1
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Wanka V, Fottner M, Cigler M, Lang K. Genetic Code Expansion Approaches to Decipher the Ubiquitin Code. Chem Rev 2024; 124:11544-11584. [PMID: 39311880 PMCID: PMC11503651 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.4c00375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2024] [Revised: 08/05/2024] [Accepted: 08/19/2024] [Indexed: 10/25/2024]
Abstract
The covalent attachment of Ub (ubiquitin) to target proteins (ubiquitylation) represents one of the most versatile PTMs (post-translational modifications) in eukaryotic cells. Substrate modifications range from a single Ub moiety being attached to a target protein to complex Ub chains that can also contain Ubls (Ub-like proteins). Ubiquitylation plays pivotal roles in most aspects of eukaryotic biology, and cells dedicate an orchestrated arsenal of enzymes to install, translate, and reverse these modifications. The entirety of this complex system is coined the Ub code. Deciphering the Ub code is challenging due to the difficulty in reconstituting enzymatic machineries and generating defined Ub/Ubl-protein conjugates. This Review provides a comprehensive overview of recent advances in using GCE (genetic code expansion) techniques to study the Ub code. We highlight strategies to site-specifically ubiquitylate target proteins and discuss their advantages and disadvantages, as well as their various applications. Additionally, we review the potential of small chemical PTMs targeting Ub/Ubls and present GCE-based approaches to study this additional layer of complexity. Furthermore, we explore methods that rely on GCE to develop tools to probe interactors of the Ub system and offer insights into how future GCE-based tools could help unravel the complexity of the Ub code.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vera Wanka
- Laboratory
for Organic Chemistry (LOC), Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences
(D-CHAB), ETH Zurich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 3, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Maximilian Fottner
- Laboratory
for Organic Chemistry (LOC), Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences
(D-CHAB), ETH Zurich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 3, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Marko Cigler
- Department
of Chemistry, Technical University of Munich, 85748 Garching, Germany
| | - Kathrin Lang
- Laboratory
for Organic Chemistry (LOC), Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences
(D-CHAB), ETH Zurich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 3, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
- Department
of Chemistry, Technical University of Munich, 85748 Garching, Germany
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2
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Viola G, Trivellato D, Meulli L, Tira R, Lauriola A, Munari F, Montagnana M, Buffelli M, Assfalg M, D'Onofrio M. Stable ubiquitin conjugation for biological interrogation of ubiquitinated tau repeat domain. Bioorg Chem 2024; 150:107549. [PMID: 38896934 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2024.107549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2024] [Revised: 05/29/2024] [Accepted: 06/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
Protein semisynthesis approaches are key for gaining insights into the effects of post-translational modifications (PTMs) on the structure and function of modified proteins. Among PTMs, ubiquitination involves the conjugation of a small protein modifier to a substrate amino acid residue and is unique in controlling a variety of cellular processes. Interest has grown in understanding the role of ubiquitination in neurodegenerative conditions, including tauopathies. The latter are characterized by the accumulation of the intrinsically disordered protein tau in the form of neurofibrillary tangles in the brains of patients. The presence of ubiquitinated tau in the pathological aggregates suggests that ubiquitination might play a role in the formation of abnormal protein deposits. In this study, we developed a new strategy, based on dehydroalanine chemistry, to install wild type ubiquitin on a tau repeat domain construct with site-specificity. We optimized a three-step reaction which yielded a good amount of highly pure tau repeat domain ubiquitinated in position 353. The structural features of the conjugate were examined by circular dichroism and NMR spectroscopy. The ubiquitinated tau was challenged in a number of assays: fibrils formation under aggregating conditions in vitro, chemical stability upon exposure to a variety of biological media including cell extracts, and internalization into astrocytes. The results demonstrated the wide applicability of the new semisynthetic strategy for the investigation of ubiquitinated substrates in vitro or in cell, and in particular for studying if ubiquitination has a role in the molecular mechanisms that underlie the aberrant transition of tau into pathological aggregates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanna Viola
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy
| | | | - Lorenzo Meulli
- Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy
| | - Roberto Tira
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy
| | - Angela Lauriola
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy
| | - Francesca Munari
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy
| | - Martina Montagnana
- Department of Engineering for Innovation Medicine, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy
| | - Mario Buffelli
- Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy
| | - Michael Assfalg
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy
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3
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Franz P, Fierz B. Decoding Chromatin Ubiquitylation: A Chemical Biology Perspective. J Mol Biol 2024; 436:168442. [PMID: 38211893 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2024.168442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2023] [Revised: 01/05/2024] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 01/13/2024]
Abstract
Since Strahl and Allis proposed the "language of covalent histone modifications", a host of experimental studies have shed light on the different facets of chromatin regulation by epigenetic mechanisms. Initially proposed as a concept for controlling gene transcription, the regulation of deposition and removal of histone post-translational modifications (PTMs), such as acetylation, methylation, and phosphorylation, have been implicated in many chromatin regulation pathways. However, large PTMs such as ubiquitylation challenge research on many levels due to their chemical complexity. In recent years, chemical tools have been developed to generate chromatin in defined ubiquitylation states in vitro. Chemical biology approaches are now used to link specific histone ubiquitylation marks with downstream chromatin regulation events on the molecular level. Here, we want to highlight how chemical biology approaches have empowered the mechanistic study of chromatin ubiquitylation in the context of gene regulation and DNA repair with attention to future challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pauline Franz
- Laboratory of Biophysical Chemistry of Macromolecules, Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering (ISIC), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Beat Fierz
- Laboratory of Biophysical Chemistry of Macromolecules, Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering (ISIC), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
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4
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Zhao Z, Laps S, Gichtin JS, Metanis N. Selenium chemistry for spatio-selective peptide and protein functionalization. Nat Rev Chem 2024; 8:211-229. [PMID: 38388838 DOI: 10.1038/s41570-024-00579-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
The ability to construct a peptide or protein in a spatio-specific manner is of great interest for therapeutic and biochemical research. However, the various functional groups present in peptide sequences and the need to perform chemistry under mild and aqueous conditions make selective protein functionalization one of the greatest synthetic challenges. The fascinating paradox of selenium (Se) - being found in both toxic compounds and also harnessed by nature for essential biochemical processes - has inspired the recent exploration of selenium chemistry for site-selective functionalization of peptides and proteins. In this Review, we discuss such approaches, including metal-free and metal-catalysed transformations, as well as traceless chemical modifications. We report their advantages, limitations and applications, as well as future research avenues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenguang Zhao
- Institute of Chemistry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Shay Laps
- Institute of Chemistry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Jacob S Gichtin
- Institute of Chemistry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Norman Metanis
- Institute of Chemistry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.
- Casali Center for Applied Chemistry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.
- The Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.
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5
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Peng L, Helgason E, Miranda R, Tom J, Zhang J, Dueber EC, Song A. N- tert-Butoxycarbonyl- N-(2-(tritylthio)ethoxy)glycine as a Building Block for Peptide Ubiquitination. Bioconjug Chem 2024; 35:245-253. [PMID: 38236171 PMCID: PMC10885006 DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.3c00541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2023] [Revised: 12/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
N-Boc-N-(2-(tritylthio)ethoxy)glycine has been developed as a building block for peptide ubiquitination, which is fully compatible with solid-phase Fmoc chemistry and common peptide modifications including phosphorylation, methylation, acetylation, biotinylation, and fluorescence labeling. The optimal conditions for peptide cleavage and auxiliary removal were obtained. The utility of this building block in peptide ubiquitination was demonstrated by the synthesis of seven ubiquitinated histone and Tau peptides bearing various modifications. Cys residues were well tolerated and did not require orthogonal protection. The structural integrity and folding of the synthesized ubiquitinated peptides were confirmed by enzymatic deubiquitination of a fluorescently labeled ubiquitin conjugate. The synthetic strategy using this building block provides a practical approach for the preparation of ubiquitinated peptides with diverse modifications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingling Peng
- Department
of Peptide Therapeutics, Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Elizabeth Helgason
- Department
of Biological Chemistry, Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Rafael Miranda
- Department
of Biological Chemistry, Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Jeffrey Tom
- Department
of Peptide Therapeutics, Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Jennifer Zhang
- Department
of Protein Analytical Chemistry, Genentech,
Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Erin C. Dueber
- Department
of Biological Chemistry, Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Aimin Song
- Department
of Peptide Therapeutics, Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
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6
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Kloet MS, van der Heden van Noort GJ. Synthetic Diubiquitin Fluorogenic Substrates to Study DUBs. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2591:17-24. [PMID: 36350540 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2803-4_2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Development of (semi-)synthetic methods to prepare ubiquitin (Ub)-based reagents has proven to be helpful in the classification of deubiquitinating proteases (DUBs). To study DUB selectivity for one or more of the eight possible poly-Ub chains, fluorogenic assay reagents have been reported relying on the appearance of a fluorescent signal upon DUB-mediated cleavage of the reagent. In this protocol, we describe the use of such an assay to profile the selectivity of TRABID, a member of the OTU family of DUBs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Max S Kloet
- Oncode Institute and Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands
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7
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Singh AK, Murmu S, Krężel A. One-Step Sortase-Mediated Chemoenzymatic Semisynthesis of Deubiquitinase-Resistant Ub-Peptide Conjugates. ACS OMEGA 2022; 7:46693-46701. [PMID: 36570257 PMCID: PMC9773336 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.2c05652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Post-translational modifications (PTMs) of proteins increase the functional diversity of the proteome and play crucial regulatory roles in cellular processes. Ubiquitination is a highly regulated and reversible PTM accomplished by a complex multistep process with the sequential action of several specific ubiquitinating (E1-E3) and deubiquitinating enzymes. The different types of ubiquitination (mono-, poly-mono-, and poly-) and the presence of several target sites in a single substrate add to its complexity, which makes the in vitro reconstitution of this ubiquitin (Ub) machinery a quite cumbersome process. Defects in components of the ubiquitination process also contribute to disease pathogenesis, especially cancer and neurodegeneration. This makes them of interest as potential therapeutic targets. Therefore, the development of efficient and reliable methods that will generate a highly homogeneous ubiquitinated peptide and protein conjugate is a topical subject area of research. In this report, we describe the development of a simple and efficient in vitro sortase-mediated chemoenzymatic strategy for semisynthesis of defined and homogeneous ubiquitin conjugates with more than 90% yield. This was achieved by engineering a sortase recognition motif in the dynamic C-terminus of ubiquitin and its conjugation to an isopeptide-linked di-Gly appended peptide LMFK(ε-GG)TEG corresponding to the ubiquitination site residues 383LMFKTEG389 of p53. The defined and homogeneous ubiquitin conjugates were also weighed for their recognition propensity by deubiquitinating enzymes. This facile semisynthesis of ubiquitin conjugates establishes a simple one-step sortase-mediated chemoenzymatic route for the synthesis of homogeneous and defined isopeptide-linked polypeptides and will help in understanding the complexity of the ubiquitination machinery as well as designing isopeptide drugs and therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Avinash K. Singh
- Department
of Chemical Biology, Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Wrocław, F. Joliot-Curie 14a, 50-383 Wrocław, Poland
- National
Institute of Immunology, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi 110067, India
| | - Sumit Murmu
- National
Institute of Immunology, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi 110067, India
| | - Artur Krężel
- Department
of Chemical Biology, Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Wrocław, F. Joliot-Curie 14a, 50-383 Wrocław, Poland
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8
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Huppelschoten Y, van der Heden van Noort GJ. State of the art in (semi-)synthesis of Ubiquitin- and Ubiquitin-like tools. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2022; 132:74-85. [PMID: 34961664 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2021.11.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2021] [Revised: 11/26/2021] [Accepted: 11/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Protein ubiquitination is a key post-translational modification in regulating many fundamental cellular processes and dysregulation of these processes can give rise to a vast array of diseases. Unravelling the molecular mechanisms of ubiquitination hence is an important area in current ubiquitin research with as aim to understand this enigmatic process. The complexity of ubiquitin (Ub) signaling arises from the large variety of Ub conjugates, where Ub is attached to other Ub proteins, Ub-like proteins, and protein substrates. The chemical preparation of such Ub conjugates in high homogeneity and in adequate amounts contributes greatly to the deciphering of Ub signaling. The strength of these chemically synthesized conjugates lies in the chemo-selectivity in which they can be created that are sometimes difficult to obtain using biochemical methodology. In this review, we will discuss the progress in the chemical protein synthesis of state-of-the-art Ub and Ub-like chemical probes, their unique concepts and related discoveries in the ubiquitin field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yara Huppelschoten
- Oncode Institute and Dept. Cell and Chemical Biology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands; Global Research Technologies, Novo Nordisk Research Park, Måløv, Denmark
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9
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Levasseur MD, Hofmann R, Edwardson TGW, Hehn S, Thanaburakorn M, Bode JW, Hilvert D. Post-Assembly Modification of Protein Cages by Ubc9-Mediated Lysine Acylation. Chembiochem 2022; 23:e202200332. [PMID: 35951442 PMCID: PMC9826087 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202200332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2022] [Revised: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Although viruses have been successfully repurposed as vaccines, antibiotics, and anticancer therapeutics, they also raise concerns regarding genome integration and immunogenicity. Virus-like particles and non-viral protein cages represent a potentially safer alternative but often lack desired functionality. Here, we investigated the utility of a new enzymatic bioconjugation method, called lysine acylation using conjugating enzymes (LACE), to chemoenzymatically modify protein cages. We equipped two structurally distinct protein capsules with a LACE-reactive peptide tag and demonstrated their modification with diverse ligands. This modular approach combines the advantages of chemical conjugation and genetic fusion and allows for site-specific modification with recombinant proteins as well as synthetic peptides with facile control of the extent of labeling. This strategy has the potential to fine-tune protein containers of different shape and size by providing them with new properties that go beyond their biologically native functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikail D. Levasseur
- Laboratory of Organic ChemistryETH ZürichVladimir-Prelog-Weg 1–5/108093ZurichSwitzerland
| | - Raphael Hofmann
- Laboratory of Organic ChemistryETH ZürichVladimir-Prelog-Weg 1–5/108093ZurichSwitzerland
| | - Thomas G. W. Edwardson
- Laboratory of Organic ChemistryETH ZürichVladimir-Prelog-Weg 1–5/108093ZurichSwitzerland
| | - Svenja Hehn
- Laboratory of Organic ChemistryETH ZürichVladimir-Prelog-Weg 1–5/108093ZurichSwitzerland
| | | | - Jeffrey W. Bode
- Laboratory of Organic ChemistryETH ZürichVladimir-Prelog-Weg 1–5/108093ZurichSwitzerland
| | - Donald Hilvert
- Laboratory of Organic ChemistryETH ZürichVladimir-Prelog-Weg 1–5/108093ZurichSwitzerland
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10
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Maas MN, Hintzen JCJ, Mecinović J. Probing lysine posttranslational modifications by unnatural amino acids. Chem Commun (Camb) 2022; 58:7216-7231. [PMID: 35678513 DOI: 10.1039/d2cc00708h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Posttranslational modifications, typically small chemical tags attached on amino acids following protein biosynthesis, have a profound effect on protein structure and function. Numerous chemically and structurally diverse posttranslational modifications, including methylation, acetylation, hydroxylation, and ubiquitination, have been identified and characterised on lysine residues in proteins. In this feature article, we focus on chemical tools that rely on the site-specific incorporation of unnatural amino acids into peptides and proteins to probe posttranslational modifications of lysine. We highlight that simple amino acid mimics enable detailed mechanistic and functional assignment of enzymes that install and remove such modifications, and proteins that specifically recognise lysine posttranslational modifications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marijn N Maas
- Department of Physics, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, 5230 Odense, Denmark.
| | - Jordi C J Hintzen
- Department of Physics, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, 5230 Odense, Denmark.
| | - Jasmin Mecinović
- Department of Physics, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, 5230 Odense, Denmark.
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11
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Burslem GM. The chemical biology of ubiquitin. Biochim Biophys Acta Gen Subj 2022; 1866:130079. [PMID: 34971772 PMCID: PMC10038182 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2021.130079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2021] [Revised: 12/13/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
This mini-review will cover the various chemical biology approaches employed to prepare and modulate ubiquitin chains and the ubiquitin-proteasome system. Emphasis will be given to the biochemistry and chemical biology of poly-ubiquitin chain preparation as a tool to elucidate its roles in biological systems as well as the hijacking of the ubiquitin proteasome system using heterobifunctional compounds to induce intracellular ubiquitination.
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Affiliation(s)
- George M Burslem
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Department of Cancer Biology and Epigenetics Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, PA 19104, USA.
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12
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Akimoto G, Fernandes AP, Bode JW. Site-Specific Protein Ubiquitylation Using an Engineered, Chimeric E1 Activating Enzyme and E2 SUMO Conjugating Enzyme Ubc9. ACS CENTRAL SCIENCE 2022; 8:275-281. [PMID: 35237717 PMCID: PMC8883482 DOI: 10.1021/acscentsci.1c01490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2021] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Ubiquitylation-the attachment of ubiquitin (Ub) to proteins in eukaryotic cells-involves a vast number of enzymes from three different classes, resulting in heterogeneous attachment sites and ubiquitin chains. Recently, we introduced lysine acylation using conjugating enzymes (LACE) in which ubiquitin or peptide thioester is site-specifically transferred to a short peptide tag by the SUMO E2 conjugating enzyme Ubc9. This process, however, suffers from slow kinetics-due to a rate-limiting thioester loading step-and the requirement for thioesters restricts its use to in vitro reactions. To overcome these challenges, we devised a chimeric E1 containing the Ub fold domain of the SUMO E1 and the remaining domains of the Ub E1, which activates and loads native Ub onto Ubc9 and obviates the need for Ub thioester in LACE. The chimeric E1 was subjected to directed evolution to improve its apparent second-order rate constant (k cat/K M) 400-fold. We demonstrate the utility of the chimeric E1 by site-specific transfer of mono- and oligo-Ub to various target proteins in vitro. Additionally, the chimeric E1, Ubc9, Ub, and the target protein can be coexpressed in Escherichia coli for the facile preparation of monoubiquitylated proteins.
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13
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Ai H, Peng S, Li JB. Chemical methods for studying the crosstalk between histone H2B ubiquitylation and H3 methylation. J Pept Sci 2021; 28:e3381. [PMID: 34811838 DOI: 10.1002/psc.3381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2021] [Revised: 10/19/2021] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The reversible and dynamic post-translational modifications (PTMs) of histones in eukaryotic chromatin are intimately connected to cell development and gene function, and abnormal regulation of PTMs can result in cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. Specific combinations of these modifications are mediated by a series of chromatin proteins that write, erase, and read the "histone codes," but mechanistic studies of the precise biochemical and structural relationships between different sets of modifications and their effects on chromatin function constitute a unique challenge to canonical biochemical approaches. In the past decade, the development and application of chemical methods for investigating histone PTM crosstalks has received considerable attention in the field of chemical biology. In this review, taking the functional crosstalk between H2B ubiquitylation at Lys120 (H2BK120ub) and H3 methylation at Lys79 (H3K79me) as a typical example, we survey recent developments of different chemical methods, in particular, protein synthetic chemistry and protein-based chemical probes, for studying the mechanism of the functional crosstalks of histone PTMs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huasong Ai
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, China.,Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Shuai Peng
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Jia-Bin Li
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
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14
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Zhou Y, Xie Q, Wang H, Sun H. Chemical approaches for the preparation of ubiquitinated proteins via natural linkages. J Pept Sci 2021; 28:e3367. [PMID: 34514672 DOI: 10.1002/psc.3367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2021] [Revised: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 08/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Ubiquitination is an important posttranslation modification (PTM) that regulates a variety of cellular processes, including protein degradation, DNA repair, and viral infections. In this process, the C-terminal carboxyl group of ubiquitin (Ub) or poly-Ub is attached to the ε-amine of lysine (Lys) side chain of an acceptor protein through an isopeptide bond. Studying a molecular mechanism of ubiquitination and deubiquitination is fundamental for unraveling its precise role in health and disease and hence crucial for drug development. Enzymatic approaches for protein ubiquitination possess limited ability to selectivity install Ub or Ub chain on the desired position of an acceptor protein and often lead to heterogeneous mixtures. In the past decades, chemical protein (semi)synthesis has been proved to be an efficient tool to facilitate site-specific protein ubiquitination, which significantly contributes to decode the Ub signal at molecular and structural levels. In this review, we summarize the synthetic strategies developed for protein ubiquitination, and the achievements to generate monoubiquitinated, di-ubiquitinated, and tetraubiquitinated proteins with native isopeptide and ester bonds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuhui Zhou
- College of Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Qingsong Xie
- College of Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Huagui Wang
- College of Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Hao Sun
- College of Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
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15
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Abstract
The field of epigenetics has exploded over the last two decades, revealing an astonishing level of complexity in the way genetic information is stored and accessed in eukaryotes. This expansion of knowledge, which is very much ongoing, has been made possible by the availability of evermore sensitive and precise molecular tools. This review focuses on the increasingly important role that chemistry plays in this burgeoning field. In an effort to make these contributions more accessible to the nonspecialist, we group available chemical approaches into those that allow the covalent structure of the protein and DNA components of chromatin to be manipulated, those that allow the activity of myriad factors that act on chromatin to be controlled, and those that allow the covalent structure and folding of chromatin to be characterized. The application of these tools is illustrated through a series of case studies that highlight how the molecular precision afforded by chemistry is being used to establish causal biochemical relationships at the heart of epigenetic regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- John D Bagert
- Frick Chemistry Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, USA; ,
| | - Tom W Muir
- Frick Chemistry Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, USA; ,
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16
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Li Y, Liu J, Zhou Q, Zhao J, Wang P. Preparation of Peptide Selenoesters from Their Corresponding Acyl Hydrazides
†. CHINESE J CHEM 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/cjoc.202100086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Yunxue Li
- Shanghai Key Laboratory for Molecular Engineering of Chiral Drugs, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Frontiers Science Center for Transformative Molecules, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Shanghai 200240 China
| | - Jiazhi Liu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory for Molecular Engineering of Chiral Drugs, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Frontiers Science Center for Transformative Molecules, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Shanghai 200240 China
| | - Qingqing Zhou
- Shanghai Key Laboratory for Molecular Engineering of Chiral Drugs, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Frontiers Science Center for Transformative Molecules, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Shanghai 200240 China
| | - Jie Zhao
- Shanghai Key Laboratory for Molecular Engineering of Chiral Drugs, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Frontiers Science Center for Transformative Molecules, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Shanghai 200240 China
| | - Ping Wang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory for Molecular Engineering of Chiral Drugs, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Frontiers Science Center for Transformative Molecules, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Shanghai 200240 China
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17
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Gui W, Davidson GA, Zhuang Z. Chemical methods for protein site-specific ubiquitination. RSC Chem Biol 2021; 2:450-467. [PMID: 34381999 PMCID: PMC8323803 DOI: 10.1039/d0cb00215a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2020] [Accepted: 02/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Ubiquitination is an important protein post-translational modification regulating many cellular processes in eukaryotes. Ubiquitination is catalyzed by a three-enzyme cascade resulting in the conjugation of the C-terminal carboxylate of ubiquitin (Ub) to the ε-amino group of a lysine residue in the acceptor protein via an isopeptide bond. In vitro enzymatic ubiquitination utilizing Ub ligases has been successfully employed to generate Ub dimers and polymers. However, limitations of the enzymatic approach exist, particularly due to the requirement of specific Ub ligase for any given target protein and the low catalytic efficiency of the Ub ligase. To achieve an in-depth understanding of the molecular mechanism of Ub signaling, new methods are needed to generate mono- and poly-ubiquitinated proteins at a specific site with defined polyubiquitin chain linkage and length. Chemical methods offer an attractive solution to the above-described challenges. In this review, we summarize the recently developed chemical methods for generating ubiquitinated proteins using synthetic and semisynthetic approaches. These new tools and approaches, as an important part of the Ub toolbox, are crucial to our understanding and exploitation of the Ub system for novel therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weijun Gui
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Delaware 214A Drake Hall Newark DE 19716 USA
| | - Gregory A Davidson
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Delaware 214A Drake Hall Newark DE 19716 USA
| | - Zhihao Zhuang
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Delaware 214A Drake Hall Newark DE 19716 USA
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18
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Izumi M, Araki H, Tominaga M, Okamoto R, Kajihara Y. Chemical Synthesis of Ubiquitinated High-Mannose-Type N-Glycoprotein CCL1 in Different Folding States. J Org Chem 2020; 85:16024-16034. [PMID: 32985191 DOI: 10.1021/acs.joc.0c01766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Degradation of misfolded glycoproteins by the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) is a very important process for protein homeostasis. To demonstrate the accessibility toward a ubiquitinated glycoprotein probe for the study of glycoprotein degradation by UPS, we synthesized ubiquitinated glycoprotein CC motif chemokine 1 (CCL1) bearing a high-mannose-type N-glycan, starting from six peptide segments. A native isopeptide linkage was constructed using δ-thiolysine (thioLys)-mediated chemical ligation. CCL1 glycopeptide with a high-mannose-type N-glycan as well as a δ-thioLys residue was synthesized chemically. The chemical ligation between δ-thioLys-containing glycopeptide and ubiquitin-α-thioester successfully yielded a ubiquitinated glycopeptide with a native isopeptide bond after desulfurization, even in the presence of a large N-glycan. In vitro folding experiments under reduced and redox conditions gave the desired two types of ubiquitinated glycosylated CCL1s, consisting of unfolded CCL1 and folded ubiquitin, and the folded form of both CCL1 as well as ubiquitin. We achieved the chemical synthesis of a complex protein molecule that contains not only the two major post-translational modifications, ubiquitination and glycosylation, but also controlled folding states of ubiquitin and CCL1. These chemical probes could have useful applications in the study of complex ubiquitin biology and glycobiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masayuki Izumi
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, 1-1 Machikaneyama, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-0043, Japan.,Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Kochi University, 2-5-1 Akebono-cho, Kochi, Kochi 780-8520, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Araki
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, 1-1 Machikaneyama, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-0043, Japan
| | - Mamiko Tominaga
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, 1-1 Machikaneyama, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-0043, Japan
| | - Ryo Okamoto
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, 1-1 Machikaneyama, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-0043, Japan.,Project Research Center for Fundamental Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, 1-1 Machikaneyama, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-0043, Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Kajihara
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, 1-1 Machikaneyama, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-0043, Japan.,Project Research Center for Fundamental Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, 1-1 Machikaneyama, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-0043, Japan
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19
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Nakatsu K, Hayashi G, Okamoto A. Toolbox for chemically synthesized histone proteins. Curr Opin Chem Biol 2020; 58:10-19. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2020.04.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2020] [Revised: 04/13/2020] [Accepted: 04/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
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20
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Beyer JN, Raniszewski NR, Burslem GM. Advances and Opportunities in Epigenetic Chemical Biology. Chembiochem 2020; 22:17-42. [PMID: 32786101 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202000459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2020] [Revised: 08/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The study of epigenetics has greatly benefited from the development and application of various chemical biology approaches. In this review, we highlight the key targets for modulation and recent methods developed to enact such modulation. We discuss various chemical biology techniques to study DNA methylation and the post-translational modification of histones as well as their effect on gene expression. Additionally, we address the wealth of protein synthesis approaches to yield histones and nucleosomes bearing epigenetic modifications. Throughout, we highlight targets that present opportunities for the chemical biology community, as well as exciting new approaches that will provide additional insight into the roles of epigenetic marks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenna N Beyer
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 422 Curie Blvd., Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Nicole R Raniszewski
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 422 Curie Blvd., Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - George M Burslem
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 422 Curie Blvd., Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.,Department of Cancer Biology and Epigenetics Institute Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 422 Curie Blvd., Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
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21
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Sui X, Wang Y, Du YX, Liang LJ, Zheng Q, Li YM, Liu L. Development and application of ubiquitin-based chemical probes. Chem Sci 2020; 11:12633-12646. [PMID: 34123237 PMCID: PMC8163311 DOI: 10.1039/d0sc03295f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Protein ubiquitination regulates almost every process in eukaryotic cells. The study of the many enzymes involved in the ubiquitination system and the development of ubiquitination-associated therapeutics are important areas of current research. Synthetic tools such as ubiquitin-based chemical probes have been making an increasing contribution to deciphering various biochemical components involved in ubiquitin conjugation, recruitment, signaling, and deconjugation. In the present minireview, we summarize the progress of ubiquitin-based chemical probes with an emphasis on their various structures and chemical synthesis. We discuss the utility of the ubiquitin-based chemical probes for discovering and profiling ubiquitin-dependent signaling systems, as well as the monitoring and visualization of ubiquitin-related enzymatic machinery. We also show how the probes can serve to elucidate the molecular mechanism of recognition and catalysis. Collectively, the development and application of ubiquitin-based chemical probes emphasizes the importance and utility of chemical protein synthesis in modern chemical biology. This article reviews the design, synthesis, and application of different classes of Ub-based chemical probes.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Sui
- School of Food and Biological Engineering, Key Laboratory of Metabolism and Regulation for Major Diseases of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Hefei University of Technology Hefei 230009 China .,Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University Beijing 100084 China
| | - Yu Wang
- School of Food and Biological Engineering, Key Laboratory of Metabolism and Regulation for Major Diseases of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Hefei University of Technology Hefei 230009 China
| | - Yun-Xiang Du
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University Beijing 100084 China
| | - Lu-Jun Liang
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University Beijing 100084 China
| | - Qingyun Zheng
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University Beijing 100084 China
| | - Yi-Ming Li
- School of Food and Biological Engineering, Key Laboratory of Metabolism and Regulation for Major Diseases of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Hefei University of Technology Hefei 230009 China
| | - Lei Liu
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University Beijing 100084 China
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22
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Enhancing native chemical ligation for challenging chemical protein syntheses. Curr Opin Chem Biol 2020; 58:37-44. [PMID: 32745915 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2020.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2020] [Revised: 04/01/2020] [Accepted: 04/01/2020] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Native chemical ligation has enabled the chemical synthesis of proteins for a wide variety of applications (e.g., mirror-image proteins). However, inefficiencies of this chemoselective ligation in the context of large or otherwise challenging protein targets can limit the practical scope of chemical protein synthesis. In this review, we focus on recent developments aimed at enhancing and expanding native chemical ligation for challenging protein syntheses. Chemical auxiliaries, use of selenium chemistry, and templating all enable ligations at otherwise suboptimal junctions. The continuing development of these tools is making the chemical synthesis of large proteins increasingly accessible.
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23
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Hua X, Chu GC, Li YM. The Ubiquitin Enigma: Progress in the Detection and Chemical Synthesis of Branched Ubiquitin Chains. Chembiochem 2020; 21:3313-3318. [PMID: 32621561 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202000295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2020] [Revised: 07/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Ubiquitin chains with distinct topologies play essential roles in eukaryotic cells. Recently, it was discovered that multiple ubiquitin units can be ligated to more than one lysine residue in the same ubiquitin to form diverse branched ubiquitin chains. Although there is increasing evidence implicating these branched chains in a plethora of biological functions, few mechanistic details have been elucidated. This concept article introduces the function, detection and chemical synthesis of branched ubiquitin chains; and offers some future perspective for this exciting new field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Hua
- School of Food and Biological Engineering, Key Laboratory of Metabolism and Regulation for Major Diseases, Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, Anhui, 230009, China.,Department of Chemistry, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China
| | - Guo-Chao Chu
- Department of Chemistry, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China
| | - Yi-Ming Li
- School of Food and Biological Engineering, Key Laboratory of Metabolism and Regulation for Major Diseases, Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, Anhui, 230009, China.,Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
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24
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Dardashti RN, Kumar S, Sternisha SM, Reddy PS, Miller BG, Metanis N. Selenolysine: A New Tool for Traceless Isopeptide Bond Formation. Chemistry 2020; 26:4952-4957. [PMID: 31960982 PMCID: PMC7184786 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202000310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2020] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Despite their biological importance, post-translationally modified proteins are notoriously difficult to produce in a homogeneous fashion by using conventional expression systems. Chemical protein synthesis or semisynthesis offers a solution to this problem; however, traditional strategies often rely on sulfur-based chemistry that is incompatible with the presence of any cysteine residues in the target protein. To overcome these limitations, we present the design and synthesis of γ-selenolysine, a selenol-containing form of the commonly modified proteinogenic amino acid, lysine. The utility of γ-selenolysine is demonstrated with the traceless ligation of the small ubiquitin-like modifier protein, SUMO-1, to a peptide segment of human glucokinase. The resulting polypeptide is poised for native chemical ligation and chemoselective deselenization in the presence of unprotected cysteine residues. Selenolysine's straightforward synthesis and incorporation into synthetic peptides marks it as a universal handle for conjugating any ubiquitin-like modifying protein to its target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Notis Dardashti
- The Institute of Chemistry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus, Givat Ram, Jerusalem, 91904, Israel
| | - Shailesh Kumar
- The Institute of Chemistry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus, Givat Ram, Jerusalem, 91904, Israel
| | - Shawn M Sternisha
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, 32306-4390, USA
| | - Post Sai Reddy
- The Institute of Chemistry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus, Givat Ram, Jerusalem, 91904, Israel
| | - Brian G Miller
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, 32306-4390, USA
| | - Norman Metanis
- The Institute of Chemistry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus, Givat Ram, Jerusalem, 91904, Israel
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25
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Abstract
Protein semisynthesis-defined herein as the assembly of a protein from a combination of synthetic and recombinant fragments-is a burgeoning field of chemical biology that has impacted many areas in the life sciences. In this review, we provide a comprehensive survey of this area. We begin by discussing the various chemical and enzymatic methods now available for the manufacture of custom proteins containing noncoded elements. This section begins with a discussion of methods that are more chemical in origin and ends with those that employ biocatalysts. We also illustrate the commonalities that exist between these seemingly disparate methods and show how this is allowing for the development of integrated chemoenzymatic methods. This methodology discussion provides the technical foundation for the second part of the review where we cover the great many biological problems that have now been addressed using these tools. Finally, we end the piece with a short discussion on the frontiers of the field and the opportunities available for the future.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Tom W. Muir
- Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Frick Laboratory, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, United States
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26
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Facile Semisynthesis of Ubiquitylated Peptides with the Ligation Auxiliary 2-Aminooxyethanethiol. Methods Mol Biol 2020. [PMID: 32144673 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-0434-2_14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register]
Abstract
The posttranslational modification of cellular proteins by ubiquitin (Ub), called ubiquitylation, is indispensable for the normal growth and development of eukaryotic organisms. In order to conduct studies that elucidate the precise mechanistic roles for Ub, access to site-specifically and homogenously ubiquitylated proteins and peptides is critical. However, the low abundance, heterogeneity, and dynamic nature of protein ubiquitylation are significant limitations toward such studies. Here we provide a facile expressed protein ligation method that does not require specialized apparatus and permits the rapid semisynthesis of ubiquitylated peptides by using the atom-efficient ligation auxiliary 2-aminooxyethanethiol.
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27
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Bouchenna J, Sénéchal M, Drobecq H, Vicogne J, Melnyk O. Total Chemical Synthesis of All SUMO-2/3 Dimer Combinations. Bioconjug Chem 2019; 30:2967-2973. [PMID: 31702897 DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.9b00661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
One hallmark of protein chemical synthesis is its capacity to access proteins that living systems can hardly produce. This is typically the case for proteins harboring post-translational modifications such as ubiquitin or ubiquitin-like modifiers. Various methods have been developed for accessing polyubiquitin conjugates by semi- or total synthesis. Comparatively, the preparation of small-ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) conjugates, and more particularly of polySUMO scaffolds, is much less developed. We describe hereinafter a synthetic strategy for accessing all SUMO-2/3 dimer combinations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Bouchenna
- University of Lille , CNRS, Institut Pasteur de Lille, INSERM U1019, UMR CNRS 8204, Centre d'Immunité et d'Infection de Lille , F-59000 Lille , France
| | - Magalie Sénéchal
- University of Lille , CNRS, Institut Pasteur de Lille, INSERM U1019, UMR CNRS 8204, Centre d'Immunité et d'Infection de Lille , F-59000 Lille , France
| | - Hervé Drobecq
- University of Lille , CNRS, Institut Pasteur de Lille, INSERM U1019, UMR CNRS 8204, Centre d'Immunité et d'Infection de Lille , F-59000 Lille , France
| | - Jérôme Vicogne
- University of Lille , CNRS, Institut Pasteur de Lille, INSERM U1019, UMR CNRS 8204, Centre d'Immunité et d'Infection de Lille , F-59000 Lille , France
| | - Oleg Melnyk
- University of Lille , CNRS, Institut Pasteur de Lille, INSERM U1019, UMR CNRS 8204, Centre d'Immunité et d'Infection de Lille , F-59000 Lille , France
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28
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Liang J, Gong Q, Li Y, Zheng Y, Zheng JS, Tian C, Li JB. Thiirane linkers directed histone H2A diubiquitination suggests plasticity in 53BP1 recognition. Chem Commun (Camb) 2019; 55:12639-12642. [PMID: 31580339 DOI: 10.1039/c9cc05526f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Polyubiquitination with diverse linkages on histones provides another layer of accuracy and complexity for epigenetic regulation, which is rarely studied. Herein, K27 or K48-diubiquitin modified H2A analogues were chemically synthesized using thiirane linkers. These permitted in vitro binding studies suggested the plasticity of ubiquitin chains in 53BP1 recognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Liang
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale and School of Life Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China.
| | - Qingyue Gong
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale and School of Life Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China. and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases and College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, China.
| | - Ying Li
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale and School of Life Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China.
| | - Yong Zheng
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale and School of Life Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China.
| | - Ji-Shen Zheng
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale and School of Life Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China.
| | - Changlin Tian
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale and School of Life Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China.
| | - Jia-Bin Li
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases and College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, China.
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29
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Wang S, Thopate YA, Zhou Q, Wang P. Chemical Protein Synthesis by Native Chemical Ligation and Variations Thereof. CHINESE J CHEM 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/cjoc.201900246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Siyao Wang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory for Molecular Engineering of Chiral Drugs, School of Chemistry and Chemical EngineeringShanghai Jiao Tong University 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240 China
| | - Yogesh Abaso Thopate
- Shanghai Key Laboratory for Molecular Engineering of Chiral Drugs, School of Chemistry and Chemical EngineeringShanghai Jiao Tong University 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240 China
| | - Qingqing Zhou
- Shanghai Key Laboratory for Molecular Engineering of Chiral Drugs, School of Chemistry and Chemical EngineeringShanghai Jiao Tong University 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240 China
| | - Ping Wang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory for Molecular Engineering of Chiral Drugs, School of Chemistry and Chemical EngineeringShanghai Jiao Tong University 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240 China
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30
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Bouchenna J, Sénéchal M, Drobecq H, Stankovic-Valentin N, Vicogne J, Melnyk O. The Role of the Conserved SUMO-2/3 Cysteine Residue on Domain Structure Investigated Using Protein Chemical Synthesis. Bioconjug Chem 2019; 30:2684-2696. [PMID: 31532181 DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.9b00598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
While the semi or total synthesis of ubiquitin or polyubiquitin conjugates has attracted a lot of attention the past decade, the preparation of small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) conjugates is much less developed. We describe hereinafter some important molecular features to consider when preparing SUMO-2/3 conjugates by chemical synthesis using the native chemical ligation and extended methods. In particular, we clarify the role of the conserved cysteine residue on SUMO-2/3 domain stability and properties. Our data reveal that SUMO-2 and -3 proteins behave differently from the Cys → Ala modification with SUMO-2 being less impacted than SUMO-3, likely due to a stabilizing interaction occurring in SUMO-2 between its tail and the SUMO core domain. While the Cys → Ala modification has no effect on the enzyme-catalyzed conjugation, it shows a deleterious effect on the enzyme-catalyzed deconjugation process, especially with the SUMO-3 conjugate. Whereas it is often stated that SUMO-2 and SUMO-3 are structurally and functionally indistinguishable, here we show that these proteins have specific structural and biochemical properties. This information is important to consider when designing and preparing SUMO-2/3 conjugates, and should help in making progress in the understanding of the specific role of SUMO-2 and/or SUMO-3 modifications on protein structure and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Bouchenna
- University of Lille , CNRS, Institut Pasteur de Lille, INSERM U1019, UMR CNRS 8204, Centre d'Immunité et d'Infection de Lille, F-59000 Lille , France
| | - Magalie Sénéchal
- University of Lille , CNRS, Institut Pasteur de Lille, INSERM U1019, UMR CNRS 8204, Centre d'Immunité et d'Infection de Lille, F-59000 Lille , France
| | - Hervé Drobecq
- University of Lille , CNRS, Institut Pasteur de Lille, INSERM U1019, UMR CNRS 8204, Centre d'Immunité et d'Infection de Lille, F-59000 Lille , France
| | - Nicolas Stankovic-Valentin
- Zentrum für Molekulare Biologie der Universität Heidelberg (ZMBH) , DKFZ - ZMBH Alliance, 69120 , Heidelberg , Germany
| | - Jérôme Vicogne
- University of Lille , CNRS, Institut Pasteur de Lille, INSERM U1019, UMR CNRS 8204, Centre d'Immunité et d'Infection de Lille, F-59000 Lille , France
| | - Oleg Melnyk
- University of Lille , CNRS, Institut Pasteur de Lille, INSERM U1019, UMR CNRS 8204, Centre d'Immunité et d'Infection de Lille, F-59000 Lille , France
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31
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Agouridas V, El Mahdi O, Diemer V, Cargoët M, Monbaliu JCM, Melnyk O. Native Chemical Ligation and Extended Methods: Mechanisms, Catalysis, Scope, and Limitations. Chem Rev 2019; 119:7328-7443. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.8b00712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 243] [Impact Index Per Article: 40.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Vangelis Agouridas
- UMR CNRS 8204, Centre d’Immunité et d’Infection de Lille, University of Lille, CNRS, Institut Pasteur de Lille, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Ouafâa El Mahdi
- Faculté Polydisciplinaire de Taza, University Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah, BP 1223 Taza Gare, Morocco
| | - Vincent Diemer
- UMR CNRS 8204, Centre d’Immunité et d’Infection de Lille, University of Lille, CNRS, Institut Pasteur de Lille, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Marine Cargoët
- UMR CNRS 8204, Centre d’Immunité et d’Infection de Lille, University of Lille, CNRS, Institut Pasteur de Lille, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Jean-Christophe M. Monbaliu
- Center for Integrated Technology and Organic Synthesis, Department of Chemistry, University of Liège, Building B6a, Room 3/16a, Sart-Tilman, B-4000 Liège, Belgium
| | - Oleg Melnyk
- UMR CNRS 8204, Centre d’Immunité et d’Infection de Lille, University of Lille, CNRS, Institut Pasteur de Lille, F-59000 Lille, France
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32
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Morgan M, Jbara M, Brik A, Wolberger C. Semisynthesis of ubiquitinated histone H2B with a native or nonhydrolyzable linkage. Methods Enzymol 2019; 618:1-27. [PMID: 30850047 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2019.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Posttranslational modifications of histone proteins regulate all biological processes requiring access to DNA. Monoubiquitination of histone H2B is a mark of actively transcribed genes in all eukaryotes that also plays a role in DNA replication and repair. Solution and structural studies of the mechanism by which histone ubiquitination modulates these processes depend on the ability to generate homogeneous preparations of nucleosomes containing ubiquitin conjugated to a specific lysine residue. We describe here methods for generating milligram quantities of histone H2B with ubiquitin (Ub) conjugated to Lys 120 via either a nonhydrolyzable, dichloroacetone linkage or a cleavable isopeptide bond. H2B-Ub with an isopeptide linkage is generated by a combination of intein-fusion protein derivatization and native chemical ligation, yielding a fully native ubiquitinated lysine that can be cleaved by Ub isopeptidases. We also describe how to reconstitute nucleosomes containing ubiquitinated H2B.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Morgan
- Department of Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Muhammad Jbara
- Schulich Faculty of Chemistry, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Ashraf Brik
- Schulich Faculty of Chemistry, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Cynthia Wolberger
- Department of Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States.
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33
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Recent advances in the chemical synthesis and semi-synthesis of poly-ubiquitin-based proteins and probes. Sci China Chem 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s11426-018-9401-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
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34
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Sarmiento C, Camarero JA. Biotechnological Applications of Protein Splicing. Curr Protein Pept Sci 2019; 20:408-424. [PMID: 30734675 PMCID: PMC7135711 DOI: 10.2174/1389203720666190208110416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2018] [Revised: 12/22/2018] [Accepted: 12/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Protein splicing domains, also called inteins, have become a powerful biotechnological tool for applications involving molecular biology and protein engineering. Early applications of inteins focused on self-cleaving affinity tags, generation of recombinant polypeptide α-thioesters for the production of semisynthetic proteins and backbone cyclized polypeptides. The discovery of naturallyoccurring split-inteins has allowed the development of novel approaches for the selective modification of proteins both in vitro and in vivo. This review gives a general introduction to protein splicing with a focus on their role in expanding the applications of intein-based technologies in protein engineering and chemical biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corina Sarmiento
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA9033 USA
| | - Julio A. Camarero
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA9033 USA
- Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA9033 USA
- Department of Chemistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089-9121, USA
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35
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Sereikaitė V, Jensen TMT, Bartling CRO, Jemth P, Pless SA, Strømgaard K. Probing Backbone Hydrogen Bonds in Proteins by Amide-to-Ester Mutations. Chembiochem 2018; 19:2136-2145. [PMID: 30073762 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.201800350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
All proteins contain characteristic backbones formed of consecutive amide bonds, which can engage in hydrogen bonds. However, the importance of these is not easily addressed by conventional technologies that only allow for side-chain substitutions. By contrast, technologies such as nonsense suppression mutagenesis and protein ligation allow for manipulation of the protein backbone. In particular, replacing the backbone amide groups with ester groups, that is, amide-to-ester mutations, is a powerful tool to examine backbone-mediated hydrogen bonds. In this minireview, we showcase examples of how amide-to-ester mutations can be used to uncover pivotal roles of backbone-mediated hydrogen bonds in protein recognition, folding, function, and structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vita Sereikaitė
- Center for Biopharmaceuticals, Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 2, 2200, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Thomas M T Jensen
- Center for Biopharmaceuticals, Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 2, 2200, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Christian R O Bartling
- Center for Biopharmaceuticals, Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 2, 2200, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Per Jemth
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Uppsala University, BMC, Box 582, 75123, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Stephan A Pless
- Center for Biopharmaceuticals, Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 2, 2200, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Kristian Strømgaard
- Center for Biopharmaceuticals, Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 2, 2200, Copenhagen, Denmark
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36
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Abstract
Access to well-defined ubiquitin conjugates has been key to elucidating the biochemical functions of proteins in the ubiquitin signaling network. Yet, we have a poor understanding of how deubiquitinases and ubiquitin-binding proteins respond to ubiquitin modifications when anchored to a protein other than ubiquitin or a ubiquitin-like protein. This is due to the difficulty of synthesizing ubiquitinated proteins comprised of native isopeptide bonds. Here we report on the evolution of a deubiquitinase capable of site-specifically modifying itself with defined ubiquitin chains. Following mutagenesis and yeast display screening, we identify a variant of the yeast ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase Yuh1 that has a 28-fold improvement in the transamidation to hydrolysis ratio relative to the wild type enzyme. The switch in activity enables robust autoubiquitination of a lysine in the crossover loop to form an isopeptide bond. We demonstrate the utility of autoubiquitinating the evolved Yuh1 variant by investigating the consequences of ubiquitin chain anchoring on the activities of other deubiquitinases. Much to our surprise, we find that certain deubiquitinases are exquisitely sensitive to chain anchoring. These results highlight the importance of investigating the biochemical activities of deubiquitinases with both substrate-anchored and unanchored ubiquitin chains.
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37
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Qu Q, Pan M, Gao S, Zheng Q, Yu Y, Su J, Li X, Hu H. A Highly Efficient Synthesis of Polyubiquitin Chains. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2018; 5:1800234. [PMID: 30027052 PMCID: PMC6051384 DOI: 10.1002/advs.201800234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2018] [Revised: 04/17/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
A robust, microwave-assisted, highly efficient, solid-phase peptide synthesis method for preparing isopeptide-linked 62-mer and 76-mer isoubiquitins and polyubiquitin is developed. The strategy avoids the use of costly resins and pseudoprolines, and the isopeptide-linked building blocks can be assembled with high initial purity within 1 day. All seven diubiquitins are successfully synthesized on a multi-milligram scale; a four-segment, three-ligation method is used to obtain a K33-/K11-linked mixed triubiquitin in excellent yield. Circular dichroism and crystallographic analyses are used to verify the structures of the well-folded, synthetic polyubiquitin chains. The facile synthetic strategy is expected to be generally applicable for the rapid synthesis of isopeptide-linked isoUbs and to pave the way for the study of longer polyubiquitin chains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Qu
- School of PharmacySecond Military Medical University325 Guohe RoadShanghai200433China
- Tsinghua‐Peking Center for Life SciencesTsinghua UniversityBeijing100084China
| | - Man Pan
- Tsinghua‐Peking Center for Life SciencesTsinghua UniversityBeijing100084China
| | - Shuai Gao
- Tsinghua‐Peking Center for Life SciencesTsinghua UniversityBeijing100084China
| | - Qing‐Yun Zheng
- Tsinghua‐Peking Center for Life SciencesTsinghua UniversityBeijing100084China
| | - Yuan‐Yuan Yu
- Tsinghua‐Peking Center for Life SciencesTsinghua UniversityBeijing100084China
| | - Jia‐Can Su
- Changhai HospitalSecond Military Medical University168 Changhai RoadShanghai200433China
| | - Xiang Li
- School of PharmacySecond Military Medical University325 Guohe RoadShanghai200433China
| | - Hong‐Gang Hu
- School of PharmacySecond Military Medical University325 Guohe RoadShanghai200433China
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38
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Leonen CJA, Upadhyay E, Chatterjee C. Studies of biochemical crosstalk in chromatin with semisynthetic histones. Curr Opin Chem Biol 2018; 45:27-34. [PMID: 29494828 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2018.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2017] [Revised: 02/08/2018] [Accepted: 02/11/2018] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Reversible post-translational modifications of histone proteins in eukaryotic chromatin are closely tied to gene function and cellular development. Specific combinations of histone modifications, or marks, are implicated in distinct DNA-templated processes mediated by a range of chromatin-associated enzymes that install, erase and interpret the histone code. Mechanistic studies of the precise biochemical relationship between sets of marks and their effects on chromatin function are significantly complicated by the dynamic nature and heterogeneity of marks in cellular chromatin. Protein semisynthesis is a chemical technique that enables the piecewise assembly of uniformly and site-specifically modified histones in quantities sufficient for biophysical and biochemical analyses. Recent pioneering efforts in semisynthesis have yielded access to histones site-specifically modified by entire proteins, such as ubiquitin (Ub) and the small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO). Herein, we highlight key studies of biochemical crosstalk involving Ub and SUMO in chromatin that were enabled by histone semisynthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Esha Upadhyay
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, United States
| | - Champak Chatterjee
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, United States.
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39
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Qi YK, Ai HS, Li YM, Yan B. Total Chemical Synthesis of Modified Histones. Front Chem 2018; 6:19. [PMID: 29473034 PMCID: PMC5810247 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2018.00019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2017] [Accepted: 01/23/2018] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
In the post-genome era, epigenetics has received increasing attentions in recent years. The post-translational modifications (PTMs) of four core histones play central roles in epigenetic regulation of eukaryotic genome by either directly altering the biophysical properties of nucleosomes or by recruiting other effector proteins. In order to study the biological functions and structural mechanisms of these histone PTMs, an obligatory step is to prepare a sufficient amount of homogeneously modified histones. This task cannot be fully accomplished either by recombinant technology or enzymatic modification. In this context, synthetic chemists have developed novel protein synthetic tools and state-of-the-art chemical ligation strategies for the preparation of homologous modified histones. In this review, we summarize the recent advances in the preparation of modified histones, focusing on the total chemical synthesis strategies. The importance and potential of synthetic chemistry for the study of histone code will be also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun-Kun Qi
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Hua-Song Ai
- Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Yi-Ming Li
- Department of Pharmacy, School of Biological and Medical Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, China
| | - Baihui Yan
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
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40
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Gopinath P, Ohayon S, Nawatha M, Brik A. Chemical and semisynthetic approaches to study and target deubiquitinases. Chem Soc Rev 2018; 45:4171-98. [PMID: 27049734 DOI: 10.1039/c6cs00083e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Ubiquitination is a key posttranslational modification, which affects numerous biological processes and is reversed by a class of enzymes known as deubiquitinases (DUBs). This family of enzymes cleaves mono-ubiquitin or poly-ubiquitin chains from a target protein through different mechanisms and mode of interactions with their substrates. Studying the role of DUBs in health and diseases has been a major goal for many laboratories both in academia and in industry. However, the field has been challenged by the difficulties in obtaining native substrates and novel reagents using traditional enzymatic and molecular biology approaches. Recent advancements in the synthesis and semisynthesis of proteins made it possible to prepare several unique ubiquitin conjugates to study various aspects of DUBs such as their specificities and structures. Moreover, these approaches enable the preparation of novel activity based probes and assays to monitor DUB activities in vitro and in cellular contexts. Efforts made to bring new chemical entities for the selective inhibition of DUBs based on these tools are also highlighted with selected examples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pushparathinam Gopinath
- Schulich Faculty of Chemistry, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology Haifa, 3200008, Israel.
| | - Shimrit Ohayon
- Schulich Faculty of Chemistry, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology Haifa, 3200008, Israel.
| | - Mickal Nawatha
- Schulich Faculty of Chemistry, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology Haifa, 3200008, Israel.
| | - Ashraf Brik
- Schulich Faculty of Chemistry, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology Haifa, 3200008, Israel.
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41
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Si YY, Liang LJ, Tang S, Qi YK, Huang Y, Zheng JS. One-pot ligation strategy for atypical ubiquitin chains synthesis by using the trifluoroacetamidomethyl-protected isopeptide-linked Ub (Tfacm-isoUb) unit. Tetrahedron Lett 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tetlet.2017.12.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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42
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Tang S, Liang LJ, Si YY, Gao S, Wang JX, Liang J, Mei Z, Zheng JS, Liu L. Practical Chemical Synthesis of Atypical Ubiquitin Chains by Using an Isopeptide-Linked Ub Isomer. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.201708067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Shan Tang
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences; Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry & Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education); Department of Chemistry; Tsinghua University; Beijing 100084 China
| | - Lu-Jun Liang
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences; Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry & Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education); Department of Chemistry; Tsinghua University; Beijing 100084 China
| | - Yan-Yan Si
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences; Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry & Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education); Department of Chemistry; Tsinghua University; Beijing 100084 China
| | - Shuai Gao
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences; Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry & Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education); Department of Chemistry; Tsinghua University; Beijing 100084 China
| | - Jia-Xing Wang
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences; Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry & Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education); Department of Chemistry; Tsinghua University; Beijing 100084 China
| | - Jun Liang
- School of Life Sciences; University of Science and Technology of China; Hefei 230026 China
| | - Ziqing Mei
- Biotechnology Research Institute; Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences; Beijing 100081 China
| | - Ji-Shen Zheng
- School of Life Sciences; University of Science and Technology of China; Hefei 230026 China
| | - Lei Liu
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences; Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry & Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education); Department of Chemistry; Tsinghua University; Beijing 100084 China
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43
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Tang S, Liang LJ, Si YY, Gao S, Wang JX, Liang J, Mei Z, Zheng JS, Liu L. Practical Chemical Synthesis of Atypical Ubiquitin Chains by Using an Isopeptide-Linked Ub Isomer. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2017; 56:13333-13337. [DOI: 10.1002/anie.201708067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Shan Tang
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences; Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry & Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education); Department of Chemistry; Tsinghua University; Beijing 100084 China
| | - Lu-Jun Liang
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences; Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry & Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education); Department of Chemistry; Tsinghua University; Beijing 100084 China
| | - Yan-Yan Si
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences; Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry & Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education); Department of Chemistry; Tsinghua University; Beijing 100084 China
| | - Shuai Gao
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences; Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry & Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education); Department of Chemistry; Tsinghua University; Beijing 100084 China
| | - Jia-Xing Wang
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences; Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry & Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education); Department of Chemistry; Tsinghua University; Beijing 100084 China
| | - Jun Liang
- School of Life Sciences; University of Science and Technology of China; Hefei 230026 China
| | - Ziqing Mei
- Biotechnology Research Institute; Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences; Beijing 100081 China
| | - Ji-Shen Zheng
- School of Life Sciences; University of Science and Technology of China; Hefei 230026 China
| | - Lei Liu
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences; Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry & Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education); Department of Chemistry; Tsinghua University; Beijing 100084 China
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44
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Bi X, Pasunooti KK, Liu CF. Total chemical and semisynthetic approaches for the preparation of ubiquitinated proteins and their applications. Sci China Chem 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s11426-017-9122-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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45
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Morimoto D, Walinda E, Sugase K, Shirakawa M. Biological and Physicochemical Functions of Ubiquitylation Revealed by Synthetic Chemistry Approaches. Int J Mol Sci 2017; 18:ijms18061145. [PMID: 28555012 PMCID: PMC5485969 DOI: 10.3390/ijms18061145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2017] [Revised: 05/23/2017] [Accepted: 05/24/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Most intracellular proteins are subjected to post-translational modification by ubiquitin. Accordingly, it is of fundamental importance to investigate the biological and physicochemical effects of ubiquitylation on substrate proteins. However, preparation of ubiquitylated proteins by an enzymatic synthesis bears limitations in terms of yield and site-specificity. Recently established chemical ubiquitylation methodologies can overcome these problems and provide a new understanding of ubiquitylation. Herein we describe the recent chemical ubiquitylation procedures with a focus on the effects of ubiquitylation on target proteins revealed by the synthetic approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daichi Morimoto
- Department of Molecular Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Kyoto-Daigaku Katsura, Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto 615-8510, Japan.
| | - Erik Walinda
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Yoshida Konoe-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan.
| | - Kenji Sugase
- Department of Molecular Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Kyoto-Daigaku Katsura, Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto 615-8510, Japan.
| | - Masahiro Shirakawa
- Department of Molecular Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Kyoto-Daigaku Katsura, Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto 615-8510, Japan.
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46
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Burke HM, McSweeney L, Scanlan EM. Exploring chemoselective S-to-N acyl transfer reactions in synthesis and chemical biology. Nat Commun 2017; 8:15655. [PMID: 28537277 PMCID: PMC5458133 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms15655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2016] [Accepted: 04/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
S -to-N acyl transfer is a high-yielding chemoselective process for amide bond formation. It is widely utilized by chemists for synthetic applications, including peptide and protein synthesis, chemical modification of proteins, protein-protein ligation and the development of probes and molecular machines. Recent advances in our understanding of S -to-N acyl transfer processes in biology and innovations in methodology for thioester formation and desulfurization, together with an extension of the size of cyclic transition states, have expanded the boundaries of this process well beyond peptide ligation. As the field develops, this chemistry will play a central role in our molecular understanding of Biology. The conversion of thioesters to amides via acyl transfer has become one of the most important synthetic techniques for the chemical synthesis and modification of proteins. This review discusses this S-to-N acyl transfer process, and highlights some of the key applications across chemistry and biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen M. Burke
- School of Chemistry, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin D2, Ireland
| | | | - Eoin M. Scanlan
- School of Chemistry, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin D2, Ireland
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47
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Chemical ubiquitination for decrypting a cellular code. Biochem J 2017; 473:1297-314. [PMID: 27208213 PMCID: PMC5298413 DOI: 10.1042/bj20151195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2015] [Accepted: 02/15/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The modification of proteins with ubiquitin (Ub) is an important regulator of eukaryotic biology and deleterious perturbation of this process is widely linked to the onset of various diseases. The regulatory capacity of the Ub signal is high and, in part, arises from the capability of Ub to be enzymatically polymerised to form polyubiquitin (polyUb) chains of eight different linkage types. These distinct polyUb topologies can then be site-specifically conjugated to substrate proteins to elicit a number of cellular outcomes. Therefore, to further elucidate the biological significance of substrate ubiquitination, methodologies that allow the production of defined polyUb species, and substrate proteins that are site-specifically modified with them, are essential to progress our understanding. Many chemically inspired methods have recently emerged which fulfil many of the criteria necessary for achieving deeper insight into Ub biology. With a view to providing immediate impact in traditional biology research labs, the aim of this review is to provide an overview of the techniques that are available for preparing Ub conjugates and polyUb chains with focus on approaches that use recombinant protein building blocks. These approaches either produce a native isopeptide, or analogue thereof, that can be hydrolysable or non-hydrolysable by deubiquitinases. The most significant biological insights that have already been garnered using such approaches will also be summarized.
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48
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Mali SM, Singh SK, Eid E, Brik A. Ubiquitin Signaling: Chemistry Comes to the Rescue. J Am Chem Soc 2017; 139:4971-4986. [PMID: 28328208 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.7b00089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Posttranslational modification of proteins by ubiquitin (Ub), i.e., ubiquitination, mediates a variety of cellular processes, including protein homeostasis, cell cycle, DNA repair, and viral infections. Understanding the molecular mechanism of ubiquitination in these events is the basis for unraveling its precise role in health and disease. However, the inherent complexity of Ub signaling due to the high atomic complexity of Ub conjugates, where Ub is attached to other Ub molecules and to protein substrates in various forms, imposes a major challenge for these studies. In this regard, the enzymatic approaches employed for the preparation of important Ub conjugates have severe limitations to deliver them in high homogeneity and in adequate amounts for the desired study. Recent developments in the area of chemical synthesis and semisynthesis of proteins offer great solutions to the enzymatic limitations and enabling the preparation of various Ub conjugates with precise control over the atomic structure. These conjugates significantly contribute to deciphering Ub signaling at the molecular level, and with the synthetic tools in hand, chemical biologists have become key players in efforts toward understanding the complexity of the Ub code. In this Perspective, we highlight the key contributions of these synthetic approaches and how the development of novel Ub-based reagents is greatly assisting in uncovering unknown aspects of Ub signaling. We also discuss future aspirations to address unresolved questions in this exciting area of research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sachitanand M Mali
- Schulich Faculty of Chemistry, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology , 3200008 Haifa, Israel
| | - Sumeet K Singh
- Schulich Faculty of Chemistry, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology , 3200008 Haifa, Israel
| | - Emad Eid
- Schulich Faculty of Chemistry, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology , 3200008 Haifa, Israel
| | - Ashraf Brik
- Schulich Faculty of Chemistry, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology , 3200008 Haifa, Israel
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49
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Qi YK, He QQ, Ai HS, Guo J, Li JB. The convergent chemical synthesis of histone H3 protein for site-specific acetylation at Lys56 and ubiquitination at Lys122. Chem Commun (Camb) 2017; 53:4148-4151. [DOI: 10.1039/c7cc01721a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The first total chemical synthesis of modified H3 bearing Lys56 acetylation and Lys122 ubiquitination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun-Kun Qi
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences
- Department of Chemistry
- Tsinghua University
- Beijing 100084
- China
| | - Qiao-Qiao He
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences
- Department of Chemistry
- Tsinghua University
- Beijing 100084
- China
| | - Hua-Song Ai
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences
- Department of Chemistry
- Tsinghua University
- Beijing 100084
- China
| | - Jing Guo
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences
- Department of Chemistry
- Tsinghua University
- Beijing 100084
- China
| | - Jia-Bin Li
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences
- Department of Chemistry
- Tsinghua University
- Beijing 100084
- China
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50
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Li J, He Q, Liu Y, Liu S, Tang S, Li C, Sun D, Li X, Zhou M, Zhu P, Bi G, Zhou Z, Zheng JS, Tian C. Chemical Synthesis of K34-Ubiquitylated H2B for Nucleosome Reconstitution and Single-Particle Cryo-Electron Microscopy Structural Analysis. Chembiochem 2016; 18:176-180. [PMID: 27976477 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.201600551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Post-translational modifications (e.g., ubiquitylation) of histones play important roles in dynamic regulation of chromatin. Histone ubiquitylation has been speculated to directly influence the structure and dynamics of nucleosomes. However, structural information for ubiquitylated nucleosomes is still lacking. Here we report an alternative strategy for total chemical synthesis of homogenous histone H2B-K34-ubiquitylation (H2B-K34Ub) by using acid-cleavable auxiliary-mediated ligation of peptide hydrazides for site-specific ubiquitylation. Synthetic H2B-K34Ub was efficiently incorporated into nucleosomes and further used for single-particle cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) imaging. The cryo-EM structure of the nucleosome containing H2B-K34Ub suggests that two flexible ubiquitin domains protrude between the DNA chains of the nucleosomes. The DNA chains around the H2B-K34 sites shift and provide more space for ubiquitin to protrude. These analyses indicated local and slight structural influences on the nucleosome with ubiquitylation at the H2B-K34 site.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiabin Li
- Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry, Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education), Department of Chemistry and School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.,Hefei National Laboratory of Physical Sciences at MicroScale and, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China and, High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, 230027, China
| | - Qiaoqiao He
- Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry, Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education), Department of Chemistry and School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Yuntao Liu
- Hefei National Laboratory of Physical Sciences at MicroScale and, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China and, High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, 230027, China
| | - Sanling Liu
- Hefei National Laboratory of Physical Sciences at MicroScale and, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China and, High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, 230027, China
| | - Shan Tang
- Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry, Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education), Department of Chemistry and School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Chengmin Li
- Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Demeng Sun
- Hefei National Laboratory of Physical Sciences at MicroScale and, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China and, High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, 230027, China
| | - Xiaorun Li
- Hefei National Laboratory of Physical Sciences at MicroScale and, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China and, High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, 230027, China
| | - Min Zhou
- Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Ping Zhu
- Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Guoqiang Bi
- Hefei National Laboratory of Physical Sciences at MicroScale and, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China and, High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, 230027, China
| | - Zhenghong Zhou
- Hefei National Laboratory of Physical Sciences at MicroScale and, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China and, High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, 230027, China.,Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics and, California NanoSystems Systems, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Ji-Shen Zheng
- Hefei National Laboratory of Physical Sciences at MicroScale and, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China and, High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, 230027, China
| | - Changlin Tian
- Hefei National Laboratory of Physical Sciences at MicroScale and, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China and, High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, 230027, China
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