1
|
Barrett SE, Mitchell DA. Advances in lasso peptide discovery, biosynthesis, and function. Trends Genet 2024:S0168-9525(24)00179-3. [PMID: 39218755 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2024.08.002] [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: 06/03/2024] [Revised: 08/06/2024] [Accepted: 08/07/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
Lasso peptides are a large and sequence-diverse class of ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptide (RiPP) natural products characterized by their slip knot-like shape. These unique, highly stable peptides are produced by bacteria for various purposes. Their stability and sequence diversity make them a potentially useful scaffold for biomedically relevant folded peptides. However, many questions remain about lasso peptide biosynthesis, ecological function, and diversification potential for biomedical and agricultural applications. This review discusses new insights and open questions about lasso peptide biosynthesis and biological function. The role that genome mining has played in the development of new methodologies for discovering and diversifying lasso peptides is also discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Susanna E Barrett
- Department of Chemistry at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA; Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Douglas A Mitchell
- Department of Chemistry at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA; Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
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.
Collapse
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
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Koch NG, Budisa N. Evolution of Pyrrolysyl-tRNA Synthetase: From Methanogenesis to Genetic Code Expansion. Chem Rev 2024; 124:9580-9608. [PMID: 38953775 PMCID: PMC11363022 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.4c00031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2024] [Revised: 05/22/2024] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024]
Abstract
Over 20 years ago, the pyrrolysine encoding translation system was discovered in specific archaea. Our Review provides an overview of how the once obscure pyrrolysyl-tRNA synthetase (PylRS) tRNA pair, originally responsible for accurately translating enzymes crucial in methanogenic metabolic pathways, laid the foundation for the burgeoning field of genetic code expansion. Our primary focus is the discussion of how to successfully engineer the PylRS to recognize new substrates and exhibit higher in vivo activity. We have compiled a comprehensive list of ncAAs incorporable with the PylRS system. Additionally, we also summarize recent successful applications of the PylRS system in creating innovative therapeutic solutions, such as new antibody-drug conjugates, advancements in vaccine modalities, and the potential production of new antimicrobials.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nikolaj G. Koch
- Department
of Chemistry, Institute of Physical Chemistry, University of Basel, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
- Department
of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH
Zurich, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Nediljko Budisa
- Biocatalysis
Group, Institute of Chemistry, Technische
Universität Berlin, 10623 Berlin, Germany
- Chemical
Synthetic Biology Chair, Department of Chemistry, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg MB R3T 2N2, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Schiefelbein K, Lang J, Schuster M, Grigglestone CE, Striga R, Bigler L, Schuman MC, Zerbe O, Li Y, Hartrampf N. Merging Flow Synthesis and Enzymatic Maturation to Expand the Chemical Space of Lasso Peptides. J Am Chem Soc 2024; 146:17261-17269. [PMID: 38759637 PMCID: PMC11212047 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.4c03898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2024] [Revised: 05/07/2024] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/19/2024]
Abstract
Many peptidic natural products, such as lasso peptides, cyclic peptides, and cyclotides, are conformationally constrained and show biological stability, making them attractive scaffolds for drug development. Although many peptides can be synthesized and modified through chemical methods, knot-like lasso peptides such as microcin J25 (MccJ25) and their analogues remain elusive. As the chemical space of MccJ25 analogues accessible through purely biological methods is also limited, we proposed a hybrid approach: flow-based chemical synthesis of non-natural precursor peptides, followed by in vitro transformation with recombinant maturation enzymes, to yield a more diverse array of lasso peptides. Herein, we established the rapid, flow-based synthesis of chemically modified MccJ25 precursor peptides (57 amino acids). Heterologous expression of enzymes McjB and McjC was extensively optimized to improve yields and facilitate the synthesis of multiple analogues of MccJ25, including the incorporation of non-canonical tyrosine and histidine derivatives into the lasso scaffold. Finally, using our chemoenzymatic strategy, we produced a biologically active analogue containing three d-amino acids in the loop region and incorporated backbone N-methylations. Our method provides rapid access to chemically modified lasso peptides that could be used to investigate structure-activity relationships, epitope grafting, and the improvement of therapeutic properties.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Schiefelbein
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jakob Lang
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
- Department
of Geography, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Matthias Schuster
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Claire E. Grigglestone
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Robin Striga
- Laboratory
Molecules of Communication and Adaptation of Microorganisms (MCAM).
UMR7245, CNRS-Muséum National d’Histoire
Naturelle (MNHN), Alliance Sorbonne Université, 57 rue Cuvier, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Laurent Bigler
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Meredith C. Schuman
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
- Department
of Geography, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Oliver Zerbe
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Yanyan Li
- Laboratory
Molecules of Communication and Adaptation of Microorganisms (MCAM).
UMR7245, CNRS-Muséum National d’Histoire
Naturelle (MNHN), Alliance Sorbonne Université, 57 rue Cuvier, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Nina Hartrampf
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
da Hora GCA, Oh M, Mifflin MC, Digal L, Roberts AG, Swanson JMJ. Lasso Peptides: Exploring the Folding Landscape of Nature's Smallest Interlocked Motifs. J Am Chem Soc 2024; 146:4444-4454. [PMID: 38166378 PMCID: PMC11282585 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c10126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2024]
Abstract
Lasso peptides make up a class of natural products characterized by a threaded structure. Given their small size and stability, chemical synthesis would offer tremendous potential for the development of novel therapeutics. However, the accessibility of the pre-folded lasso architecture has limited this advance. To better understand the folding process de novo, simulations are used herein to characterize the folding propensity of microcin J25 (MccJ25), a lasso peptide known for its antimicrobial properties. New algorithms are developed to unambiguously distinguish threaded from nonthreaded precursors and determine handedness, a key feature in natural lasso peptides. We find that MccJ25 indeed forms right-handed pre-lassos, in contrast to past predictions but consistent with all natural lasso peptides. Additionally, the native pre-lasso structure is shown to be metastable prior to ring formation but to readily transition to entropically favored unfolded and nonthreaded structures, suggesting that de novo lasso folding is rare. However, by altering the ring forming residues and appending thiol and thioester functionalities, we are able to increase the stability of pre-lasso conformations. Furthermore, conditions leading to protonation of a histidine imidazole side chain further stabilize the modified pre-lasso ensemble. This work highlights the use of computational methods to characterize lasso folding and demonstrates that de novo access to lasso structures can be facilitated by optimizing sequence, unnatural modifications, and reaction conditions like pH.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel C A da Hora
- Department of Chemistry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
| | - Myongin Oh
- Department of Chemistry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
| | - Marcus C Mifflin
- Department of Chemistry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
| | - Lori Digal
- Department of Chemistry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
| | - Andrew G Roberts
- Department of Chemistry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
| | - Jessica M J Swanson
- Department of Chemistry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Li H, Ding W, Zhang Q. Discovery and engineering of ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptide (RiPP) natural products. RSC Chem Biol 2024; 5:90-108. [PMID: 38333193 PMCID: PMC10849128 DOI: 10.1039/d3cb00172e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs) represent a diverse superfamily of natural products with immense potential for drug development. This review provides a concise overview of the recent advances in the discovery of RiPP natural products, focusing on rational strategies such as bioactivity guided screening, enzyme or precursor-based genome mining, and biosynthetic engineering. The challenges associated with activating silent biosynthetic gene clusters and the development of elaborate catalytic systems are also discussed. The logical frameworks emerging from these research studies offer valuable insights into RiPP biosynthesis and engineering, paving the way for broader pharmaceutic applications of these peptide natural products.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- He Li
- Department of Chemistry, Fudan University Shanghai 200433 China
| | - Wei Ding
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, School of Life Sciences & Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Shanghai 200240 China
| | - Qi Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, Fudan University Shanghai 200433 China
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Do T, Link AJ. Protein Engineering in Ribosomally Synthesized and Post-translationally Modified Peptides (RiPPs). Biochemistry 2023; 62:201-209. [PMID: 35006671 PMCID: PMC9454058 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.1c00714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs) make up a rapidly growing superfamily of natural products. RiPPs exhibit an extraordinary range of structures, but they all begin as gene-encoded precursor peptides that are linear chains of amino acids produced by ribosomes. Given the gene-encoded nature of RiPP precursor peptides, the toolbox of protein engineering can be directly applied to these precursors. This Perspective will discuss examples of site-directed mutagenesis, noncanonical amino acid mutagenesis, and the construction and screening of combinatorial libraries as applied to RiPPs. These studies have led to important insights into the biosynthesis and bioactivity of RiPPs and the reengineering of RiPPs for entirely new functions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Truc Do
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, 207 Hoyt Laboratory Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544 USA
| | - A. James Link
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, 207 Hoyt Laboratory Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544 USA
- Department of Chemistry, 207 Hoyt Laboratory Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544 USA
- Department of Molecular Biology, 207 Hoyt Laboratory Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544 USA
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Du Y, Li L, Zheng Y, Liu J, Gong J, Qiu Z, Li Y, Qiao J, Huo YX. Incorporation of Non-Canonical Amino Acids into Antimicrobial Peptides: Advances, Challenges, and Perspectives. Appl Environ Microbiol 2022; 88:e0161722. [PMID: 36416555 PMCID: PMC9746297 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01617-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The emergence of antimicrobial resistance is a global health concern and calls for the development of novel antibiotic agents. Antimicrobial peptides seem to be promising candidates due to their diverse sources, mechanisms of action, and physicochemical characteristics, as well as the relatively low emergence of resistance. The incorporation of noncanonical amino acids into antimicrobial peptides could effectively improve their physicochemical and pharmacological diversity. Recently, various antimicrobial peptides variants with improved or novel properties have been produced by the incorporation of single and multiple distinct noncanonical amino acids. In this review, we summarize strategies for the incorporation of noncanonical amino acids into antimicrobial peptides, as well as their features and suitabilities. Recent applications of noncanonical amino acid incorporation into antimicrobial peptides are also presented. Finally, we discuss the related challenges and prospects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yuhui Du
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China
- MOE International Joint Research Laboratory on Synthetic Biology and Medicines, School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Li Li
- School of Chemical Engineering, Sichuan University (SCU), Chengdu, China
| | - Yue Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Jiaheng Liu
- School of Chemical Engineering, Sichuan University (SCU), Chengdu, China
| | - Julia Gong
- Marymount High School, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Zekai Qiu
- Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Yanni Li
- Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Jianjun Qiao
- Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Yi-Xin Huo
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Johnston CW, Badran AH. Natural and engineered precision antibiotics in the context of resistance. Curr Opin Chem Biol 2022; 69:102160. [PMID: 35660248 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2022.102160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Revised: 04/18/2022] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Antibiotics are essential weapons in our fight against infectious disease, yet the consequences of broad-spectrum antibiotic use on microbiome stability and pathogen resistance are prompting investigations into more selective alternatives. Echoing the advent of precision medicine in oncology, precision antibiotics with focused activities are emerging as a means of addressing infections without damaging microbiomes or incentivizing resistance. Historically, antibiotic design principles have been gleaned from Nature, and reinvestigation of overlooked antibacterials is now providing scaffolds and targets for the design of pathogen-specific drugs. In this perspective, we summarize the biosynthetic and antibacterial mechanisms used to access these activities, and discuss how such strategies may be co-opted through engineering approaches to afford precision antibiotics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chad W Johnston
- Department of Pharmacology & Chemical Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Molecular Virology & Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
| | - Ahmed H Badran
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Lateef OM, Akintubosun MO, Olaoba OT, Samson SO, Adamczyk M. Making Sense of "Nonsense" and More: Challenges and Opportunities in the Genetic Code Expansion, in the World of tRNA Modifications. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:938. [PMID: 35055121 PMCID: PMC8779196 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23020938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Revised: 01/10/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The evolutional development of the RNA translation process that leads to protein synthesis based on naturally occurring amino acids has its continuation via synthetic biology, the so-called rational bioengineering. Genetic code expansion (GCE) explores beyond the natural translational processes to further enhance the structural properties and augment the functionality of a wide range of proteins. Prokaryotic and eukaryotic ribosomal machinery have been proven to accept engineered tRNAs from orthogonal organisms to efficiently incorporate noncanonical amino acids (ncAAs) with rationally designed side chains. These side chains can be reactive or functional groups, which can be extensively utilized in biochemical, biophysical, and cellular studies. Genetic code extension offers the contingency of introducing more than one ncAA into protein through frameshift suppression, multi-site-specific incorporation of ncAAs, thereby increasing the vast number of possible applications. However, different mediating factors reduce the yield and efficiency of ncAA incorporation into synthetic proteins. In this review, we comment on the recent advancements in genetic code expansion to signify the relevance of systems biology in improving ncAA incorporation efficiency. We discuss the emerging impact of tRNA modifications and metabolism in protein design. We also provide examples of the latest successful accomplishments in synthetic protein therapeutics and show how codon expansion has been employed in various scientific and biotechnological applications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Olubodun Michael Lateef
- Faculty of Chemistry, Warsaw University of Technology, 00-664 Warsaw, Poland; (O.M.L.); (M.O.A.); (S.O.S.)
| | | | - Olamide Tosin Olaoba
- Laboratory of Functional and Structural Biochemistry, Federal University of Sao Carlos, Sao Carlos 13565-905, SP, Brazil;
| | - Sunday Ocholi Samson
- Faculty of Chemistry, Warsaw University of Technology, 00-664 Warsaw, Poland; (O.M.L.); (M.O.A.); (S.O.S.)
| | - Malgorzata Adamczyk
- Faculty of Chemistry, Warsaw University of Technology, 00-664 Warsaw, Poland; (O.M.L.); (M.O.A.); (S.O.S.)
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Wang M, Fage CD, He Y, Mi J, Yang Y, Li F, An X, Fan H, Song L, Zhu S, Tong Y. Recent Advances and Perspectives on Expanding the Chemical Diversity of Lasso Peptides. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2021; 9:741364. [PMID: 34631682 PMCID: PMC8498205 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2021.741364] [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: 07/14/2021] [Accepted: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs) are a growing family of natural products that exhibit a range of structures and bioactivities. Initially assembled from the twenty proteinogenic amino acids in a ribosome-dependent manner, RiPPs assume their peculiar bioactive structures through various post-translational modifications. The essential modifications representative of each subfamily of RiPP are performed on a precursor peptide by the so-called processing enzymes; however, various tailoring enzymes can also embellish the precursor peptide or processed peptide with additional functional groups. Lasso peptides are an interesting subfamily of RiPPs characterized by their unique lariat knot-like structure, wherein the C-terminal tail is inserted through a macrolactam ring fused by an isopeptide bond between the N-terminal amino group and an acidic side chain. Until recently, relatively few lasso peptides were found to be tailored with extra functional groups. Nevertheless, the development of new routes to diversify lasso peptides and thus introduce novel or enhanced biological, medicinally relevant, or catalytic properties is appealing. In this review, we highlight several strategies through which lasso peptides have been successfully modified and provide a brief overview of the latest findings on the tailoring of these peptides. We also propose future directions for lasso peptide tailoring as well as potential applications for these peptides in hybrid catalyst design.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mengjiao Wang
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Christopher D Fage
- Department of Chemistry, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom
| | - Yile He
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Jinhui Mi
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Yang Yang
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Fei Li
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China.,Clinical Laboratory Center, Taian City Central Hospital, Taian, China
| | - Xiaoping An
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Huahao Fan
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Lihua Song
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Shaozhou Zhu
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Yigang Tong
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Si Y, Kretsch AM, Daigh LM, Burk MJ, Mitchell DA. Cell-Free Biosynthesis to Evaluate Lasso Peptide Formation and Enzyme-Substrate Tolerance. J Am Chem Soc 2021; 143:5917-5927. [PMID: 33823110 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.1c01452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Lasso peptides are ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptide (RiPP) natural products that display a unique lariat-like, threaded conformation. Owing to a locked three-dimensional structure, lasso peptides can be unusually stable toward heat and proteolytic degradation. Some lasso peptides have been shown to bind human cell-surface receptors and exhibit anticancer properties, while others display antibacterial or antiviral activities. All known lasso peptides are produced by bacteria and genome-mining studies indicate that lasso peptides are a relatively prevalent class of RiPPs; however, the discovery, isolation, and characterization of lasso peptides are constrained by the lack of an efficient production system. In this study, we employ a cell-free biosynthesis (CFB) strategy to address longstanding challenges associated with lasso peptide production. We report the successful use of CFB for the formation of an array of sequence-diverse lasso peptides that include known examples as well as a new predicted lasso peptide from Thermobifida halotolerans. We further demonstrate the utility of CFB to rapidly generate and characterize multisite precursor peptide variants to evaluate the substrate tolerance of the biosynthetic pathway. By evaluating more than 1000 randomly chosen variants, we show that the lasso-forming cyclase from the fusilassin pathway is capable of producing millions of sequence-diverse lasso peptides via CFB. These data lay a firm foundation for the creation of large lasso peptide libraries using CFB to identify new variants with unique properties.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yuanyuan Si
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States of America
| | - Ashley M Kretsch
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States of America
| | - Laura M Daigh
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States of America
| | - Mark J Burk
- Lassogen, Inc., San Diego, California 92121, United States of America
| | - Douglas A Mitchell
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Manandhar M, Chun E, Romesberg FE. Genetic Code Expansion: Inception, Development, Commercialization. J Am Chem Soc 2021; 143:4859-4878. [DOI: 10.1021/jacs.0c11938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Miglena Manandhar
- Synthorx, a Sanofi Company, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Eugene Chun
- Synthorx, a Sanofi Company, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | | |
Collapse
|
14
|
Montalbán-López M, Scott TA, Ramesh S, Rahman IR, van Heel AJ, Viel JH, Bandarian V, Dittmann E, Genilloud O, Goto Y, Grande Burgos MJ, Hill C, Kim S, Koehnke J, Latham JA, Link AJ, Martínez B, Nair SK, Nicolet Y, Rebuffat S, Sahl HG, Sareen D, Schmidt EW, Schmitt L, Severinov K, Süssmuth RD, Truman AW, Wang H, Weng JK, van Wezel GP, Zhang Q, Zhong J, Piel J, Mitchell DA, Kuipers OP, van der Donk WA. New developments in RiPP discovery, enzymology and engineering. Nat Prod Rep 2021; 38:130-239. [PMID: 32935693 PMCID: PMC7864896 DOI: 10.1039/d0np00027b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 399] [Impact Index Per Article: 133.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Covering: up to June 2020Ribosomally-synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs) are a large group of natural products. A community-driven review in 2013 described the emerging commonalities in the biosynthesis of RiPPs and the opportunities they offered for bioengineering and genome mining. Since then, the field has seen tremendous advances in understanding of the mechanisms by which nature assembles these compounds, in engineering their biosynthetic machinery for a wide range of applications, and in the discovery of entirely new RiPP families using bioinformatic tools developed specifically for this compound class. The First International Conference on RiPPs was held in 2019, and the meeting participants assembled the current review describing new developments since 2013. The review discusses the new classes of RiPPs that have been discovered, the advances in our understanding of the installation of both primary and secondary post-translational modifications, and the mechanisms by which the enzymes recognize the leader peptides in their substrates. In addition, genome mining tools used for RiPP discovery are discussed as well as various strategies for RiPP engineering. An outlook section presents directions for future research.
Collapse
|
15
|
Harris LA, Saint-Vincent PMB, Guo X, Hudson GA, DiCaprio AJ, Zhu L, Mitchell DA. Reactivity-Based Screening for Citrulline-Containing Natural Products Reveals a Family of Bacterial Peptidyl Arginine Deiminases. ACS Chem Biol 2020; 15:3167-3175. [PMID: 33249828 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.0c00685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs) are a family of natural products defined by a genetically encoded precursor peptide that is processed by associated biosynthetic enzymes to form the mature product. Lasso peptides are a class of RiPP defined by an isopeptide linkage between the N-terminal amine and an internal Asp/Glu residue with the C-terminal sequence threaded through the macrocycle. This unique lariat topology, which typically provides considerable stability toward heat and proteases, has stimulated interest in lasso peptides as potential therapeutics. Post-translational modifications beyond the class-defining, threaded macrolactam have been reported, including one example of Arg deimination to yield citrulline (Cit). Although a Cit-containing lasso peptide (i.e., citrulassin) was serendipitously discovered during a genome-guided campaign, the gene(s) responsible for Arg deimination has remained unknown. Herein, we describe the use of reactivity-based screening to discriminate bacterial strains that produce Arg- versus Cit-bearing citrulassins, yielding 13 new lasso peptide variants. Partial phylogenetic profiling identified a distally encoded peptidyl arginine deiminase (PAD) gene ubiquitous to the Cit-containing variants. Absence of this gene correlated strongly with lasso peptide variants only containing Arg (i.e., des-citrulassin). Heterologous expression of the PAD gene in a des-citrulassin producer resulted in the production of the deiminated analog, confirming PAD involvement in Arg deimination. The PADs were then bioinformatically surveyed to provide a deeper understanding of their taxonomic distribution and genomic contexts and to facilitate future studies that will evaluate any additional biochemical roles for the superfamily.
Collapse
|
16
|
Galindo Casas M, Stargardt P, Mairhofer J, Wiltschi B. Decoupling Protein Production from Cell Growth Enhances the Site-Specific Incorporation of Noncanonical Amino Acids in E. coli. ACS Synth Biol 2020; 9:3052-3066. [PMID: 33150786 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.0c00298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The site-specific incorporation of noncanonical amino acids (ncAAs) into proteins by amber stop codon suppression has become a routine method in academic laboratories. This approach requires an amber suppressor tRNACUA to read the amber codon and an aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase to charge the tRNACUA with the ncAA. However, a major drawback is the low yield of the mutant protein in comparison to the wild type. This effect primarily results from the competition of release factor 1 with the charged suppressor tRNACUA for the amber codon at the A-site of the ribosome. A number of laboratories have attempted to improve the incorporation efficiency of ncAAs with moderate results. We aimed at increasing the efficiency to produce high yields of ncAA-functionalized proteins in a scalable setting for industrial application. To do this, we inserted an ncAA into the enhanced green fluorescent protein and an antibody mimetic molecule using an industrial E. coli strain, which produces recombinant proteins independent of cell growth. The controlled decoupling of recombinant protein production from cell growth considerably increased the incorporation of the ncAA, producing substantially higher protein yields versus the reference E. coli strain BL21(DE3). The target proteins were expressed at high levels, and the ncAA was efficiently incorporated with excellent fidelity while the protein function was preserved.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Meritxell Galindo Casas
- acib − Austrian Center of Industrial Biotechnology, 8010 Graz, Austria
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology, Graz University of Technology, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | | | | | - Birgit Wiltschi
- acib − Austrian Center of Industrial Biotechnology, 8010 Graz, Austria
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Karbalaei-Heidari HR, Budisa N. Combating Antimicrobial Resistance With New-To-Nature Lanthipeptides Created by Genetic Code Expansion. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:590522. [PMID: 33250877 PMCID: PMC7674664 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.590522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2020] [Accepted: 10/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Due to the rapid emergence of multi-resistant bacterial strains in recent decades, the commercially available effective antibiotics are becoming increasingly limited. On the other hand, widespread antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) such as the lantibiotic nisin has been used worldwide for more than 40 years without the appearance of significant bacterial resistance. Lantibiotics are ribosomally synthesized antimicrobials generated by posttranslational modifications. Their biotechnological production is of particular interest to redesign natural scaffolds improving their pharmaceutical properties, which has great potential for therapeutic use in human medicine and other areas. However, conventional protein engineering methods are limited to 20 canonical amino acids prescribed by the genetic code. Therefore, the expansion of the genetic code as the most advanced approach in Synthetic Biology allows the addition of new amino acid building blocks (non-canonical amino acids, ncAAs) during protein translation. We now have solid proof-of-principle evidence that bioexpression with these novel building blocks enabled lantibiotics with chemical properties transcending those produced by natural evolution. The unique scaffolds with novel structural and functional properties are the result of this bioengineering. Here we will critically examine and evaluate the use of the expanded genetic code and its alternatives in lantibiotics research over the last 7 years. We anticipate that Synthetic Biology, using engineered lantibiotics and even more complex scaffolds will be a promising tool to address an urgent problem of antibiotic resistance, especially in a class of multi-drug resistant microbes known as superbugs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hamid Reza Karbalaei-Heidari
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran
- Department of Chemistry, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Nediljko Budisa
- Department of Chemistry, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
- Institute of Chemistry, Technical University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Cheng C, Hua ZC. Lasso Peptides: Heterologous Production and Potential Medical Application. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2020; 8:571165. [PMID: 33117783 PMCID: PMC7549694 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2020.571165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2020] [Accepted: 09/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Lasso peptides are natural products found in bacteria. They belong to a specific family of ribosomally-synthesized and posttranslationally-modified peptides with an unusual lasso structure. Lasso peptides possess remarkable thermal and proteolytic stability and various biological activities, such as antimicrobial activity, enzyme inhibition, receptor blocking, anticancer properties and HIV antagonism. They have promising potential therapeutic effects on gastrointestinal diseases, tuberculosis, Alzheimer’s disease, cardiovascular disease, fungal infections and cancer. Lasso peptides with high stability have been shown to be good carriers for other bioactive peptides. These make them attractive candidates for pharmaceutical research. This review aimed to describe the strategies used for the heterologous production of lasso peptides. Also, it indicated their therapeutical potential and their capacity to use as an efficient scaffold for epitope grafting.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cheng Cheng
- The State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Zi-Chun Hua
- The State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.,School of Biopharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China.,Changzhou High-Tech Research Institute of Nanjing University, Changzhou, China.,Jiangsu Target Pharma Laboratories Inc., Changzhou, China
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Rahman IR, Acedo JZ, Liu XR, Zhu L, Arrington J, Gross ML, van der Donk WA. Substrate Recognition by the Class II Lanthipeptide Synthetase HalM2. ACS Chem Biol 2020; 15:1473-1486. [PMID: 32293871 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.0c00127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Class II lanthipeptides belong to a diverse group of natural products known as ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs). Most RiPP precursor peptides contain an N-terminal recognition sequence known as the leader peptide, which is typically recognized by biosynthetic enzymes that catalyze modifications on the C-terminal core peptide. For class II lanthipeptides, these are carried out by a bifunctional lanthipeptide synthetase (LanM) that catalyzes dehydration and cyclization reactions on peptidic substrates to generate thioether-containing, macrocyclic molecules. Some lanthipeptide synthetases are extraordinarily substrate tolerant, making them promising candidates for biotechnological applications such as combinatorial biosynthesis and cyclic peptide library construction. In this study, we characterized the mode of leader peptide recognition by HalM2, the lanthipeptide synthetase responsible for the production of the antimicrobial peptide haloduracin β. Using NMR spectroscopic techniques, in vitro binding assays, and enzyme activity assays, we identified substrate residues that are important for binding to HalM2 and for post-translational modification of the peptide substrates. Additionally, we provide evidence of the binding site on the enzyme using binding assays with truncated enzyme variants, hydrogen-deuterium exchange mass spectrometry, and photoaffinity labeling. Understanding the mechanism by which lanthipeptide synthetases recognize their substrate will facilitate their use in biotechnology, as well as further our general understanding of how RiPP enzymes recognize their substrates.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Imran R. Rahman
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana−Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Jeella Z. Acedo
- Department of Chemistry and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana−Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Xiaoran Roger Liu
- Department of Chemistry, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri 63130, United States
| | - Lingyang Zhu
- School of Chemical Sciences NMR Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana−Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Justine Arrington
- Roy J. Carver Biotechnology Center, University of Illinois at Urbana−Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Michael L. Gross
- Department of Chemistry, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri 63130, United States
| | - Wilfred A. van der Donk
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana−Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Department of Chemistry and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana−Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Hegemann JD, Bobeica SC, Walker MC, Bothwell IR, van der Donk WA. Assessing the Flexibility of the Prochlorosin 2.8 Scaffold for Bioengineering Applications. ACS Synth Biol 2019; 8:1204-1214. [PMID: 31042373 PMCID: PMC6525029 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.9b00080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Cyclization is a common strategy to confer proteolytic resistance to peptide scaffolds. Thus, cyclic peptides have been the focus of extensive bioengineering efforts. Ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs) are a superfamily of peptidic natural products that often contain macrocycles. In the RiPP family of lanthipeptides, macrocyclization is accomplished through formation of thioether cross-links between cysteines and dehydrated serines/threonines. The recent production of lanthipeptide libraries and development of methods to display lanthipeptides on yeast or phage highlights their potential for bioengineering and synthetic biology. In this regard, the prochlorosins are especially promising as the corresponding class II lanthipeptide synthetase ProcM matures numerous precursor peptides with diverse core peptide sequences. To facilitate future bioengineering projects, one of its native substrates, ProcA2.8, was subjected in this study to in-depth mutational analysis to test the limitations of ProcM-mediated cyclization. Alanine scan mutagenesis was performed on all residues within the two rings, and multiple prolines were introduced at various positions. Moreover, mutation, deletion, and insertion of residues in the region linking the two lanthionine rings was tested. Additional residues were also introduced or deleted from either ring, and inversion of ring forming residues was attempted to generate diastereomers. The findings were used for epitope grafting of the RGD integrin binding epitope within prochlorosin 2.8, resulting in a low nanomolar affinity binder of the αvβ3 integrin that was more stable toward proteolysis and displayed higher affinity than the linear counterpart.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Julian D. Hegemann
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 600 S. Mathews Ave, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Silvia C. Bobeica
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 600 S. Mathews Ave, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Mark C. Walker
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 600 S. Mathews Ave, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Ian R. Bothwell
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 600 S. Mathews Ave, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Wilfred A. van der Donk
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 600 S. Mathews Ave, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Reetz MT. Directed Evolution of Artificial Metalloenzymes: A Universal Means to Tune the Selectivity of Transition Metal Catalysts? Acc Chem Res 2019; 52:336-344. [PMID: 30689339 DOI: 10.1021/acs.accounts.8b00582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Transition metal catalysts mediate a wide variety of chemo-, stereo-, and regioselective transformations, and therefore play a pivotal role in modern synthetic organic chemistry. Steric and electronic effects of ligands provide organic chemists with an exceedingly useful tool. More than four decades ago, chemists began to think about a different approach, namely, embedding achiral ligand/metal moieties covalently or noncovalently in protein hosts with formation of artificial metalloenzymes. While structurally fascinating, this approach led in each case only to a single (bio)catalyst, with its selectivity and activity being a matter of chance. In order to solve this fundamental problem, my group proposed in 2000-2002 the idea of directed evolution of artificial metalloenzymes. In earlier studies, we had already demonstrated that directed evolution of enzymes constitutes a viable method for enhancing and inverting the stereoselectivity of enzymes as catalysts in organic chemistry. We speculated that it should also be possible to manipulate selectivity and activity of artificial metalloenzymes, which would provide organic chemists with a tool for optimizing essentially any transition metal catalyzed reaction type. In order to put this vision into practice, we first turned to the Whitesides system for artificial metalloenzyme formation, comprising a biotinylated diphosphine/Rh moiety, which is anchored noncovalently to avidin or streptavidin. Following intensive optimization, proof of principle was finally demonstrated in 2006, which opened the door to a new research area. This personal Account critically assesses these early studies as well as subsequent efforts from my group focusing on different protein scaffolds, and includes briefly some of the most important current contributions of other groups. Two primary messages emerge: First, since organic chemists continue to be extremely good at designing and implementing man-made transition metal catalysts, often on a large scale, those scientists that are active in the equally intriguing field of directed evolution of artificial metalloenzymes should be moderate when generalizing claims. All factors required for a truly viable catalytic system need to be considered, especially activity and ease of upscaling. Second, the most exciting and thus far very rare cases of directed evolution of artificial metalloenzymes are those that focus on selective transformations that are not readily possible using state of the art transition metal catalysts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Manfred T. Reetz
- Chemistry Department, Philipps-University, Hans-Meerwein-Strasse 4, 35032 Marburg, Germany
- Max-Planck-Institut für Kohlenforschung, Kaiser-Wilhelm-Platz 1, 45470 Mülheim Germany
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Goto Y, Suga H. Engineering of RiPP pathways for the production of artificial peptides bearing various non-proteinogenic structures. Curr Opin Chem Biol 2018; 46:82-90. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2018.06.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2018] [Revised: 06/04/2018] [Accepted: 06/08/2018] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
|
23
|
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.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Tao Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Nickling JH, Baumann T, Schmitt FJ, Bartholomae M, Kuipers OP, Friedrich T, Budisa N. Antimicrobial Peptides Produced by Selective Pressure Incorporation of Non-canonical Amino Acids. J Vis Exp 2018:57551. [PMID: 29781997 PMCID: PMC6101111 DOI: 10.3791/57551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Nature has a variety of possibilities to create new protein functions by modifying the sequence of the individual amino acid building blocks. However, all variations are based on the 20 canonical amino acids (cAAs). As a way to introduce additional physicochemical properties into polypeptides, the incorporation of non-canonical amino acids (ncAAs) is increasingly used in protein engineering. Due to their relatively short length, the modification of ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides by ncAAs is particularly attractive. New functionalities and chemical handles can be generated by specific modifications of individual residues. The selective pressure incorporation (SPI) method utilizes auxotrophic host strains that are deprived of an essential amino acid in chemically defined growth media. Several structurally and chemically similar amino acid analogs can then be activated by the corresponding aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase and provide residue-specific cAA(s) → ncAA(s) substitutions in the target peptide or protein sequence. Although, in the context of the SPI method, ncAAs are also incorporated into the host proteome during the phase of recombinant gene expression, the majority of the cell's resources are assigned to the expression of the target gene. This enables efficient residue-specific incorporation of ncAAs often accompanied with high amounts of modified target. The presented work describes the in vivo incorporation of six proline analogs into the antimicrobial peptide nisin, a lantibiotic naturally produced by Lactococcus lactis. Antimicrobial properties of nisin can be changed and further expanded during its fermentation and expression in auxotrophic Escherichia coli strains in defined growth media. Thereby, the effects of residue-specific replacement of cAAs with ncAAs can deliver changes in antimicrobial activity and specificity. Antimicrobial activity assays and fluorescence microscopy are used to test the new nisin variants for growth inhibition of a Gram-positive Lactococcus lactis indicator strain. Mass spectroscopy is used to confirm ncAA incorporation in bioactive nisin variants.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jessica H Nickling
- Department of Biocatalysis, Institute of Chemistry, Technische Universität Berlin
| | - Tobias Baumann
- Department of Biocatalysis, Institute of Chemistry, Technische Universität Berlin;
| | - Franz-Josef Schmitt
- Department of Bioenergetics, Institute of Chemistry, Technische Universität Berlin
| | - Maike Bartholomae
- Molecular Genetics Group, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Groningen
| | - Oscar P Kuipers
- Molecular Genetics Group, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Groningen
| | - Thomas Friedrich
- Department of Bioenergetics, Institute of Chemistry, Technische Universität Berlin
| | - Nediljko Budisa
- Department of Biocatalysis, Institute of Chemistry, Technische Universität Berlin
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Lopatniuk M, Myronovskyi M, Luzhetskyy A. Streptomyces albus: A New Cell Factory for Non-Canonical Amino Acids Incorporation into Ribosomally Synthesized Natural Products. ACS Chem Biol 2017; 12:2362-2370. [PMID: 28758722 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.7b00359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
The incorporation of noncanonical amino acids (ncAAs) with different side chains into a peptide is a promising technique for changing the functional properties of that peptide. Of particular interest is the incorporation of ncAAs into peptide-derived natural products to optimize their biophysical properties for medical and industrial applications. Here, we present the first instance of ncAA incorporation into the natural product cinnamycin in streptomycetes using the orthogonal pyrrolysyl-tRNA synthetase/tRNAPyl pair from Methanosarcina barkeri. This approach allows site-specific incorporation of ncAAs via the read-through of a stop codon by the suppressor tRNAPyl, which can carry different pyrrolysine analogues. Five new deoxycinnamycin derivatives were obtained with three distinct pyrrolysine analogues incorporated into diverse positions of the antibiotic. The combination of partial hydrolysis and MS/MS fragmentation analysis was used to verify the exact position of the incorporation events. The introduction of ncAAs into different positions of the peptide had opposite effects on the peptide's biological activity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mariia Lopatniuk
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Saarland University, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Maksym Myronovskyi
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Saarland University, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Andriy Luzhetskyy
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Saarland University, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany
- Helmholtz-Institute for Pharmaceutical Research, Saarland Campus, Building C2.3, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Süssmuth RD, Mainz A. Nonribosomal Peptide Synthesis-Principles and Prospects. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2017; 56:3770-3821. [PMID: 28323366 DOI: 10.1002/anie.201609079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 548] [Impact Index Per Article: 78.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2016] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Nonribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs) are large multienzyme machineries that assemble numerous peptides with large structural and functional diversity. These peptides include more than 20 marketed drugs, such as antibacterials (penicillin, vancomycin), antitumor compounds (bleomycin), and immunosuppressants (cyclosporine). Over the past few decades biochemical and structural biology studies have gained mechanistic insights into the highly complex assembly line of nonribosomal peptides. This Review provides state-of-the-art knowledge on the underlying mechanisms of NRPSs and the variety of their products along with detailed analysis of the challenges for future reprogrammed biosynthesis. Such a reprogramming of NRPSs would immediately spur chances to generate analogues of existing drugs or new compound libraries of otherwise nearly inaccessible compound structures.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Roderich D Süssmuth
- Technische Universität Berlin, Institut für Chemie, Strasse des 17. Juni 124, 10623, Berlin, Germany
| | - Andi Mainz
- Technische Universität Berlin, Institut für Chemie, Strasse des 17. Juni 124, 10623, Berlin, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Süssmuth RD, Mainz A. Nicht-ribosomale Peptidsynthese - Prinzipien und Perspektiven. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.201609079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Roderich D. Süssmuth
- Technische Universität Berlin; Institut für Chemie; Straße des 17. Juni 124 10623 Berlin Deutschland
| | - Andi Mainz
- Technische Universität Berlin; Institut für Chemie; Straße des 17. Juni 124 10623 Berlin Deutschland
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Metelev M, Arseniev A, Bushin LB, Kuznedelov K, Artamonova TO, Kondratenko R, Khodorkovskii M, Seyedsayamdost MR, Severinov K. Acinetodin and Klebsidin, RNA Polymerase Targeting Lasso Peptides Produced by Human Isolates of Acinetobacter gyllenbergii and Klebsiella pneumoniae. ACS Chem Biol 2017; 12:814-824. [PMID: 28106375 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.6b01154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
We report the bioinformatic prediction and structural validation of two lasso peptides, acinetodin and klebsidin, encoded by the genomes of several human-associated strains of Acinetobacter and Klebsiella. Computation of the three-dimensional structures of these peptides using NMR NOESY constraints verifies that they contain a lasso motif. Despite the lack of sequence similarity to each other or to microcin J25, a prototypical lasso peptide and transcription inhibitor from Escherichia coli, acinetodin and klebsidin also inhibit transcript elongation by the E. coli RNA polymerase by binding to a common site. Yet, unlike microcin J25, acinetodin and klebsidin are unable to permeate wild type E. coli cells and inhibit their growth. We show that the E. coli cells become sensitive to klebsidin when expressing the outer membrane receptor FhuA homologue from Klebsiella pneumoniae. It thus appears that specificity to a common target, the RNA polymerase secondary channel, can be attained by a surprisingly diverse set of primary sequences folded into a common threaded-lasso fold. In contrast, transport into cells containing sensitive targets appears to be much more specific and must be the major determinant of the narrow range of bioactivity of known lasso peptides.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mikhail Metelev
- Peter the Great St.Petersburg Polytechnic University, St. Petersburg, 195251, Russia
- Institute
of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, Smolensk State Medical Academy, Smolensk, 214018, Russia
| | - Anatolii Arseniev
- Peter the Great St.Petersburg Polytechnic University, St. Petersburg, 195251, Russia
| | - Leah B. Bushin
- Departments
of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, United States
| | - Konstantin Kuznedelov
- Waksman Institute of Microbiology, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, United States
| | - Tatiana O. Artamonova
- Peter the Great St.Petersburg Polytechnic University, St. Petersburg, 195251, Russia
| | - Ruslan Kondratenko
- Peter the Great St.Petersburg Polytechnic University, St. Petersburg, 195251, Russia
| | - Mikhail Khodorkovskii
- Peter the Great St.Petersburg Polytechnic University, St. Petersburg, 195251, Russia
| | - Mohammad R. Seyedsayamdost
- Departments
of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, United States
| | - Konstantin Severinov
- Peter the Great St.Petersburg Polytechnic University, St. Petersburg, 195251, Russia
- Waksman Institute of Microbiology, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, United States
- Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Skolkovo, 143025, Russia
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 123142, Russia
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Tietz JI, Schwalen CJ, Patel PS, Maxson T, Blair PM, Tai HC, Zakai UI, Mitchell DA. A new genome-mining tool redefines the lasso peptide biosynthetic landscape. Nat Chem Biol 2017; 13:470-478. [PMID: 28244986 PMCID: PMC5391289 DOI: 10.1038/nchembio.2319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 289] [Impact Index Per Article: 41.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2016] [Accepted: 12/06/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptide (RiPP) natural products are attractive for genome-driven discovery and re-engineering, but limitations in bioinformatic methods and exponentially increasing genomic data make large-scale mining of RiPP data difficult. We report RODEO (Rapid ORF Description and Evaluation Online), which combines hidden-Markov-model-based analysis, heuristic scoring, and machine learning to identify biosynthetic gene clusters and predict RiPP precursor peptides. We initially focused on lasso peptides, which display intriguing physicochemical properties and bioactivities, but their hypervariability renders them challenging prospects for automated mining. Our approach yielded the most comprehensive mapping to date of lasso peptide space, revealing >1,300 compounds. We characterized the structures and bioactivities of six lasso peptides, prioritized based on predicted structural novelty, including one with an unprecedented handcuff-like topology and another with a citrulline modification exceptionally rare among bacteria. These combined insights significantly expand the knowledge of lasso peptides and, more broadly, provide a framework for future genome-mining efforts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan I Tietz
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
| | - Christopher J Schwalen
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
| | - Parth S Patel
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
| | - Tucker Maxson
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
| | - Patricia M Blair
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
| | - Hua-Chia Tai
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
| | - Uzma I Zakai
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
| | - Douglas A Mitchell
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA.,Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA.,Department of Microbiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Baumann T, Nickling JH, Bartholomae M, Buivydas A, Kuipers OP, Budisa N. Prospects of In vivo Incorporation of Non-canonical Amino Acids for the Chemical Diversification of Antimicrobial Peptides. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:124. [PMID: 28210246 PMCID: PMC5288337 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.00124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2016] [Accepted: 01/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The incorporation of non-canonical amino acids (ncAA) is an elegant way for the chemical diversification of recombinantly produced antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). Residue- and site-specific installation methods in several bacterial production hosts hold great promise for the generation of new-to-nature AMPs, and can contribute to tackle the ongoing emergence of antibiotic resistance in pathogens. Especially from a pharmacological point of view, desirable improvements span pH and protease resistance, solubility, oral availability and circulation half-life. Although the primary focus of this report is on ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs), we have included selected cases of peptides produced by solid phase peptide synthesis to comparatively show the potential and impact of ncAA introduction. Generally speaking, the introduction of ncAAs in recombinant AMPs delivers novel levels of chemical diversification. Cotranslationally incorporated, they can take part in AMP biogenesis either through direction interaction with elements of the post-translational modification (PTM) machinery or as untargeted sites with unique physicochemical properties and chemical handles for further modification. Together with genetic libraries, genome mining and processing by PTM machineries, ncAAs present not a mere addition to this process, but a highly diverse pool of building blocks to significantly broaden the chemical space of this valuable class of molecules. This perspective summarizes new developments of ncAA containing peptides. Challenges to be resolved in order to reach large-scale pharmaceutical production of these promising compounds and prospects for future developments are discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tobias Baumann
- Biocatalysis Group, Department of Chemistry, Technische Universität Berlin (Berlin Institute of Technology) Berlin, Germany
| | - Jessica H Nickling
- Biocatalysis Group, Department of Chemistry, Technische Universität Berlin (Berlin Institute of Technology) Berlin, Germany
| | - Maike Bartholomae
- Molecular Genetics Group, Department of Molecular Genetics, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen (University of Groningen) Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Andrius Buivydas
- Molecular Genetics Group, Department of Molecular Genetics, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen (University of Groningen) Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Oscar P Kuipers
- Molecular Genetics Group, Department of Molecular Genetics, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen (University of Groningen) Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Nediljko Budisa
- Biocatalysis Group, Department of Chemistry, Technische Universität Berlin (Berlin Institute of Technology) Berlin, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
The chemistry of the carbon-transition metal double and triple bond: Annual survey covering the year 2015. Coord Chem Rev 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ccr.2016.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
|
32
|
Towards Biocontained Cell Factories: An Evolutionarily Adapted Escherichia coli Strain Produces a New-to-nature Bioactive Lantibiotic Containing Thienopyrrole-Alanine. Sci Rep 2016; 6:33447. [PMID: 27634138 PMCID: PMC5025777 DOI: 10.1038/srep33447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2016] [Accepted: 08/25/2016] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetic code engineering that enables reassignment of genetic codons to non-canonical amino acids (ncAAs) is a powerful strategy for enhancing ribosomally synthesized peptides and proteins with functions not commonly found in Nature. Here we report the expression of a ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptide (RiPP), the 32-mer lantibiotic lichenicidin with a canonical tryptophan (Trp) residue replaced by the ncAA L-β-(thieno[3,2-b]pyrrolyl)alanine ([3,2]Tpa) which does not sustain cell growth in the culture. We have demonstrated that cellular toxicity of [3,2]Tpa for the production of the new-to-nature bioactive congener of lichenicidin in the host Escherichia coli can be alleviated by using an evolutionarily adapted host strain MT21 which not only tolerates [3,2]Tpa but also uses it as a proteome-wide synthetic building block. This work underscores the feasibility of the biocontainment concept and establishes a general framework for design and large scale production of RiPPs with evolutionarily adapted host strains.
Collapse
|
33
|
Himes PM, Allen SE, Hwang S, Bowers AA. Production of Sactipeptides in Escherichia coli: Probing the Substrate Promiscuity of Subtilosin A Biosynthesis. ACS Chem Biol 2016; 11:1737-44. [PMID: 27019323 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.6b00042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Sactipeptides are peptide-derived natural products that are processed by remarkable, radical-mediated cysteine sulfur to α-carbon coupling reactions. The resulting sactionine thioether linkages give rise to the unique defined structures and concomitant biological activities of sactipeptides. An E. coli heterologous expression system, based on the biosynthesis of one such sactipeptide, subtilosin A, is described and this expression system is exploited to probe the promiscuity of the subtilosin A sactionine bond-forming enzyme, AlbA. These efforts allowed the facile expression and isolation of a small library of mutant sactipeptides based on the subtilosin A precursor peptide, demonstrating broad substrate promiscuity where none was previously known. Importantly, we show that the positions of the sactionine linkages can be moved, giving rise to new, unnatural sactipeptide structures. E. coli heterologous expression also allowed incorporation of unnatural amino acids into sactipeptides by means of amber-suppression technology, potentially opening up new chemistry and new applications for unnatural sactipeptides.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Paul M. Himes
- Division of Chemical Biology
and Medicinal Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States
| | - Scott E. Allen
- Division of Chemical Biology
and Medicinal Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States
| | - Sungwon Hwang
- Division of Chemical Biology
and Medicinal Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States
| | - Albert A. Bowers
- Division of Chemical Biology
and Medicinal Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Zhu S, Hegemann JD, Fage CD, Zimmermann M, Xie X, Linne U, Marahiel MA. Insights into the Unique Phosphorylation of the Lasso Peptide Paeninodin. J Biol Chem 2016; 291:13662-78. [PMID: 27151214 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m116.722108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2016] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Lasso peptides are a new class of ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides and thus far are only isolated from proteo- and actinobacterial sources. Typically, lasso peptide biosynthetic gene clusters encode enzymes for biosynthesis and export but not for tailoring. Here, we describe the isolation of the novel lasso peptide paeninodin from the firmicute Paenibacillus dendritiformis C454 and reveal within its biosynthetic cluster a gene encoding a kinase, which we have characterized as a member of a new class of lasso peptide-tailoring kinases. By employing a wide variety of peptide substrates, it was shown that this novel type of kinase specifically phosphorylates the C-terminal serine residue while ignoring those located elsewhere. These experiments also reveal that no other recognition motif is needed for efficient enzymatic phosphorylation of the C-terminal serine. Furthermore, through comparison with homologous HPr kinases and subsequent mutational analysis, we confirmed the essential catalytic residues. Our study reveals how lasso peptides are chemically diversified and sets the foundation for rational engineering of these intriguing natural products.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shaozhou Zhu
- From the Department of Chemistry/Biochemistry, LOEWE Center for Synthetic Microbiology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, 35032 Marburg, Germany
| | - Julian D Hegemann
- From the Department of Chemistry/Biochemistry, LOEWE Center for Synthetic Microbiology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, 35032 Marburg, Germany
| | - Christopher D Fage
- From the Department of Chemistry/Biochemistry, LOEWE Center for Synthetic Microbiology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, 35032 Marburg, Germany
| | - Marcel Zimmermann
- From the Department of Chemistry/Biochemistry, LOEWE Center for Synthetic Microbiology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, 35032 Marburg, Germany
| | - Xiulan Xie
- From the Department of Chemistry/Biochemistry, LOEWE Center for Synthetic Microbiology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, 35032 Marburg, Germany
| | - Uwe Linne
- From the Department of Chemistry/Biochemistry, LOEWE Center for Synthetic Microbiology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, 35032 Marburg, Germany
| | - Mohamed A Marahiel
- From the Department of Chemistry/Biochemistry, LOEWE Center for Synthetic Microbiology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, 35032 Marburg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Abstract
Thiopeptides are a subclass of ribosomally synthesized and posttranslationally modified peptides (RiPPs) with complex molecular architectures and an array of biological activities, including potent antimicrobial activity. Here we report the generation of thiopeptides containing noncanonical amino acids (ncAAs) by introducing orthogonal amber suppressor aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase/tRNA pairs into a thiocillin producer strain of Bacillus cereus .We demonstrate that thiopeptide variants containing ncAAs with bioorthogonal chemical reactivity can be further postbiosynthetically modified with biophysical probes, including fluorophores and photo-cross-linkers. This work allows the site-specific incorporation of ncAAs into thiopeptides to increase their structural diversity and probe their biological activity; similar approaches can likely be applied to other classes of RiPPs.
Collapse
|
36
|
Exner MP, Köhling S, Rivollier J, Gosling S, Srivastava P, Palyancheva ZI, Herdewijn P, Heck MP, Rademann J, Budisa N. Incorporation of Amino Acids with Long-Chain Terminal Olefins into Proteins. Molecules 2016; 21:287. [PMID: 26938510 PMCID: PMC6272937 DOI: 10.3390/molecules21030287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2016] [Revised: 02/23/2016] [Accepted: 02/25/2016] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The increasing need for site-specific protein decorations that mimic natural posttranslational modifications requires access to a variety of noncanonical amino acids with moieties enabling bioorthogonal conjugation chemistry. Here we present the incorporation of long-chain olefinic amino acids into model proteins with rational variants of pyrrolysyl-tRNA synthetase (PylRS). Nε-heptenoyl lysine was incorporated for the first time using the known promiscuous variant PylRS(Y306A/Y384F), and Nε-pentenoyl lysine was incorporated in significant yields with the novel variant PylRS(C348A/Y384F). This is the only example of rational modification at position C348 to enlarge the enzyme's binding pocket. Furthermore, we demonstrate the feasibility of our chosen amino acids in the thiol-ene conjugation reaction with a thiolated polysaccharide.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Matthias P Exner
- Institute of Chemistry, Technische Universität Berlin, Mueller-Breslau-Strasse 10, 10623 Berlin, Germany.
| | - Sebastian Köhling
- Institute of Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, Königin-Luise-Str. 2+4, 14195 Berlin, Germany.
| | - Julie Rivollier
- Service de Chimie Bioorganique et de Marquage, iBiTecS, CEA, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France.
| | - Sandrine Gosling
- Service de Chimie Bioorganique et de Marquage, iBiTecS, CEA, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France.
| | - Puneet Srivastava
- Medicinal Chemistry, Rega Institute for Medical Research, KU Leuven, Minderbroedersstraat 10, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Zheni I Palyancheva
- Institute of Chemistry, Technische Universität Berlin, Mueller-Breslau-Strasse 10, 10623 Berlin, Germany.
| | - Piet Herdewijn
- Medicinal Chemistry, Rega Institute for Medical Research, KU Leuven, Minderbroedersstraat 10, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Marie-Pierre Heck
- Service de Chimie Bioorganique et de Marquage, iBiTecS, CEA, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France.
| | - Jörg Rademann
- Institute of Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, Königin-Luise-Str. 2+4, 14195 Berlin, Germany.
| | - Nediljko Budisa
- Institute of Chemistry, Technische Universität Berlin, Mueller-Breslau-Strasse 10, 10623 Berlin, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Rational biosynthetic approaches for the production of new-to-nature compounds in fungi. Fungal Genet Biol 2016; 89:89-101. [PMID: 26872866 DOI: 10.1016/j.fgb.2016.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2015] [Revised: 02/04/2016] [Accepted: 02/04/2016] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Filamentous fungi have the ability to produce a wide range of secondary metabolites some of which are potent toxins whereas others are exploited as food additives or drugs. Fungal natural products still play an important role in the discovery of new chemical entities for potential use as pharmaceuticals. However, in most cases they cannot be directly used as drugs due to toxic side effects or suboptimal pharmacokinetics. To improve drug-like properties, including bioactivity and stability or to produce better precursors for semi-synthetic routes, one needs to generate non-natural derivatives from known fungal secondary metabolites. In this minireview, we describe past and recent biosynthetic approaches for the diversification of fungal natural products, covering examples from precursor-directed biosynthesis, mutasynthesis, metabolic engineering and biocombinatorial synthesis. To illustrate the current state-of-the-art, challenges and pitfalls, we lay particular emphasis on the class of fungal cyclodepsipeptides which have been studied longtime for product diversification and which are of pharmaceutical relevance as drugs.
Collapse
|
38
|
Zobel S, Boecker S, Kulke D, Heimbach D, Meyer V, Süssmuth RD. Reprogramming the Biosynthesis of Cyclodepsipeptide Synthetases to Obtain New Enniatins and Beauvericins. Chembiochem 2016; 17:283-7. [DOI: 10.1002/cbic.201500649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2015] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sophia Zobel
- Fachgebiet Biologische Chemie; Institut für Chemie; Technische Universität Berlin; Strasse des 17. Juni 124 10623 Berlin Germany
| | - Simon Boecker
- Fachgebiet Biologische Chemie; Institut für Chemie; Technische Universität Berlin; Strasse des 17. Juni 124 10623 Berlin Germany
- Fachgebiet Angewandte und Molekulare Mikrobiologie; Institut für Biotechnologie; Technische Universität Berlin; Gustav-Meyer-Allee 25 13355 Berlin Germany
| | - Daniel Kulke
- Global Drug Discovery; Bayer Animal Health GmbH; Bayer HealthCare Animal Health; Monheim Germany
| | - Dirk Heimbach
- Global Drug Discovery; Bayer Animal Health GmbH; Bayer HealthCare Animal Health; Monheim Germany
| | - Vera Meyer
- Fachgebiet Angewandte und Molekulare Mikrobiologie; Institut für Biotechnologie; Technische Universität Berlin; Gustav-Meyer-Allee 25 13355 Berlin Germany
| | - Roderich D. Süssmuth
- Fachgebiet Biologische Chemie; Institut für Chemie; Technische Universität Berlin; Strasse des 17. Juni 124 10623 Berlin Germany
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Oueis E, Adamson C, Mann G, Ludewig H, Redpath P, Migaud M, Westwood NJ, Naismith JH. Derivatisable Cyanobactin Analogues: A Semisynthetic Approach. Chembiochem 2015; 16:2646-50. [PMID: 26507241 PMCID: PMC4736454 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.201500494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Many natural cyclic peptides have potent and potentially useful biological activities. Their use as therapeutic starting points is often limited by the quantities available, the lack of known biological targets and the practical limits on diversification to fine‐tune their properties. We report the use of enzymes from the cyanobactin family to heterocyclise and macrocyclise chemically synthesised substrates so as to allow larger‐scale syntheses and better control over derivatisation. We have made cyclic peptides containing orthogonal reactive groups, azide or dehydroalanine, that allow chemical diversification, including the use of fluorescent labels that can help in target identification. We show that the enzymes are compatible and efficient with such unnatural substrates. The combination of chemical synthesis and enzymatic transformation could help renew interest in investigating natural cyclic peptides with biological activity, as well as their unnatural analogues, as therapeutics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emilia Oueis
- Biomedical Sciences Research Complex, University of St. Andrews, North Haugh, St. Andrews, KY16 9ST, UK
| | - Catherine Adamson
- Biomedical Sciences Research Complex, University of St. Andrews, North Haugh, St. Andrews, KY16 9ST, UK
| | - Greg Mann
- Biomedical Sciences Research Complex, University of St. Andrews, North Haugh, St. Andrews, KY16 9ST, UK
| | - Hannes Ludewig
- Biomedical Sciences Research Complex, University of St. Andrews, North Haugh, St. Andrews, KY16 9ST, UK
| | - Philip Redpath
- John King Medicinal Chemistry Laboratory, School of Pharmacy, Queen's University, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast, BT9 7BL, UK
| | - Marie Migaud
- John King Medicinal Chemistry Laboratory, School of Pharmacy, Queen's University, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast, BT9 7BL, UK
| | - Nicholas J Westwood
- Biomedical Sciences Research Complex, University of St. Andrews, North Haugh, St. Andrews, KY16 9ST, UK.
| | - James H Naismith
- Biomedical Sciences Research Complex, University of St. Andrews, North Haugh, St. Andrews, KY16 9ST, UK. .,State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
| |
Collapse
|