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Widmalm G. Glycan Shape, Motions, and Interactions Explored by NMR Spectroscopy. JACS AU 2024; 4:20-39. [PMID: 38274261 PMCID: PMC10807006 DOI: 10.1021/jacsau.3c00639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2023] [Revised: 12/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
Glycans in the form of oligosaccharides, polysaccharides, and glycoconjugates are ubiquitous in nature, and their structures range from linear assemblies to highly branched and decorated constructs. Solution state NMR spectroscopy facilitates elucidation of preferred conformations and shapes of the saccharides, motions, and dynamic aspects related to processes over time as well as the study of transient interactions with proteins. Identification of intermolecular networks at the atomic level of detail in recognition events by carbohydrate-binding proteins known as lectins, unraveling interactions with antibodies, and revealing substrate scope and action of glycosyl transferases employed for synthesis of oligo- and polysaccharides may efficiently be analyzed by NMR spectroscopy. By utilizing NMR active nuclei present in glycans and derivatives thereof, including isotopically enriched compounds, highly detailed information can be obtained by the experiments. Subsequent analysis may be aided by quantum chemical calculations of NMR parameters, machine learning-based methodologies and artificial intelligence. Interpretation of the results from NMR experiments can be complemented by extensive molecular dynamics simulations to obtain three-dimensional dynamic models, thereby clarifying molecular recognition processes involving the glycans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Göran Widmalm
- Department of Organic Chemistry,
Arrhenius Laboratory, Stockholm University, S-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
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2
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Fux AC, Casonato Melo C, Michelini S, Swartzwelter BJ, Neusch A, Italiani P, Himly M. Heterogeneity of Lipopolysaccharide as Source of Variability in Bioassays and LPS-Binding Proteins as Remedy. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24098395. [PMID: 37176105 PMCID: PMC10179214 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24098395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2023] [Revised: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Lipopolysaccharide (LPS), also referred to as endotoxin, is the major component of Gram-negative bacteria's outer cell wall. It is one of the main types of pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) that are known to elicit severe immune reactions in the event of a pathogen trespassing the epithelial barrier and reaching the bloodstream. Associated symptoms include fever and septic shock, which in severe cases, might even lead to death. Thus, the detection of LPS in medical devices and injectable pharmaceuticals is of utmost importance. However, the term LPS does not describe one single molecule but a diverse class of molecules sharing one common feature: their characteristic chemical structure. Each bacterial species has its own pool of LPS molecules varying in their chemical composition and enabling the aggregation into different supramolecular structures upon release from the bacterial cell wall. As this heterogeneity has consequences for bioassays, we aim to examine the great variability of LPS molecules and their potential to form various supramolecular structures. Furthermore, we describe current LPS quantification methods and the LPS-dependent inflammatory pathway and show how LPS heterogeneity can affect them. With the intent of overcoming these challenges and moving towards a universal approach for targeting LPS, we review current studies concerning LPS-specific binders. Finally, we give perspectives for LPS research and the use of LPS-binding molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra C Fux
- Division of Allergy & Immunology, Department of Biosciences & Medical Biology, Paris Lodron University of Salzburg (PLUS), Hellbrunnerstraße 34, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
- Chemical Biology Department, R&D Reagents, Miltenyi Biotec B.V. & Co. KG, Friedrich-Ebert-Straße 68, 51429 Bergisch Gladbach, Germany
| | - Cristiane Casonato Melo
- Division of Allergy & Immunology, Department of Biosciences & Medical Biology, Paris Lodron University of Salzburg (PLUS), Hellbrunnerstraße 34, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
- Chemical Biology Department, R&D Reagents, Miltenyi Biotec B.V. & Co. KG, Friedrich-Ebert-Straße 68, 51429 Bergisch Gladbach, Germany
| | - Sara Michelini
- Biotechnical Faculty, Department of Biology, University of Ljubljana, Večna pot 111, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Benjamin J Swartzwelter
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, 1601 Campus Delivery, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| | - Andreas Neusch
- Experimental Medical Physics, Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf, Universitätsstraße 1, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Paola Italiani
- Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Via P. Castellino 111, 80131 Naples, Italy
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn (SZN), Villa Comunale, 80121 Naples, Italy
| | - Martin Himly
- Division of Allergy & Immunology, Department of Biosciences & Medical Biology, Paris Lodron University of Salzburg (PLUS), Hellbrunnerstraße 34, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
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Klumpp J, Dunne M, Loessner MJ. A perfect fit: Bacteriophage receptor-binding proteins for diagnostic and therapeutic applications. Curr Opin Microbiol 2023; 71:102240. [PMID: 36446275 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2022.102240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2022] [Revised: 10/26/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Bacteriophages are the most abundant biological entity on earth, acting as the predators and evolutionary drivers of bacteria. Owing to their inherent ability to specifically infect and kill bacteria, phages and their encoded endolysins and receptor-binding proteins (RBPs) have enormous potential for development into precision antimicrobials for treatment of bacterial infections and microbial disbalances; or as biocontrol agents to tackle bacterial contaminations during various biotechnological processes. The extraordinary binding specificity of phages and RBPs can be exploited in various areas of bacterial diagnostics and monitoring, from food production to health care. We review and describe the distinctive features of phage RBPs, explain why they are attractive candidates for use as therapeutics and in diagnostics, discuss recent applications using RBPs, and finally provide our perspective on how synthetic technology and artificial intelligence-driven approaches will revolutionize how we use these tools in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jochen Klumpp
- Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, ETH Zurich, Schmelzbergstrasse 7, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Matthew Dunne
- Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, ETH Zurich, Schmelzbergstrasse 7, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Martin J Loessner
- Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, ETH Zurich, Schmelzbergstrasse 7, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland.
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Abstract
The first critical step in a virus’s infection cycle is attachment to its host. This interaction is precise enough to ensure the virus will be able to productively infect the cell, but some flexibility can be beneficial to enable coevolution and host range switching or expansion. Bacteriophage Sf6 utilizes a two-step process to recognize and attach to its host Shigella flexneri. Sf6 first recognizes the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of S. flexneri and then binds outer membrane protein (Omp) A or OmpC. This phage infects serotype Y strains but can also form small, turbid plaques on serotype 2a2; turbid plaques appear translucent rather than transparent, indicating greater survival of bacteria. Reduced plating efficiency further suggested inefficient infection. To examine the interactions between Sf6 and this alternate host, phages were experimentally evolved using mixed populations of S. flexneri serotypes Y and 2a2. The recovered mutants could infect serotype 2a2 with greater efficiency than the ancestral Sf6, forming clear plaques on both serotypes. All mutations mapped to two distinct regions of the receptor-binding tailspike protein: (i) adjacent to the LPS binding site near the N terminus; and (ii) at the distal, C-terminal tip of the protein. Although we anticipated interactions between the Sf6 tailspike and 2a2 O-antigen to be weak, LPS of this serotype appears to inhibit infection through strong binding of particles, effectively removing them from the environment. The mutations of the evolved strains reduce the inhibitory effect by either reducing electrostatic interactions with the O-antigen or increasing reliance on the Omp secondary receptors. IMPORTANCE Viruses depend on host cells to propagate themselves. In mixed populations and communities of host cells, finding these susceptible host cells may have to be balanced with avoiding nonhost cells. Alternatively, being able to infect new cell types can increase the fitness of the virus. Many bacterial viruses use a two-step process to identify their hosts, binding first to an LPS receptor and then to a host protein. For Shigella virus Sf6, the tailspike protein was previously known to bind the LPS receptor. Genetic data from this work imply the tailspike also binds to the protein receptor. By experimentally evolving Sf6, we also show that point mutations in this protein can dramatically affect the binding of one or both receptors. This may provide Sf6 flexibility in identifying host cells and the ability to rapidly alter its host range under selective pressure.
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Teh MY, Tran ENH, Morona R. Bacteriophage Sf6 host range mutant that infects Shigella flexneri serotype 2a2 strains. FEMS Microbiol Lett 2022; 369:6537400. [PMID: 35218200 PMCID: PMC8973906 DOI: 10.1093/femsle/fnac020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2021] [Revised: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 02/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Shigella flexneri serotype 2a2 (II:9;10) is the most prevalent strain in causing bacillary dysentery in developing countries. Chemical modifications such as glucosylation, O-acetylation, and phosphoethanolamine modifications of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) O antigen (Oag) contribute to the emergence of various serotypes. Sf6 is a Shigella-specific bacteriophage that infects only a limited range of S. flexneri serotypes [X, Y]. LPS Oag is the primary receptor for bacteriophage Sf6 where it uses its tailspike protein (TSP) in binding and hydrolysing LPS Oags. Sf6TSP has recently been shown to be capable of hydrolysing the LPS Oag of Type II strains, albeit modestly. Phage therapy has regained attention in recent years as an alternative therapeutic approach. Therefore, this study aimed to expand the host range of Sf6 to the prevalent S. flexneri serotype 2a2 strain. We discovered a new lytic Sf6 host range mutant that is capable of infecting S. flexneri serotype 2a2 and identified residues in Sf6TSP that may potentially be involved in binding and hydrolysing serotype 2a2 LPS Oag. This work increased the limited Shigella-specific bacteriophage collection and may be useful in the future for phage therapy and/or biocontrolling of S. flexneri in contaminated food and water.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Yan Teh
- School of Biological Sciences, Department of Molecular and Biomedical Science, Research Centre for Infectious Diseases, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, 5005, Australia
| | - Elizabeth Ngoc Hoa Tran
- School of Biological Sciences, Department of Molecular and Biomedical Science, Research Centre for Infectious Diseases, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, 5005, Australia
| | - Renato Morona
- School of Biological Sciences, Department of Molecular and Biomedical Science, Research Centre for Infectious Diseases, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, 5005, Australia
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Warkentin R, Kwan DH. Resources and Methods for Engineering "Designer" Glycan-Binding Proteins. Molecules 2021; 26:E380. [PMID: 33450899 PMCID: PMC7828330 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26020380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2020] [Revised: 01/04/2021] [Accepted: 01/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
This review provides information on available methods for engineering glycan-binding proteins (GBP). Glycans are involved in a variety of physiological functions and are found in all domains of life and viruses. Due to their wide range of functions, GBPs have been developed with diagnostic, therapeutic, and biotechnological applications. The development of GBPs has traditionally been hindered by a lack of available glycan targets and sensitive and selective protein scaffolds; however, recent advances in glycobiology have largely overcome these challenges. Here we provide information on how to approach the design of novel "designer" GBPs, starting from the protein scaffold to the mutagenesis methods, selection, and characterization of the GBPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruben Warkentin
- Department of Biology, Centre for Applied Synthetic Biology, and Centre for Structural and Functional Genomics, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, QC H4B 1R6, Canada;
- PROTEO, Quebec Network for Research on Protein Function, Structure, and Engineering, Quebec City, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - David H. Kwan
- Department of Biology, Centre for Applied Synthetic Biology, and Centre for Structural and Functional Genomics, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, QC H4B 1R6, Canada;
- PROTEO, Quebec Network for Research on Protein Function, Structure, and Engineering, Quebec City, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, QC H4B 1R6, Canada
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Recent development of antibiotic detection in food and environment: the combination of sensors and nanomaterials. Mikrochim Acta 2021; 188:21. [PMID: 33404741 DOI: 10.1007/s00604-020-04671-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2020] [Accepted: 11/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
In recent years, the abuse of antibiotics has led to the pollution of soil and water environment, not only poultry husbandry and food manufacturing will be influenced to different degree, but also the human body will produce antibody. The detection of antibiotic content in production and life is imperative. In this review, we provide comprehensive information about chemical sensors and biosensors for antibiotic detection. We classify the currently reported antibiotic detection technologies into chromatography, mass spectrometry, capillary electrophoresis, optical detection, and electrochemistry, introduce some representative examples for each technology, and conclude the advantages and limitations. In particular, the optical and electrochemical methods based on nanomaterials are discussed and evaluated in detail. In addition, the latest research in the detection of antibiotics by photosensitive materials is discussed. Finally, we summarize the pros and cons of various antibiotic detection methods and present a discussion and outlook on the expansion of cross-scientific areas. The synthesis and application of optoelectronic nanomaterials and aptamer screening are discussed and prospected, and the future trends and potential impact of biosensors in antibiotic detection are outlined.Graphical abstract.
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Kunstmann S, Engström O, Wehle M, Widmalm G, Santer M, Barbirz S. Increasing the Affinity of an O-Antigen Polysaccharide Binding Site in Shigella flexneri Bacteriophage Sf6 Tailspike Protein. Chemistry 2020; 26:7263-7273. [PMID: 32189378 PMCID: PMC7463171 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202000495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2020] [Revised: 03/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Broad and unspecific use of antibiotics accelerates spread of resistances. Sensitive and robust pathogen detection is thus important for a more targeted application. Bacteriophages contain a large repertoire of pathogen-binding proteins. These tailspike proteins (TSP) often bind surface glycans and represent a promising design platform for specific pathogen sensors. We analysed bacteriophage Sf6 TSP that recognizes the O-polysaccharide of dysentery-causing Shigella flexneri to develop variants with increased sensitivity for sensor applications. Ligand polyrhamnose backbone conformations were obtained from 2D 1 H,1 H-trNOESY NMR utilizing methine-methine and methine-methyl correlations. They agreed well with conformations obtained from molecular dynamics (MD), validating the method for further predictions. In a set of mutants, MD predicted ligand flexibilities that were in good correlation with binding strength as confirmed on immobilized S. flexneri O-polysaccharide (PS) with surface plasmon resonance. In silico approaches combined with rapid screening on PS surfaces hence provide valuable strategies for TSP-based pathogen sensor design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonja Kunstmann
- Physikalische BiochemieUniversität PotsdamKarl-Liebknecht-Str. 24–2514476PotsdamGermany
- Theory and BiosystemsMax Planck Institute of Colloids and InterfacesAm Mühlenberg 114476PotsdamGermany
- Current address: Department of Biotechnology and BiomedicineTechnical University of DenmarkSøltofts Plads2800 Kgs.LyngbyDenmark
| | - Olof Engström
- Department of Organic ChemistryArrhenius LaboratoryStockholm University10691StockholmSweden
| | - Marko Wehle
- Theory and BiosystemsMax Planck Institute of Colloids and InterfacesAm Mühlenberg 114476PotsdamGermany
| | - Göran Widmalm
- Department of Organic ChemistryArrhenius LaboratoryStockholm University10691StockholmSweden
| | - Mark Santer
- Theory and BiosystemsMax Planck Institute of Colloids and InterfacesAm Mühlenberg 114476PotsdamGermany
| | - Stefanie Barbirz
- Physikalische BiochemieUniversität PotsdamKarl-Liebknecht-Str. 24–2514476PotsdamGermany
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