Abstract Dioxin-like compounds (DLCs) are environmental xenobiotics that can activate the aryl hydrocarbon receptors (AhR), thereby imposing a significant threat to human health through biomagnifications processes. In this study, a dioxin-activated nano-luminescent Saccharomyces cerevisiae bioreporter, called DnaSc, was developed for simple and rapid detection of DLCs and AhR agonists. The bioreporter used nano-luciferase NLuc as a signal generator to emit bioluminescent signals in response to DLCs without cell lysis. Through optimizing ARNT expression and engineering the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), the yeast-based bioassay exhibited a detection limit of 10 fM for 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) within 6 h, making it the most sensitive whole-cell biosensor reported to date. Furthermore, the detection capacity of the DnaSc bioassay for DLCs and AhR agonists was characterized. In summary, the yeast-based bioreporter developed in this study provided a simple, sensitive, and cost-effective method for DLCs detection.

A new yeast-based bioreporter for simple, sensitive, and cost-effective detection of dioxin-like compounds