1
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Chen L, Xin X, Zhang Y, Li S, Zhao X, Li S, Xu Z. Advances in Biosynthesis of Non-Canonical Amino Acids (ncAAs) and the Methods of ncAAs Incorporation into Proteins. Molecules 2023; 28:6745. [PMID: 37764520 PMCID: PMC10534643 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28186745] [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: 09/03/2023] [Revised: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The functional pool of canonical amino acids (cAAs) has been enriched through the emergence of non-canonical amino acids (ncAAs). NcAAs play a crucial role in the production of various pharmaceuticals. The biosynthesis of ncAAs has emerged as an alternative to traditional chemical synthesis due to its environmental friendliness and high efficiency. The breakthrough genetic code expansion (GCE) technique developed in recent years has allowed the incorporation of ncAAs into target proteins, giving them special functions and biological activities. The biosynthesis of ncAAs and their incorporation into target proteins within a single microbe has become an enticing application of such molecules. Based on that, in this study, we first review the biosynthesis methods for ncAAs and analyze the difficulties related to biosynthesis. We then summarize the GCE methods and analyze their advantages and disadvantages. Further, we review the application progress of ncAAs and anticipate the challenges and future development directions of ncAAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang Chen
- College of Bioengineering, Beijing Polytechnic, Beijing 100176, China; (X.X.); (Y.Z.); (S.L.); (X.Z.); (S.L.); (Z.X.)
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2
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Liu F, He L, Dong S, Xuan J, Cui Q, Feng Y. Artificial Small Molecules as Cofactors and Biomacromolecular Building Blocks in Synthetic Biology: Design, Synthesis, Applications, and Challenges. Molecules 2023; 28:5850. [PMID: 37570818 PMCID: PMC10421094 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28155850] [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: 06/29/2023] [Revised: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Enzymes are essential catalysts for various chemical reactions in biological systems and often rely on metal ions or cofactors to stabilize their structure or perform functions. Improving enzyme performance has always been an important direction of protein engineering. In recent years, various artificial small molecules have been successfully used in enzyme engineering. The types of enzymatic reactions and metabolic pathways in cells can be expanded by the incorporation of these artificial small molecules either as cofactors or as building blocks of proteins and nucleic acids, which greatly promotes the development and application of biotechnology. In this review, we summarized research on artificial small molecules including biological metal cluster mimics, coenzyme analogs (mNADs), designer cofactors, non-natural nucleotides (XNAs), and non-natural amino acids (nnAAs), focusing on their design, synthesis, and applications as well as the current challenges in synthetic biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fenghua Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Biofuels, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 189 Songling Road, Qingdao 266101, China
- Shandong Energy Institute, 189 Songling Road, Qingdao 266101, China
- Qingdao New Energy Shandong Laboratory, 189 Songling Road, Qingdao 266101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Lingling He
- Department of Bioscience and Bioengineering, School of Chemistry and Biological Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, 30 Xueyuan Road, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Sheng Dong
- CAS Key Laboratory of Biofuels, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 189 Songling Road, Qingdao 266101, China
- Shandong Energy Institute, 189 Songling Road, Qingdao 266101, China
- Qingdao New Energy Shandong Laboratory, 189 Songling Road, Qingdao 266101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jinsong Xuan
- Department of Bioscience and Bioengineering, School of Chemistry and Biological Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, 30 Xueyuan Road, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Qiu Cui
- CAS Key Laboratory of Biofuels, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 189 Songling Road, Qingdao 266101, China
- Shandong Energy Institute, 189 Songling Road, Qingdao 266101, China
- Qingdao New Energy Shandong Laboratory, 189 Songling Road, Qingdao 266101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yingang Feng
- CAS Key Laboratory of Biofuels, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 189 Songling Road, Qingdao 266101, China
- Shandong Energy Institute, 189 Songling Road, Qingdao 266101, China
- Qingdao New Energy Shandong Laboratory, 189 Songling Road, Qingdao 266101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
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3
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Wang Y, Zhang J, Han B, Tan L, Cai W, Li Y, Su Y, Yu Y, Wang X, Duan X, Wang H, Shi X, Wang J, Yang X, Liu T. Noncanonical amino acids as doubly bio-orthogonal handles for one-pot preparation of protein multiconjugates. Nat Commun 2023; 14:974. [PMID: 36810592 PMCID: PMC9944564 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-36658-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Genetic encoding of noncanonical amino acid (ncAA) for site-specific protein modification has been widely applied for many biological and therapeutic applications. To efficiently prepare homogeneous protein multiconjugates, we design two encodable noncanonical amino acids (ncAAs), 4-(6-(3-azidopropyl)-s-tetrazin-3-yl) phenylalanine (pTAF) and 3-(6-(3-azidopropyl)-s-tetrazin-3-yl) phenylalanine (mTAF), containing mutually orthogonal and bioorthogonal azide and tetrazine reaction handles. Recombinant proteins and antibody fragments containing the TAFs can easily be functionalized in one-pot reactions with combinations of commercially available fluorophores, radioisotopes, PEGs, and drugs in a plug-and-play manner to afford protein dual conjugates to assess combinations of tumor diagnosis, image-guided surgery, and targeted therapy in mouse models. Furthermore, we demonstrate that simultaneously incorporating mTAF and a ketone-containing ncAA into one protein via two non-sense codons allows preparation of a site-specific protein triconjugate. Our results demonstrate that TAFs are doubly bio-orthogonal handles for efficient and scalable preparation of homogeneous protein multiconjugates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Chemical Biology Center, Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, 38 Xueyuan Road, 100191, Beijing, China
| | - Jingming Zhang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Peking University First Hospital, 100034, Beijing, China
| | - Boyang Han
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Chemical Biology Center, Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, 38 Xueyuan Road, 100191, Beijing, China
| | - Linzhi Tan
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Chemical Biology Center, Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, 38 Xueyuan Road, 100191, Beijing, China
| | - Wenkang Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Chemical Biology Center, Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, 38 Xueyuan Road, 100191, Beijing, China
| | - Yuxuan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Chemical Biology Center, Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, 38 Xueyuan Road, 100191, Beijing, China
| | - Yeyu Su
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Chemical Biology Center, Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, 38 Xueyuan Road, 100191, Beijing, China
| | - Yutong Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Chemical Biology Center, Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, 38 Xueyuan Road, 100191, Beijing, China
| | - Xin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Chemical Biology Center, Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, 38 Xueyuan Road, 100191, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaojiang Duan
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Peking University First Hospital, 100034, Beijing, China
| | - Haoyu Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Chemical Biology Center, Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, 38 Xueyuan Road, 100191, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaomeng Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Chemical Biology Center, Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, 38 Xueyuan Road, 100191, Beijing, China
| | - Jing Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Chemical Biology Center, Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, 38 Xueyuan Road, 100191, Beijing, China
| | - Xing Yang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Peking University First Hospital, 100034, Beijing, China. .,Institute of Medical Technology, Peking University Health Science Center, 100191, Beijing, China.
| | - Tao Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Chemical Biology Center, Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, 38 Xueyuan Road, 100191, Beijing, China.
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4
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Wang Y, Cai W, Han B, Liu T. Protein Expression with Biosynthesized Noncanonical Amino Acids. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2676:87-100. [PMID: 37277626 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3251-2_6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Natural proteins are normally made by 20 canonical amino acids. Genetic code expansion (GCE) enables incorporation of diverse chemically synthesized noncanonical amino acids (ncAAs) by orthogonal aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase (aaRS)/tRNA pairs using nonsense codons, which could significantly expand new functionalities of proteins in both scientific and biomedical applications. Here, by hijacking the cysteine biosynthetic enzymes, we describe a method combining amino acid biosynthesis and GCE to introduce around 50 structurally novel ncAAs into proteins by supplementation of commercially available aromatic thiol precursors, thus eliminating the need to chemically synthesize these ncAAs. A screening method is also provided for improving the incorporation efficiency of a particular ncAA. Furthermore, we demonstrate bioorthogonal groups, such as azide and ketone, that are compatible with our system and can be easily introduced into protein for subsequent site-specific labeling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Chemical Biology Center, Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Wenkang Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Chemical Biology Center, Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Boyang Han
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Chemical Biology Center, Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Tao Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Chemical Biology Center, Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China.
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5
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Wu K, Moore JA, Miller MD, Chen Y, Lee C, Xu W, Peng Z, Duan Q, Phillips GN, Uribe RA, Xiao H. Expanding the eukaryotic genetic code with a biosynthesized 21st amino acid. Protein Sci 2022; 31:e4443. [PMID: 36173166 PMCID: PMC9601876 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4443] [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: 06/18/2022] [Revised: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Genetic code expansion technology allows for the use of noncanonical amino acids (ncAAs) to create semisynthetic organisms for both biochemical and biomedical applications. However, exogenous feeding of chemically synthesized ncAAs at high concentrations is required to compensate for the inefficient cellular uptake and incorporation of these components into proteins, especially in the case of eukaryotic cells and multicellular organisms. To generate organisms capable of autonomously biosynthesizing an ncAA and incorporating it into proteins, we have engineered a metabolic pathway for the synthesis of O-methyltyrosine (OMeY). Specifically, we endowed organisms with a marformycins biosynthetic pathway-derived methyltransferase that efficiently converts tyrosine to OMeY in the presence of the co-factor S-adenosylmethionine. The resulting cells can produce and site-specifically incorporate OMeY into proteins at much higher levels than cells exogenously fed OMeY. To understand the structural basis for the substrate selectivity of the transferase, we solved the X-ray crystal structures of the ligand-free and tyrosine-bound enzymes. Most importantly, we have extended this OMeY biosynthetic system to both mammalian cells and the zebrafish model to enhance the utility of genetic code expansion. The creation of autonomous eukaryotes using a 21st amino acid will make genetic code expansion technology more applicable to multicellular organisms, providing valuable vertebrate models for biological and biomedical research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kuan‐Lin Wu
- Department of ChemistryRice UniversityHoustonTexasUSA
| | - Joshua A. Moore
- Department of BiosciencesRice UniversityHoustonTexasUSA
- Biochemistry and Cell Biology ProgramRice UniversityHoustonTexasUSA
| | | | - Yuda Chen
- Department of ChemistryRice UniversityHoustonTexasUSA
| | - Catherine Lee
- Department of ChemistryRice UniversityHoustonTexasUSA
| | - Weijun Xu
- Department of BiosciencesRice UniversityHoustonTexasUSA
| | - Zane Peng
- Department of ChemistryRice UniversityHoustonTexasUSA
| | - Qinghui Duan
- Department of ChemistryRice UniversityHoustonTexasUSA
| | - George N. Phillips
- Department of ChemistryRice UniversityHoustonTexasUSA
- Department of BiosciencesRice UniversityHoustonTexasUSA
| | - Rosa A. Uribe
- Department of BiosciencesRice UniversityHoustonTexasUSA
- Biochemistry and Cell Biology ProgramRice UniversityHoustonTexasUSA
| | - Han Xiao
- Department of ChemistryRice UniversityHoustonTexasUSA
- Department of BiosciencesRice UniversityHoustonTexasUSA
- Department of BioengineeringRice UniversityHoustonTexasUSA
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6
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Chen Y, Jin S, Zhang M, Hu Y, Wu KL, Chung A, Wang S, Tian Z, Wang Y, Wolynes PG, Xiao H. Unleashing the potential of noncanonical amino acid biosynthesis to create cells with precision tyrosine sulfation. Nat Commun 2022; 13:5434. [PMID: 36114189 PMCID: PMC9481576 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-33111-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite the great promise of genetic code expansion technology to modulate structures and functions of proteins, external addition of ncAAs is required in most cases and it often limits the utility of genetic code expansion technology, especially to noncanonical amino acids (ncAAs) with poor membrane internalization. Here, we report the creation of autonomous cells, both prokaryotic and eukaryotic, with the ability to biosynthesize and genetically encode sulfotyrosine (sTyr), an important protein post-translational modification with low membrane permeability. These engineered cells can produce site-specifically sulfated proteins at a higher yield than cells fed exogenously with the highest level of sTyr reported in the literature. We use these autonomous cells to prepare highly potent thrombin inhibitors with site-specific sulfation. By enhancing ncAA incorporation efficiency, this added ability of cells to biosynthesize ncAAs and genetically incorporate them into proteins greatly extends the utility of genetic code expansion methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuda Chen
- grid.21940.3e0000 0004 1936 8278Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX 77005 USA
| | - Shikai Jin
- grid.21940.3e0000 0004 1936 8278Center for Theoretical Biological Physics, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX 77005 USA ,grid.21940.3e0000 0004 1936 8278Department of Biosciences, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX 77005 USA
| | - Mengxi Zhang
- grid.21940.3e0000 0004 1936 8278Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX 77005 USA
| | - Yu Hu
- grid.21940.3e0000 0004 1936 8278Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX 77005 USA
| | - Kuan-Lin Wu
- grid.21940.3e0000 0004 1936 8278Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX 77005 USA
| | - Anna Chung
- grid.21940.3e0000 0004 1936 8278Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX 77005 USA
| | - Shichao Wang
- grid.21940.3e0000 0004 1936 8278Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX 77005 USA
| | - Zeru Tian
- grid.21940.3e0000 0004 1936 8278Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX 77005 USA
| | - Yixian Wang
- grid.21940.3e0000 0004 1936 8278Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX 77005 USA
| | - Peter G. Wolynes
- grid.21940.3e0000 0004 1936 8278Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX 77005 USA ,grid.21940.3e0000 0004 1936 8278Center for Theoretical Biological Physics, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX 77005 USA ,grid.21940.3e0000 0004 1936 8278Department of Biosciences, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX 77005 USA ,grid.21940.3e0000 0004 1936 8278Department of Physics, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX 77005 USA
| | - Han Xiao
- grid.21940.3e0000 0004 1936 8278Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX 77005 USA ,grid.21940.3e0000 0004 1936 8278Department of Biosciences, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX 77005 USA ,grid.21940.3e0000 0004 1936 8278Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX 77005 USA
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7
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Xiong Q, Zheng T, Shen X, Li B, Fu J, Zhao X, Wang C, Yu Z. Expanding the functionality of proteins with genetically encoded dibenzo[ b, f][1,4,5]thiadiazepine: a photo-transducer for photo-click decoration. Chem Sci 2022; 13:3571-3581. [PMID: 35432856 PMCID: PMC8943893 DOI: 10.1039/d1sc05710c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2021] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetic incorporation of novel noncanonical amino acids (ncAAs) that are specialized for the photo-click reaction allows the precisely orthogonal and site-specific functionalization of proteins in living cells under photo-control. However, the development of a r̲ing-strain i̲n situ l̲oadable d̲ipolarophile (RILD) as a genetically encodable reporter for photo-click bioconjugation with spatiotemporal controllability is quite rare. Herein, we report the design and synthesis of a photo-switchable d̲ib̲enzo[b,f][1,4,5]t̲hiad̲iazepine-based a̲lanine (DBTDA) ncAA, together with the directed evolution of a pyrrolysyl-tRNA synthetase/tRNACUA pair (PylRS/tRNACUA), to encode the DBTDA into recombinant proteins as a RILD in living E. coli cells. The fast-responsive photo-isomerization of the DBTDA residue can be utilized as a converter of photon energy into ring-strain energy to oscillate the conformational changes of the parent proteins. Due to the photo-activation of RILD, the photo-switching of the DBTDA residue on sfGFP and OmpC is capable of promoting the photo-click ligation with diarylsydnone (DASyd) derived probes with high efficiency and selectivity. We demonstrate that the genetic code expansion (GCE) with DBTDA benefits the studies on the distribution of decorated OmpC-DBTD on specific E. coli cells under a spatiotemporal resolved photo-stimulation. The GCE for encoding DBTDA enables further functional diversity of artificial proteins in living systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qin Xiong
- Key Laboratory of Green Chemistry and Technology of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry, Sichuan University 29 Wangjiang Road Chengdu 610064 P. R. China
| | - Tingting Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Green Chemistry and Technology of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry, Sichuan University 29 Wangjiang Road Chengdu 610064 P. R. China
| | - Xin Shen
- Key Laboratory of Green Chemistry and Technology of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry, Sichuan University 29 Wangjiang Road Chengdu 610064 P. R. China
| | - Baolin Li
- Key Laboratory of Green Chemistry and Technology of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry, Sichuan University 29 Wangjiang Road Chengdu 610064 P. R. China
| | - Jielin Fu
- Key Laboratory of Green Chemistry and Technology of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry, Sichuan University 29 Wangjiang Road Chengdu 610064 P. R. China
| | - Xiaohu Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Green Chemistry and Technology of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry, Sichuan University 29 Wangjiang Road Chengdu 610064 P. R. China
| | - Chunxia Wang
- Key Laboratory of Green Chemistry and Technology of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry, Sichuan University 29 Wangjiang Road Chengdu 610064 P. R. China
| | - Zhipeng Yu
- Key Laboratory of Green Chemistry and Technology of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry, Sichuan University 29 Wangjiang Road Chengdu 610064 P. R. China
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8
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Chen Y, Loredo A, Chung A, Zhang M, Liu R, Xiao H. Biosynthesis and Genetic Incorporation of 3,4-Dihydroxy-L-Phenylalanine into Proteins in Escherichia coli. J Mol Biol 2021; 434:167412. [PMID: 34942167 PMCID: PMC9018569 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2021.167412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2021] [Revised: 12/13/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
While 20 canonical amino acids are used by most organisms for protein synthesis, the creation of cells that can use noncanonical amino acids (ncAAs) as additional protein building blocks holds great promise for preparing novel medicines and for studying complex questions in biological systems. However, only a small number of biosynthetic pathways for ncAAs have been reported to date, greatly restricting our ability to generate cells with ncAA building blocks. In this study, we report the creation of a completely autonomous bacterium that utilizes 3,4-dihydroxy-L-phenylalanine (DOPA) as its 21st amino acid building block. Like canonical amino acids, DOPA can be biosynthesized without exogenous addition and can be genetically incorporated into proteins in a site-specific manner. Equally important, the protein production yield of DOPA-containing proteins from these autonomous cells is greater than that of cells exogenously fed with 9 mM DOPA. The unique catechol moiety of DOPA can be used as a versatile handle for site-specific protein functionalizations via either oxidative coupling or strain-promoted oxidation-controlled cyclooctyne-1,2-quinone (SPOCQ) cycloaddition reactions. We further demonstrate the use of these autonomous cells in preparing fluorophore-labeled anti-human epidermal growth factor 2 (HER2) antibodies for the detection of HER2 expression on cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuda Chen
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, Texas, 77005
| | - Axel Loredo
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, Texas, 77005
| | - Anna Chung
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, Texas, 77005
| | - Mengxi Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, Texas, 77005
| | - Rui Liu
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, Texas, 77005
| | - Han Xiao
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, Texas, 77005; Department of Biosciences, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, Texas, 77005; Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, Texas, 77005.
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9
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Zhu P, Franklin R, Vogel A, Stanisheuski S, Reardon P, Sluchanko NN, Beckman JS, Karplus PA, Mehl RA, Cooley RB. PermaPhos Ser : autonomous synthesis of functional, permanently phosphorylated proteins. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2021:2021.10.22.465468. [PMID: 34931187 PMCID: PMC8687462 DOI: 10.1101/2021.10.22.465468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Installing stable, functional mimics of phosphorylated amino acids into proteins offers a powerful strategy to study protein regulation. Previously, a genetic code expansion (GCE) system was developed to translationally install non-hydrolyzable phosphoserine (nhpSer), with the γ-oxygen replaced with carbon, but it has seen limited usage. Here, we achieve a 40-fold improvement in this system by engineering into Escherichia coli a biosynthetic pathway that produces nhpSer from the central metabolite phosphoenolpyruvate. Using this "PermaPhos Ser " system - an autonomous 21-amino acid E. coli expression system for incorporating nhpSer into target proteins - we show that nhpSer faithfully mimics the effects of phosphoserine in three stringent test cases: promoting 14-3-3/client complexation, disrupting 14-3-3 dimers, and activating GSK3β phosphorylation of the SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein. This facile access to nhpSer containing proteins should allow nhpSer to replace Asp and Glu as the go-to pSer phosphomimetic for proteins produced in E. coli .
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Affiliation(s)
- Phillip Zhu
- Oregon State University, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, 2011 Agricultural and Life Sciences, Corvallis, OR 97331
| | - Rachel Franklin
- Oregon State University, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, 2011 Agricultural and Life Sciences, Corvallis, OR 97331
| | - Amber Vogel
- Oregon State University, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, 2011 Agricultural and Life Sciences, Corvallis, OR 97331
| | - Stanislau Stanisheuski
- Oregon State University, Department of Chemistry, 153 Gilbert Hall, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331
| | - Patrick Reardon
- Oregon State University, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, 2011 Agricultural and Life Sciences, Corvallis, OR 97331
| | - Nikolai N. Sluchanko
- A.N. Bach Institute of Biochemistry, Federal Research Center of Biotechnology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 119071, Moscow, Russia
| | - Joseph S. Beckman
- Oregon State University, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, 2011 Agricultural and Life Sciences, Corvallis, OR 97331
- e-MSion Inc., 2121 NE Jack London St, Corvallis, Oregon 97330
| | - P. Andrew Karplus
- Oregon State University, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, 2011 Agricultural and Life Sciences, Corvallis, OR 97331
| | - Ryan A. Mehl
- Oregon State University, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, 2011 Agricultural and Life Sciences, Corvallis, OR 97331
| | - Richard B. Cooley
- Oregon State University, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, 2011 Agricultural and Life Sciences, Corvallis, OR 97331
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10
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Kim S, Yi H, Kim YT, Lee HS. Engineering Translation Components for Genetic Code Expansion. J Mol Biol 2021; 434:167302. [PMID: 34673113 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2021.167302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2021] [Revised: 09/26/2021] [Accepted: 10/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The expansion of the genetic code consisting of four bases and 20 amino acids into diverse building blocks has been an exciting topic in synthetic biology. Many biochemical components are involved in gene expression; therefore, adding a new component to the genetic code requires engineering many other components that interact with it. Genetic code expansion has advanced significantly for the last two decades with the engineering of several components involved in protein synthesis. These components include tRNA/aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase, new codons, ribosomes, and elongation factor Tu. In addition, biosynthesis and enhanced uptake of non-canonical amino acids have been attempted and have made meaningful progress. This review discusses the efforts to engineer these translation components, to improve the genetic code expansion technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sooin Kim
- Department of Chemistry, Sogang University, 35 Baekbeomro Mapogu, Seoul 04107, Republic of Korea
| | - Hanbin Yi
- Department of Chemistry, Sogang University, 35 Baekbeomro Mapogu, Seoul 04107, Republic of Korea
| | - Yurie T Kim
- Department of Chemistry, Sogang University, 35 Baekbeomro Mapogu, Seoul 04107, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyun Soo Lee
- Department of Chemistry, Sogang University, 35 Baekbeomro Mapogu, Seoul 04107, Republic of Korea.
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11
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Koch NG, Goettig P, Rappsilber J, Budisa N. Engineering Pyrrolysyl-tRNA Synthetase for the Incorporation of Non-Canonical Amino Acids with Smaller Side Chains. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:11194. [PMID: 34681855 PMCID: PMC8538471 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222011194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2021] [Revised: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 10/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Site-specific incorporation of non-canonical amino acids (ncAAs) into proteins has emerged as a universal tool for systems bioengineering at the interface of chemistry, biology, and technology. The diversification of the repertoire of the genetic code has been achieved for amino acids with long and/or bulky side chains equipped with various bioorthogonal tags and useful spectral probes. Although ncAAs with relatively small side chains and similar properties are of great interest to biophysics, cell biology, and biomaterial science, they can rarely be incorporated into proteins. To address this gap, we report the engineering of PylRS variants capable of incorporating an entire library of aliphatic "small-tag" ncAAs. In particular, we performed mutational studies of a specific PylRS, designed to incorporate the shortest non-bulky ncAA (S-allyl-l-cysteine) possible to date and based on this knowledge incorporated aliphatic ncAA derivatives. In this way, we have not only increased the number of translationally active "small-tag" ncAAs, but also determined key residues responsible for maintaining orthogonality, while engineering the PylRS for these interesting substrates. Based on the known plasticity of PylRS toward different substrates, our approach further expands the reassignment capacities of this enzyme toward aliphatic amino acids with smaller side chains endowed with valuable functionalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikolaj G. Koch
- Institut für Chemie, Technische Universität Berlin, 10623 Berlin, Germany;
- Institut für Biotechnologie-Bioanalytik, Technische Universität Berlin, 10623 Berlin, Germany;
| | - Peter Goettig
- Structural Biology Group, Department of Biosciences, University of Salzburg, 5020 Salzburg, Austria;
| | - Juri Rappsilber
- Institut für Biotechnologie-Bioanalytik, Technische Universität Berlin, 10623 Berlin, Germany;
- Wellcome Centre for Cell Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3BF, UK
| | - Nediljko Budisa
- Institut für Chemie, Technische Universität Berlin, 10623 Berlin, Germany;
- Department of Chemistry, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada
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12
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Liu L, Wang B, Li S, Xu F, He Q, Pan C, Gao X, Yao W, Song X. Convenient Genetic Encoding of Phenylalanine Derivatives through Their α-Keto Acid Precursors. Biomolecules 2021; 11:biom11091358. [PMID: 34572570 PMCID: PMC8470325 DOI: 10.3390/biom11091358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2021] [Revised: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The activity and function of proteins can be improved by incorporation of non-canonical amino acids (ncAAs). To avoid the tedious synthesis of a large number of chiral phenylalanine derivatives, we synthesized the corresponding phenylpyruvic acid precursors. Escherichia coli strain DH10B and strain C321.ΔA.expΔPBAD were selected as hosts for phenylpyruvic acid bioconversion and genetic code expansion using the MmPylRS/pyltRNACUA system. The concentrations of keto acids, PLP and amino donors were optimized in the process. Eight keto acids that can be biotransformed and their coupled genetic code expansions were identified. Finally, the genetic encoded ncAAs were tested for incorporation into fluorescent proteins with keto acids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Liu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Druggability of Biopharmaceuticals, Department of Biochemistry, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China; (L.L.); (B.W.); (S.L.); (F.X.); (Q.H.)
| | - Bohao Wang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Druggability of Biopharmaceuticals, Department of Biochemistry, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China; (L.L.); (B.W.); (S.L.); (F.X.); (Q.H.)
| | - Sheng Li
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Druggability of Biopharmaceuticals, Department of Biochemistry, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China; (L.L.); (B.W.); (S.L.); (F.X.); (Q.H.)
| | - Fengyuan Xu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Druggability of Biopharmaceuticals, Department of Biochemistry, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China; (L.L.); (B.W.); (S.L.); (F.X.); (Q.H.)
| | - Qi He
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Druggability of Biopharmaceuticals, Department of Biochemistry, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China; (L.L.); (B.W.); (S.L.); (F.X.); (Q.H.)
| | - Chun Pan
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Critical Care Medicine, Department of Critical Care Medicine, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China;
| | - Xiangdong Gao
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Druggability of Biopharmaceuticals, Department of Biochemistry, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China; (L.L.); (B.W.); (S.L.); (F.X.); (Q.H.)
- Correspondence: (X.G.); (W.Y.); (X.S.)
| | - Wenbing Yao
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Druggability of Biopharmaceuticals, Department of Biochemistry, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China; (L.L.); (B.W.); (S.L.); (F.X.); (Q.H.)
- Correspondence: (X.G.); (W.Y.); (X.S.)
| | - Xiaoda Song
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Druggability of Biopharmaceuticals, Department of Biochemistry, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China; (L.L.); (B.W.); (S.L.); (F.X.); (Q.H.)
- Correspondence: (X.G.); (W.Y.); (X.S.)
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