GMPgated

GMPgated is a term used in biotechnology and synthetic biology to describe systems whose activity is controlled by guanosine monophosphate (GMP). In GMPgated devices, GMP serves as an input signal that modulates a gate—such as a gene-expression module, an ion channel, or a microfluidic valve—thereby regulating downstream processes. The concept leverages GMP-sensing elements, including engineered GMP-binding protein domains and GMP-responsive riboswitches, to effect a gate change in response to GMP levels. In typical designs, GMP binding triggers a conformational change that opens or closes the gate, enabling or blocking transcription, translation, ion flow, or substrate passage.

Implementations of GMPgated systems span living cells and engineered materials. Protein-based GMP gates can be fused to transcriptional activators or repressors to couple GMP sensing to gene expression. Riboswitch-like GMP gates can regulate transcription in response to GMP. At the device level, GMP-gated components are used in microfluidic or lab-on-a-chip platforms to control fluid routing or sample handling based on GMP measurements.

Applications include biosensing of GMP concentrations in biological contexts; dynamic control of GMP-responsive metabolic pathways; GMP-directed switches for synthetic circuits; and GMP-sensitive microfluidic control. Key considerations include specificity to GMP over GDP and GTP, potential metabolic burden on host cells, response time, and integration with existing signaling networks.

See also: cGMP-gated channels; riboswitches; guanylate-binding proteins.