Table 2.
Examples of genetic devices.
| Genetic device | Key mechanism | Host organism (for the given examples) | Implemented functions | Addressed design considerations | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| switch/logic gates | transcription initiation with natural TF | bacteria | switch, logic gates, combinatorial logic gates (189), concentration band- pass filter (190) | device performance, noise propagation (70), device crosstalk | (70, 189–191) |
| transcription initiation with synthetic TF | yeast (9), higher eukaryotes (132) | switch, logic gates (132) | device performance, device crosstalk (9) | (9, 132) | |
| exon arrangement by RNA splicing | higher eukaryotes | switch | device performance | (93) | |
| mRNA stability mediated by cis- ribozyme | bacteria (6), yeast (7, 185), higher eukaryotes (139) | switch, logic gates (185), concentration band-pass filter (7) | device performance, device crosstalk | (6, 7, 139, 185) | |
| mRNA stability mediated by RNAi | higher eukaryotes | switch, combinatorial logic gates | device performance, device crosstalk, evolutionary robustness (56) | (56, 162, 192, 193) | |
| mRNA stability mediated by Rnt1p | yeast | switch | device performance | (57) | |
| mRNA availability mediated by antisense RNA | bacteria | switch, invertor & NOR gate, combinatorial logic gates | device performance, device crosstalk (78, 140) | (78, 108, 140) | |
| translation initiation by RBS availability | bacteria | switch | device performance | (97, 98) | |
| translation repression by RNA- binding protein | higher eukaryotes | switch | device performance | (156) | |
| translation termination by amber suppression | bacteria | switch, AND gate | device performance | (111) | |
|
| |||||
| cell-cell communication | chemical-based signaling | bacteria (194), yeast (161), higher eukaryotes (195) | single channel communication module | device performance, device crosstalk | (161, 194, 195) |
| phage-based signaling | bacteria | multiple genetic cassette communication module | device performance, device crosstalk | (196) | |
|
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| oscillator | ring oscillator | bacteria | static oscillator | device performance | (197) |
| relaxation oscillator | bacteria(198), higher eukaryotes(76, 77) | static and tunable oscillator | device performance | (76, 77, 198) | |
| metabolite-mediated oscillator | bacteria | static oscillator | device performance | (199) | |
|
| |||||
| memory | DNA orienting by recombinase | bacteria | SR latch (18), counter (200) | device performance, evolutionary robustness (18) | (16, 18, 200) |
Abbreviations: TF: transcription factor. RBS: ribosome binding site. RNAi: RNA interference.