Dps is the most abundant nucleoid-associated protein in starved Escherichia coli with ∼180000 copies per cell. Dps binds DNA and oxidizes iron, facilitating survival in harsh environments. Dps–DNA complexes can form crystalline structures, leading to the proposed model that Dps reorganizes the starved E. coli nucleoid into a compact liquid crystal, slowing chromosome dynamics, and limiting access of other proteins to DNA. In this work, we directly tested this model using live-cell super-resolution microscopy and Hi-C analysis. We found that after 96 h of starvation, Dps compacts the nucleoid, and increases short-range DNA–DNA interactions but does not affect chromosome accessibility to large protein nanocages or small restriction enzymes. We also report that chromosome dynamics and organization are primarily impacted by the bacterial growth phase; the effect of Dps is relatively minor. Our work clarifies the role of Dps in modulating nucleoid properties, and we propose an updated model for Dps–DNA interactions in which Dps binds, protects, and compacts DNA largely without influencing chromosome access, dynamics, and organization. Additionally, this work provides a general framework for assessing the impact of nucleoid-associated proteins on key aspects of chromosome function in live cells.

Proteins are the primary functional actors of the cell. While proteoform diversity is known to be highly biologically relevant, current protein analysis methods are of limited use for distinguishing proteoforms. Mass spectrometric methods, in particular, often provide only ambiguous information on post-translational modification sites, and sequences of co-existing modifications may not be resolved. Here we demonstrate fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based single-molecule protein fingerprinting to map the location of individual amino acids and post-translational modifications within single full-length protein molecules. Our data show that both intrinsically disordered proteins and folded globular proteins can be fingerprinted with a subnanometer resolution, achieved by probing the amino acids one by one using single-molecule FRET via DNA exchange. This capability was demonstrated through the analysis of alpha-synuclein, an intrinsically disordered protein, by accurately quantifying isoforms in mixtures using a machine learning classifier, and by determining the locations of two O-GlcNAc moieties. Furthermore, we demonstrate fingerprinting of the globular proteins Bcl-2-like protein 1, procalcitonin and S100A9. We anticipate that our ability to perform proteoform identification with the ultimate sensitivity may unlock exciting new venues in proteomics research and biomarker-based diagnosis

Replication of DNA-encoded information and its conversion into functional proteins are universal properties of life. In an effort toward the construction of a synthetic minimal cell, we implement here the DNA replication machinery of the Φ29 virus in a cell-free gene expression system. Amplification of a linear DNA template by self-encoded, de novo synthesized Φ29 proteins is demonstrated. Complete information transfer is confirmed as the copied DNA can serve as a functional template for gene expression, which can be seen as an autocatalytic DNA replication cycle. These results show how the central dogma of molecular biology can be reconstituted and form a cycle in vitro. Finally, coupled DNA replication and gene expression is compartmentalized inside phospholipid vesicles providing the chassis for evolving functions in a prospective synthetic cell relying on the extant biology.

The goal of bottom-up synthetic biology culminates in the assembly of an entire cell from separate biological building blocks. One major challenge resides in the in vitro production and implementation of complex genetic and metabolic pathways that can support essential cellular functions. Here, we show that phospholipid biosynthesis, a multiple-step process involved in cell membrane homeostasis, can be reconstituted starting from the genes encoding for all necessary proteins. A total of eight E. coli enzymes for acyl transfer and headgroup modifications were produced in a cell-free gene expression system and were co-translationally reconstituted in liposomes. Acyl-coenzyme A and glycerol-3-phosphate were used as canonical precursors to generate a variety of important bacterial lipids. Moreover, this study demonstrates that two-step acyl transfer can occur from enzymes synthesized inside vesicles. Besides clear implications for growth and potentially division of a synthetic cell, we postulate that gene-based lipid biosynthesis can become instrumental for ex vivo and protein purification-free production of natural and non-natural lipids.