, TOP10/pnK12-ABS-ind, in particular, exhibits an extensive linear detection range of 0.039 to 20 μM across various water matrices, effectively adhering to and exceeding the arsenic detection guidelines set by the World Health Organization and Chinese national standards. This research advances arsenic biosensing technology by developing a practical, cost-effective detection solution for arsenic in various aquatic settings. Compared to our previous work, this study demonstrates significant improvements in detection range and sensitivity while highlighting the importance of tailored genetic circuit design based on the reporter's choice.IMPORTANCEArsenic pollution poses a significant threat to global ecosystems and human health, with millions of people at risk of exposure through contaminated water sources. Detecting arsenic, especially in its highly toxic form (As(III)), is crucial for environmental monitoring and public health protection. However, conventional detection methods often require costly equipment and specialized expertise, limiting their feasibility in resource-limited regions. Our study addresses this challenge by developing whole-cell biosensors that leverage natural genetic circuits and a novel indigoidine pigment reporter. These biosensors offer a practical, cost-effective, and portable solution for arsenic detection, streamlining the process and eliminating the need for complex instrumentation. By enabling real-time monitoring and on-site analysis, our biosensors have the potential to significantly enhance environmental monitoring capabilities, facilitate timely remediation efforts, and safeguard public health in areas affected by arsenic contamination.
砷污染无处不在，对生态系统完整性和人类健康都构成了重大威胁，因此需要开发灵敏的砷检测方法。本研究展示了创新型全细胞生物传感器的开发，该传感器利用自然耦合和非耦合遗传回路中的ArsR调控系统，特别针对检测剧毒砷物种（As(III)）进行了优化。这些生物传感器将靛蓝素色素用作报告系统，并利用甘油转运蛋白（GlpF）增强砷的运输，通过简化检测过程并消除对专用仪器的需求，相比传统检测方法具有显著优势。我们的研究结果表明，特别是基于靛蓝素的生物传感器TOP10/pnK12-ABS-ind，在各种水基质中展现出0.039至20μM的广泛线性检测范围，有效符合并超过了世界卫生组织和中国国家标准设定的砷检测指南。本研究通过开发一种实用、经济高效的各种水生环境中砷的检测解决方案，推动了砷生物传感技术的发展。与我们之前的工作相比，本研究在检测范围和灵敏度方面有显著改进，同时突出了基于报告基因选择进行定制遗传回路设计的重要性。重要性砷污染对全球生态系统和人类健康构成重大威胁，数百万人面临通过受污染水源接触砷的风险。检测砷，尤其是其剧毒形式（As(III)），对于环境监测和公共卫生保护至关重要。然而，传统检测方法通常需要昂贵的设备和专业知识，限制了它们在资源有限地区的可行性。我们的研究通过开发利用自然遗传回路和新型靛蓝素色素报告基因的全细胞生物传感器来应对这一挑战。这些生物传感器为砷检测提供了实用、经济高效且便携的解决方案，简化了检测过程，无需复杂仪器。通过实现实时监测和现场分析，我们的生物传感器有潜力显著增强环境监测能力，促进及时的修复工作，并保障受砷污染地区的公众健康。
