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Kulkarni R, Maranholkar V, Nguyen N, Cirino PC, Willson RC, Varadarajan N. The efficient synthesis and purification of 2'3'- cGAMP from Escherichia coli. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1345617. [PMID: 38525075 PMCID: PMC10957790 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1345617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Agonists of the stimulator of interferon genes (STING) pathway are being explored as potential immunotherapeutics for the treatment of cancer and as vaccine adjuvants for infectious diseases. Although chemical synthesis of 2'3' - cyclic Guanosine Monophosphate-Adenosine Monophosphate (cGAMP) is commercially feasible, the process results in low yields and utilizes organic solvents. To pursue an efficient and environmentally friendly process for the production of cGAMP, we focused on the recombinant production of cGAMP via a whole-cell biocatalysis platform utilizing the murine cyclic Guanosine monophosphate-Adenosine monophosphate synthase (mcGAS). In E. coli BL21(DE3) cells, recombinant expression of mcGAS, a DNA-dependent enzyme, led to the secretion of cGAMP to the supernatants. By evaluating the: (1) media composition, (2) supplementation of divalent cations, (3) temperature of protein expression, and (4) amino acid substitutions pertaining to DNA binding; we showed that the maximum yield of cGAMP in the supernatants was improved by 30% from 146 mg/L to 186 ± 7 mg/mL under optimized conditions. To simplify the downstream processing, we developed and validated a single-step purification process for cGAMP using anion exchange chromatography. The method does not require protein affinity chromatography and it achieved a yield of 60 ± 2 mg/L cGAMP, with <20 EU/mL (<0.3 EU/μg) of endotoxin. Unlike chemical synthesis, our method provides a route for the recombinant production of cGAMP without the need for organic solvents and supports the goal of moving toward shorter, more sustainable, and more environmentally friendly processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rohan Kulkarni
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Vijay Maranholkar
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Nam Nguyen
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Patrick C. Cirino
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Richard C. Willson
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Navin Varadarajan
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States
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2
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Müll M, Pourmasoumi F, Wehrhan L, Nosovska O, Stephan P, Zeihe H, Vilotijevic I, Keller BG, Kries H. Biosynthetic incorporation of fluorinated amino acids into the nonribosomal peptide gramicidin S. RSC Chem Biol 2023; 4:692-697. [PMID: 37654511 PMCID: PMC10467612 DOI: 10.1039/d3cb00061c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Fluorine is a key element in medicinal chemistry, as it can significantly enhance the pharmacological properties of drugs. In this study, we aimed to biosynthetically produce fluorinated analogues of the antimicrobial cyclic decapeptide gramicidin S (GS). However, our results show that the A-domain of the NRPS module GrsA rejects 4-fluorinated analogues of its native substrate Phe due to an interrupted T-shaped aromatic interaction in the binding pocket. We demonstrate that GrsA mutant W239S improves the incorporation of 4-fluorinated Phe into GS both in vitro and in vivo. Our findings provide new insights into the behavior of NRPSs towards fluorinated amino acids and strategies for the engineered biosynthesis of fluorinated peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maximilian Müll
- Junior Research Group Biosynthetic Design of Natural Products, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Hans Knöll Institute (HKI Jena) Jena 07745 Germany
| | - Farzaneh Pourmasoumi
- Junior Research Group Biosynthetic Design of Natural Products, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Hans Knöll Institute (HKI Jena) Jena 07745 Germany
| | - Leon Wehrhan
- Freie Universität Berlin, Department of Biology, Chemistry, and Pharmacy, Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry Arnimallee 20 Berlin 14195 Germany
| | - Olena Nosovska
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Macromolecular Chemistry, Friedrich Schiller University Jena Humboldtstr. 10 Jena 07743 Germany
| | - Philipp Stephan
- Junior Research Group Biosynthetic Design of Natural Products, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Hans Knöll Institute (HKI Jena) Jena 07745 Germany
| | - Hannah Zeihe
- Junior Research Group Biosynthetic Design of Natural Products, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Hans Knöll Institute (HKI Jena) Jena 07745 Germany
| | - Ivan Vilotijevic
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Macromolecular Chemistry, Friedrich Schiller University Jena Humboldtstr. 10 Jena 07743 Germany
| | - Bettina G Keller
- Freie Universität Berlin, Department of Biology, Chemistry, and Pharmacy, Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry Arnimallee 20 Berlin 14195 Germany
| | - Hajo Kries
- Junior Research Group Biosynthetic Design of Natural Products, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Hans Knöll Institute (HKI Jena) Jena 07745 Germany
- University of Bayreuth, Organic Chemistry I Bayreuth 95440 Germany
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3
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Becker M, Ziemińska-Stolarska A, Markowska D, Lütz S, Rosenthal K. Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of Chemical and Biocatalytic 2'3'-Cyclic GMP-AMP Synthesis. CHEMSUSCHEM 2023; 16:e202201629. [PMID: 36416867 DOI: 10.1002/cssc.202201629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2022] [Revised: 10/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Life cycle assessments (LCAs) can provide insights into the environmental impact of production processes. In this study, a comparative LCA was performed for the synthesis of 2'3'-cyclic GMP-AMP (2'3'-cGAMP) in an early development stage. The cyclic dinucleotide (CDN) is of interest for pharmaceutical applications such as cancer immunotherapy. CDNs can be synthesized either by enzymes or chemical catalysis. It is not known which of the routes is more sustainable as both routes have their advantages and disadvantages, such as a poor yield for the chemical synthesis and low titers for the biocatalytic synthesis. The synthesis routes were compared for the production of 200 g 2'3'-cGAMP based on laboratory data to assess the environmental impacts. The biocatalytic synthesis turned out to be superior to the chemical synthesis in all considered categories by at least one magnitude, for example, a global warming potential of 3055.6 kg CO2 equiv. for the enzymatic route and 56454.0 kg CO2 equiv. for the chemical synthesis, which is 18 times higher. This study demonstrates the value of assessment at an early development stage, when the choice between different routes is still possible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Becker
- Department of Biochemical and Chemical Engineering, Chair for Bioprocess Engineering, TU Dortmund University, Emil-Figge-Straße 66, 44227, Dortmund, Germany
| | | | - Dorota Markowska
- Faculty of Process and Environmental Engineering, Lodz University of Technology, Wolczanska 213, 90-924, Lodz, Poland
| | - Stephan Lütz
- Department of Biochemical and Chemical Engineering, Chair for Bioprocess Engineering, TU Dortmund University, Emil-Figge-Straße 66, 44227, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Katrin Rosenthal
- Department of Biochemical and Chemical Engineering, Chair for Bioprocess Engineering, TU Dortmund University, Emil-Figge-Straße 66, 44227, Dortmund, Germany
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4
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Abstract
The discovery of cGAMP in 2012 filled an important gap in our understanding of innate immune signaling. It has been known for over a century that DNA can induce immune responses, but the underlying mechanism was not clear. With the identification of STING as a key player in interferon induction, the DNA detector that activates STING was the last missing link in TBK1-IRF3 signaling. Somewhat unexpectedly, it turns out that nature relays the DNA danger signal through a small molecule. cGAMP is a cyclic dinucleotide produced from cyclodimerization of ATP and GTP upon detection of cytosolic DNA by cGAS, a previously uncharacterized protein, to promote the assembly of the STING signalosome. This article covers a personal account of the discovery of cGAMP, a short history of the relevant nucleotide chemistry, and a summary of the latest development in this field of research in chemistry. It is the author's hope that, with a historic perspective, the readers can better appreciate the synergy between chemistry and biology in drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuo Chen
- Department of Biochemistry, UT Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Boulevard, Dallas, TX 75390-9038, USA
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5
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Vavřina Z, Perlíková P, Milisavljević N, Chevrier F, Smola M, Smith J, Dejmek M, Havlíček V, Buděšínský M, Liboska R, Vaneková L, Brynda J, Boura E, Řezáčová P, Hocek M, Birkuš G. Design, Synthesis, and Biochemical and Biological Evaluation of Novel 7-Deazapurine Cyclic Dinucleotide Analogues as STING Receptor Agonists. J Med Chem 2022; 65:14082-14103. [PMID: 36201304 PMCID: PMC9620234 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c01305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Cyclic dinucleotides (CDNs) are second messengers that activate stimulator of interferon genes (STING). The cGAS-STING pathway plays a promising role in cancer immunotherapy. Here, we describe the synthesis of CDNs containing 7-substituted 7-deazapurine moiety. We used mouse cyclic GMP-AMP synthase and bacterial dinucleotide synthases for the enzymatic synthesis of CDNs. Alternatively, 7-(het)aryl 7-deazapurine CDNs were prepared by Suzuki-Miyaura cross-couplings. New CDNs were tested in biochemical and cell-based assays for their affinity to human STING. Eight CDNs showed better activity than 2'3'-cGAMP, the natural ligand of STING. The effect on cytokine and chemokine induction was also evaluated. The best activities were observed for CDNs bearing large aromatic substituents that point above the CDN molecule. We solved four X-ray structures of complexes of new CDNs with human STING. We observed π-π stacking interactions between the aromatic substituents and Tyr240 that are involved in the stabilization of CDN-STING complexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zdeněk Vavřina
- Institute
of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech
Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Namesti 542, Prague 166 10, Czech Republic
- Department
of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles
University, Hlavova 2030/8, Prague 128 00, Czech Republic
| | - Pavla Perlíková
- Institute
of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech
Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Namesti 542, Prague 166 10, Czech Republic
- Department
of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemical Technology, University of Chemistry and Technology, Technicka 5, Prague 166 28, Czech Republic
| | - Nemanja Milisavljević
- Institute
of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech
Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Namesti 542, Prague 166 10, Czech Republic
- Department
of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Hlavova 2030/8, Prague 128 00, Czech Republic
| | - Florian Chevrier
- Institute
of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech
Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Namesti 542, Prague 166 10, Czech Republic
| | - Miroslav Smola
- Institute
of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech
Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Namesti 542, Prague 166 10, Czech Republic
| | - Joshua Smith
- Institute
of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech
Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Namesti 542, Prague 166 10, Czech Republic
- First
Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Katerinska 1660/32, Prague 121 08, Czech Republic
| | - Milan Dejmek
- Institute
of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech
Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Namesti 542, Prague 166 10, Czech Republic
| | - Vojtěch Havlíček
- Institute
of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech
Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Namesti 542, Prague 166 10, Czech Republic
- Department
of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Hlavova 2030/8, Prague 128 00, Czech Republic
| | - Miloš Buděšínský
- Institute
of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech
Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Namesti 542, Prague 166 10, Czech Republic
| | - Radek Liboska
- Institute
of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech
Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Namesti 542, Prague 166 10, Czech Republic
| | - Lenka Vaneková
- Institute
of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech
Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Namesti 542, Prague 166 10, Czech Republic
- Department
of Cell Biology, Faculty of Science, Charles
University, Vinicna 1594/7, Prague 128 43, Czech Republic
| | - Jiří Brynda
- Institute
of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech
Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Namesti 542, Prague 166 10, Czech Republic
| | - Evzen Boura
- Institute
of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech
Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Namesti 542, Prague 166 10, Czech Republic
| | - Pavlína Řezáčová
- Institute
of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech
Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Namesti 542, Prague 166 10, Czech Republic
| | - Michal Hocek
- Institute
of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech
Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Namesti 542, Prague 166 10, Czech Republic
| | - Gabriel Birkuš
- Institute
of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech
Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Namesti 542, Prague 166 10, Czech Republic
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Kinner A, Nerke P, Siedentop R, Steinmetz T, Classen T, Rosenthal K, Nett M, Pietruszka J, Lütz S. Recent Advances in Biocatalysis for Drug Synthesis. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10050964. [PMID: 35625702 PMCID: PMC9138302 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10050964] [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: 03/31/2022] [Revised: 04/16/2022] [Accepted: 04/17/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Biocatalysis is constantly providing novel options for the synthesis of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). In addition to drug development and manufacturing, biocatalysis also plays a role in drug discovery and can support many active ingredient syntheses at an early stage to build up entire scaffolds in a targeted and preparative manner. Recent progress in recruiting new enzymes by genome mining and screening or adapting their substrate, as well as product scope, by protein engineering has made biocatalysts a competitive tool applied in academic and industrial spheres. This is especially true for the advances in the field of nonribosomal peptide synthesis and enzyme cascades that are expanding the capabilities for the discovery and synthesis of new bioactive compounds via biotransformation. Here we highlight some of the most recent developments to add to the portfolio of biocatalysis with special relevance for the synthesis and late-stage functionalization of APIs, in order to bypass pure chemical processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alina Kinner
- Chair for Bioprocess Engineering, Department of Biochemical and Chemical Engineering, TU Dortmund University, 44227 Dortmund, Germany; (A.K.); (P.N.); (R.S.); (K.R.)
| | - Philipp Nerke
- Chair for Bioprocess Engineering, Department of Biochemical and Chemical Engineering, TU Dortmund University, 44227 Dortmund, Germany; (A.K.); (P.N.); (R.S.); (K.R.)
| | - Regine Siedentop
- Chair for Bioprocess Engineering, Department of Biochemical and Chemical Engineering, TU Dortmund University, 44227 Dortmund, Germany; (A.K.); (P.N.); (R.S.); (K.R.)
| | - Till Steinmetz
- Laboratory for Technical Biology, Department of Biochemical and Chemical Engineering, TU Dortmund University, 44227 Dortmund, Germany; (T.S.); (M.N.)
| | - Thomas Classen
- Institute of Bio- and Geosciences: Biotechnology (IBG-1), Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52428 Jülich, Germany; (T.C.); (J.P.)
| | - Katrin Rosenthal
- Chair for Bioprocess Engineering, Department of Biochemical and Chemical Engineering, TU Dortmund University, 44227 Dortmund, Germany; (A.K.); (P.N.); (R.S.); (K.R.)
| | - Markus Nett
- Laboratory for Technical Biology, Department of Biochemical and Chemical Engineering, TU Dortmund University, 44227 Dortmund, Germany; (T.S.); (M.N.)
| | - Jörg Pietruszka
- Institute of Bio- and Geosciences: Biotechnology (IBG-1), Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52428 Jülich, Germany; (T.C.); (J.P.)
- Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf Located at Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52426 Jülich, Germany
| | - Stephan Lütz
- Chair for Bioprocess Engineering, Department of Biochemical and Chemical Engineering, TU Dortmund University, 44227 Dortmund, Germany; (A.K.); (P.N.); (R.S.); (K.R.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +49-231-755-4764
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7
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Benkovics T, Peng F, Phillips EM, An C, Bade RS, Chung CK, Dance ZEX, Fier PS, Forstater JH, Liu Z, Liu Z, Maligres PE, Marshall NM, Salehi Marzijarani N, McIntosh JA, Miller SP, Moore JC, Neel AJ, Obligacion JV, Pan W, Pirnot MT, Poirier M, Reibarkh M, Sherry BD, Song ZJ, Tan L, Turnbull BWH, Verma D, Waldman JH, Wang L, Wang T, Winston MS, Xu F. Diverse Catalytic Reactions for the Stereoselective Synthesis of Cyclic Dinucleotide MK-1454. J Am Chem Soc 2022; 144:5855-5863. [PMID: 35333525 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.1c12106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
As practitioners of organic chemistry strive to deliver efficient syntheses of the most complex natural products and drug candidates, further innovations in synthetic strategies are required to facilitate their efficient construction. These aspirational breakthroughs often go hand-in-hand with considerable reductions in cost and environmental impact. Enzyme-catalyzed reactions have become an impressive and necessary tool that offers benefits such as increased selectivity and waste limitation. These benefits are amplified when enzymatic processes are conducted in a cascade in combination with novel bond-forming strategies. In this article, we report a highly diastereoselective synthesis of MK-1454, a potent agonist of the stimulator of interferon gene (STING) signaling pathway. The synthesis begins with the asymmetric construction of two fluoride-bearing deoxynucleotides. The routes were designed for maximum convergency and selectivity, relying on the same benign electrophilic fluorinating reagent. From these complex subunits, four enzymes are used to construct the two bridging thiophosphates in a highly selective, high yielding cascade process. Critical to the success of this reaction was a thorough understanding of the role transition metals play in bond formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamas Benkovics
- Department of Process Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Avenue, Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | - Feng Peng
- Department of Process Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Avenue, Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | - Eric M Phillips
- Department of Process Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Avenue, Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | - Chihui An
- Department of Process Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Avenue, Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | - Rachel S Bade
- Department of Process Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Avenue, Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | - Cheol K Chung
- Department of Process Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Avenue, Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | - Zachary E X Dance
- Department of Process Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Avenue, Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | - Patrick S Fier
- Department of Process Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Avenue, Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | - Jacob H Forstater
- Department of Process Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Avenue, Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | - Zhijian Liu
- Department of Process Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Avenue, Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | - Zhuqing Liu
- Department of Process Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Avenue, Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | - Peter E Maligres
- Department of Process Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Avenue, Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | - Nicholas M Marshall
- Department of Process Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Avenue, Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | - Nastaran Salehi Marzijarani
- Department of Process Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Avenue, Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | - John A McIntosh
- Department of Process Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Avenue, Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | - Steven P Miller
- Department of Process Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Avenue, Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | - Jeffrey C Moore
- Department of Process Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Avenue, Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | - Andrew J Neel
- Department of Process Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Avenue, Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | - Jennifer V Obligacion
- Department of Process Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Avenue, Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | - Weilan Pan
- Department of Process Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Avenue, Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | - Michael T Pirnot
- Department of Process Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Avenue, Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | - Marc Poirier
- Department of Process Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Avenue, Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | - Mikhail Reibarkh
- Department of Process Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Avenue, Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | - Benjamin D Sherry
- Department of Process Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Avenue, Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | - Zhiguo Jake Song
- Department of Process Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Avenue, Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | - Lushi Tan
- Department of Process Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Avenue, Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | - Ben W H Turnbull
- Department of Process Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Avenue, Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | - Deeptak Verma
- Department of Process Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Avenue, Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | - Jacob H Waldman
- Department of Process Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Avenue, Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | - Lu Wang
- Department of Process Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Avenue, Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | - Tao Wang
- Department of Process Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Avenue, Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | - Matthew S Winston
- Department of Process Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Avenue, Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | - Feng Xu
- Department of Process Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Avenue, Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
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8
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Bartsch T, Becker M, Rolf J, Rosenthal K, Lütz S. Biotechnological Production of Cyclic Dinucleotides - Challenges and Opportunities. Biotechnol Bioeng 2021; 119:677-684. [PMID: 34953086 DOI: 10.1002/bit.28027] [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: 01/11/2021] [Revised: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Cyclic dinucleotides (CDNs) are widely used secondary signaling molecules in prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. As strong agonists of the stimulator of interferon genes, they are of great interest for pharmaceutical applications. In particular, cyclic-GMP-AMP and related synthetic CDNs are promising candidates in pre-clinical work and even some in clinical phase 1 and 2 studies. The comparison of chemical and biocatalytic synthesis routes elucidated that biological CDN synthesis offers some advantages, such as shorter synthesis time, avoiding complex protective group chemistry, and the access to a new spectrum of CDNs. However, the synthesis of CDNs in preparative quantities is still a challenge, since the chemical synthesis of CDNs suffers from low yields and complex synthetic routes and the enzymatically catalyzed synthesis is limited by low product titers and process stability. We aim to review the latest discoveries and recent trends in chemical and biocatalytic synthesis of CDNs with a focus on the synthesis of a huge variety of CDN derivatives. We furthermore consider the most promising biotechnological processes for CDN production by evaluating key figures of the currently known processes. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tabea Bartsch
- Department of Biochemical and Chemical Engineering, Chair for Bioprocess Engineering, TU Dortmund University, Germany
| | - Martin Becker
- Department of Biochemical and Chemical Engineering, Chair for Bioprocess Engineering, TU Dortmund University, Germany
| | - Jascha Rolf
- Department of Biochemical and Chemical Engineering, Chair for Bioprocess Engineering, TU Dortmund University, Germany
| | - Katrin Rosenthal
- Department of Biochemical and Chemical Engineering, Chair for Bioprocess Engineering, TU Dortmund University, Germany
| | - Stephan Lütz
- Department of Biochemical and Chemical Engineering, Chair for Bioprocess Engineering, TU Dortmund University, Germany
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9
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Shang M, Lu K, Guan W, Cao S, Ren M, Zhou C. 2',3'-Cyclic GMP-AMP Dinucleotides for STING-Mediated Immune Modulation: Principles, Immunotherapeutic Potential, and Synthesis. ChemMedChem 2021; 17:e202100671. [PMID: 34807508 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.202100671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The cGAS-STING pathway discovered ten years ago is an important component of the innate immune system. Activation of cGAS-STING triggers downstream signalling, such as TBK1-IRF3, NF-κB and autophagy, which in turn leads to antipathogen responses, durable antitumour immunity or autoimmune diseases. 2',3'-Cyclic GMP-AMP dinucleotides (2',3'-cGAMP), the key second messengers produced by cGAS, play a pivotal role in cGAS-STING signalling by binding and activating STING. Thus, 2',3'-cGAMP has immunotherapeutic potential, which in turn has stimulated research on the design and synthesis of 2',3'-cGAMP analogues for clinical applications over the past ten years. This review presents the discovery, metabolism, and function of 2',3'-cGAMP in the cGAS-STING innate immune signalling axis. The enzymatic and chemical syntheses of 2',3'-cGAMP analogues as STING-targeting therapeutics are also summarized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengdi Shang
- State Key Laboratory of Elemento-Organic Chemistry and Department of Chemical Biology College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Kuan Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Elemento-Organic Chemistry and Department of Chemical Biology College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Wenli Guan
- State Key Laboratory of Elemento-Organic Chemistry and Department of Chemical Biology College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Shujie Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Elemento-Organic Chemistry and Department of Chemical Biology College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Mengtian Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Elemento-Organic Chemistry and Department of Chemical Biology College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Chuanzheng Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Elemento-Organic Chemistry and Department of Chemical Biology College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
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Yan H, Chen W. The Promise and Challenges of Cyclic Dinucleotides as Molecular Adjuvants for Vaccine Development. Vaccines (Basel) 2021; 9:917. [PMID: 34452042 PMCID: PMC8402453 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines9080917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2021] [Revised: 08/05/2021] [Accepted: 08/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Cyclic dinucleotides (CDNs), originally discovered as bacterial second messengers, play critical roles in bacterial signal transduction, cellular processes, biofilm formation, and virulence. The finding that CDNs can trigger the innate immune response in eukaryotic cells through the stimulator of interferon genes (STING) signalling pathway has prompted the extensive research and development of CDNs as potential immunostimulators and novel molecular adjuvants for induction of systemic and mucosal innate and adaptive immune responses. In this review, we summarize the chemical structure, biosynthesis regulation, and the role of CDNs in enhancing the crosstalk between host innate and adaptive immune responses. We also discuss the strategies to improve the efficient delivery of CDNs and the recent advance and future challenges in the development of CDNs as potential adjuvants in prophylactic vaccines against infectious diseases and in therapeutic vaccines against cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongbin Yan
- Department of Chemistry, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON L2S 3A1, Canada
| | - Wangxue Chen
- Human Health and Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, ON K1A 0R6, Canada
- Department of Biological Sciences, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON L2S 3A1, Canada
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11
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Chemical evolution of cyclic dinucleotides: Perspective of the analogs and their preparation. Tetrahedron 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tet.2021.132096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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12
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Becker M, Nikel P, Andexer JN, Lütz S, Rosenthal K. A Multi-Enzyme Cascade Reaction for the Production of 2'3'-cGAMP. Biomolecules 2021; 11:590. [PMID: 33923845 PMCID: PMC8073963 DOI: 10.3390/biom11040590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Revised: 04/13/2021] [Accepted: 04/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Multi-enzyme cascade reactions for the synthesis of complex products have gained importance in recent decades. Their advantages compared to single biotransformations include the possibility to synthesize complex molecules without purification of reaction intermediates, easier handling of unstable intermediates, and dealing with unfavorable thermodynamics by coupled equilibria. In this study, a four-enzyme cascade consisting of ScADK, AjPPK2, and SmPPK2 for ATP synthesis from adenosine coupled to the cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS) catalyzing cyclic GMP-AMP (2'3'-cGAMP) formation was successfully developed. The 2'3'-cGAMP synthesis rates were comparable to the maximal reaction rate achieved in single-step reactions. An iterative optimization of substrate, cofactor, and enzyme concentrations led to an overall yield of 0.08 mole 2'3'-cGAMP per mole adenosine, which is comparable to chemical synthesis. The established enzyme cascade enabled the synthesis of 2'3'-cGAMP from GTP and inexpensive adenosine as well as polyphosphate in a biocatalytic one-pot reaction, demonstrating the performance capabilities of multi-enzyme cascades for the synthesis of pharmaceutically relevant products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Becker
- Chair for Bioprocess Engineering, Department of Biochemical and Chemical Engineering, TU Dortmund University, D-44227 Dortmund, Germany; (M.B.); (P.N.); (S.L.)
| | - Patrick Nikel
- Chair for Bioprocess Engineering, Department of Biochemical and Chemical Engineering, TU Dortmund University, D-44227 Dortmund, Germany; (M.B.); (P.N.); (S.L.)
| | - Jennifer N. Andexer
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Freiburg, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany;
| | - Stephan Lütz
- Chair for Bioprocess Engineering, Department of Biochemical and Chemical Engineering, TU Dortmund University, D-44227 Dortmund, Germany; (M.B.); (P.N.); (S.L.)
| | - Katrin Rosenthal
- Chair for Bioprocess Engineering, Department of Biochemical and Chemical Engineering, TU Dortmund University, D-44227 Dortmund, Germany; (M.B.); (P.N.); (S.L.)
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13
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Environmental Assessment of Enzyme Production and Purification. Molecules 2021; 26:molecules26030573. [PMID: 33499126 PMCID: PMC7865607 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26030573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2020] [Revised: 01/16/2021] [Accepted: 01/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The importance of bioprocesses has increased in recent decades, as they are considered to be more sustainable than chemical processes in many cases. E factors can be used to assess the sustainability of processes. However, it is noticeable that the contribution of enzyme synthesis and purification is mostly neglected. We, therefore, determined the E factors for the production and purification of 10 g enzymes. The calculated complete E factor including required waste and water is 37,835 gwaste·genzyme-1. This result demonstrates that the contribution of enzyme production and purification should not be neglected for sustainability assessment of bioprocesses.
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14
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Rosenthal K, Becker M, Rolf J, Siedentop R, Hillen M, Nett M, Lütz S. Catalytic Promiscuity of cGAS: A Facile Enzymatic Synthesis of 2'-3'-Linked Cyclic Dinucleotides. Chembiochem 2020; 21:3225-3228. [PMID: 32633874 PMCID: PMC7754487 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202000433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS) is a cytosolic DNA sensor that catalyzes the synthesis of the cyclic GMP-AMP dinucleotide 2'3'-cGAMP. 2'3'-cGAMP functions as inducer for the production of type I interferons. Derivatives of this important second messenger are highly valuable for pharmaceutical applications. However, the production of these analogues requires complex, multistep syntheses. Herein, human cGAS is shown to react with a series of unnatural nucleotides, thus leading to novel cyclic dinucleotides. Most substrate derivatives with modifications at the nucleobase, ribose, and the α-thio phosphate were accepted. These results demonstrate the catalytic promiscuity of human cGAS and its utility for the biocatalytic synthesis of cyclic dinucleotide derivatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrin Rosenthal
- Department of Biochemical and Chemical EngineeringChair for Bioprocess EngineeringTU Dortmund University Emil-Figge-Strasse 6644227DortmundGermany
| | - Martin Becker
- Department of Biochemical and Chemical EngineeringChair for Bioprocess EngineeringTU Dortmund University Emil-Figge-Strasse 6644227DortmundGermany
| | - Jascha Rolf
- Department of Biochemical and Chemical EngineeringChair for Bioprocess EngineeringTU Dortmund University Emil-Figge-Strasse 6644227DortmundGermany
| | - Regine Siedentop
- Department of Biochemical and Chemical EngineeringChair for Bioprocess EngineeringTU Dortmund University Emil-Figge-Strasse 6644227DortmundGermany
| | - Michael Hillen
- Department of Biochemical and Chemical EngineeringChair for Bioprocess EngineeringTU Dortmund University Emil-Figge-Strasse 6644227DortmundGermany
| | - Markus Nett
- Department of Biochemical and Chemical EngineeringLaboratory of Technical BiologyTU Dortmund UniversityEmil-Figge-Strasse 6644227DortmundGermany
| | - Stephan Lütz
- Department of Biochemical and Chemical EngineeringChair for Bioprocess EngineeringTU Dortmund University Emil-Figge-Strasse 6644227DortmundGermany
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15
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Xie X, Liu J, Wang X. Design, Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of (2',5' and 3'5'-Linked) cGAMP Analogs that Activate Stimulator of Interferon Genes (STING). Molecules 2020; 25:E5285. [PMID: 33198423 PMCID: PMC7697705 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25225285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2020] [Revised: 10/23/2020] [Accepted: 10/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Stimulator of interferon genes (STING) is an endoplasmic reticulum adaptor transmembrane protein that plays a pivotal role in innate immune system. STING agonists, such as endogenous cyclic dinucleotide (CDN) cyclic GMP-AMP (cGAMP), have been used in diverse clinical research for immunogenic tumor clearance, antiviral treatments and vaccine adjuvants. CDNs containing noncanonical mixed 3'-5' and 2'-5' phosphodiester linkages show higher potency in the activation of the STING pathway. In this study, a series of 2'3'-CDNs were designed and synthesized through a modified one-pot strategy. We then established a surface plasmon resonance (SPR)-based binding assay to quantify the binding affinities of synthesized CDNs for human STING, which requested a minuscule amount of sample without any pretreatment. Using this assay, we identified compound 8d (KD = 0.038 μM), a novel CDN that showed higher binding affinity with hSTING than cGAMP (KD = 0.543 μM). Cellular assays confirmed that 8d could trigger the expression of type I IFNs and other proinflammatory cytokines more robust than cGAMP. 8d also exhibited more resistant than cGAMP to enzymatic cleavage in vitro, indicating the successful improvement in drug availability. These findings provide guidelines for the design and structural optimization of CDNs as STING agonists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Xie
- Department of Chemical Biology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China;
| | - Junyi Liu
- Department of Chemical Biology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China;
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Xiaowei Wang
- Department of Chemical Biology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China;
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