1
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Yang X, Su XC, Xuan W. Genetically Encoded Photocaged Proteinogenic and Non-Proteinogenic Amino Acids. Chembiochem 2024; 25:e202400393. [PMID: 38831474 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202400393] [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: 04/30/2024] [Revised: 05/31/2024] [Accepted: 06/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024]
Abstract
Photocaged amino acids could be genetically encoded into proteins via genetic code expansion (GCE) and constitute unique tools for innovative protein engineering. There are a number of photocaged proteinogenic amino acids that allow strategic conversion of proteins into their photocaged variants, thus enabling spatiotemporal and non-invasive regulation of protein functions using light. Meanwhile, there are a hand of photocaged non-proteinogenic amino acids that address the challenges in directly encoding certain non-canonical amino acids (ncAAs) that structurally resemble proteinogenic ones or possess highly reactive functional groups. Herein, we would like to summarize the efforts in encoding photocaged proteinogenic and non-proteinogenic amino acids, hoping to draw more attention to this fruitful and exciting scientific campaign.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaochen Yang
- Frontier Science Center for Synthetic Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
- State Key Laboratory and Institute of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Xun-Cheng Su
- State Key Laboratory and Institute of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Weimin Xuan
- Frontier Science Center for Synthetic Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
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2
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Niu W, Guo J. Cellular Site-Specific Incorporation of Noncanonical Amino Acids in Synthetic Biology. Chem Rev 2024. [PMID: 39207844 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.3c00938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
Over the past two decades, genetic code expansion (GCE)-enabled methods for incorporating noncanonical amino acids (ncAAs) into proteins have significantly advanced the field of synthetic biology while also reaping substantial benefits from it. On one hand, they provide synthetic biologists with a powerful toolkit to enhance and diversify biological designs beyond natural constraints. Conversely, synthetic biology has not only propelled the development of ncAA incorporation through sophisticated tools and innovative strategies but also broadened its potential applications across various fields. This Review delves into the methodological advancements and primary applications of site-specific cellular incorporation of ncAAs in synthetic biology. The topics encompass expanding the genetic code through noncanonical codon addition, creating semiautonomous and autonomous organisms, designing regulatory elements, and manipulating and extending peptide natural product biosynthetic pathways. The Review concludes by examining the ongoing challenges and future prospects of GCE-enabled ncAA incorporation in synthetic biology and highlighting opportunities for further advancements in this rapidly evolving field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Niu
- Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska 68588, United States
- The Nebraska Center for Integrated Biomolecular Communication (NCIBC), University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska 68588, United States
| | - Jiantao Guo
- Department of Chemistry, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska 68588, United States
- The Nebraska Center for Integrated Biomolecular Communication (NCIBC), University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska 68588, United States
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3
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Jann C, Giofré S, Bhattacharjee R, Lemke EA. Cracking the Code: Reprogramming the Genetic Script in Prokaryotes and Eukaryotes to Harness the Power of Noncanonical Amino Acids. Chem Rev 2024. [PMID: 39120726 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.3c00878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/10/2024]
Abstract
Over 500 natural and synthetic amino acids have been genetically encoded in the last two decades. Incorporating these noncanonical amino acids into proteins enables many powerful applications, ranging from basic research to biotechnology, materials science, and medicine. However, major challenges remain to unleash the full potential of genetic code expansion across disciplines. Here, we provide an overview of diverse genetic code expansion methodologies and systems and their final applications in prokaryotes and eukaryotes, represented by Escherichia coli and mammalian cells as the main workhorse model systems. We highlight the power of how new technologies can be first established in simple and then transferred to more complex systems. For example, whole-genome engineering provides an excellent platform in bacteria for enabling transcript-specific genetic code expansion without off-targets in the transcriptome. In contrast, the complexity of a eukaryotic cell poses challenges that require entirely new approaches, such as striving toward establishing novel base pairs or generating orthogonally translating organelles within living cells. We connect the milestones in expanding the genetic code of living cells for encoding novel chemical functionalities to the most recent scientific discoveries, from optimizing the physicochemical properties of noncanonical amino acids to the technological advancements for their in vivo incorporation. This journey offers a glimpse into the promising developments in the years to come.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cosimo Jann
- Biocenter, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, 55128 Mainz, Germany
- IMB Postdoc Programme (IPPro), 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Sabrina Giofré
- Biocenter, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, 55128 Mainz, Germany
- IMB Postdoc Programme (IPPro), 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Rajanya Bhattacharjee
- Biocenter, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, 55128 Mainz, Germany
- IMB International PhD Programme (IPP), 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Edward A Lemke
- Biocenter, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, 55128 Mainz, Germany
- Institute of Molecular Biology (IMB), 55128 Mainz, Germany
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4
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Pham Q, Glicksman J, Chatterjee A. Chemical approaches to probe and engineer AAV vectors. NANOSCALE 2024; 16:13820-13833. [PMID: 38978480 PMCID: PMC11271820 DOI: 10.1039/d4nr01300j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2024] [Accepted: 06/14/2024] [Indexed: 07/10/2024]
Abstract
Adeno-associated virus (AAV) has emerged as the most promising vector for in vivo human gene therapy, with several therapeutic approvals in the last few years and countless more under development. Underlying this remarkable success are several attractive features that AAV offers, including lack of pathogenicity, low immunogenicity, long-term gene expression without genomic integration, the ability to infect both dividing and non-dividing cells, etc. However, the commonly used wild-type AAV capsids in therapeutic development present significant challenges, including inadequate tissue specificity and the need for large doses to attain therapeutic effectiveness, raising safety concerns. Additionally, significant preexisting adaptive immunity against most natural capsids, and the development of such anti-capsid immunity after the first treatment, represent major challenges. Strategies to engineer the AAV capsid are critically needed to address these challenges and unlock the full promise of AAV gene therapy. Chemical modification of the AAV capsid has recently emerged as a powerful new approach to engineer its properties. Unlike genetic strategies, which can be more disruptive to the delicate capsid assembly and packaging processes, "late-stage" chemical modification of the assembled capsid-whether at natural amino acid residues or site-specifically installed noncanonical amino acid residues-often enables a versatile approach to introducing new properties to the capsid. This review summarizes the significant recent progress in AAV capsid engineering strategies, with a particular focus on chemical modifications in advancing the next generation of AAV-based gene therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quan Pham
- Department of Chemistry, Boston College, 2609 Beacon Street, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, USA.
| | - Jake Glicksman
- Department of Chemistry, Boston College, 2609 Beacon Street, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, USA.
| | - Abhishek Chatterjee
- Department of Chemistry, Boston College, 2609 Beacon Street, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, USA.
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5
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Huang RL, Jewel D, Kelemen RE, Pham Q, Yared TJ, Wang S, Singha Roy SJ, Huang Z, Levinson SD, Sundaresh B, Miranda SE, van Opijnen T, Chatterjee A. Directed Evolution of a Bacterial Leucyl tRNA in Mammalian Cells for Enhanced Noncanonical Amino Acid Mutagenesis. ACS Synth Biol 2024; 13:2141-2149. [PMID: 38904157 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.4c00196] [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: 06/22/2024]
Abstract
The Escherichia coli leucyl-tRNA synthetase (EcLeuRS)/tRNAEcLeu pair has been engineered to genetically encode a structurally diverse group of enabling noncanonical amino acids (ncAAs) in eukaryotes, including those with bioconjugation handles, environment-sensitive fluorophores, photocaged amino acids, and native post-translational modifications. However, the scope of this toolbox in mammalian cells is limited by the poor activity of tRNAEcLeu. Here, we overcome this limitation by evolving tRNAEcLeu directly in mammalian cells by using a virus-assisted selection scheme. This directed evolution platform was optimized for higher throughput such that the entire acceptor stem of tRNAEcLeu could be simultaneously engineered, which resulted in the identification of several variants with remarkably improved efficiency for incorporating a wide range of ncAAs. The advantage of the evolved leucyl tRNAs was demonstrated by expressing ncAA mutants in mammalian cells that were challenging to express before using the wild-type tRNAEcLeu, by creating viral vectors that facilitated ncAA mutagenesis at a significantly lower dose and by creating more efficient mammalian cell lines stably expressing the ncAA-incorporation machinery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel L Huang
- Department of Chemistry, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts 02467, United States
| | - Delilah Jewel
- Department of Chemistry, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts 02467, United States
| | - Rachel E Kelemen
- Department of Chemistry, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts 02467, United States
| | - Quan Pham
- Department of Chemistry, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts 02467, United States
| | - Tarah J Yared
- Department of Chemistry, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts 02467, United States
| | - Shu Wang
- Department of Chemistry, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts 02467, United States
| | | | - Zeyi Huang
- Department of Chemistry, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts 02467, United States
| | - Samantha D Levinson
- Department of Chemistry, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts 02467, United States
| | - Bharathi Sundaresh
- Biology Department, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts 02467, United States
| | | | - Tim van Opijnen
- Biology Department, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts 02467, United States
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Abhishek Chatterjee
- Department of Chemistry, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts 02467, United States
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6
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Zhang Y, Chen Z, Wang X, Yan R, Bao H, Chu X, Guo L, Wang X, Li Y, Mu Y, He Q, Zhang L, Zhang C, Zhou D, Ji D. Site-specific tethering nanobodies on recombinant adeno-associated virus vectors for retargeted gene therapy. Acta Biomater 2024:S1742-7061(24)00390-8. [PMID: 39025389 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2024.07.023] [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: 04/01/2024] [Revised: 06/30/2024] [Accepted: 07/11/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
Recombinant adeno-associated viruses (rAAVs) have been extensively studied for decades as carriers for delivering therapeutic genes. However, designing rAAV vectors with selective tropism for specific cell types and tissues has remained challenging. Here, we introduce a strategy for redirecting rAAV by attaching nanobodies with desired tropism at specific sites, effectively replacing the original tropism. To demonstrate this concept, we initially modified the genetic code of rAAV2 to introduce an azido-containing unnatural amino acid at a precise site within the capsid protein. Following a screening process, we identified a critical site (N587+1) where the introduction of unnatural amino acid eliminated the natural tropism of rAAV2. Subsequently, we successfully redirected rAAV2 by conjugating various nanobodies at the N587+1 site, using click and SpyTag-Spycatcher chemistries to form nanobody-AAV conjugates (NACs). By investigating the relationship between NACs quantity and effect and optimizing the linker between rAAV2 and the nanobody using a cathepsin B-susceptible valine-citrulline (VC) dipeptide, we significantly improved gene delivery efficiency both in vitro and in vivo. This enhancement can be attributed to the facilitated endosomal escape of rAAV2. Our method offers an exciting avenue for the rational modification of rAAV2 as a retargeting vehicle, providing a convenient platform for precisely engineering various rAAV2 vectors for both basic research and therapeutic applications. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: AAVs hold great promise in the treatment of genetic diseases, but their clinical use has been limited by off-target transduction and efficiency. Here, we report a strategy to construct NACs by conjugating a nanobody or scFv to an rAAV capsid site, specifically via biorthogonal click chemistry and a spy-spycatcher reaction. We explored the structure-effect and quantity-effect relationships of NACs and then optimized the transduction efficiency by introducing a valine-citrulline peptide linker. This approach provides a biocompatible method for rational modification of rAAV as a retargeting platform without structural disruption of the virus or alteration of the binding capacity of the nanobody, with potential utility across a broad spectrum of applications in targeted imaging and gene delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanjie Zhang
- Peking University-Yunnan Baiiyao International Medical Research Center, ChemicalBiology Center, State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China; Peking University Ningbo Institute of Marine Medicines, Ningbo, China.
| | - Zhiqian Chen
- Peking University-Yunnan Baiiyao International Medical Research Center, ChemicalBiology Center, State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China.
| | - Xiaoyang Wang
- Peking University-Yunnan Baiiyao International Medical Research Center, ChemicalBiology Center, State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China; Peking University Ningbo Institute of Marine Medicines, Ningbo, China.
| | - Rongding Yan
- Peking University-Yunnan Baiiyao International Medical Research Center, ChemicalBiology Center, State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China.
| | - Han Bao
- Peking University-Yunnan Baiiyao International Medical Research Center, ChemicalBiology Center, State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China.
| | - Xindang Chu
- Peking University-Yunnan Baiiyao International Medical Research Center, ChemicalBiology Center, State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China.
| | - Lingfeng Guo
- Peking University-Yunnan Baiiyao International Medical Research Center, ChemicalBiology Center, State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China.
| | - Xinchen Wang
- Peking University-Yunnan Baiiyao International Medical Research Center, ChemicalBiology Center, State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China.
| | - Yuanhao Li
- Peking University-Yunnan Baiiyao International Medical Research Center, ChemicalBiology Center, State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China; Peking University Ningbo Institute of Marine Medicines, Ningbo, China.
| | - Yu Mu
- Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Gaoke International Innovation Center, Shenzhen, China.
| | - Qiuchen He
- Peking University-Yunnan Baiiyao International Medical Research Center, ChemicalBiology Center, State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China; Peking University Ningbo Institute of Marine Medicines, Ningbo, China.
| | - Lihe Zhang
- Peking University-Yunnan Baiiyao International Medical Research Center, ChemicalBiology Center, State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China.
| | - Chuanling Zhang
- Peking University-Yunnan Baiiyao International Medical Research Center, ChemicalBiology Center, State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China.
| | - Demin Zhou
- Peking University-Yunnan Baiiyao International Medical Research Center, ChemicalBiology Center, State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China; Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Gaoke International Innovation Center, Shenzhen, China; Peking University Ningbo Institute of Marine Medicines, Ningbo, China.
| | - Dezhong Ji
- Peking University-Yunnan Baiiyao International Medical Research Center, ChemicalBiology Center, State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China; Peking University Ningbo Institute of Marine Medicines, Ningbo, China.
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7
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Jewel D, Kelemen RE, Huang RL, Zhu Z, Sundaresh B, Malley K, Pham Q, Loynd C, Huang Z, van Opijnen T, Chatterjee A. Enhanced Directed Evolution in Mammalian Cells Yields a Hyperefficient Pyrrolysyl tRNA for Noncanonical Amino Acid Mutagenesis. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2024; 63:e202316428. [PMID: 38279536 PMCID: PMC10922736 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202316428] [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: 11/01/2023] [Indexed: 01/28/2024]
Abstract
Heterologous tRNAs used for noncanonical amino acid (ncAA) mutagenesis in mammalian cells typically show poor activity. We recently introduced a virus-assisted directed evolution strategy (VADER) that can enrich improved tRNA mutants from naïve libraries in mammalian cells. However, VADER was limited to processing only a few thousand mutants; the inability to screen a larger sequence space precluded the identification of highly active variants with distal synergistic mutations. Here, we report VADER2.0, which can process significantly larger mutant libraries. It also employs a novel library design, which maintains base-pairing between distant residues in the stem regions, allowing us to pack a higher density of functional mutants within a fixed sequence space. VADER2.0 enabled simultaneous engineering of the entire acceptor stem of M. mazei pyrrolysyl tRNA (tRNAPyl ), leading to a remarkably improved variant, which facilitates more efficient incorporation of a wider range of ncAAs, and enables facile development of viral vectors and stable cell-lines for ncAA mutagenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Delilah Jewel
- Department of Chemistry, Boston College, 2609 Beacon Street, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, USA
| | - Rachel E Kelemen
- Department of Chemistry, Boston College, 2609 Beacon Street, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, USA
| | - Rachel L Huang
- Department of Chemistry, Boston College, 2609 Beacon Street, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, USA
| | - Zeyu Zhu
- Department of Biology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, USA
| | | | - Kaitlin Malley
- Department of Chemistry, Boston College, 2609 Beacon Street, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, USA
| | - Quan Pham
- Department of Chemistry, Boston College, 2609 Beacon Street, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, USA
| | - Conor Loynd
- Department of Chemistry, Boston College, 2609 Beacon Street, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, USA
| | - Zeyi Huang
- Department of Chemistry, Boston College, 2609 Beacon Street, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, USA
| | - Tim van Opijnen
- Department of Biology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Abhishek Chatterjee
- Department of Chemistry, Boston College, 2609 Beacon Street, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, USA
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8
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Erickson SB, Pham Q, Cao X, Glicksman J, Kelemen RE, Shahraeini SS, Bodkin S, Kiyam Z, Chatterjee A. Precise Manipulation of the Site and Stoichiometry of Capsid Modification Enables Optimization of Functional Adeno-Associated Virus Conjugates. Bioconjug Chem 2024; 35:64-71. [PMID: 38103182 PMCID: PMC10924286 DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.3c00411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
The ability to engineer adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors for targeted transduction of specific cell types is critically important to fully harness their potential for human gene therapy. A promising approach to achieve this objective involves chemically attaching retargeting ligands onto the virus capsid. Site-specific incorporation of a bioorthogonal noncanonical amino acid (ncAA) into the AAV capsid proteins provides a particularly attractive strategy to introduce such modifications with exquisite precision. In this study, we show that using ncAA mutagenesis, it is possible to systematically alter the attachment site of a retargeting ligand (cyclic-RGD) on the AAV capsid to create diverse conjugate architectures and that the site of attachment heavily impacts the retargeting efficiency. We further demonstrate that the performance of these AAV conjugates is highly sensitive to the stoichiometry of capsid labeling (labels per capsid), with an intermediate labeling density providing optimal activity for cRGD-mediated retargeting. Finally, we developed a technology to more precisely control the number of attachment sites per AAV capsid by selectively incorporating an ncAA into the minor capsid proteins with high fidelity and efficiency, such that AAV conjugates with varying stoichiometry can be synthesized. Together, this platform provides unparalleled control over the site and stoichiometry of capsid modification, which will enable the development of next-generation AAV vectors tailored with desirable attributes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Xiaofu Cao
- Department of Chemistry, Boston College, 2609 Beacon Street, 201 Merkert Chemistry Center, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts 02467, United States
| | - Jake Glicksman
- Department of Chemistry, Boston College, 2609 Beacon Street, 201 Merkert Chemistry Center, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts 02467, United States
| | - Rachel E. Kelemen
- Department of Chemistry, Boston College, 2609 Beacon Street, 201 Merkert Chemistry Center, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts 02467, United States
| | - Seyed S. Shahraeini
- Department of Chemistry, Boston College, 2609 Beacon Street, 201 Merkert Chemistry Center, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts 02467, United States
| | - Sebastian Bodkin
- Department of Chemistry, Boston College, 2609 Beacon Street, 201 Merkert Chemistry Center, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts 02467, United States
| | - Zainab Kiyam
- Department of Chemistry, Boston College, 2609 Beacon Street, 201 Merkert Chemistry Center, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts 02467, United States
| | - Abhishek Chatterjee
- Department of Chemistry, Boston College, 2609 Beacon Street, 201 Merkert Chemistry Center, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts 02467, United States
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9
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Zheng Z, Wu X, Wang Y, Yang X, Chen H, Shen Y, Yang Y, Xia Q. Attenuating RNA Viruses with Expanded Genetic Codes to Evoke Adjustable Immune Response in PylRS-tRNACUAPyl Transgenic Mice. Vaccines (Basel) 2023; 11:1606. [PMID: 37897007 PMCID: PMC10610612 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11101606] [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: 07/30/2023] [Revised: 09/03/2023] [Accepted: 09/24/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Ribonucleic acid (RNA) viruses pose heavy burdens on public-health systems. Synthetic biology holds great potential for artificially controlling their replication, a strategy that could be used to attenuate infectious viruses but is still in the exploratory stage. Herein, we used the genetic-code expansion technique to convert Enterovirus 71 (EV71), a prototypical RNA virus, into a controllable EV71 strain carrying the unnatural amino acid (UAA) Nε-2-azidoethyloxycarbonyl-L-lysine (NAEK), which we termed an EV71-NAEK virus. After NAEK supplementation, EV71-NAEK could recapitulate an authentic NAEK time- and dose-dependent infection in vitro, which could serve as a novel method to manipulate virulent viruses in conventional laboratories. We further validated the prophylactic effect of EV71-NAEK in two mouse models. In susceptible parent mice, vaccination with EV71-NAEK elicited a strong immune response and protected their neonatal offspring from lethal challenges similar to that of commercial vaccines. Meanwhile, in transgenic mice harboring a PylRS-tRNACUAPyl pair, substantial elements of genetic-code expansion technology, EV71-NAEK evoked an adjustable neutralizing-antibody response in a strictly external NAEK dose-dependent manner. These findings suggested that EV71-NAEK could be the basis of a feasible immunization program for populations with different levels of immunity. Moreover, we expanded the strategy to generate controllable coxsackieviruses for conceptual verification. In combination, these results could underlie a competent strategy for attenuating viruses and priming the immune system via artificial control, which might be a promising direction for the development of amenable vaccine candidates and be broadly applied to other RNA viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Qing Xia
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Department of Chemical Biology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China; (Z.Z.); (X.W.); (Y.W.); (X.Y.); (H.C.); (Y.S.); (Y.Y.)
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10
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Yang X, Zhao L, Wang Y, Ji Y, Su XC, Ma JA, Xuan W. Constructing Photoactivatable Protein with Genetically Encoded Photocaged Glutamic Acid. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2023; 62:e202308472. [PMID: 37587083 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202308472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2023] [Revised: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 08/18/2023]
Abstract
Genetically replacing an essential residue with the corresponding photocaged analogues via genetic code expansion (GCE) constitutes a useful and unique strategy to directly and effectively generate photoactivatable proteins. However, the application of this strategy is severely hampered by the limited number of encoded photocaged proteinogenic amino acids. Herein, we report the genetic incorporation of photocaged glutamic acid analogues in E. coli and mammalian cells and demonstrate their use in constructing photoactivatable variants of various fluorescent proteins and SpyCatcher. We believe genetically encoded photocaged Glu would significantly promote the design and application of photoactivatable proteins in many areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaochen Yang
- State Key Laboratory and Institute of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Lei Zhao
- State Key Laboratory and Institute of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Ying Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Yanli Ji
- State Key Laboratory and Institute of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Xun-Cheng Su
- State Key Laboratory and Institute of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Jun-An Ma
- Department of Chemistry, Frontier Science Center for Synthetic Biology (Ministry of Education), Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, P. R. China
| | - Weimin Xuan
- State Key Laboratory and Institute of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
- School of Life Sciences, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
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11
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Jewel D, Kelemen RE, Huang RL, Zhu Z, Sundaresh B, Cao X, Malley K, Huang Z, Pasha M, Anthony J, van Opijnen T, Chatterjee A. Virus-assisted directed evolution of enhanced suppressor tRNAs in mammalian cells. Nat Methods 2023; 20:95-103. [PMID: 36550276 PMCID: PMC9855281 DOI: 10.1038/s41592-022-01706-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Site-specific incorporation of unnatural amino acids (Uaas) in living cells relies on engineered aminoacyl-transfer RNA synthetase-tRNA pairs borrowed from a distant domain of life. Such heterologous suppressor tRNAs often have poor intrinsic activity, presumably due to suboptimal interaction with a non-native translation system. This limitation can be addressed in Escherichia coli using directed evolution. However, no suitable selection system is currently available to do the same in mammalian cells. Here we report virus-assisted directed evolution of tRNAs (VADER) in mammalian cells, which uses a double-sieve selection scheme to facilitate single-step enrichment of active yet orthogonal tRNA mutants from naive libraries. Using VADER we developed improved mutants of Methanosarcina mazei pyrrolysyl-tRNA, as well as a bacterial tyrosyl-tRNA. We also show that the higher activity of the most efficient mutant pyrrolysyl-tRNA is specific for mammalian cells, alluding to an improved interaction with the unique mammalian translation apparatus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Delilah Jewel
- Department of Chemistry, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, USA
| | | | - Rachel L Huang
- Department of Chemistry, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, USA
| | - Zeyu Zhu
- Biology Department, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, USA
| | | | - Xiaofu Cao
- Department of Chemistry, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, USA
| | - Kaitlin Malley
- Department of Chemistry, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, USA
| | - Zeyi Huang
- Department of Chemistry, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, USA
| | - Muhammad Pasha
- Department of Chemistry, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, USA
| | - Jon Anthony
- Biology Department, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, USA
| | - Tim van Opijnen
- Biology Department, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
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12
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Bartolomei B, Bogo A, Amato F, Ragazzon G, Prato M. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Reveals Molecular Species in Carbon Nanodot Samples Disclosing Flaws. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2022; 61:e202200038. [PMID: 35157359 PMCID: PMC9304307 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202200038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2022] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Carbon nanodots are currently one of the hot topics in the nanomaterials world, due to their accessible synthesis and promising features. However, the purification of these materials is still a critical aspect, especially for syntheses involving molecular precursors. Indeed, the presence of unreacted species or small organic molecules formed during solvothermal treatments can affect the properties of the synthesized nanomaterials. To illustrate the extreme importance of this issue, we present two case studies in which insufficient purification results in misleading conclusions regarding the chiral and fluorescent properties of the investigated materials. Key to identify molecular species is the use of nuclear magnetic resonance, which proves to be an effective tool. Our work highlights the need to include nuclear magnetic resonance as a standard characterization technique for carbon-based nanomaterials, to minimize the risk of observing properties that arise from molecular species, rather than the target carbon nanodots.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatrice Bartolomei
- Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical SciencesINSTM UdR TriesteUniversity of Triestevia Licio Giorgieri 134127TriesteItaly
| | - Andrea Bogo
- Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical SciencesINSTM UdR TriesteUniversity of Triestevia Licio Giorgieri 134127TriesteItaly
| | - Francesco Amato
- Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical SciencesINSTM UdR TriesteUniversity of Triestevia Licio Giorgieri 134127TriesteItaly
| | - Giulio Ragazzon
- Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical SciencesINSTM UdR TriesteUniversity of Triestevia Licio Giorgieri 134127TriesteItaly
- Institut de Science et d'Ingénierie Supramoléculaires UMR7006University of Strasbourg, CNRS8 allée Gaspard Monge67000StrasbourgFrance
| | - Maurizio Prato
- Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical SciencesINSTM UdR TriesteUniversity of Triestevia Licio Giorgieri 134127TriesteItaly
- Centre for Cooperative Research in Biomaterials (CIC BiomaGUNE)Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA)Paseo de Miramón 19420014Donostia San SebastiánSpain
- Basque Fdn SciIkerbasque48013BilbaoSpain
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13
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Edwardson TGW, Levasseur MD, Tetter S, Steinauer A, Hori M, Hilvert D. Protein Cages: From Fundamentals to Advanced Applications. Chem Rev 2022; 122:9145-9197. [PMID: 35394752 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.1c00877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Proteins that self-assemble into polyhedral shell-like structures are useful molecular containers both in nature and in the laboratory. Here we review efforts to repurpose diverse protein cages, including viral capsids, ferritins, bacterial microcompartments, and designed capsules, as vaccines, drug delivery vehicles, targeted imaging agents, nanoreactors, templates for controlled materials synthesis, building blocks for higher-order architectures, and more. A deep understanding of the principles underlying the construction, function, and evolution of natural systems has been key to tailoring selective cargo encapsulation and interactions with both biological systems and synthetic materials through protein engineering and directed evolution. The ability to adapt and design increasingly sophisticated capsid structures and functions stands to benefit the fields of catalysis, materials science, and medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Stephan Tetter
- Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, ETH Zurich, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Angela Steinauer
- Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, ETH Zurich, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Mao Hori
- Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, ETH Zurich, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Donald Hilvert
- Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, ETH Zurich, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
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14
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Tang H, Zhang P, Luo X. Recent Technologies for Genetic Code Expansion and their Implications on Synthetic Biology Applications. J Mol Biol 2021; 434:167382. [PMID: 34863778 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2021.167382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2021] [Revised: 11/18/2021] [Accepted: 11/24/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Genetic code expansion (GCE) enables the site-specific incorporation of non-canonical amino acids as novel building blocks for the investigation and manipulation of proteins. The advancement of genetic code expansion has been benefited from the development of synthetic biology, while genetic code expansion also helps to create more synthetic biology tools. In this review, we summarize recent advances in genetic code expansion brought by synthetic biology progresses, including engineering of the translation machinery, genome-wide codon reassignment, and the biosynthesis of non-canonical amino acids. We highlight the emerging application of this technology in construction of new synthetic biology parts, circuits, chassis, and products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongting Tang
- Center for Synthetic Biochemistry, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Pan Zhang
- Center for Synthetic Biochemistry, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Xiaozhou Luo
- Center for Synthetic Biochemistry, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China.
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15
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Kropp C, Bruckmann A, Babinger P. Controlling Enzymatic Activity by Modulating the Oligomerization State via Chemical Rescue and Optical Control. Chembiochem 2021; 23:e202100490. [PMID: 34633135 PMCID: PMC9298306 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202100490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2021] [Revised: 10/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Selective switching of enzymatic activity has been a longstanding goal in synthetic biology. Drastic changes in activity upon mutational manipulation of the oligomerization state of enzymes have frequently been reported in the literature, but scarcely exploited for switching. Using geranylgeranylglyceryl phosphate synthase as a model, we demonstrate that catalytic activity can be efficiently controlled by exogenous modulation of the association state. We introduced a lysine‐to‐cysteine mutation, leading to the breakdown of the active hexamer into dimers with impaired catalytic efficiency. Addition of bromoethylamine chemically rescued the enzyme by restoring hexamerization and activity. As an alternative method, we incorporated the photosensitive unnatural amino acid o‐nitrobenzyl‐O‐tyrosine (ONBY) into the hexamerization interface. This again led to inactive dimers, but the hexameric state and activity could be recovered by UV‐light induced cleavage of ONBY. For both approaches, we obtained switching factors greater than 350‐fold, which compares favorably with previously reported activity changes that were caused by site‐directed mutagenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cosimo Kropp
- Institute of Biophysics and Physical Biochemistry, Regensburg Center for Biochemistry, University of Regensburg, 93040, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Astrid Bruckmann
- Institute of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Regensburg Center for Biochemistry, University of Regensburg, 93040, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Patrick Babinger
- Institute of Biophysics and Physical Biochemistry, Regensburg Center for Biochemistry, University of Regensburg, 93040, Regensburg, Germany
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16
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Lechner VM, Nappi M, Deneny PJ, Folliet S, Chu JCK, Gaunt MJ. Visible-Light-Mediated Modification and Manipulation of Biomacromolecules. Chem Rev 2021; 122:1752-1829. [PMID: 34546740 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.1c00357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Chemically modified biomacromolecules-i.e., proteins, nucleic acids, glycans, and lipids-have become crucial tools in chemical biology. They are extensively used not only to elucidate cellular processes but also in industrial applications, particularly in the context of biopharmaceuticals. In order to enable maximum scope for optimization, it is pivotal to have a diverse array of biomacromolecule modification methods at one's disposal. Chemistry has driven many significant advances in this area, and especially recently, numerous novel visible-light-induced photochemical approaches have emerged. In these reactions, light serves as an external source of energy, enabling access to highly reactive intermediates under exceedingly mild conditions and with exquisite spatiotemporal control. While UV-induced transformations on biomacromolecules date back decades, visible light has the unmistakable advantage of being considerably more biocompatible, and a spectrum of visible-light-driven methods is now available, chiefly for proteins and nucleic acids. This review will discuss modifications of native functional groups (FGs), including functionalization, labeling, and cross-linking techniques as well as the utility of oxidative degradation mediated by photochemically generated reactive oxygen species. Furthermore, transformations at non-native, bioorthogonal FGs on biomacromolecules will be addressed, including photoclick chemistry and DNA-encoded library synthesis as well as methods that allow manipulation of the activity of a biomacromolecule.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vivian M Lechner
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom
| | - Manuel Nappi
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom
| | - Patrick J Deneny
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom
| | - Sarah Folliet
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom
| | - John C K Chu
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom
| | - Matthew J Gaunt
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom
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17
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Cao W, Qin X, Wang Y, Dai Z, Dai X, Wang H, Xuan W, Zhang Y, Liu Y, Liu T. A General Supramolecular Approach to Regulate Protein Functions by Cucurbit[7]uril and Unnatural Amino Acid Recognition. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.202100916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Wenbing Cao
- College of Chemistry State Key Laboratory of Elemento-Organic Chemistry Nankai University 94 Weijin Road, Nankai District Tianjin 300071 P. R. China
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, Pharmaceutical Sciences Peking University 38 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District Beijing 100191 China
| | - Xuewen Qin
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, Pharmaceutical Sciences Peking University 38 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District Beijing 100191 China
| | - Yong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, Pharmaceutical Sciences Peking University 38 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District Beijing 100191 China
| | - Zhen Dai
- College of Chemistry State Key Laboratory of Elemento-Organic Chemistry Nankai University 94 Weijin Road, Nankai District Tianjin 300071 P. R. China
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, Pharmaceutical Sciences Peking University 38 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District Beijing 100191 China
| | - Xianyin Dai
- College of Chemistry State Key Laboratory of Elemento-Organic Chemistry Nankai University 94 Weijin Road, Nankai District Tianjin 300071 P. R. China
| | - Haoyu Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, Pharmaceutical Sciences Peking University 38 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District Beijing 100191 China
| | - Weimin Xuan
- College of Chemistry State Key Laboratory of Elemento-Organic Chemistry Nankai University 94 Weijin Road, Nankai District Tianjin 300071 P. R. China
| | - Yingming Zhang
- College of Chemistry State Key Laboratory of Elemento-Organic Chemistry Nankai University 94 Weijin Road, Nankai District Tianjin 300071 P. R. China
| | - Yu Liu
- College of Chemistry State Key Laboratory of Elemento-Organic Chemistry Nankai University 94 Weijin Road, Nankai District Tianjin 300071 P. R. China
| | - Tao Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, Pharmaceutical Sciences Peking University 38 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District Beijing 100191 China
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18
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Cao W, Qin X, Wang Y, Dai Z, Dai X, Wang H, Xuan W, Zhang Y, Liu Y, Liu T. A General Supramolecular Approach to Regulate Protein Functions by Cucurbit[7]uril and Unnatural Amino Acid Recognition. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2021; 60:11196-11200. [PMID: 33580548 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202100916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2021] [Revised: 02/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Regulation of specific protein function is of great importance for both research and therapeutic development. Many small or large molecules have been developed to control specific protein function, but there is a lack of a universal approach to regulate the function of any given protein. We report a general host-guest molecular recognition approach involving modification of the protein functional surfaces with genetically encoded unnatural amino acids bearing guest side chains that can be specifically recognized by cucurbit[7]uril. Using two enzymes and a cytokine as models, we showed that the activity of proteins bearing unnatural amino acid could be turned off by host molecule binding, which blocked its functional binding surface. Protein activity can be switched back by treatment with a competitive guest molecule. Our approach provides a general tool for reversibly regulating protein function through molecular recognition and can be expected to be valuable for studying protein functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenbing Cao
- College of Chemistry, State Key Laboratory of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, Nankai University, 94 Weijin Road, Nankai District, Tianjin, 300071, P. R. China.,State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, 38 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Xuewen Qin
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, 38 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Yong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, 38 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Zhen Dai
- College of Chemistry, State Key Laboratory of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, Nankai University, 94 Weijin Road, Nankai District, Tianjin, 300071, P. R. China.,State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, 38 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Xianyin Dai
- College of Chemistry, State Key Laboratory of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, Nankai University, 94 Weijin Road, Nankai District, Tianjin, 300071, P. R. China
| | - Haoyu Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, 38 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Weimin Xuan
- College of Chemistry, State Key Laboratory of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, Nankai University, 94 Weijin Road, Nankai District, Tianjin, 300071, P. R. China
| | - Yingming Zhang
- College of Chemistry, State Key Laboratory of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, Nankai University, 94 Weijin Road, Nankai District, Tianjin, 300071, P. R. China
| | - Yu Liu
- College of Chemistry, State Key Laboratory of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, Nankai University, 94 Weijin Road, Nankai District, Tianjin, 300071, P. R. China
| | - Tao Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, 38 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100191, China
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19
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Hao R, Ma K, Ru Y, Li D, Song G, Lu B, Liu H, Li Y, Zhang J, Wu C, Zhang G, Hu H, Luo J, Zheng H. Amber codon is genetically unstable in generation of premature termination codon (PTC)-harbouring Foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) via genetic code expansion. RNA Biol 2021; 18:2330-2341. [PMID: 33849391 DOI: 10.1080/15476286.2021.1907055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) is the causative agent of FMD, a highly infectious and devastating viral disease of domestic and wild cloven-hoofed animals. FMD affects livestock and animal products' national and international trade, causing severe economic losses and social consequences. Currently, inactivated vaccines play a vital role in FMD control, but they have several limitations. The genetic code expansion technology provides powerful strategies for generating premature termination codon (PTC)-harbouring virus as a live but replication-incompetent viral vaccine. However, this technology has not been explored for the design and development of new FMD vaccines. In this study, we first expanded the genetic code of the FMDV genome via a transgenic cell line containing an orthogonal translation machinery. We demonstrated that the transgenic cells stably integrated the orthogonal pyltRNA/pylRS pair into the genome and enabled efficient, homogeneous incorporation of unnatural amino acids into target proteins in mammalian cells. Next, we constructed 129 single-PTC FMDV mutants and four dual-PTC FMDV mutants after considering the tolerance, location, and potential functions of those mutated sites. Amber stop codons individually substituted the selected amino acid codons in four viral proteins (3D, L, VP1, and VP4) of FMDV. We successfully rescued PTC-FMDV mutants, but the amber codon unexpectedly showed a highly degree of mutation rate during PTC-FMDV packaging and replication. Our findings highlight that the genetic code expansion technology for the generation of PTC-FMD vaccines needs to be further improved and that the genetic stability of amber codons during the packaging and replication of FMDV is a concern.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rongzeng Hao
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, OIE/National Foot and Mouth Diseases Reference Laboratory, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, China
| | - Kun Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, OIE/National Foot and Mouth Diseases Reference Laboratory, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, China
| | - Yi Ru
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, OIE/National Foot and Mouth Diseases Reference Laboratory, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, China
| | - Dan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, OIE/National Foot and Mouth Diseases Reference Laboratory, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, China
| | - Gaoyuan Song
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, OIE/National Foot and Mouth Diseases Reference Laboratory, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, China
| | - Bingzhou Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, OIE/National Foot and Mouth Diseases Reference Laboratory, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, China
| | - Huanan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, OIE/National Foot and Mouth Diseases Reference Laboratory, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, China
| | - Yajun Li
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, OIE/National Foot and Mouth Diseases Reference Laboratory, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, China
| | - Jiaoyan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, OIE/National Foot and Mouth Diseases Reference Laboratory, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, China
| | - Chunping Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, OIE/National Foot and Mouth Diseases Reference Laboratory, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, China
| | - Guicai Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, OIE/National Foot and Mouth Diseases Reference Laboratory, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, China
| | - Haitao Hu
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Sealy Center for Vaccine Development and Institute for Human Infections and Immunity, University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Jianxun Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, OIE/National Foot and Mouth Diseases Reference Laboratory, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, China
| | - Haixue Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, OIE/National Foot and Mouth Diseases Reference Laboratory, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, China
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20
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Genetic code expansion in mammalian cells: A plasmid system comparison. Bioorg Med Chem 2020; 28:115772. [PMID: 33069552 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2020.115772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2020] [Revised: 09/09/2020] [Accepted: 09/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Genetic code expansion with unnatural amino acids (UAAs) has significantly broadened the chemical repertoire of proteins. Applications of this method in mammalian cells include probing of molecular interactions, conditional control of biological processes, and new strategies for therapeutics and vaccines. A number of methods have been developed for transient UAA mutagenesis in mammalian cells, each with unique features and advantages. All have in common a need to deliver genes encoding additional protein biosynthetic machinery (an orthogonal tRNA/tRNA synthetase pair) and a gene for the protein of interest. In this study, we present a comparative evaluation of select plasmid-based genetic code expansion systems and a detailed analysis of suppression efficiency with different UAAs and in different cell lines.
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21
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Thomas J, Punia K, Montclare JK. Peptides as key components in the design of
non‐viral
vectors for gene delivery. Pept Sci (Hoboken) 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/pep2.24189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Thomas
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering New York University Tandon School of Engineering Brooklyn New York USA
- Department of Biochemistry SUNY Downstate Medical Center Brooklyn New York USA
| | - Kamia Punia
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering New York University Tandon School of Engineering Brooklyn New York USA
| | - Jin Kim Montclare
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering New York University Tandon School of Engineering Brooklyn New York USA
- Department of Biochemistry SUNY Downstate Medical Center Brooklyn New York USA
- Department of Chemistry New York University New York New York USA
- Department of Biomaterials New York University College of Dentistry New York New York USA
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22
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Wang Y, Li S, Tian Z, Sun J, Liang S, Zhang B, Bai L, Zhang Y, Zhou X, Xiao S, Zhang Q, Zhang L, Zhang C, Zhou D. Generation of a caged lentiviral vector through an unnatural amino acid for photo-switchable transduction. Nucleic Acids Res 2019; 47:e114. [PMID: 31361892 PMCID: PMC6821241 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkz659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2018] [Revised: 07/06/2019] [Accepted: 07/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Application of viral vectors in gene delivery is attracting widespread attention but is hampered by the absence of control over transduction, which may lead to non-selective transduction with adverse side effects. To overcome some of these limitations, we proposed an unnatural amino acid aided caging–uncaging strategy for controlling the transduction capability of a viral vector. In this proof-of-principle study, we first expanded the genetic code of the lentiviral vector to incorporate an azido-containing unnatural amino acid (Nϵ-2-azidoethyloxycarbonyl-l-lysine, NAEK) site specifically within a lentiviral envelope protein. Screening of the resultant vectors indicated that NAEK incorporation at Y77 and Y116 was capable of inactivating viral transduction upon click conjugation with a photo-cleavable chemical molecule (T1). Exposure of the chimeric viral vector (Y77-T1) to UVA light subsequently removed the photo-caging group and restored the transduction capability of lentiviral vector both in vitro and in vivo. Our results indicate that the use of the photo-uncage activation procedure can reverse deactivated lentiviral vectors and thus enable regulation of viral transduction in a switchable manner. The methods presented here may be a general approach for generating various switchable vectors that respond to different stimulations and adapt to different viral vectors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China.,Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Shuai Li
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China.,Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Zhenyu Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China.,Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Jiaqi Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China.,Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Shuobin Liang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China.,Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Bo Zhang
- Center for Translational Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China
| | - Lu Bai
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China.,Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Yuanjie Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China.,Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Xueying Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China.,Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Sulong Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China.,Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Qiang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China.,Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Lihe Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Chuanling Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China.,Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Demin Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China.,Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
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23
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Courtney TM, Deiters A. Optical control of protein phosphatase function. Nat Commun 2019; 10:4384. [PMID: 31558717 PMCID: PMC6763421 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-12260-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2019] [Accepted: 08/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Protein phosphatases are involved in embryonic development, metabolic homeostasis, stress response, cell cycle transitions, and many other essential biological mechanisms. Unlike kinases, protein phosphatases remain understudied and less characterized. Traditional genetic and biochemical methods have contributed significantly to our understanding; however, these methodologies lack precise and acute spatiotemporal control. Here, we report the development of a light-activated protein phosphatase, the dual specificity phosphatase 6 (DUSP6 or MKP3). Through genetic code expansion, MKP3 is placed under optical control via two different approaches: (i) incorporation of a caged cysteine into the active site for controlling catalytic activity and (ii) incorporation of a caged lysine into the kinase interaction motif for controlling the protein-protein interaction between the phosphatase and its substrate. Both strategies are expected to be applicable to the engineering of a wide range of light-activated phosphatases. Applying the optogenetically controlled MKP3 in conjunction with live cell reporters, we discover that ERK nuclear translocation is regulated in a graded manner in response to increasing MKP3 activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taylor M Courtney
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15260, USA
| | - Alexander Deiters
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15260, USA.
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24
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Nödling AR, Spear LA, Williams TL, Luk LYP, Tsai YH. Using genetically incorporated unnatural amino acids to control protein functions in mammalian cells. Essays Biochem 2019; 63:237-266. [PMID: 31092687 PMCID: PMC6610526 DOI: 10.1042/ebc20180042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2019] [Revised: 03/14/2019] [Accepted: 03/19/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Genetic code expansion allows unnatural (non-canonical) amino acid incorporation into proteins of interest by repurposing the cellular translation machinery. The development of this technique has enabled site-specific incorporation of many structurally and chemically diverse amino acids, facilitating a plethora of applications, including protein imaging, engineering, mechanistic and structural investigations, and functional regulation. Particularly, genetic code expansion provides great tools to study mammalian proteins, of which dysregulations often have important implications in health. In recent years, a series of methods has been developed to modulate protein function through genetically incorporated unnatural amino acids. In this review, we will first discuss the basic concept of genetic code expansion and give an up-to-date list of amino acids that can be incorporated into proteins in mammalian cells. We then focus on the use of unnatural amino acids to activate, inhibit, or reversibly modulate protein function by translational, optical or chemical control. The features of each approach will also be highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Luke A Spear
- School of Chemistry, Cardiff University, Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas L Williams
- School of Chemistry, Cardiff University, Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom
| | - Louis Y P Luk
- School of Chemistry, Cardiff University, Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom
| | - Yu-Hsuan Tsai
- School of Chemistry, Cardiff University, Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom
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25
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Moulton KR, Sadiki A, Koleva BN, Ombelets LJ, Tran TH, Liu S, Wang B, Chen H, Micheloni E, Beuning PJ, O’Doherty GA, Zhou ZS. Site-Specific Reversible Protein and Peptide Modification: Transglutaminase-Catalyzed Glutamine Conjugation and Bioorthogonal Light-Mediated Removal. Bioconjug Chem 2019; 30:1617-1621. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.9b00145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
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26
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Müller TG, Sakin V, Müller B. A Spotlight on Viruses-Application of Click Chemistry to Visualize Virus-Cell Interactions. Molecules 2019; 24:molecules24030481. [PMID: 30700005 PMCID: PMC6385038 DOI: 10.3390/molecules24030481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2018] [Revised: 01/18/2019] [Accepted: 01/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The replication of a virus within its host cell involves numerous interactions between viral and cellular factors, which have to be tightly controlled in space and time. The intricate interplay between viral exploitation of cellular pathways and the intrinsic host defense mechanisms is difficult to unravel by traditional bulk approaches. In recent years, novel fluorescence microscopy techniques and single virus tracking have transformed the investigation of dynamic virus-host interactions. A prerequisite for the application of these imaging-based methods is the attachment of a fluorescent label to the structure of interest. However, their small size, limited coding capacity and multifunctional proteins render viruses particularly challenging targets for fluorescent labeling approaches. Click chemistry in conjunction with genetic code expansion provides virologists with a novel toolbox for site-specific, minimally invasive labeling of virion components, whose potential has just recently begun to be exploited. Here, we summarize recent achievements, current developments and future challenges for the labeling of viral nucleic acids, proteins, glycoproteins or lipids using click chemistry in order to study dynamic processes in virus-cell interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thorsten G Müller
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Virology, University Hospital Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Volkan Sakin
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Molecular Virology, University Hospital Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Barbara Müller
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Virology, University Hospital Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
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27
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Huang Y, Liu T. Therapeutic applications of genetic code expansion. Synth Syst Biotechnol 2018; 3:150-158. [PMID: 30345400 PMCID: PMC6190509 DOI: 10.1016/j.synbio.2018.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2018] [Revised: 09/16/2018] [Accepted: 09/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
In nature, a limited, conservative set of amino acids are utilized to synthesize proteins. Genetic code expansion technique reassigns codons and incorporates noncanonical amino acids (ncAAs) through orthogonal aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase (aaRS)/tRNA pairs. The past decade has witnessed the rapid growth in diversity and scope for therapeutic applications of this technology. Here, we provided an update on the recent progress using genetic code expansion in the following areas: antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), bispecific antibodies (BsAb), immunotherapies, long-lasting protein therapeutics, biosynthesized peptides, engineered viruses and cells, as well as other therapeutic related applications, where the technique was used to elucidate the mechanisms of biotherapeutics and drug targets.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Tao Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China
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28
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Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Awards: A. K. Boal, A. Chatterjee, D. E. Freedman, J. B. Matson, M. R. Seyedsayamdost, M. G. Shapiro / SCIEX Microscale Separations Innovations Medal and Award: A. E. Herr / ChemPubSocEurope Early Career Award: J. L. Zhang. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.201808466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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29
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Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Awards: A. K. Boal, A. Chatterjee, D. E. Freedman, J. B. Matson, M. R. Seyedsayamdost, M. G. Shapiro / SCIEX Microscale Separations Innovations Medal and Award: A. E. Herr / ChemPubSocEurope Early Career Award: J. L. Zhang. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/anie.201808466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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30
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Kelemen RE, Erickson SB, Chatterjee A. Synthesis at the interface of virology and genetic code expansion. Curr Opin Chem Biol 2018; 46:164-171. [PMID: 30086446 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2018.07.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2018] [Revised: 05/18/2018] [Accepted: 07/13/2018] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
How a virus efficiently invades its host cell and masterfully engineers its properties provides valuable lessons and resources for the emerging discipline of synthetic biology, which seeks to create engineered biological systems with novel functions. Recently, the toolbox of synthetic biology has also been enriched by the genetic code expansion technology, which has provided access to a large assortment of unnatural amino acids with novel chemical functionalities that can be site-specifically incorporated into proteins in living cells. The synergistic interplay of these two disciplines holds much promise to advance their individual progress, while creating new paradigms for synthetic biology. In this review we seek to provide an account of the recent advances at the interface of these two research areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel E Kelemen
- Department of Chemistry, Boston College, 2609 Beacon Street, 246B Merkert Chemistry Center, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, United States
| | - Sarah B Erickson
- Department of Chemistry, Boston College, 2609 Beacon Street, 246B Merkert Chemistry Center, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, United States
| | - Abhishek Chatterjee
- Department of Chemistry, Boston College, 2609 Beacon Street, 246B Merkert Chemistry Center, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, United States.
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31
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Courtney T, Deiters A. Recent advances in the optical control of protein function through genetic code expansion. Curr Opin Chem Biol 2018; 46:99-107. [PMID: 30056281 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2018.07.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2018] [Revised: 05/21/2018] [Accepted: 07/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
In nature, biological processes are regulated with precise spatial and temporal resolution at the molecular, cellular, and organismal levels. In order to perturb and manipulate these processes, optically controlled chemical tools have been developed and applied in living systems. The use of light as an external trigger provides spatial and temporal control with minimal adverse effects. Incorporation of light-responsive amino acids into proteins in cells and organisms with an expanded genetic code has enabled the precise activation/deactivation of numerous, diverse proteins, such as kinases, nucleases, proteases, and polymerases. Using unnatural amino acids to generate light-triggered proteins enables a rational engineering approach that is based on mechanistic and/or structural information. This review focuses on the most recent developments in the field, including technological advances and biological applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taylor Courtney
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, United States
| | - Alexander Deiters
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, United States.
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32
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Abstract
Our understanding of the complex molecular processes of living organisms at the molecular level is growing exponentially. This knowledge, together with a powerful arsenal of tools for manipulating the structures of macromolecules, is allowing chemists to to harness and reprogram the cellular machinery in ways previously unimaged. Here we review one example in which the genetic code itself has been expanded with new building blocks that allow us to probe and manipulate the structures and functions of proteins with unprecedented precision.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douglas D. Young
- Department of Chemistry, College of William & Mary,
P.O. Box 8795, Williamsburg, VA 23187 (USA)
| | - Peter G. Schultz
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute,
La Jolla, CA 92037 (USA),
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33
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Zhang C, Zhou X, Yao T, Tian Z, Zhou D. Precision Fluorescent Labeling of an Adeno-Associated Virus Vector to Monitor the Viral Infection Pathway. Biotechnol J 2018; 13:e1700374. [DOI: 10.1002/biot.201700374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2017] [Revised: 12/04/2017] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Chuanling Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs; School of Pharmaceutical Sciences; Peking University; Beijing 100191 China
| | - Xueying Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs; School of Pharmaceutical Sciences; Peking University; Beijing 100191 China
| | - Tianzhuo Yao
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs; School of Pharmaceutical Sciences; Peking University; Beijing 100191 China
| | - Zhenyu Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs; School of Pharmaceutical Sciences; Peking University; Beijing 100191 China
| | - Demin Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs; School of Pharmaceutical Sciences; Peking University; Beijing 100191 China
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34
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Kelemen RE, Erickson SB, Chatterjee A. Production and Chemoselective Modification of Adeno-Associated Virus Site-Specifically Incorporating an Unnatural Amino Acid Residue into Its Capsid. Methods Mol Biol 2018; 1728:313-326. [PMID: 29405007 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-7574-7_20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The ability to modify the capsid proteins of human viruses is desirable both for installing probes to study their structure and function, and to attach retargeting agents to engineer viral infectivity. However, the installation of such capsid modifications currently faces two major challenges: (1) The complex and delicate capsid proteins often do not tolerate large modifications, and (2) capsid proteins are composed of the 20 canonical amino acids, precluding site-specific chemical modification of the virus. Here, we describe a technology for generating adeno-associated virus (AAV) while incorporating an unnatural amino acid (UAA) into specific sites of the virus capsid. Incorporation of this UAA is generally tolerated well, presumably due to its small structural footprint. The resulting virus can be precisely functionalized at the site of UAA incorporation using chemoselective conjugation strategies targeted toward the azido side chain of this UAA. This technology provides a powerful way to modify AAV with unprecedented precision to both probe and engineer its entry process.
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35
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Expanding the genetic code of mammalian cells. Biochem Soc Trans 2017; 45:555-562. [PMID: 28408495 DOI: 10.1042/bst20160336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2017] [Revised: 02/22/2017] [Accepted: 02/24/2017] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
In the last two decades, unnatural amino acid (UAA) mutagenesis has emerged as a powerful new method to probe and engineer protein structure and function. This technology enables precise incorporation of a rapidly expanding repertoire of UAAs into predefined sites of a target protein expressed in living cells. Owing to the small footprint of these genetically encoded UAAs and the large variety of enabling functionalities they offer, this technology has tremendous potential for deciphering the delicate and complex biology of the mammalian cells. Over the last few years, exciting progress has been made toward expanding the toolbox of genetically encoded UAAs in mammalian cells, improving the efficiency of their incorporation and developing innovative applications. Here, we provide our perspective on these recent developments and highlight the current challenges that must be overcome to realize the full potential of this technology.
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