Re: [DIYbio] Bacterial Mechanoreceptors

Hi Sebastian,

It wasn't clear to me whether you want mechano*receptors*, or some sort of mechanical *actuators*. You seem to switch between the two indiscriminately, but those are two very different systems. For example, as far as I know the pulvini cells in mimosa are only actuators: they create movement. The dinoflagellates on the other hand do not have any actuators - they are not motile, and respond to mechanical shear forces with a flash of bioluminescence.

Mechanotransduction in dinoflagellates is still poorly understood, and may not be compatible at all with genetic engineering into bacteria. For one, it presumably requires an algal cell wall. Heck, mechanotransduction is still very poorly understood in general. In fact, there's probably way more known about how mechanosensing works in mammalian touch receptors, or in the hair cells in the inner ear, than in dinoflagellates - and those will probably be equally hard to engineer into bacteria.

On Tuesday, December 18, 2012 4:02:35 PM UTC-8, Sebastian wrote:

My original goal was to try to cassette the mechanoreceptor genes from mimosa pudica but the issue is that the system in question is A). Poorly understood, and B) relies on turgor pressure loss of specific cells called pulvini motor cells. It involves very specific tissues acting like hinges and once hydraulic pressure lost the leaf or branch moves. I think dinos are the way to go. From what I know the dinos respond to bumping by hair like triggers on their surface. I am looking for a simple structure that will change conformation once touched or bumped and induce some gene expression down the line that can be exploited into a controllable switch with gfp expression as its verification packet. Thanks Nathan for the tip. Will keep posted on any findings.

Sebastian S Cocioba

CEO & Founder

New York Botanics, LLC

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On Dec 18, 2012, at 1:53 PM, Graeme Dean <itisgra...@gmail.com> wrote:

Hi, Just wondering, If you are going to try making something tap sensitive have you thought about working with something like Mimosa pudica? I have done a small amount of looking and have not found much, I  would be very curious about anything people have to say or have found/are doing on this subject. 

On 18 December 2012 18:24, Nathan McCorkle <nmz...@gmail.com> wrote:

I'd look into the dinoflagelletes as they seem to already do the 'bump and glow' thing (they're closer to your plants too)

On Mon, Dec 17, 2012 at 2:33 PM, Sebastian S. Cocioba <scoc...@gmail.com> wrote:

In the process of studying rapid movement in plants, I stumbled upon a large research field in the topic of mechanosensitive ion channels in bacteria. The concepts between bacterial and plant shock sensing is similar in that they both release or take in an ion as a secondary messenger as a result said shock. I am curious if any DIY Bio or iGEM ppl worked with this concept and, lets say, tie it to gfp expression so one could make a tap sensitive glow under UV? A genetic momentary switch of sorts. Just curious...

Sebastian S Cocioba
CEO & Founder
New York Botanics, LLC

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