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. 2018 Jan 16;6:e4286. doi: 10.7717/peerj.4286

Figure 2. Gene expression and cellular growth rate of compositional mosaics.

Figure 2

Recoded GFP genes (as shown in Fig. 1) were each subdivided into three fragments and shuffled to create all 27 possible full-length gene combinations. Each of the shuffled GFP genes encodes the identical protein sequence, and all constructs were cloned and expressed in the pFAB3857 vector. Gene diagrams on the x-axis show the mosaic structure of each of the tested genes, shaded according to the GC-content of each fragment: yellow; 41% G + C; light green; 50% G + C; dark green; 59% G + C. (A) Gene expression levels of mosaics GFP genes determined by intensity of cell fluorescence, with constructs arranged in order of increasing expression. Bars represent the mean ± standard deviation of three biological replicates. (B) Growth rates of E. coli strains expressing mosaic GFP genes. Fitness measurements the 27 GFP variants determined by exponential-phase growth rate, with constructs arranged in order of increasing growth rates. Bars represent the mean ± standard deviation of three biological replicates.