Probing the limits of genetic recoding using multi-omics-guided evolution.

Abstract

Engineering the genetic code-by reassigning multiple of the 64 natural codons-enables making organisms resistant to all viruses, preventing genetic information exchange, and allowing the biosynthesis of genetically encoded unnatural polymers. However, synonymous codon replacement-recoding-is frequently lethal, and how recoding impacts fitness remains poorly explored. Here, we explore these effects using genome synthesis, directed evolution, and genome-transcriptome-translatome-proteome co-profiling on multiple synthetic Escherichia coli genomes. We construct six partially recoded E. coli strains bearing up to 45.8% of a synthetic genome with a deleterious 57-codon genetic code. As our analyses revealed widespread defects-including unassigned codons in Syn61 and Syn57-we apply multi-omics to revise our genome design and mitigate defects. Using multi-omics, we show that recoding induces transcriptional and translational changes leading to fitness defects under hundreds of conditions. Finally, we develop a multi-omics-guided evolution strategy that rapidly restores fitness, enabling genome synthesis with radical changes.