Parts Used:

 Melanin

melA

The gene melA is from the organism Rhizobium etli and was added to the registry by the Tokyo 2009 iGEM team. Part BBa_K193600. This protein is a tyrosinase and converts the molecule L-tyrosine into dopaquinone, which will then polymerize into Melanin.

 Anthocyanin

3gt

The gene 3gt is from the anthocyanin synthesis pathway and converts the initial molecule Pelargonidin into Anthocyanin. This gene is from the organism Petunia hybrid. We have added this parts sequence to the registry for use in our composite part BBa_K2481105. The basic part is BBa_K2481002

yadH

This Gene is an Escherichia coli gene that has been shown to increase the yields of anthocyanin when paired with the genes in our anthocyanin construct. We have added the sequence to the registry for use in our composite part BBa_K2481105. The basic part is BBa_K2481004

f3h

We will be useing the gene f3h as the first gene in our anthocyanin synthesis pathway, it comes from the organism Petroselinum crispum. We have added this sequence to the registry as part BBa_K2481111. This gene will code for a protein that converts the initial molecule flavanone into dihydroflavonol.

dfr

The gene dfr is the second one in our anthocyanin synthesis pathway. We are using the biobrick part BBa_K2481110. We have added the sequence to the registry as our gene is from a different organism than the existing part in the registry.

ans

This gene is the third gene in our pathway, it converts the molecule created by dfr into pelargonidin. It is from the organism Malus domestica and we have added it to the registry. It is an engineered anthocyanidin synthase. Part BBa_K2481112.

 Zeaxanthin

crtY

This gene is from the organism Pantoea ananatis and is part or the carotenoid synthesis pathway. It is a Lycopene cyclase and converts the initial molecule Lycopene into the final molecule Beta-Carotene. This gene was added to the registry by Edinburgh 2007, part BBa_I742154.

crtZ

This gene is from the organism Pantoea ananatis and is our final gene in the carotenoid synthesis pathway. It is the beta-carotene hyroxylase, and converts Beta-carotene into Zeaxanthin. It was added to the registry by Edinburgh 2007 and is the part BBa_I742157.This part converts the Beat-Carotene into our final product, the pigment Zeaxanthin.

 Indigoidine

indB

This gene is from the organism Streptomyces chrmofuscus, and it is our original basic part submission to the registry. Its is part BBa_K2481001. It has been shown to increase the yeilds of Indigoidine when used with indC. It is a putative phosphatase.

indC

This gene is the gene that converts Glutamine into Indigoidine. It is from the organism Photohabdus luminescens and was added to the registry by the 2013 Heidelburg iGEM team. It is the indigoidine synthase and converts Glutamine thioester into the molecule %-amino-3H-pyridine-2,6-dione, two of those molecules then condense into Indigoidine. Part BBa_K1152013.

 Additional parts used

T7 Promoter

The Promoter we used for our Melanin Construct is T7 promoter, This allows us to control the production of Melanin. This promoter is from the T7 bacteriophage, it is a Virus that inserts its DNA into Bacteria in order to reproduce and stay alive. This promoter works with the T7 system inside the Escherichia coli strain BL21(DE3), (Fig 1.)

Figure 1. The T7 RNA Polymerase expression system in E. coli BL21(DE3)

This shows the process that occurs with the T7 System. We induce the Lactose inducible promoter with IPTG as it mimics the lactose and cannot be broken down by the cell. This allows it to continually perform transcription on the construct embedded in the genome of the BL21(DE3) and thusly constantly produce the T7 RNA polymerase encoded by the gene(3).This T7 RNA Polymerase binds to the T7 Promoter and starts transcription on the construct within our plasmid pSB1C3. This then creates the mRNA which will undergo translation and produce the protein encoded by the gene due to the E. coli RBS on the construct. Part BBa_I712074.

 Ribosomal Binding Site

The RBS we have chosen for our constructs is an E. coli Ribosomal Binding Site, Part BBa_B0034

 Terminator

The terminator we have chosen for our constructs is an E. coli terminator. Part BBa_B0015, it is a double terminator made up of one BBa_B0012 terminator and a BBa_B0010 terminator.