Table 1 Strains, plasmids and primers used in this study

Strain

 E. coli DH5α

supE44 Δ(lacZYA-argF) U169 (Φ80lacZ ΔM15) hsdR17 recA endA1 gyrA96 thi-1 relA1

Invitrogen

 E. coli BW 25113

lacI ^q rrnB _T14 ΔlacZ _WJ16 hsdR514 ΔaraBAD _AH33 ΔrhaBAD _LD78

[17]

 E. coli DOPA-30N

L-DOPA overproducer

[16]

Plasmid

 pBbB2k-GFP

Expressing plasmid, BglBrick vectors, tet promoter, pBBR1 ori, kan^r, Addgene plasmid #35345

[18]

 pBbB2k-ipdC-L-feaB

pBbB2k derivatives harboring the fusion gene cluster of ipdC from Azospirillum brasilense and feaB from E. coli with a (GSG)₂ linker

This study

 pBbB2k-ARO10-L-feaB

pBbB2k derivatives harboring the fusion gene cluster of ARO10 from Saccharomyces cerevisiae and feaB from E. coli with a (GSG)₂ linker

This study

 pBbB2k-aas-L-feaB

pBbB2k derivatives harboring the fusion gene cluster of aas from Petroselinum crispum and feaB from E. coli with a (GSG)₂ linker

This study

 pBbB2k-tydc-L-tynA-L-feaB

pBbB2k derivatives harboring the fusion gene cluster of tydc from Pseudomonas putida KT2440, tynA and feaB from E. coli with a (GSG)₂ linker

This study

 pBbB2k-ARO10*- L-feaB*

pBbB2k derivatives harboring the fusion gene cluster of the evolved ARO10_6D5 from S. cerevisiae and feaB_2E1 from E. coli with a (GSG)₂ linker

This study

 pBbB2k-ARO10*-feaB*

pBbB2k derivatives harboring the gene cluster of the evolved ARO10_6D5 from S. cerevisiae and feaB_2E1 from E. coli, one operon

This study

 pBbB2k-ARO10*-TIGR-feaB*

pBbB2k derivatives harboring the TIGR-mediated gene cluster of the evolved ARO10_6D5 from S. cerevisiae and feaB_2E1 from E. coli

This study

 pZBK

BglBrick/ePathBrick expression vector, pBBR1 ori, P37 promoter, kan^r

[19]

 pZBK-P_esaSIC-P_esaRAS

Quorum-sensing plasmid, pBBR1 ori, P37 promoter, kan^r

This study

 pZBK-P_esaRAS-4HPAA

pZBK-P_esaSIC-P_esaRAS harboring the TIGR-mediated gene cluster of the evolved ARO10_6D5 from S. cerevisiae and feaB_2E1 from E. coli

This study

Primer

 FeaBF

CCGGAATTCAAAAGATCTGGTATGACAGAGCCGCATGTAGCAG (EcoRI, BglII)

PCR for feaB

 FeaBR

CGCGGATCCTTAATACCGTACACACACCGACTTAGTTTCACACCAAC (BamHI)

 TynAF

CCGGAATTCAAAAGATCTGGTATGGGAAGCCCCTCTCTGTATTCTG (EcoRI, BglII)

PCR for tynA

 TynAR

CGCGGATCCACCTGAACCCTTATCTTTCTTCAGCGCCC (BamHI)

 ARO10F

CCGGAATTCAAAAGATCTTTTCGGAATTAAGGAGGTAATAAATATGGCACCTGTTACAATTG (EcoRI, BglII)

PCR for ARO10

 ARO10R

CGCGGATCCACCACTACCTTTTTTATTTCTTTTAAGTG (BamHI)

 AROF

GATAGAGAAAAGAATTCAAAAGATCTTTTCGGAATTAAGGAGG (EcoRI, BglII)

error-prone PCR forARO10-feaB

 FeaR

TACTCGAGTTTGGATCCTTAATACCGTACACACACCGACTT (BamHI)

 epAROF

ACCTTCGATTCCGACCTCATTAAGC

error-prone PCR for ARO10

 epAROR

CGCGGATCCTTAATACCGAACACACACCGACTTAGTTTCACACCAAC

 TIGRs-F(X)

CTAGCTAGCGCCTAGCAAGATCTCCTGATCCCGGTGC (NheI)

PCR for TIGRs

 TIGRs-R(A)

TTTTCCTTTTGCGGCCGCGGATACAGTATCTGCGGTACCCTAG (NotI)

 Qaro10F

CGACACCTTGTTTCCAACCG

qRT-PCR for ARO10

 Qaro10R

TGAAGTCACCAGGAACACCG

 QfeaBF

GCCAACGCTGGTGGTAAATC

qRT-PCR for feaB

 QfeaBR

GCCTCTTCTCCATCCGCTAC