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Auger SA, Venkatachalapathy S, Suazo KFG, Wang Y, Sarkis AW, Bernhagen K, Justyna K, Schaefer JV, Wollack JW, Plückthun A, Li L, Distefano MD. Broadening the Utility of Farnesyltransferase-Catalyzed Protein Labeling Using Norbornene-Tetrazine Click Chemistry. Bioconjug Chem 2024; 35:922-933. [PMID: 38654427 DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.4c00072] [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: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
Bioorthogonal chemistry has gained widespread use in the study of many biological systems of interest, including protein prenylation. Prenylation is a post-translational modification, in which one or two 15- or 20-carbon isoprenoid chains are transferred onto cysteine residues near the C-terminus of a target protein. The three main enzymes─protein farnesyltransferase (FTase), geranylgeranyl transferase I (GGTase I), and geranylgeranyl transferase II (GGTase II)─that catalyze this process have been shown to tolerate numerous structural modifications in the isoprenoid substrate. This feature has previously been exploited to transfer an array of farnesyl diphosphate analogues with a range of functionalities, including an alkyne-containing analogue for copper-catalyzed bioconjugation reactions. Reported here is the synthesis of an analogue of the isoprenoid substrate embedded with norbornene functionality (C10NorOPP) that can be used for an array of applications, ranging from metabolic labeling to selective protein modification. The probe was synthesized in seven steps with an overall yield of 7% and underwent an inverse electron demand Diels-Alder (IEDDA) reaction with tetrazine-containing tags, allowing for copper-free labeling of proteins. The use of C10NorOPP for the study of prenylation was explored in the metabolic labeling of prenylated proteins in HeLa, COS-7, and astrocyte cells. Furthermore, in HeLa cells, these modified prenylated proteins were identified and quantified using label-free quantification (LFQ) proteomics with 25 enriched prenylated proteins. Additionally, the unique chemistry of C10NorOPP was utilized for the construction of a multiprotein-polymer conjugate for the targeted labeling of cancer cells. That construct was prepared using a combination of norbornene-tetrazine conjugation and azide-alkyne cycloaddition, highlighting the utility of the additional degree of orthogonality for the facile assembly of new protein conjugates with novel structures and functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shelby A Auger
- Department of Chemistry, University of Minnesota─Twin Cities, 207 Pleasant Street, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Sneha Venkatachalapathy
- Department of Chemistry, University of Minnesota─Twin Cities, 207 Pleasant Street, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Kiall Francis G Suazo
- Department of Chemistry, University of Minnesota─Twin Cities, 207 Pleasant Street, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Yiao Wang
- Department of Chemistry, University of Minnesota─Twin Cities, 207 Pleasant Street, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Alexander W Sarkis
- Department of Chemistry, University of Minnesota─Twin Cities, 207 Pleasant Street, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Kaitlyn Bernhagen
- Department of Chemistry, University of Minnesota─Twin Cities, 207 Pleasant Street, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Katarzyna Justyna
- Department of Chemistry, University of Minnesota─Twin Cities, 207 Pleasant Street, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Jonas V Schaefer
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, Zurich CH-8057, Switzerland
| | - James W Wollack
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, St. Catherine University, 2004 Randolph Avenue, St. Paul, Minnesota 55105, United States
| | - Andreas Plückthun
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, Zurich CH-8057, Switzerland
| | - Ling Li
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Minnesota─Twin Cities, 2001 6th Street SE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Mark D Distefano
- Department of Chemistry, University of Minnesota─Twin Cities, 207 Pleasant Street, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
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Enzymatic Construction of DARPin-Based Targeted Delivery Systems Using Protein Farnesyltransferase and a Capture and Release Strategy. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms231911537. [PMID: 36232839 PMCID: PMC9569580 DOI: 10.3390/ijms231911537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Revised: 09/22/2022] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Protein-based conjugates have been extensively utilized in various biotechnological and therapeutic applications. In order to prepare homogeneous conjugates, site-specific modification methods and efficient purification strategies are both critical factors to be considered. The development of general and facile conjugation and purification strategies is therefore highly desirable. Here, we apply a capture and release strategy to create protein conjugates based on Designed Ankyrin Repeat Proteins (DARPins), which are engineered antigen-binding proteins with prominent affinity and selectivity. In this case, DARPins that target the epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM), a diagnostic cell surface marker for many types of cancer, were employed. The DARPins were first genetically modified with a C-terminal CVIA sequence to install an enzyme recognition site and then labeled with an aldehyde functional group employing protein farnesyltransferase. Using a capture and release strategy, conjugation of the labeled DARPins to a TAMRA fluorophore was achieved with either purified proteins or directly from crude E. coli lysate and used in subsequent flow cytometry and confocal imaging analysis. DARPin-MMAE conjugates were also prepared yielding a construct manifesting an IC50 of 1.3 nM for cell killing of EpCAM positive MCF-7 cells. The method described here is broadly applicable to enable the streamlined one-step preparation of protein-based conjugates.
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Daniels PN, van der Donk WA. Substrate Specificity of the Flavoenzyme BhaC 1 That Converts a C-Terminal Trp to a Hydroxyquinone. Biochemistry 2022; 62:378-387. [PMID: 35613706 PMCID: PMC9850906 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.2c00206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
The preparation of protein-protein, protein-peptide, and protein-small molecule conjugates is important for a variety of applications, such as vaccine production, immunotherapies, preparation of antibody-drug conjugates, and targeted delivery of therapeutics. To achieve site-selective conjugation, selective chemical or enzymatic functionalization of proteins is required. We have recently reported biosynthetic pathways in which small, catalytic scaffold peptides are utilized for the generation of amino acid-derived natural products called pearlins. In these systems, peptide amino-acyl tRNA ligases (PEARLs) append amino acids to the C-terminus of a scaffold peptide, and tailoring enzymes encoded in the biosynthetic gene clusters modify the PEARL-appended amino acid to generate a variety of natural products. Herein, we investigate the substrate selectivity of one such tailoring enzyme, BhaC1, that participates in pyrroloiminoquinone biosynthesis. BhaC1 converts the indole of a C-terminal tryptophan into an o-hydroxy-p-quinone, a promising moiety for site-selective bioconjugation. Our studies demonstrate that BhaC1 requires a 20-amino acid peptide for substrate recognition. When this peptide was appended at the C-terminus of proteins, the C-terminal Trp was modified by BhaC1. The enzyme is sufficiently selective that only small changes to the sequence of the peptide are tolerated. An AlphaFold model for substrate recognition explains the selectivity of the enzyme, which may be used to install a reactive handle onto the C-terminus of proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Page N. Daniels
- Department
of Biochemistry, University of Illinois
at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, 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,Carl
R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States,. Phone: (217) 244-5360. Fax: (217) 244-8533
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Suazo KF, Park KY, Distefano MD. A Not-So-Ancient Grease History: Click Chemistry and Protein Lipid Modifications. Chem Rev 2021; 121:7178-7248. [PMID: 33821625 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.0c01108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Protein lipid modification involves the attachment of hydrophobic groups to proteins via ester, thioester, amide, or thioether linkages. In this review, the specific click chemical reactions that have been employed to study protein lipid modification and their use for specific labeling applications are first described. This is followed by an introduction to the different types of protein lipid modifications that occur in biology. Next, the roles of click chemistry in elucidating specific biological features including the identification of lipid-modified proteins, studies of their regulation, and their role in diseases are presented. A description of the use of protein-lipid modifying enzymes for specific labeling applications including protein immobilization, fluorescent labeling, nanostructure assembly, and the construction of protein-drug conjugates is presented next. Concluding remarks and future directions are presented in the final section.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kiall F Suazo
- Department of Chemistry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Keun-Young Park
- Department of Chemistry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Mark D Distefano
- Department of Chemistry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
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