Expression and Secretion of UV Absorbent Material from Transformed Bacteria

Abstract

A genetically modified strain of commensal bacteria Staphylococcus epidermidis is provided which produces a material with UV absorbing properties. The material with UV absorbing properties may be a mycosporine-like amino acid such as shinorine.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a genetically modified bacteria that produces a material with UV absorbing properties.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Environmental stressors on humans and the pressures caused by them are increasing in an ever-changing climate. Stressors such as ultraviolet radiation, heat, osmotic pressure, and desiccation can have several effects on the human body including causing skin cancers, oxidative damage and photoaging. Skin cancers are particularly of acute concern. Among skin cancers, melanoma is a cancer of melanocytes and is expected to affect almost 100,000 people in the year 2019. An aggressive malignancy that tends to metastasize, melanoma is responsible for a majority of skin cancer related deaths in spite of representing 5% of cutaneous malignancies. Therefore, more efficient and effective strategies to minimize UV related damage to skin is required that affords passive protection.

The sun protection and sunless tanners market is a $1.4 billion industry with 3 out of 4 adults using sunscreen, tanning products or sunless tanners. However, the effectiveness of synthetic sunscreens depends on applying generous amounts, inadequate coverage, more frequent applications as much as reapplying every one to two hours, ensuring proper storage since their potency can be destroyed if stored at higher than normal temperature conditions, and other factors that are difficult to control. In addition, consumers are getting increasingly conscious about the safety of sunscreen ingredients as well as the impact of these ingredients on the environment. Recent research has revealed that some synthetic sunscreen components can accumulate in aquatic environments and potentially cause harm by acting as hormone disruptors.

As per the FDA, only two sunscreens (zinc oxide and titanium dioxide) have sufficient safety data. In fact, the FDA in February 2019 said that there is insufficient data on 12 of the 16 approved sunscreen molecules to include them in the “generally recognized as safe and effective” (GRASE) category. Additionally, the FDA has also recommended against the use of aminobenzoic acid (PABA) and trolamine salicylate and have placed them in the non-GRASE category. Only zinc oxide and titanium dioxide were able to get a GRASE designation with FDA suggesting insufficient data for other molecules to make a GRASE determination. The FDA also cited the high systemic availability (including significant concentrations in urine, blood plasma, amniotic fluid, and breast milk) along with insufficient absorption and carcinogenicity data of oxybenzone as a concern against a positive GRASE designation. The FDA is also concerned about potential hormonal disruption with the present set of sunscreen molecules, particularly associated with long-term use.

Certain sunscreen molecules such as oxybenzone, octinoxate, etc. have been found to be toxic to coral reefs, sea urchins, and other marine organisms. As per the National Ocean Service, even GRASE sunscreens such as nano-titanium and zinc oxides can harm marine life. Popular beach destinations such as Palau and Hawaii have already imposed bans on several reef-toxic sunscreens. Therefore, a need still exists for a new method of protecting the skin from UV that is environmentally friendly.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention addresses this need by providing a probiotic technology involving engineered commensal bacteria which, when applied to the skin surface, act as living biofactories of sunscreen molecules. These engineered bacteria produce mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs) which are natural photoprotective molecules produced by marine cyanobacteria. The MAAs produced by commensal skin bacteria multiply on the skin surface and provide sun protection in a sustained manner. Therefore, the problem is solved in an eco-friendly manner since MAAs are sourced from marine life itself.

In one embodiment, the present invention involves a genetically modified strain of commensal bacteria Staphylococcus epidermidis which produces a material with UV absorbing properties. In another embodiment, the material with UV absorbing properties is a mycosporine-like amino acid. In one embodiment, the mycosporine-like amino acid is shinorine. In another embodiment, the bacteria includes the nucleotide sequences shown in SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:8, and SEQ ID NO:9. In one embodiment, bacteria includes the nucleotide sequence shown in SEQ ID NO:5. In another embodiment, the invention is a topical composition where the bacteria is present in the composition at a concentration of at least 0.1% by weight of the total composition. In one embodiment, the present invention involves a composition including the genetically modified strain of commensal bacteria and a sunscreen.

Another embodiment of the present invention involves a genetically modified strain of bacteria Escherichia coli Nissle 1917 which produces a material with UV absorbing properties. In one embodiment, the material with UV absorbing properties is a mycosporine-like amino acid. In another embodiment, the mycosporine-like amino acid is shinorine. In one embodiment, the bacteria includes the nucleotide sequences shown in SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:3, and SEQ ID NO:4.

One embodiment of the present invention involves a genetically modified strain of commensal bacteria which produces a material with UV absorbing properties, where the bacteria includes a lysis circuit. In another embodiment, the bacteria undergoes lysis in the presence of increased bacterial density and the absence of UV light.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the application, will be better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic of human skin microbiome transformation into “living factories” on skin secreting natural sunscreens for the protection against environmental stressors.

FIG. 2 is a schematic showing release of MAAs from bacteria after UV-induced lysis.

FIG. 3 is a HPLC chromatogram at 333 nm showing Shinorine peak (red arrow) eluting at 15 min timepoint.

FIGS. 4A-D are series of illustrations showing blue light-mediated transcriptional activation and repression of gene expression in bacteria.

FIG. 5 is a nanoLC-MS/MS chromatogram indicating positive identification of MAA producing enzymes by the engineered bacteria.

FIG. 6 is a pair of nanoLC-MS/MS chromatograms indicating positive identification of MAA producing enzymes by the engineered bacteria.

FIG. 7 is a graph showing the significant efficacy of shinorine vs. 10% ZnO 72 h post UV irradiation.

FIG. 8 is a series of images showing cleaved caspase-3 IHC staining of human skin tissues incubated with overnight culture of WT EcN, 10% ZnO, or EcN expressing shinorine 24 h post UV irradiation.

FIG. 9 is a plasmid map of pCN48-Ava3858-3855.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The details of one or more embodiments of the disclosed subject matter are set forth in this document. Modifications to embodiments described in this document, and other embodiments, will be evident to those of ordinary skill in the art after a study of the information provided herein.

The present disclosure may be understood more readily by reference to the following detailed description of the embodiments taken in connection with the accompanying drawing figures, which form a part of this disclosure. It is to be understood that this application is not limited to the specific devices, methods, conditions or parameters described and/or shown herein, and that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments by way of example only and is not intended to be limiting. Also, in some embodiments, as used in the specification and including the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include the plural, and reference to a particular numerical value includes at least that particular value, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Ranges may be expressed herein as from “about” or “approximately” one particular value and/or to “about” or “approximately” another particular value. When such a range is expressed, another embodiment includes from the one particular value and/or to the other particular value. Similarly, when values are expressed as approximations, by use of the antecedent “about,” it will be understood that the particular value forms another embodiment.

The term “commensal bacteria” as used herein means a bacteria that lives on or in another organism without causing harm.

While the following terms are believed to be well understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, definitions are set forth to facilitate explanation of the disclosed subject matter. Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the disclosed subject matter belongs.

It should be understood that every maximum numerical limitation given throughout this specification includes every lower numerical limitation, as if such lower numerical limitations were expressly written herein. Every minimum numerical limitation given throughout this specification will include every higher numerical limitation, as if such higher numerical limitations were expressly written herein. Every numerical range given throughout this specification will include every narrower numerical range that falls within such broader numerical range, as if such narrower numerical ranges were all expressly written herein.

Application of sunscreens is crucial to mitigate the risk of skin cancers caused as a result of UV radiation-mediated DNA damage. Studies have shown that a majority of the population does not apply sunscreens correctly and in enough quantity to offer the necessary protection. Therefore, most marketed sunscreens end up offering only about 40% of the promised sun protection factor (SPF) due to improper application. These factors leave users more exposed to solar radiation, significantly limiting the sun shielding offered by these products. Additionally, conventional sunscreens presently available in the market are in the form of lotions, creams, or aerosol sprays that need to be frequently reapplied (usually every two to three hours) which further reduces their compliance and increases risks. The present invention introduces a probiotic sunscreen platform which will form an invisible layer of sun protection on the skin surface.

The human skin is the largest organ in the human body and acts as the interface between the insides of the body and the external environment. The exposed part of the skin is composed of entirely dead elements, including epidermis and hair. Incidentally, the only living element on the surface of the skin is the microbiome. The microbiome has an inherent ability to replenish itself, with some bacteria having doubling times as short as 20 minutes. Recent advancements in genetic engineering and synthetic biology have transformed the field and it's now possible to introduce a diverse array of genetically encoded proteins, drugs, enzymes etc into bacteria as plug-and-play systems. The skin microbiome is a vast and underexplored component of the healthy human body and its importance is gradually being appreciated by researchers and dermatologists worldwide.

By genetically engineering bacteria found in healthy human skin, the present invention presents an unprecedented probiotic sunscreen technology that has not been available before. In addition to being novel, the developed technology is the first of its kind to offer sunscreen protection commensurate with the exposure to dermal exposure to sunlight. The developed platform has the potential to be used for numerous parallel dermatological applications.

MAAs

Mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs) are natural ultraviolet radiation absorbing metabolites produced by marine microorganisms such as cyanobacteria and other algae. One of the most popular MAAs is Shinorine, which has been used as a constituent of sunscreen formulations in the European Union such as “Helionori” and “Helioguard 365.” MAAs are photoprotective and are commonly referred to as “microbial sunscreen.” They have potent Ultraviolet-A (UV-A) and UV-B absorbing properties along with anti-oxidant characteristics. Additionally, certain MAAs such as mycosporine-glycine and mycosporine-taurine possess significant singlet oxygen scavenging property. They also perform other protective functions in their parent organisms such as protecting against oxidative stress, desiccation, and osmotic stress. UV irradiation promotes the production of MAAs in cyanobacteria. MAAs such as shinorine have also been found to protect against abiotic stress factors such as salinity, dessication, and heat. However, the yield of shinorine, which comes from red algae gathered from the sea, can vary seasonally and geographically, limiting supply.

S. epidermidis

The present invention involves the creation of genetically engineered bacteria, commonly found on the human skin, for production of these molecules. The human skin is home to several species of commensal or non-pathogenic bacteria and among them is Staphylococcus epidermidis. Interestingly, S. epidermidis possesses genes and precursors involved in the biosynthesis of shinorine, and therefore can be a suitable host for production of shinorine through genetic engineering. These genetically engineered strains of S. epidermidis can be applied on the skin surface to provide both short term as well as long term protection as these bacteria would as living factories on the skin surface constantly generating shinorine on-demand.

The present invention hijacks the gene cluster from cyanobacteria and engineers S. epidermidis to synthesize MAAs in a regulated manner (FIG. 1). The developed genetically engineered strains of S. epidermidis can be applied on the skin surface to provide both short term as well as long term protection, as these bacteria serve as “living factories” on the skin surface constantly generating Shinorine on-demand.

While S. epidermidis was evaluated as the bacterial template for the “living factory” design, other skin commensal microbiota that might also be effective were screened and identified. For example, commensal bacteria belonging to families, such as Acinetobacter (Moraxellaceae) spp., Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria spp. are also found abundantly and on specific areas of the skin, thus affording the ability to customize this technology to adapt to heterogeneous body and skin constitutions.

There are several optogenetic response elements (ranging from UV-B to far red) to activate the promoters associated with Shinorine. Bacterial promoters such as recA, lexA, etc. which are part of the robust bacterial SOS response upregulate gene transcription upon detection of DNA damage (e.g., by UV light). Understanding these response elements allows us to respond to UV-B or visible light, given that sunlight is composed of both, to activate and regulate production of Shinorine in a time and intensity sensitive fashion.

To regulate the bacterial population and potentially release Shinorine extracellularly in significant quantities, in some embodiments, the bacteria is programmed with a lysis circuit to undergo quorum sensing based lysis when high concentrations are reached due to increased bacterial density as well as in the absence of UV light (FIG. 2). With this system, bacterial lysis can be observed in the dark, yet viability is preserved in the presence of UV light and release of sunscreen compounds is commensurate with UV exposure.

Other useful MAAs, such as Gadusol and Palythine also extracted from cyanobacteria, can be incorporated in the bacteria to assess if there is an additive or synergistic UV protective effect along with Shinorine.

Engineering S. epidermidis to Synthesize Sunscreen Molecules

The genes responsible for the synthesis of MAA have been identified in cyanobacteria. The present invention introduces a codon-optimized version of these genes in cis in the nonessential attB locus to confer symbiotic S. epidermidis the ability to produce sufficient quantities of MAAs. Successful chromosomal integration of the genes of interest and biosynthesis of MAAs can be confirmed using the pMAD system, HPLC and LC/MS.

In one embodiment, a method for in vitro safety and efficacy studies is disclosed. A 3D skin model using primary keratinocytes obtained from human foreskin is inoculated with the engineered bacteria and exposed to UV light. The treatment samples are: (i) control S. epidermidis, (ii) recombinant S. epidermidis containing Shinorine gene cluster, (iii) MAAs isolated from engineered S. epidermidis, (iv) MAA extract obtained from marine sources (Helioguard 365), (v) marketed sunscreen molecule viz. octocrylene. The skin samples are exposed to UV radiation at various doses viz. 7, 14, 21, or 35 mJ cm′. Different UV lamps emitting different wavelengths in the UV-A and UV-B regions are used. Protection from UV light is evaluated by measuring apoptosis, skin proliferation, and selected gene expression. Toxicity is evaluated by checking for key inflammatory mediators and DNA damage.

Regulated Release of Sunscreen Molecules from Engineered S. epidermidis Using a UV-Sensitive Promoter to Allow Photoresponsive Modulation

Bacterial promoters such as recA, lexA, etc., which are part of the robust bacterial SOS response, upregulate gene transcription upon detection of DNA damage (e.g., by UV light). Introducing a relevant UV-sensitive promoter into S. epidermidis allows release of sunscreen molecules commensurate with the intensity of exposure of UV radiation. In one embodiment of the present invention, another stable plasmid (in trans) is introduced in the engineered bacteria consisting of an optimized UV-sensitive promoter and a darkness-inducible host cell lysis sequence derived from the bacteriophage phi X174 that is activated in the absence of UV light. With this system, bacterial lysis can be observed in the dark, yet viability preserved in the presence of UV light and release of sunscreen compounds commensurate with UV exposure. Using HPLC & LC/MS, the amount of MAAs produced can be correlated with the amount of inoculum required and extent of UV exposure. Once both the plasmids responsible for the (i) synthesis of the sunscreen molecule, recA-MAA, and (ii) for the UV radiation-mediated lysis, recA-ϕXI74E, are inserted into the bacteria, the aforementioned safety and efficacy studies may be performed again to establish the safety and efficacy of the final construct.

Referring the FIG. 3, HPLC analysis indicates production and release of Shinorine in the bacterial supernatant indicating the successful engineering of S. epidermidis to synthesize Shinorine. A number of optogenetic response elements (ranging from UV-B to far red) are utilized to activate the promoters associated with Shinorine. This allows for a response to UV-B or visible light to activate the production. In this embodiment, optogenetic sensors are used involving single protein systems or combinatorial systems involving PhyB-Pif, CryB-CIB, Cry2, LITEs, LACE, LITEZ, TULIP, EL222, TAEL, LANS, BLITZ, and or UVR8-COP1.

FIGS. 4A-4D are a series of illustrations showing blue light-mediated transcriptional activation and repression of gene expression in bacteria. The illustrations show blue-light inducible EL222 protein from Erythrobacter litoralis. The luxR box is replaced with the EL222 box, which results in specific activation. This specifically describes the Light-Oxygen-Voltage domain and may be an important part of light activated promoters. This demonstrates a novel bidirectional promoter system for Escherichia coli that can be induced or repressed rapidly and reversibly using the blue light dependent DNA-binding protein EL222.

Table 1 shows a list of optogenetic tools for controlling protein-protein interactions and protein oligomerization.

TABLE 1
Optogenetic Interaction System,
Chromophore and Color of Activation Advantages (+) and Disadvantages (−) of the Tools
Phytochrome
−PhyB-PIF3/PIF8                  +bimodal switchable
Bilin chromophore                +deep tissue penetration of red/far-red light
Activation by red light (660 nm), far-red inactivation (130 nm) +color tuning possible using different bilin variants
                                 −chromophore not ubiquitously available
LOV domain
FKF1 and GIGANTEA                +ubiquitous chromophore availability
−AsLOV2-peptides                 +tuned variants with different time constants and affinities
−TULIPs                          +high dynamic range of improved variants
−Magnets                         +small size of LOV domain
FMN chromophore                  −no color tuning
Activation by blue light (470 nm)
Cryptochrome
−Cry2 and CIB(N)                 +ubiquitous chromophore availability
FAD chromophore                  +tuned variants with different time constants and affinities
Activation by blue light (470 nm) +high dynamic range of improved variants
                                 −large protein size
                                 −no color tuning
UVR8
−homodimerization or heterodimerization with Cop1 +no additional chromophore
Intrinsic tryptophan cluster as chromophore +selective activation when combined with phytochromes
Activation by UV-B (280 nm)      +color-tuned variants absorbing UV-C
                                 −UV-light induced photodamage
                                 −irreversible
                                 +increased homodimerization affinity when using UVR8 tandems
Fluorescent proteins
−Dronpa K145N                    +bimodal switchable
Cys-Trp-Gly as chromophore       +GFP-based: small protein, tunable
UV/cyan (variable)               −UV light for activation
                                 −low dynamic range
                                 −only homodimerization

Table 2 lists a general review of optogenetics tools, from the perspective of mammalian cells. The tools that are microbially sourced are particularly useful for the present invention.

TABLE 2
	Chromo-		Tool	Photo	Co-		Activation	Intensity
Light	phore	System	type	sensor	factor	TF	wavelength	(μmol m−2 s−1)*	Model
RED	PCB	PhyB-Pif	Two-hybrid	PhyB	Pif3	Gal4	660 nm/	1 or 40	Yeast
						DBD-	750 nm
						Gal4 AD
			Two-hybrid	PhyB	Pif6	TetR	660 nm/	8/80	CHO-K1 cells
						DBD-	740 nm		Chicken
						VP16 AD			embryos
			Two-hybrid	PhyB	Pif6	TetR	660 nm/	20/20	NIH/3T3 cells
						DBD-	740 nm		Zebrafish
						VP16 AD
BLUE	FDA	CRY2-CIB	Two-hybrid	Cry2	CIB1	Gal4	488	nm	25 μW,	HEK293 cells
						DBD-			1.7 mW,
						Gal4 AD			4.5 mW
	Two-hybrid	Cry2	CIB1	LexA	474	nm	2.5	mW cm−2	S2 cells
				DBD-					Drosophila
				AD Gal4
	Heterodimer	Cry2	CIB1	NA−	Blue	42-120	mmol m−2 s−1	Zebrafish
		CRY2	NA		NA	Gal4 DB	461	nm	7.4	mW cm−2	HEK293 cells
						(1-65) -
						VP16AD
		LITEs	Heterodimer	Cry2	CIB1	TALE-	473	nm	5	mW	Neuro2A cells
						VP64 AD
		LACE	Heterodimer	Cry2	CIBN	VP64	450	nm	48	lumens	HEK293 cells
						AD - dCas9
	FMN	LightOn	Homodimer	VVD	NA+	Gal4	460	nm	0.84	Wm−2	HEK293 cells
						(1-65 aa)			90	mW cm−2	Mice
		LITEZ	Two-hybrid	GI	FKF1	ZFP	450	nm	48	lumens	HEK 293T,
						DBD-					NIH 3T3,
						VP16 AD					HeLa cells
		TULIP	Two-hybrid	LOV-pep	ePDZ	Gal4	461	nm	5.8	mW cm−2	Yeast
						DBD-
						Gal4 AD
		EL222	Dimer	LOV	NA	HTH	465	nm	8	mW cm−2	HEK293 cells
						DBD-					Zebrafish
						VP16 AD
		TAEL	Dimer	LOV	NA	HTH	488	nm	1.6	mW cm−2	HEK293 cells
						DBD-
						KalTA4 AD
		LANS	NLS shuttle	asLOV2	NA	LexA	455	nm	6	mW cm−2	Yeast
						DBD-
						Gal4 AD
	LINuS	NLS shuttle	asLOV2	NA	LexA	460	nm	10	Yeast
					DBD-				HEK293 cells
					VP64 AD
	LINX	NES shuttle	asLOV2	NA	LexA	488	nm	8	μS/pixel	HEK293 cells
					DBD-
					Gal4 AD
	LEXY	NES shuttle	asLOV2	NA	LexA	490	nm	Not specified	H1299 cells
					DBD-
					VP16 AD
		BLITZ	Dimer	Ciy2/asLOV2	CIBN/NA	TetR-	473	nm	1.7	mW	HEK293 cells
					VP16 AD
UV-B	NA	UVR8-COP1	Two-hybrid	UVR8	COP1	Gal4	280-375	nm	25	J m−2	U2OS cells
						DBD-	290-310	nm	0.7	mW
						NF-κB AD
*Unless specified in other light units;
NA, not applicable;
NA− light negatively regulate gene expression.

The present invention also encompasses other skin commensal microbiota. Table 3 shows the top 10 abundant bacteria per Byrd et al. Apart from this, other families such as Acinetobacter spp., Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria can be used.

TABLE 3
Bacteria
Dry	Moist	Sebaceous	Foot
Propionibacterium acnes	Corynebacterium	Propionibacterium acnes	Corynebacterium
	tuberculostearicum		tuberculostearicum
Corynebacterium	Staphylococcus hominis	Staphylococcus epidermidis	Staphylococcus hominis
tuberculostearicum
Streptococcus mitis	Propionibacterium acnes	Corynebacterium	Staphylococcus warneri
		tuberculostearicum
Streptococcus oralis	Staphylococcus epidermidis	Staphylococcus capitis	Staphylococcus epidermidis
Streptococcus pseudopneumoniae	Staphylococcus capitis	Corynebacterium simulans	Staphylococcus capitis
Streptococcus sanguinis	Corynebacterium fastidiosum	Streptococcus mitis	Staphylococcus haemolyticus
Micrococcus luteus	Corynebacterium afermentans	Staphylococcus hominis	Micrococcus luteus
(Gram negative)
Staphylococcus epidermidis	Micrococcus luteus	Corynebacterium aurimucosum	Corynebacterium afermentans
Staphylococcus capitis	Enterobacter aerosaccus	Corynebacterium kroppenstedtii	Corynebacterium simulans
Veillonella parvula	Corynebacterium simulans	Corynebacterium amycolatum	Corynebacterium resistens
(Gram negative, anaerobic)

To facilitate secretion/excretion of the MAA to the external environment, bacteria's natural secretion system is modified to bind and secrete the MAAs that are generated within. This enables the MAA to provide sufficient protection against UV radiation and other photoaging processes. Table 4 highlights the various gram-positive and gram-negative related secretion systems. The table lists genes and transporters related to amino acid production in Corynebacterium glutamicum and Escherichia coli: uptake and excretion systems.

TABLE 4
Transporter	Gene(s)	Substrate(s)	Characteristics
Corynebacterium glutamicum
AroP	aroP	L-Tyr, L-Phe	Aromatic amino acids uptake system
BrnQ	brnQ	L-Be	Na+-coupled uptake system
GluABCD	gluABCD	L-Glu	Binding protein-dependent uptake system, expression
			glucose-repressed
Glutamate permease	?	L-Glu	Uptake active in complex medium
LysE	iysE	L-Lys, L-Arg	Exporter, expression regulated by LysG,
			coinducers L-citrulline and L-histidine
Lysl	iysi	L-LyS, L-Ala, L-Val, L-Lev	Low capacity antiporter
ThrE	thrE	L-Tlu−, L-Ser	Export carrier
Escherichia coli
AroP	aroP	L-Trp, L-Tyr, L-Phe	General uptake system for aromatic amino acids
Aspartate/glutamate carrier	?	L-Asp, L-Glu	Binding protein-dependent uptake system,
			inhibited by cysteate
GltP	gitP	L-Asp, L-Glu	Na−F-independent uptake, inhibited by cysteate and
			5 hydroxyaspartate
GltS	gitS	L-Glu	Na−L dependent uptake, inhibited by a
			methylglutamate
Glutamate excretion carrier		L-Glu	Stringent response-related export
LB/1	INGETAI	L-Len L-Ile, L-Val, L-Ala, L-Thr. L-Hom	Binding-protein-dependent uptake system, expression
			repressed by LRP
Orf299	ydeD	L-Cys and components of the cysteine pathway	Major facilitator protein involved in efflux
PheP	pheP	L-Phe	High-affinity uptake system specific for phenylalarine
RhtA	rhtA		Confer resistance to high concentrations of
			homoserine and threonine, putative threonine
			excretion carriers
RhtB	rhtB
RhtC	rhtC
SstT	sstT	L-Set, L-Thr	Ne-coupled serine/threonine importer
TdcC	tdcC	L-Lea L-Sec. L-Tbr, L-Hom	Importer active under anaerobic conditions
Threonine permease	?	L-Thr, L-Ser	Na−L independent uptake system

The present invention is a unique sunscreen technology which not only significantly improves consumer compliance by eliminating the need of frequent reapplications for effective protection, but also circumvents detrimental impact on human health and the environment. Since the strategy of this invention is to deliver the source of the natural sunscreens, the engineered bacteria, as “living skin-protective factories”, it will significantly reduce the cost of the production, unlike current sunscreens that require production, purification and scale-up under good manufacturing practice (GMP) at a pharmaceutical and industrial scale. This platform has the potential to be customizable to different skin and body types—normal, dry, oily—as bacteria other than S. epidermidis, such as those belonging to the Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria families can be used as templates with unique combinations of promoters and regulatory elements to regulate production, release and activity of synthesized molecules.

In one embodiment, the present invention is a probiotic sunscreen technology that enables continuous and extended release of UV filtering molecules on the skin surface with photo/dark-responsive promoters providing modulated release of these natural sunscreens based on the intensity of UV exposure to mitigate environmental stress.

In another embodiment, the present invention is incorporated in a topical composition (it is applied topically to the skin). In one embodiment, the modified bacteria is present in the topical composition at a concentration of at least 0.1% by weight of the total composition. The topical composition may be in the form of a cream, lotion, emulsion, gel, ointment, liquid or aerosol spray. In another embodiment, the bacteria of the present invention is used in a composition with a traditional sunscreen.

The examples (presented below) show the successful engineering of bacteria containing the genes responsible for MAA production. Transformed colonies submitted for Sanger sequencing gave a positive confirmation for MAA genes. NanoLC-MS/MS data indicated presence of enzymes responsible for production of MAAs. There are four enzymes required to synthesize shinorine and LC-MS/MS chromatogram confirmed their presence (see FIGS. 5 and 6).

Efficacy studies indicated that shinorine was significantly effective in preventing and/or reducing UV-induced DNA damage compared to untreated group three days post exposure. Furthermore, it was also significantly more effective than a 10% zinc oxide which is a gold standard for sun protection (see FIGS. 7 and 8). This outcome bolsters the photoprotective capacity of shinorine in preventing UV induced skin damage. Evaluating the use of live bacteria on skin tissue also gave encouraging results with IHC images indicating EcN-shinorine's protective effect against UV exposure 24 h post irradiation.

EXAMPLES

Example 1—Engineering MAA-Producing Commensal Bacteria

Several studies were conducted on MAAs and the underlying genes in cyanobacteria responsible for their production. Codon-optimized double stranded DNA fragments were amplified using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and purified using gel electrophoresis. The dsDNA fragments were designed in such a way as to allow blunt end ligation in the pCN48 plasmid using the Smal site. A restriction digest using Smal enzyme was performed to linearize the plasmid, followed by dephosphorylation using calf intestinal phosphatase (CIP) to prevent the plasmid to close onto itself.

The gene of interest is ligated into the plasmid using T4 DNA ligase. Post ligation, chemically competent DH5a cells are transformed and selected using ampicillin. The plasmids from several transformed colonies are isolated and sent for Sanger Sequencing to check and corroborate successful addition of the gene of interest into the plasmid. Bacterial colonies containing the correct plasmid are isolated and the above process is performed again until all four genes of interest are successfully incorporated. The complete plasmid is initially incorporated into E. coli Nissle 1917 (EcN) before being transferred to S. epidermidis.

Example 2—Validation of MAA Production by the Engineered Bacteria

1% of overnight cultures were inoculated into 100 ml of fresh LB broth supplemented with the appropriate antibiotic and similarly grown at 37° C. and 200 rpm until OD600 reaches 0.9-1.0 (approx. 3.00-6.00 hr.). Cultures were spun at 4° C. for 15 min, 3500×g, and cells were resuspended in 5-10 volumes of the Bacterial cell lysis buffer (Gold Bio), supplemented with DTT and EDTA (5 mM), and Lysozyme (40 mg/ml), DNase (800 U/ml) and RNase (24 U/ml). Following vortexing, and 5 min incubation on ice, suspensions were incubated at 37° C. for 60 min and lysates were centrifuged at 20,000×g, 4° C. for 30 min, and the clear lysate was collected and quantified using BCA assay (Thermo Scientific).

Protein samples were dried in a speed vac and resuspended in TEAB buffer according to standard in-solution digestion protocol. Samples were reduced with TCEP (tris-(2-carboxyethyl) phosphine) and alkylated with MMTS (methyl-methane-thiosulfonate). Samples were digested overnight at 37° C. and reactions were stopped by adding 10% formic acid. These samples were dried and resuspended in 0.1% formic acid. 5 (˜1 μg) of each sample was analyzed by NanoLC-MS/MS (Orbitrap Eclipse) and was searched against a combined database consisting of the E. coli Nissle 1917 database accessed from the Biocyc.org website and a database containing the MAA sequences using Proteome discoverer ver 2.4 and the Sequest HT search algorithm using standard LFQ workflow (Thermo scientific).

Example 3—Establishing the In Vitro Efficacy of Engineered Bacteria

MAAs extracted from the engineered bacteria of the present invention were evaluated. Human skin was obtained from discarded tissue from elective procedures. The skin tissue was cleaned, trimmed, sterilized and plated in an organ culture medium overnight at 33° C. MAA extract or appropriate controls were applied on skin tissues, after which they were exposed to 135 mJ/cm2 UV-A and UV-B light. The application of live bacteria on human skin tissue was subsequently tested. Different treatments viz. overnight culture of wild type EcN, 10% zinc oxide solution, or overnight culture of EcN expressing shinorine were applied on human skin explants. Treatments were allowed to equilibrate with skin tissue for 1 hour, after which tissues were exposed to UV radiation. The tissues were then incubated for different durations and subsequently fixed. Cleaved caspase-3 immunohistochemical staining was performed to check for DNA damage. Slides were imaged using Leica Slide Scanner and representative images were captured. The captured images were quantified using ImageJ with a modified, previously published protocol (Crowe and Yue, 2019).

All documents cited are incorporated herein by reference; the citation of any document is not to be construed as an admission that it is prior art with respect to the present invention.

It is to be further understood that where descriptions of various embodiments use the term “comprising,” and/or “including” those skilled in the art would understand that in some specific instances, an embodiment can be alternatively described using language “consisting essentially of” or “consisting of”

While particular embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described, it would be obvious to one skilled in the art that various other changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is therefore intended to cover in the appended claims all such changes and modifications that are within the scope of this invention.

SEQUENCES
SEQ ID NO: 1
tgattaactt tataggaggt aaaaacatat gagtatcgtc caagcaaagt ttgaagctaa 60
ggaaacatct tttcatgtag aaggttacga aaagattgag tatgatttgg tgtatgtaga 120
tggtattttt gaaatccaga attctgcact agcagatgta tatcaaggtt ttggacgatg 180
cttggcgatt gtagatgcta acgtcagtcg gttgtatggt aatcaaattc aggcatattt 240
ccagtattat ggtatagaac tgaggctatt tcctattacc attactgaac cagataagac 300
tattcaaact ttcgagagag ttatagatgt ctttgcagat ttcaaattag tccgcaaaga 360
accagtatta gtcgtgggtg gcggtttaat tacagatgtt gtcggctttg cttgttctac 420
atatcgtcgc agcagcaatt acatccgcat tcctactaca ttgattggat taattgatgc 480
cagtgtagca attaaggtag cagttaatca tcgcaaactg aaaaaccgtt tgggtgctta 540
tcatgcttct cgcaaagtat ttttagattt ctccttgttg cgtactctcc ctacagacca 600
agtacgtaac gggatggcgg aattggtaaa aatcgctgta gtagcgcatc aagaagtttt 660
tgaattgttg gagaagtacg gcgaagaatt actacgtact cattttggca atatagatgc 720
aactccagag attaaagaaa tagcccatcg tttgacttac aaagctatcc ataagatgtt 780
ggaattggaa gttcccaacc tgcatgagtt agacctagat agggtgattg cttacggtca 840
cacttggagt cccaccttgg aacttgcgcc tcgtctaccc atgttccacg gacacgccgt 900
taatgtagat atggctttct cggcaacgat cgccgcccgt agaggatata ttacaattgc 960
agaacgcgat cgtattttag gattaatgag tcgcgttggt ctatccctcg accatcccat 1020
gttggatata gatattttgt ggcgtggtac tgaatctatc acattaactc gtgatggttt 1080
gttaagagct gctatgccaa aacccattgg tgattgtgtc ttcgtcaatg acctgacaag 1140
agaagaatta gcagccgcat tagctgacca caaagaactt tgtaccagtt atccccgtgg 1200
tggtgaaggt gtggatgtgt atcccgttta tcaaaaagaa ttaatcggga gtgttaaata 1260
a                                1261
SEQ ID NO: 2
tgattaactt tataaggagg aaaaacatat gctttctggt catatcgaag gacaaacctt 60
aaagatgttt gttcacatga ccaaagctaa aaaagtctta gaaattggga tgtttaccgg 120
ttattcggcg ctggcgatgg cggaagcatt accagaggat ggactgcttg tggcttgtga 180
agttgaccct tacgcggcgg aaattggaca gaaagccttt caacaatctc cccacggtgg 240
aaagattcgt gtggaattgg atgcagcctt agcaactctt gataagttag cagaagctgg 300
ggagtctttt gacttggtat ttatcgacgc agataaaaaa gagtatgtag cctattttca 360
caagttgcta ggtagcagtt tgttagcacc agatggcttt atttgtgtag ataacacctt 420
attacaaggg gaagtttatc taccagcaga ggaacgtagc gtcaatggtg aagcgatcgc 480
gcaatttaat catacagtag ctatagaccc ccgtgtagaa caggttttgt tgccgttgcg 540
agatggttta acaattatcc gcagaataca accttaa 577
SEQ ID NO: 3
tgattaactt tataaggagg aaaaacatat ggcacaatcc cttccccttt cttccgcacc 60
tgctacaccg tctcttcctt cccagacgaa aatagccgca attatccaaa atatctgcac 120
tttggctttg ttattactag cattgcccat taatgccacc attgttttta tatccttgtt 180
agtcttccga ccgcaaaagg tcaaagcagc aaacccccaa accattctta tcagtggcgg 240
taagatgacc aaagctttac aactagcaag gtcattccac gcggctggac atagagttgt 300
cttggtggaa acccataaat actggttgac tggtcatcgt ttttcccaag cagtggataa 360
gttttacaca gtccccgcac cccaggacaa tccccaagct tacattcagg ctttggtaga 420
tatcgtcaaa caagaaaaca tcgatgttta tattcccgtc accagtccag tgggtagcta 480
ctacgactca ttagccaaac cagagttatc ccattattgc gaagtgtttc actttgacgc 540
agatattacc caaatgttgg atgataaatt tgcgttgaca caaaaagcgc gatcgcttgg 600
tttatcagta cccaaatcct ttaaaattac ctcaccagaa caagtcatca acttcgattt 660
ttctggagag acacgtaaat acatcctcaa aagcattccc tacgactcag tgcggcggtt 720
ggacttaacc aaactcccct gtgctactcc agaggaaaca gcagcattcg tcagaagttt 780
gccaattact cccgaaaaac cgtggattat gcaggaattt atccccggta aggaattctg 840
cacccatagc accgttcgga atggggaact cagactgcat tgctgttgcg aatcttcagc 900
cttccaagtt aattatgaga atgtaaataa cccgcaaatt accgaatggg tacagcattt 960
tgtcaaggaa ctgaaactga caggacagat ttcctttgac tttatccaag ccgaagacgg 1020
aacagtttac gccatcgagt gtaacccccg cacacattca gcaattacca cattttacga 1080
ccacccccag gtagcagaag cgtacttgag tcaagcaccg acgactgaaa ccatacaacc 1140
actaacgaca agcaagccta cctattggac ttatcacgaa gtttggcgtt taactggtat 1200
ccgttctttc acccagttgc aaagatggct ggggaatatt tggcgcggga ctgatgcgat 1260
ttatcagcca gatgacccct taccgttttt gatggtacat cattggcaaa ttcccctact 1320
gttattgaat aatttgcgtc gtcttaaagg ttggacgcgg atagatttca atattgggaa 1380
gttggtggaa ttggggggag attag      1405
SEQ ID NO: 4
atgcagacta tagattttaa tattcgtaag ttacttgtag agtggaacgc gacccacaga 60
gattatgatc tttcccagag tttacatgaa ctaattgtag ctcaagtaga acgaacacct 120
gaggcgatcg ctgtcacctt tgacaagcaa caactaactt atcaagaact aaatcataaa 180
gcaaaccagc taggacatta tttacaaaca ttaggagtcc agccagaaac cctggtaggc 240
gtttgtttag aacgttcctt agaaatggtt atctgtcttt taggaatcct caaagctggg 300
ggtgcttatg ttcctattga ccctgaatat cctcaagaac gcatagctta tatgctagaa 360
gattctcagg tgaaggtact actaactcaa gaaaaattac tcaatcaaat tccccaccat 420
caagcacaaa ctatctgtgt agatagggaa tgggagaaaa tttccacaca agctaatacc 480
aatcccaaaa gtaatataaa aacggataat cttgcttatg taatttacac ctctggttcc 540
actggtaaac caaaaggtgc aatgaacacc cacaaaggta tctgtaatcg cttattgtgg 600
atgcaggaag cttatcaaat cgattccaca gatagcattt tacaaaaaac cccctttagt 660
tttgatgttt ccgtttggga gttcttttgg actttattaa ctggcgcacg tttggtaata 720
gccaaaccag gcggacataa agatagtgct tacctcatcg atttaattac tcaagaacaa 780
atcactacgt tgcattttgt cccctcaatg ctgcaagtgt ttttacaaaa tcgccatgta 840
agcaaatgca gctctctaaa aagagttatt tgtagcggtg aagctttatc tatagattta 900
caaaatagat ttttccagca tttgcaatgt gaattacata acctctatgg cccgacagaa 960
gcagcaattg atgtcacatt ttggcaatgt agaaaagata gtaatttaaa gagtgtacct 1020
attggtcgtc ccattgctaa tactcaaatt tatattcttg atgccgattt acaaccagta 1080
aatattggtg tcactggtga aatttatatt ggtggtgtag gggttgctcg tggttatttg 1140
aataaagaag aattgaccaa agaaaaattt attattaatc cctttcccaa ttctgagttt 1200
aagcgacttt ataaaacagg tgatttagct cgttatttac ccgatggaaa tattgaatat 1260
cttggtagaa cagattatca agtaaaaatt cggggttata gaattgaaat tggcgagatt 1320
gaaaatgttt tatcttcaca cccacaagtc agagaagctg tagtcatagc gcgggatgat 1380
aacgctcaag aaaaacaaat catcgcttat attacctata actccatcaa acctcagctt 1440
gataatctgc gtgatttcct aaaagcaagg ctacctgatt ttatgattcc agccgctttt 1500
gtgatgctgg agcatcttcc tttaactccc agtggtaaag tagaccgtaa ggcattacct 1560
aagcctgatt tatttaatta tagtgaacat aattcctatg tagcgcctcg gaatgaagtt 1620
gaagaaaaat tagtacaaat ctggtcgaat attctgcatt tacctaaagt aggtgtgaca 1680
gaaaactttt tcgctattgg tggtaattcc ctcaaagctc tacatttaat ttctcaaatt 1740
gaagagttat ttgctaaaga gatatcctta gcaacacttt taacaaatcc agtaattgca 1800
gatttagcca aggttattca agcaaacaac caaatccata attcacccct agttccaatt 1860
caaccacaag gtaagcagca gcctttcttt tgtatacatc ctgctggtgg tcatgtttta 1920
tgctatttta aactcgcaca atatatagga actgaccaac cattttatgg cttacaagct 1980
caaggatttt atggagatga agcacccttg acgcgagttg aagatatggc tagtctctac 2040
gtcaaaacta ttagagaatt tcaaccccaa gggccttatc gtgtcggggg gtggtcattt 2100
ggtggagtcg tagcttatga agtagcacag cagttacata gacaaggaca agaagtatct 2160
ttactagcaa tattagattc ttacgtaccg attctgctgg ataaacaaaa acccattgat 2220
gacgtttatt tagttggtgt tctctccaga gtttttggcg gtatgtttgg tcaagataat 2280
ctagtcacac ctgaagaaat agaaaattta actgtagaag aaaaaattaa ttacatcatt 2340
gataaagcac ggagcgctag aatattcccg cctggtgtag aacgtcaaaa taatcgccgt 2400
attcttgatg ttttggtggg aactttaaaa gcaacttatt cctatataag acaaccatat 2460
ccaggaaaag tcactgtatt tcgagccagg gaaaaacata ttatggctcc tgacccgacc 2520
ttagtttggg tagaattatt ttctgtaatg gcggctcaag aaattaagat tattgatgtc 2580
cctggaaacc attattcgtt tgttctagaa ccccatgtac aggttttagc acagcgttta 2640
caagattgtc tggaaaataa ttcatgactc ga 2672
SEQ ID NO: 5
cctttgcgaa agagttaata agttaacaga agatgaacca aaactaaatg gtttagcagg 60
aaacttagat aaaaaaatga atccagaatt atattcagaa caggaacagc aacaagaaca 120
acaaaagaat caaaaacgag atagaggtat gcacttatag aacatgcatt tatgccgaga 180
aaacttattg gttggaatgg gctatgtgtt agctaacttg ttagcgagtt ggttggactt 240
gaattgggat taatcccaag aaagtaccaa ctcaacaaca cataaagccc tgtaggttcc 300
gaccaataag gaaattggaa taaagcaata aaaggagttg aagaaatgaa attcagagaa 360
gcctttgaga attttataac aagtaagtat gtacttggtg ttttagtagt tttaactgtt 420
taccagataa tacaaatgct taaataaaaa aagacttgat ctgattagac caaatctttt 480
gatagtgtta tattaataac aaaataaaaa ggagtcgctc acgccctacc aaagtttgtg 540
aacgacatca ttcaaagaaa aaaacactga gttgttttta taatcttgta tatttagata 600
ttaaacgata tttaaatata catcaagata tatatttggg tgagcgatta cttaaacgaa 660
attgagatta aggagtcgat tttttatgta taaaaacaat catgcaaatc attcaaatca 720
tttggaaaat cacgatttag acaatttttc taaaaccggc tactctaata gccggttgga 780
cgcacatact gtgtgcatat ctgatccaaa attaagtttt gatgcaatga cgatcgttgg 840
aaatctcaac cgagacaacg ctcaagccct ttctaaattt atgagtgtag agccccaaat 900
aagactttgg gatattcttc aaacaaagtt taaagctaaa gcacttcaag aaaaagttta 960
tattgaatat gacaaagtga aagcagatag ttgggataga cgtaatatgc gtattgaatt 1020
taatccaaac aaacttacac gagatgaaat gatttggtta aaacaaaata taataagcta 1080
catggaagat gacggtttta caagattaga tttagccttt gattttgaag atgatttgag 1140
tgactactat gcaatgtctg ataaagcagt taagaaaact attttttatg gtcgtaatgg 1200
taagccagaa acaaaatatt ttggcgtgag agatagtaat agatttatta gaatttataa 1260
taaaaagcaa gaacgtaaag ataatgcaga tgctgaagtt atgtctgaac atttatggcg 1320
tgtagaaatc gaacttaaaa gagatatggt ggattactgg aatgattgct ttagtgattt 1380
acatatcttg caaccagatt ggaaaactat ccaacgcact gcggatagag caatagtttt 1440
tatgttattg agtgatgaag aagaatgggg aaagcttcac agaaattcta gaacaaaata 1500
taagaatttg ataaaagaaa tttcgccagt cgatttaacg gacttaatga aatcgacttt 1560
aaaagcgaac gaaaaacaat tgcaaaaaca aatcgatttt tggcaacatg aatttaaatt 1620
ttggaaatag tgtacatatt aatattactg aacaaaaatg atatatttaa actattctaa 1680
tttaggagga tttttttatg aagtgtctat ttaaaaattt ggggaattta tatgaggtga 1740
aagaataatt tacccctata aactttagtc acctcaagta aagaggtaaa attgtttagt 1800
ttatataaaa aatttaaagg tttgttttat agcgttttat tttggctttg tattctttca 1860
ttttttagtg tattaaatga aatggtttta aatgtttctt tacctgatat tgcaaatcat 1920
tttaatacta ctcctggaat tacaaactgg gtaaacactg catatatgtt aactttttcg 1980
ataggaacag cagtatatgg aaaattatct gattatataa atataaaaaa attgttaatt 2040
attggtatta gtttgagctg tcttggttca ttgattgctt ttattgggcc cacctaggaa 2100
ttgaatgaga catgctacac ctccggataa taaatatata taaacgtata tagatttcat 2160
aaagtctaac acactagact tatttacttc gtaattaagt cgttaaaccg tgtgctctac 2220
gaccaaaact ataaaacctt taagaacttt ctttttttac aagaaaaaag aaattagata 2280
aatctctcat atcttttatt caataatcgc atccgattgc agtataaatt taacgatcac 2340
tcatcatgtt catatttatc agagctcgtg ctataattat actaatttta taaggaggaa 2400
aaaatatggg catttttagt atttttgtaa tcagcacagt tcattatcaa ccaaacaaaa 2460
aataagtggt tataatgaat cgttaataag caaaattcat ataaccaaat taaagagggt 2520
tataatgaac gagaaaaata taaaacacag tcaaaacttt attacttcaa aacataatat 2580
agataaaata atgacaaata taagattaaa tgaacatgat aatatctttg aaatcggctc 2640
aggaaaaggc cattttaccc ttgaattagt aaagaggtgt aatttcgtaa ctgccattga 2700
aatagaccat aaattatgca aaactacaga aaataaactt gttgatcacg ataatttcca 2760
agttttaaac aaggatatat tgcagtttaa atttcctaaa aaccaatcct ataaaatata 2820
tggtaatata ccttataaca taagtacgga tataatacgc aaaattgttt ttgatagtat 2880
agctaatgag atttatttaa tcgtggaata cgggtttgct aaaagattat taaatacaaa 2940
acgctcattg gcattacttt taatggcaga agttgatatt tctatattaa gtatggttcc 3000
aagagaatat tttcatccta aacctaaagt gaatagctca cttatcagat taagtagaaa 3060
aaaatcaaga atatcacaca aagataaaca aaagtataat tatttcgtta tgaaatgggt 3120
taacaaagaa tacaagaaaa tatttacaaa aaatcaattt aacaattcct taaaacatgc 3180
aggaattgac gatttaaaca atattagctt tgaacaattc ttatctcttt tcaatagcta 3240
taaattattt aataagtaag ttaagggatg cataaactgc atcccttaac ttgtttttcg 3300
tgtgcctatt ttttgtgaat cgattatgtc ttttgcgcag tcggcttaaa ccagttttcc 3360
gcggcgctcg agcggccgca tagttaagcc agccccgaca cccgccaaca cccgctgacg 3420
cgccctgacg ggcttgtctg ctcccggcat ccgcttacag acaagctgtg accgtctccg 3480
ggagctgcat gtgtcagagg ttttcaccgt catcaccgaa acgcgcgaga cgaaagggcc 3540
tcgtgatacg cctattttta taggttaatg tcatgataat aatggtttct tagacgtcag 3600
gtggcacttt tcggggaaat gtgcgcggaa cccctatttg tttatttttc taaatacatt 3660
caaatatgta tccgctcatg agacaataac cctgataaat gcttcaataa tattgaaaaa 3720
ggaagagtat gagtattcaa catttccgtg tcgcccttat tccctttttt gcggcatttt 3780
gccttcctgt ttttgctcac ccagaaacgc tggtgaaagt aaaagatgct gaagatcagt 3840
tgggtgcacg agtgggttac atcgaactgg atctcaacag cggtaagatc cttgagagtt 3900
ttcgccccga agaacgtttt ccaatgatga gcacttttaa agttctgcta tgtggcgcgg 3960
tattatcccg tattgacgcc gggcaagagc aactcggtcg ccgcatacac tattctcaga 4020
atgacttggt tgagtactca ccagtcacag aaaagcatct tacggatggc atgacagtaa 4080
gagaattatg cagtgctgcc ataaccatga gtgataacac tgcggccaac ttacttctga 4140
caacgatcgg aggaccgaag gagctaaccg cttttttgca caacatgggg gatcatgtaa 4200
ctcgccttga tcgttgggaa ccggagctga atgaagccat accaaacgac gagcgtgaca 4260
ccacgatgcc tgtagcaatg gcaacaacgt tgcgcaaact attaactggc gaactactta 4320
ctctagcttc ccggcaacaa ttaatagact ggatggaggc ggataaagtt gcaggaccac 4380
ttctgcgctc ggcccttccg gctggctggt ttattgctga taaatctgga gccggtgagc 4440
gtgggtctcg cggtatcatt gcagcactgg ggccagatgg taagccctcc cgtatcgtag 4500
ttatctacac gacggggagt caggcaacta tggatgaacg aaatagacag atcgctgaga 4560
taggtgcctc actgattaag cattggtaac tgtcagacca agtttactca tatatacttt 4620
agattgattt aaaacttcat ttttaattta aaaggatcta ggtgaagatc ctttttgata 4680
atctcatgac caaaatccct taacgtgagt tttcgttcca ctgagcgtca gaccccgtag 4740
aaaagatcaa aggatcttct tgagatcctt tttttctgcg cgtaatctgc tgcttgcaaa 4800
caaaaaaacc accgctacca gcggtggttt gtttgccgga tcaagagcta ccaactcttt 4860
ttccgaaggt aactggcttc agcagagcgc agataccaaa tactgttctt ctagtgtagc 4920
cgtagttagg ccaccacttc aagaactctg tagcaccgcc tacatacctc gctctgctaa 4980
tcctgttacc agtggctgct gccagtggcg ataagtcgtg tcttaccggg ttggactcaa 5040
gacgatagtt accggataag gcgcagcggt cgggctgaac ggggggttcg tgcacacagc 5100
ccagcttgga gcgaacgacc tacaccgaac tgagatacct acagcgtgag ctatgagaaa 5160
gcgccacgct tcccgaaggg agaaaggcgg acaggtatcc ggtaagcggc agggtcggaa 5220
caggagagcg cacgagggag cttccagggg gaaacgcctg gtatctttat agtcctgtcg 5280
ggtttcgcca cctctgactt gagcgtcgat ttttgtgatg ctcgtcaggg gggcggagcc 5340
tatggaaaaa cgccagcaac gcggcctttt tacggttcct ggccttttgc tggccttttg 5400
ctcacatgtt ctttcctgcg ttatcccctg attctgtgga taaccgtatt accgcctttg 5460
agtgagctgg cggccgctgc atgcctgcag gtcgactcta gaggatcccc cccctgatat 5520
ttttgactaa accaaatgct aacccagaaa tacaatcact gtgtctaatg aataatttgt 5580
tttataaaca cttttttgtt tacttctcat ttttaattag ttataattaa ctaaataata 5640
gagcattaaa tatatttaat aaaacttatt taatgcaaaa ttatgactaa catatctata 5700
ataaataaag attagatatc aatatattat cgggcaaatg tatcgagcaa gatgcatcgg 5760
atcgatccag gaggtatacc tgattaactt tataaggagg aaaaacatat gagtatcgtt 5820
caagcgaaat ttgaagcaaa agaaacgagt ttccatgtgg aaggatatga gaagatcgag 5880
tacgatttgg tgtatgttga cggcattttt gagatacaaa attctgcgtt ggcggatgta 5940
tatcagggat ttggtagatg cttggcgata gttgatgcga atgtgagtcg tttgtatggt 6000
aatcagatcc aggcgtattt ccaatactat ggtattgagt tacgtttgtt tcctataacg 6060
attacggagc ctgataagac gattcagact ttcgagcgag ttattgacgt ctttgctgac 6120
ttcaagttag tcagaaaaga accagtcttg gtagtgggtg gtggattaat cacagacgta 6180
gtaggcttcg cgtgcagtac ttacagaaga tcttctaact acatccgaat accgacaacg 6240
ttaataggtt tgattgatgc tagtgttgct atcaaggtgg cagtaaatca cagaaaatta 6300
aagaaccgat tgggagctta ccacgcatca cgaaaagtct tcttagactt ttctttgtta 6360
cgaacattgc cgactgatca agtcagaaac ggaatggctg aattagtaaa gatcgcggtc 6420
gtggcacatc aggaggtgtt cgagttgtta gagaagtacg gagaagagtt attacgaacg 6480
catttcggta atatagacgc tactcctgaa attaaggaga tcgcgcaccg attgacatac 6540
aaagctattc ataagatgtt agagttggag gttcctaact tacacgagtt ggacttagac 6600
cgtgtaatag cttatggtca tacgtggagt ccgacattag aattggctcc tcgtttgcct 6660
atgttccacg gacacgcggt caacgtcgat atggcattca gtgcgacgat tgctgcacga 6720
cgaggttaca ttacgattgc tgagcgtgat agaatcttag gattaatgag tcgagtcggt 6780
ttaagtttgg accaccctat gttggatatt gacatcttat ggcgaggtac agaatctatc 6840
actttaactc gagacggatt attgcgtgct gcaatgccga agcctatagg cgactgtgta 6900
ttcgtcaatg atttgactcg agaagaattg gcagcagcgt tagcggacca caaagaatta 6960
tgtacgagtt atccgcgtgg tggtgaaggc gtcgatgtct atccagtata tcaaaaagag 7020
ttaatcggaa gtgtaaagta acccccctga ttaactttat aaggaggaaa aacatatgtt 7080
atcaggacat attgaaggac aaactttaaa gatgtttgtt catatgacga aggctaagaa 7140
ggtattagaa attggaatgt tcacaggcta ctctgcgtta gcgatggcag aggcgttacc 7200
agaggatggt ttgttagtcg cgtgcgaagt tgatccttac gcagcggaga taggtcaaaa 7260
ggcattccag caatcaccac acggcggcaa gatacgagtt gagttggacg cagctttagc 7320
gactttggac aaattagcag aagcaggaga gagttttgat ttggttttca tagacgctga 7380
caagaaggaa tacgtggctt attttcataa gttgttggga agttcattat tagctccaga 7440
cggtttcata tgcgttgaca acactttgtt gcaaggagaa gtatatttac cggcggagga 7500
gcgatcagtg aatggtgagg ctatcgcaca gttcaatcat actgtcgcaa ttgatccgcg 7560
agtcgagcaa gtgttattgc cgttgagaga tggtttaact attattcgtc gtattcagcc 7620
ataacccccc tgattaactt tataaggagg aaaaacatat ggctcaatct ttaccattat 7680
cttctgcacc agcgactccg tcattgccat cacagactaa gattgctgcg atcatccaga 7740
atatctgtac gttggcgttg ttgttgttgg ctttgccaat taacgctacg atagtgttta 7800
tcagtttgtt agtatttcga ccacagaagg tgaaggctgc taacccacaa acaatattaa 7860
tctcaggtgg aaagatgact aaagcattgc agttagcacg atctttccat gcagctggtc 7920
atagagttgt tttggtggaa acgcataagt attggttgac tggtcacaga ttctcacagg 7980
cagtagacaa attttatact gtccctgcac cgcaagacaa tccgcaagcg tatattcaag 8040
ctttggtaga cattgtcaaa caggaaaata tagacgtcta tattccggtg acatctccgg 8100
tcggctcata ttacgattca ttggcgaagc cggaattgtc tcactattgt gaagtgtttc 8160
acttcgatgc agacataaca caaatgttag acgacaaatt tgctttaact caaaaagcac 8220
gatctttggg cttgtcagtc ccgaagtctt tcaaaataac ttctccggag caagtaatta 8280
acttcgactt ctcaggagaa actagaaaat acatcttaaa aagtattcca tacgacagtg 8340
tacgtcgttt agatttgaca aagttacctt gtgctacgcc ggaagagaca gcagctttcg 8400
ttagaagttt gccgatcacg ccagagaagc cgtggataat gcaggaattt ataccaggca 8460
aggaattttg tacacactca actgtcagaa acggagaatt acgtttgcac tgctgttgtg 8520
agtcatcagc tttccaagtc aactatgaga acgtaaacaa tccgcagata acagaatggg 8580
tccaacattt tgtcaaagag ttaaagttga ctggacaaat ctctttcgat ttcatacaag 8640
ctgaagatgg aacagtatac gctattgagt gtaaccctcg aactcattca gcgataacta 8700
ctttctatga ccatccgcaa gttgcagaag cttacttgtc acaggctcca acaacggaga 8760
caattcaacc attaacaaca tctaaaccaa cttattggac atatcatgaa gtgtggagat 8820
taacgggtat ccgaagtttc actcagttgc aacgatggtt gggcaacatt tggcgtggca 8880
ctgatgcgat ttaccaaccg gacgacccgt tacctttctt gatggttcat cattggcaaa 8940
ttccgttgtt attgttgaat aatttgcgac gattaaaggg ttggacacgt attgatttca 9000
acattggaaa attggtcgaa ttaggaggtg actagccccc ctgattaact ttataaggag 9060
gaaaaacata tgcagacgat tgattttaat atccgaaagt tgttagtgga atggaacgcg 9120
acacatcgtg attacgactt gtcacagtct ttgcacgaat tgatagttgc acaagttgaa 9180
agaactcctg aagctattgc tgttacgttc gacaagcagc aattaacgta tcaggaatta 9240
aatcataaag cgaaccagtt gggacactac ttacaaacgt taggtgtcca accggagacg 9300
ttagtcggtg tctgtttgga acgtagtttg gagatggtca tttgtttatt aggaatattg 9360
aaggcgggcg gtgcttatgt ccctatcgac ccggaatatc ctcaggaacg tatagcttac 9420
atgttagaag actctcaggt gaaggttttg ttgactcaag aaaaattatt aaatcagatc 9480
ccgcaccatc aggcacaaac aatatgtgtt gatagagaat gggagaaaat ctctacacaa 9540
gcgaatacaa atccgaaatc aaatattaag acggataact tggcatacgt catttacact 9600
tctggtagta caggaaaacc aaaaggtgcg atgaacacgc ataaaggcat atgtaatcga 9660
ttattgtgga tgcaagaggc ttatcagatc gatagtacgg acagtatctt gcaaaaaacg 9720
ccgttctctt ttgatgtttc agtctgggag tttttctgga cattattgac gggagcgcga 9780
ttggttatcg ctaagccagg aggccacaaa gacagtgcat atttgataga tttgataaca 9840
caggagcaaa ttacaacttt acactttgtg ccgtcaatgt tacaagtctt cttacagaac 9900
cgtcacgtaa gtaagtgtag ttctttaaag cgagtcattt gctcaggaga ggcgttatca 9960
attgatttac agaatagatt tttccaacac ttgcagtgtg agttgcacaa cttatatggt 10020
ccaacagaag ctgctattga cgtaactttt tggcaatgta gaaaggattc taatttaaaa 10080
tctgtcccga taggtagacc tatagcgaat acacaaatat atatcttgga cgctgattta 10140
cagccggtta acataggcgt aacgggagag atttatattg gaggtgtagg cgtggctcgt 10200
ggatatttga ataaagagga gttaactaaa gaaaaattca tcatcaatcc tttcccaaac 10260
tctgaattca aacgtttgta taaaacgggc gatttagcgc gttatttacc agacggcaac 10320
atagaatatt tgggcagaac agattatcaa gtgaaaatac gaggctatag aatagaaata 10380
ggcgaaatag agaacgtctt gtctagtcat ccacaggtga gagaagctgt cgtaatagct 10440
agagatgata acgcgcaaga gaaacagatc atcgcttaca tcacatataa tagtatcaag 10500
ccgcaattgg acaacttacg agacttcttg aaggcacgtt tgccggattt tatgattcct 10560
gcagcttttg tgatgttgga acacttaccg ttgactccaa gtggcaaagt agatcgaaag 10620
gcattgccta agccagattt attcaattac tcagaacata attcttatgt tgcaccgcgt 10680
aatgaagtag aggaaaaatt ggtgcagata tggtctaaca ttttacattt acctaaagta 10740
ggcgttactg aaaacttttt cgcgatcggt ggtaatagtt tgaaggcgtt acacttaatt 10800
agtcagattg aggaattatt cgcaaaggag attagtttgg cgacgttgtt gacaaatcca 10860
gttattgcgg acttagctaa agttattcaa gcgaataacc aaatccacaa ttcaccatta 10920
gtgccgatcc aaccgcaggg caagcagcaa ccttttttct gtatccatcc ggcgggtgga 10980
catgtattat gttacttcaa gttggcgcaa tacataggaa cggaccaacc attttacggc 11040
ttgcaggctc aaggttttta cggagatgaa gcgccattga cacgtgttga ggatatggca 11100
tctttgtacg tgaaaacgat acgagagttc caacctcaag gcccgtaccg agtcggtggc 11160
tggtctttcg gcggcgtagt ggcgtacgag gtcgcgcaac aattgcatcg acaaggacaa 11220
gaggtctcat tgttagcaat tttagatagt tatgtgccaa tcttattgga taaacaaaag 11280
ccaatcgatg atgtgtactt ggtgggagtc ttgtctcgtg tcttcggtgg aatgttcggt 11340
caagacaatt tagtaacacc tgaagaaatc gaaaatttga cggtagaaga gaaaatcaat 11400
tacatcattg ataaagctag atcagcacgt atttttcctc cgggagtaga acgacagaac 11460
aatcgtcgta ttttggatgt cttagtgggc actttgaaag caacttatag ttacattcga 11520
cagccttatc cgggcaaggt cacagttttc cgtgcgcgtg aaaaacatat aatggcgccg 11580
gacccaactt tggtctgggt tgaattattt tcagttatgg cggcgcagga aataaagatc 11640
atagacgtac cgggcaatca ctactctttt gtcttagaac cacatgtaca agtattggct 11700
cagagattac aggactgctt agaaaataac tcatgacccg ggtaccgagc tcgaattcag 11760
gcgcgcctat tctaaatgca taataaatac tgataacatc ttatattttg tattatattt 11820
tgtattatcg ttgacatgta taattttgat atcaaaaact gattttccct ctattatttt 11880
cgagatttat tttcttaatt ctctttaaca aactagaaat attgtatata caaaaaatta 11940
taaataatag atgaatagtt taattatagg tgttcatcaa tcgaaaaagc aacgtatctt 12000
atttaaagtg cgttgctttt ttctcattta taaggttaaa taattctcat atatcaagca 12060
aagtgacagg cg                    12072
SEQ ID NO: 6
cccctgatat ttttgactaa accaaatgct aacccagaaa tacaatcact gtgtctaatg 60
aataatttgt tttataaaca cttttttgtt tacttctcat ttttaattag ttataattaa 120
ctaaataata gagcattaaa tatatttaat aaaacttatt taatgcaaaa ttatgactaa 180
catatctata ataaataaag attagatatc aatatattat cgggcaaatg tatcgagcaa 240
gatgcatcgg atcgatccag gaggtatacc tgattaactt tataaggagg aaaaacatat 300
gagtatcgtt caagcgaaat ttgaagcaaa agaaacgagt ttccatgtgg aaggatatga 360
gaagatcgag tacgatttgg tgtatgttga cggcattttt gagatacaaa attctgcgtt 420
ggcggatgta tatcagggat ttggtagatg cttggcgata gttgatgcga atgtgagtcg 480
tttgtatggt aatcagatcc aggcgtattt ccaatactat ggtattgagt tacgtttgtt 540
tcctataacg attacggagc ctgataagac gattcagact ttcgagcgag ttattgacgt 600
ctttgctgac ttcaagttag tcagaaaaga accagtcttg gtagtgggtg gtggattaat 660
cacagacgta gtaggcttcg cgtgcagtac ttacagaaga tcttctaact acatccgaat 720
accgacaacg ttaataggtt tgattgatgc tagtgttgct atcaaggtgg cagtaaatca 780
cagaaaatta aagaaccgat tgggagctta ccacgcatca cgaaaagtct tcttagactt 840
ttctttgtta cgaacattgc cgactgatca agtcagaaac ggaatggctg aattagtaaa 900
gatcgcggtc gtggcacatc aggaggtgtt cgagttgtta gagaagtacg gagaagagtt 960
attacgaacg catttcggta atatagacgc tactcctgaa attaaggaga tcgcgcaccg 1020
attgacatac aaagctattc ataagatgtt agagttggag gttcctaact tacacgagtt 1080
ggacttagac cgtgtaatag cttatggtca tacgtggagt ccgacattag aattggctcc 1140
tcgtttgcct atgttccacg gacacgcggt caacgtcgat atggcattca gtgcgacgat 1200
tgctgcacga cgaggttaca ttacgattgc tgagcgtgat agaatcttag gattaatgag 1260
tcgagtcggt ttaagtttgg accaccctat gttggatatt gacatcttat ggcgaggtac 1320
agaatctatc actttaactc gagacggatt attgcgtgct gcaatgccga agcctatagg 1380
cgactgtgta ttcgtcaatg atttgactcg agaagaattg gcagcagcgt tagcggacca 1440
caaagaatta tgtacgagtt atccgcgtgg tggtgaaggc gtcgatgtct atccagtata 1500
tcaaaaagag ttaatcggaa gtgtaaagta accc 1534
SEQ ID NO: 7
ccctgattaa ctttataagg aggaaaaaca tatgttatca ggacatattg aaggacaaac 60
tttaaagatg tttgttcata tgacgaaggc taagaaggta ttagaaattg gaatgttcac 120
aggctactct gcgttagcga tggcagaggc gttaccagag gatggtttgt tagtcgcgtg 180
cgaagttgat ccttacgcag cggagatagg tcaaaaggca ttccagcaat caccacacgg 240
cggcaagata cgagttgagt tggacgcagc tttagcgact ttggacaaat tagcagaagc 300
aggagagagt tttgatttgg ttttcataga cgctgacaag aaggaatacg tggcttattt 360
tcataagttg ttgggaagtt cattattagc tccagacggt ttcatatgcg ttgacaacac 420
tttgttgcaa ggagaagtat atttaccggc ggaggagcga tcagtgaatg gtgaggctat 480
cgcacagttc aatcatactg tcgcaattga tccgcgagtc gagcaagtgt tattgccgtt 540
gagagatggt ttaactatta ttcgtcgtat tcagccataa ccc 583
SEQ ID NO: 8
ccctgattaa ctttataagg aggaaaaaca tatggctcaa tctttaccat tatcttctgc 60
accagcgact ccgtcattgc catcacagac taagattgct gcgatcatcc agaatatctg 120
tacgttggcg ttgttgttgt tggctttgcc aattaacgct acgatagtgt ttatcagttt 180
gttagtattt cgaccacaga aggtgaaggc tgctaaccca caaacaatat taatctcagg 240
tggaaagatg actaaagcat tgcagttagc acgatctttc catgcagctg gtcatagagt 300
tgttttggtg gaaacgcata agtattggtt gactggtcac agattctcac aggcagtaga 360
caaattttat actgtccctg caccgcaaga caatccgcaa gcgtatattc aagctttggt 420
agacattgtc aaacaggaaa atatagacgt ctatattccg gtgacatctc cggtcggctc 480
atattacgat tcattggcga agccggaatt gtctcactat tgtgaagtgt ttcacttcga 540
tgcagacata acacaaatgt tagacgacaa atttgcttta actcaaaaag cacgatcttt 600
gggcttgtca gtcccgaagt ctttcaaaat aacttctccg gagcaagtaa ttaacttcga 660
cttctcagga gaaactagaa aatacatctt aaaaagtatt ccatacgaca gtgtacgtcg 720
tttagatttg acaaagttac cttgtgctac gccggaagag acagcagctt tcgttagaag 780
tttgccgatc acgccagaga agccgtggat aatgcaggaa tttataccag gcaaggaatt 840
ttgtacacac tcaactgtca gaaacggaga attacgtttg cactgctgtt gtgagtcatc 900
agctttccaa gtcaactatg agaacgtaaa caatccgcag ataacagaat gggtccaaca 960
ttttgtcaaa gagttaaagt tgactggaca aatctctttc gatttcatac aagctgaaga 1020
tggaacagta tacgctattg agtgtaaccc tcgaactcat tcagcgataa ctactttcta 1080
tgaccatccg caagttgcag aagcttactt gtcacaggct ccaacaacgg agacaattca 1140
accattaaca acatctaaac caacttattg gacatatcat gaagtgtgga gattaacggg 1200
tatccgaagt ttcactcagt tgcaacgatg gttgggcaac atttggcgtg gcactgatgc 1260
gatttaccaa ccggacgacc cgttaccttt cttgatggtt catcattggc aaattccgtt 1320
gttattgttg aataatttgc gacgattaaa gggttggaca cgtattgatt tcaacattgg 1380
aaaattggtc gaattaggag gtgactagcc c 1411
SEQ ID NO: 9
ccctgattaa ctttataagg aggaaaaaca tatgcagacg attgatttta atatccgaaa 60
gttgttagtg gaatggaacg cgacacatcg tgattacgac ttgtcacagt ctttgcacga 120
attgatagtt gcacaagttg aaagaactcc tgaagctatt gctgttacgt tcgacaagca 180
gcaattaacg tatcaggaat taaatcataa agcgaaccag ttgggacact acttacaaac 240
gttaggtgtc caaccggaga cgttagtcgg tgtctgtttg gaacgtagtt tggagatggt 300
catttgttta ttaggaatat tgaaggcggg cggtgcttat gtccctatcg acccggaata 360
tcctcaggaa cgtatagctt acatgttaga agactctcag gtgaaggttt tgttgactca 420
agaaaaatta ttaaatcaga tcccgcacca tcaggcacaa acaatatgtg ttgatagaga 480
atgggagaaa atctctacac aagcgaatac aaatccgaaa tcaaatatta agacggataa 540
cttggcatac gtcatttaca cttctggtag tacaggaaaa ccaaaaggtg cgatgaacac 600
gcataaaggc atatgtaatc gattattgtg gatgcaagag gcttatcaga tcgatagtac 660
ggacagtatc ttgcaaaaaa cgccgttctc ttttgatgtt tcagtctggg agtttttctg 720
gacattattg acgggagcgc gattggttat cgctaagcca ggaggccaca aagacagtgc 780
atatttgata gatttgataa cacaggagca aattacaact ttacactttg tgccgtcaat 840
gttacaagtc ttcttacaga accgtcacgt aagtaagtgt agttctttaa agcgagtcat 900
ttgctcagga gaggcgttat caattgattt acagaataga tttttccaac acttgcagtg 960
tgagttgcac aacttatatg gtccaacaga agctgctatt gacgtaactt tttggcaatg 1020
tagaaaggat tctaatttaa aatctgtccc gataggtaga cctatagcga atacacaaat 1080
atatatcttg gacgctgatt tacagccggt taacataggc gtaacgggag agatttatat 1140
tggaggtgta ggcgtggctc gtggatattt gaataaagag gagttaacta aagaaaaatt 1200
catcatcaat cctttcccaa actctgaatt caaacgtttg tataaaacgg gcgatttagc 1260
gcgttattta ccagacggca acatagaata tttgggcaga acagattatc aagtgaaaat 1320
acgaggctat agaatagaaa taggcgaaat agagaacgtc ttgtctagtc atccacaggt 1380
gagagaagct gtcgtaatag ctagagatga taacgcgcaa gagaaacaga tcatcgctta 1440
catcacatat aatagtatca agccgcaatt ggacaactta cgagacttct tgaaggcacg 1500
tttgccggat tttatgattc ctgcagcttt tgtgatgttg gaacacttac cgttgactcc 1560
aagtggcaaa gtagatcgaa aggcattgcc taagccagat ttattcaatt actcagaaca 1620
taattcttat gttgcaccgc gtaatgaagt agaggaaaaa ttggtgcaga tatggtctaa 1680
cattttacat ttacctaaag taggcgttac tgaaaacttt ttcgcgatcg gtggtaatag 1740
tttgaaggcg ttacacttaa ttagtcagat tgaggaatta ttcgcaaagg agattagttt 1800
ggcgacgttg ttgacaaatc cagttattgc ggacttagct aaagttattc aagcgaataa 1860
ccaaatccac aattcaccat tagtgccgat ccaaccgcag ggcaagcagc aacctttttt 1920
ctgtatccat ccggcgggtg gacatgtatt atgttacttc aagttggcgc aatacatagg 1980
aacggaccaa ccattttacg gcttgcaggc tcaaggtttt tacggagatg aagcgccatt 2040
gacacgtgtt gaggatatgg catctttgta cgtgaaaacg atacgagagt tccaacctca 2100
aggcccgtac cgagtcggtg gctggtcttt cggcggcgta gtggcgtacg aggtcgcgca 2160
acaattgcat cgacaaggac aagaggtctc attgttagca attttagata gttatgtgcc 2220
aatcttattg gataaacaaa agccaatcga tgatgtgtac ttggtgggag tcttgtctcg 2280
tgtcttcggt ggaatgttcg gtcaagacaa tttagtaaca cctgaagaaa tcgaaaattt 2340
gacggtagaa gagaaaatca attacatcat tgataaagct agatcagcac gtatttttcc 2400
tccgggagta gaacgacaga acaatcgtcg tattttggat gtcttagtgg gcactttgaa 2460
agcaacttat agttacattc gacagcctta tccgggcaag gtcacagttt tccgtgcgcg 2520
tgaaaaacat ataatggcgc cggacccaac tttggtctgg gttgaattat tttcagttat 2580
ggcggcgcag gaaataaaga tcatagacgt accgggcaat cactactctt ttgtcttaga 2640
accacatgta caagtattgg ctcagagatt acaggactgc ttagaaaata actcatgacc 2700
c                                2701

Claims

1. A genetically modified strain of commensal bacteria Staphylococcus epidermidis which produces a material with UV absorbing properties.

2. The genetically modified strain of commensal bacteria of claim 1 wherein the material with UV absorbing properties is a mycosporine-like amino acid.

3. The genetically modified strain of commensal bacteria of claim 1 wherein the mycosporine-like amino acid is shinorine.

4. The genetically modified strain of commensal bacteria of claim 1 comprising the nucleotide sequences shown in SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:8, and SEQ ID NO:9.

5. The genetically modified strain of commensal bacteria of claim 1 comprising the nucleotide sequence shown in SEQ ID NO:5.

6. A topical composition comprising the genetically modified strain of commensal bacteria of claim 1 wherein the bacteria is present in a topical composition at a concentration of at least 0.1% by weight of the total composition.

7. A composition comprising the genetically modified strain of commensal bacteria of claim 1 and a sunscreen.

8. A genetically modified strain of bacteria Escherichia coli Nissle 1917 which produces a material with UV absorbing properties.

9. The genetically modified strain of bacteria of claim 8 wherein the material with UV absorbing properties is a mycosporine-like amino acid.

10. The genetically modified strain of bacteria of claim 8 wherein the mycosporine-like amino acid is shinorine.

11. The genetically modified strain of bacteria of claim 8 comprising the nucleotide sequences shown in SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:3, and SEQ ID NO:4.

12. A topical composition comprising the genetically modified strain of bacteria of claim 8 wherein the bacteria is present in a topical composition at a concentration of at least 0.1% by weight of the total composition.

13. A composition comprising the genetically modified strain of bacteria of claim 8 and a sunscreen.

14. A genetically modified strain of commensal bacteria which produces a material with UV absorbing properties, wherein said bacteria comprises a lysis circuit.

15. The genetically modified strain of commensal bacteria of claim 14 wherein said bacteria undergoes lysis in the presence of increased bacterial density and the absence of UV light.