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Campos S, Rodrigo AP, Moutinho Cabral I, Mendes VM, Manadas B, D’Ambrosio M, Costa PM. An Exploration of Novel Bioactives from the Venomous Marine Annelid Glycera alba. Toxins (Basel) 2023; 15:655. [PMID: 37999518 PMCID: PMC10674444 DOI: 10.3390/toxins15110655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2023] [Revised: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 11/11/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The immense biodiversity of marine invertebrates makes them high-value targets for the prospecting of novel bioactives. The present study investigated proteinaceous toxins secreted by the skin and proboscis of Glycera alba (Annelida: Polychaeta), whose congenerics G. tridactyla and G. dibranchiata are known to be venomous. Proteomics and bioinformatics enabled the detection of bioactive proteins that hold potential for biotechnological applications, including toxins like glycerotoxins (GLTx), which can interfere with neuromuscular calcium channels and therefore have value for the development of painkillers, for instance. We also identified proteins involved in the biosynthesis of toxins. Other proteins of interest include venom and toxin-related bioactives like cysteine-rich venom proteins, many of which are known to interfere with the nervous system. Ex vivo toxicity assays with mussel gills exposed to fractionated protein extracts from the skin and proboscis revealed that fractions potentially containing higher-molecular-mass venom proteins can exert negative effects on invertebrate prey. Histopathology, DNA damage and caspase-3 activity suggest significant cytotoxic effects that can be coadjuvated by permeabilizing enzymes such as venom metalloproteinases M12B. Altogether, these encouraging findings show that venomous annelids are important sources of novel bioactives, albeit illustrating the challenges of surveying organisms whose genomes and metabolisms are poorly understood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sónia Campos
- Associate Laboratory i4HB Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, NOVA School of Science and Technology, NOVA University Lisbon, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal; (S.C.); (A.P.R.); (I.M.C.)
- UCIBIO Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit, Department of Life Sciences, NOVA School of Science and Technology, NOVA University of Lisbon, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal
| | - Ana P. Rodrigo
- Associate Laboratory i4HB Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, NOVA School of Science and Technology, NOVA University Lisbon, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal; (S.C.); (A.P.R.); (I.M.C.)
- UCIBIO Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit, Department of Life Sciences, NOVA School of Science and Technology, NOVA University of Lisbon, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal
| | - Inês Moutinho Cabral
- Associate Laboratory i4HB Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, NOVA School of Science and Technology, NOVA University Lisbon, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal; (S.C.); (A.P.R.); (I.M.C.)
- UCIBIO Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit, Department of Life Sciences, NOVA School of Science and Technology, NOVA University of Lisbon, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal
| | - Vera M. Mendes
- CNC—Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, 3060-197 Cantanhede, Portugal; (V.M.M.); (B.M.)
| | - Bruno Manadas
- CNC—Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, 3060-197 Cantanhede, Portugal; (V.M.M.); (B.M.)
| | - Mariaelena D’Ambrosio
- Associate Laboratory i4HB Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, NOVA School of Science and Technology, NOVA University Lisbon, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal; (S.C.); (A.P.R.); (I.M.C.)
- UCIBIO Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit, Department of Life Sciences, NOVA School of Science and Technology, NOVA University of Lisbon, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal
| | - Pedro M. Costa
- Associate Laboratory i4HB Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, NOVA School of Science and Technology, NOVA University Lisbon, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal; (S.C.); (A.P.R.); (I.M.C.)
- UCIBIO Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit, Department of Life Sciences, NOVA School of Science and Technology, NOVA University of Lisbon, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal
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2
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Zhang H, Tian M, Qi W, Wu J, Zheng H, Guo G, Zhang L, Ranasinghe SL, McManus DP, Li J, Zhang W. Bioinformatic comparison of Kunitz protease inhibitors in Echinococcus granulosus sensu stricto and E. multilocularis and the genes expressed in different developmental stages of E. granulosus s.s. BMC Genomics 2021; 22:907. [PMID: 34922456 PMCID: PMC8684439 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-021-08219-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background
Cystic and alveolar echinococcosis caused by the tapeworms Echinococcus granulosus sensu stricto (s.s.) and E. multilocularis, respectively, are important zoonotic diseases. Protease inhibitors are crucial for the survival of both Echinococcus spp. Kunitz-type inhibitors play a regulatory role in the control of protease activity. In this study,we identified Kunitz-type domain protease inhibitors(KDPIs) present in the genomes of these two tapeworms and analyzed the gene sequences using computational, structural bioinformatics and phylogenetic approaches to evaluate the evolutionary relationships of these genes. Hi-seq transcriptome analysis showed that E. granulosuss.s. KDPIs were differentially expressed in the different developmental stages. We validated some of the genes expressed in adult worm, protoscolex and cyst germinal membrane of E. granulosuss.s. and E. multilocularis by quantitative PCR. Results A total of 19 genes from E. multilocularis and 23 genes from E. granulosuss.s. were predicted to be KDPIs with the most containing a single Kunitz-domain. A maximum likelihood method phylogenetic tree indicated that the E. granulosuss.s. and E. multilocularis Kunitz domain peptides were divided into three branches containing 9 clusters. The ratio of positively charged residues and neutral residues are different between E. multilocularis and E. granulosuss.s. KDPIs. We also found that E. multilocularis had higher percentage of sequences containing signal peptides (17/19, 89.47%) than that of E. granulosuss.s. (14/23, 60.87%). Transcript analysis showed all the E. granulosuss.s. KDPI genes were expressed differentially in four developmental stages of the worm. Transcription analysis showed that 9 KDPIs (including EG_07244,EGR_08716 and EGR_10096) were highly upregulated in adult worm, and 2 KDPIs (EG_09268 and EG_09490) were highly expressed in the cyst germinal membrane. Quantitative gene expression analysis(qPCR) of four genes confirmed the expression of these genes. EGR_08716 and its homologous gene (EmuJ_001137000) were highly and specifically expressed in adult worms of the two worms. Conclusions A total 19 and 23 KDPIs were identified in the genomes of E. multilocularis and E. granulosus s.s. , respectively. The differential expression of these KDPIs in different stages may indicate their different roles in the different hosts. The difference in characterization of KDPIs may be associated with the different pathology of metacestode stage of these two parasites. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12864-021-08219-4.
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3
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Elias A, Kassis H, Elkader SA, Gritsenko N, Nahmad A, Shir H, Younis L, Shannan A, Aihara H, Prag G, Yagil E, Kolot M. HK022 bacteriophage Integrase mediated RMCE as a potential tool for human gene therapy. Nucleic Acids Res 2020; 48:12804-12816. [PMID: 33270859 PMCID: PMC7736782 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkaa1140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2020] [Revised: 10/31/2020] [Accepted: 11/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
HK022 coliphage site-specific recombinase Integrase (Int) can catalyze integrative site-specific recombination and recombinase-mediated cassette exchange (RMCE) reactions in mammalian cell cultures. Owing to the promiscuity of the 7 bp overlap sequence in its att sites, active ‘attB’ sites flanking human deleterious mutations were previously identified that may serve as substrates for RMCE reactions for future potential gene therapy. However, the wild type Int proved inefficient in catalyzing such RMCE reactions. To address this low efficiency, variants of Int were constructed and examined by integrative site-specific recombination and RMCE assays in human cells using native ‘attB’ sites. As a proof of concept, various Int derivatives have demonstrated successful RMCE reactions using a pair of native ‘attB’ sites that were inserted as a substrate into the human genome. Moreover, successful RMCE reactions were demonstrated in native locations of the human CTNS and DMD genes whose mutations are responsible for Cystinosis and Duchene Muscular Dystrophy diseases, respectively. This work provides a steppingstone for potential downstream therapeutic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amer Elias
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Neurobiology, Biochemistry &Biophysics, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Hala Kassis
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Neurobiology, Biochemistry &Biophysics, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Suha Abd Elkader
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Neurobiology, Biochemistry &Biophysics, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Natasha Gritsenko
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Neurobiology, Biochemistry &Biophysics, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Alessio Nahmad
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Neurobiology, Biochemistry &Biophysics, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Hodaya Shir
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Neurobiology, Biochemistry &Biophysics, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Liana Younis
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Neurobiology, Biochemistry &Biophysics, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Atheer Shannan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Neurobiology, Biochemistry &Biophysics, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Hideki Aihara
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics, University of Minnesota TwinCities, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | - Gali Prag
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Neurobiology, Biochemistry &Biophysics, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Ezra Yagil
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Neurobiology, Biochemistry &Biophysics, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Mikhail Kolot
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Neurobiology, Biochemistry &Biophysics, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
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Gomez-Fernandez BJ, Risso VA, Sanchez-Ruiz JM, Alcalde M. Consensus Design of an Evolved High-Redox Potential Laccase. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2020; 8:354. [PMID: 32435637 PMCID: PMC7218104 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2020.00354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2019] [Accepted: 03/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Among the broad repertory of protein engineering methods that set out to improve stability, consensus design has proved to be a powerful strategy to stabilize enzymes without compromising their catalytic activity. Here, we have applied an in-house consensus method to stabilize a laboratory evolved high-redox potential laccase. Multiple sequence alignments were carried out and computationally refined by applying relative entropy and mutual information thresholds. Through this approach, an ensemble of 20 consensus mutations were identified, 18 of which were consensus/ancestral mutations. The set of consensus variants was produced in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and analyzed individually, while site directed recombination of the best mutations did not produce positive epistasis. The best single variant carried the consensus-ancestral A240G mutation in the neighborhood of the T2/T3 copper cluster, which dramatically improved thermostability, kinetic parameters and secretion.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Valeria A Risso
- Facultad de Ciencias, Departamento de Química Física, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Jose M Sanchez-Ruiz
- Facultad de Ciencias, Departamento de Química Física, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Miguel Alcalde
- Department of Biocatalysis, Institute of Catalysis, CSIC, Madrid, Spain
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5
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Ivey G, Youker RT. Disease-relevant mutations alter amino acid co-evolution networks in the second nucleotide binding domain of CFTR. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0227668. [PMID: 31978131 PMCID: PMC6980524 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0227668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2018] [Accepted: 12/25/2019] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is an inherited disease caused by mutations in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) ion channel. Mutations in CFTR cause impaired chloride ion transport in the epithelial tissues of patients leading to cardiopulmonary decline and pancreatic insufficiency in the most severely affected patients. CFTR is composed of twelve membrane-spanning domains, two nucleotide-binding domains (NBDs), and a regulatory domain. The most common mutation in CFTR is a deletion of phenylalanine at position 508 (ΔF508) in NBD1. Previous research has primarily concentrated on the structure and dynamics of the NBD1 domain; However numerous pathological mutations have also been found in the lesser-studied NBD2 domain. We have investigated the amino acid co-evolved network of interactions in NBD2, and the changes that occur in that network upon the introduction of CF and CF-related mutations (S1251N(T), S1235R, D1270N, N1303K(T)). Extensive coupling between the α- and β-subdomains were identified with residues in, or near Walker A, Walker B, H-loop and C-loop motifs. Alterations in the predicted residue network varied from moderate for the S1251T perturbation to more severe for N1303T. The S1235R and D1270N networks varied greatly compared to the wildtype, but these CF mutations only affect ion transport preference and do not severely disrupt CFTR function, suggesting dynamic flexibility in the network of interactions in NBD2. Our results also suggest that inappropriate interactions between the β-subdomain and Q-loop could be detrimental. We also identified mutations predicted to stabilize the NBD2 residue network upon introduction of the CF and CF-related mutations, and these predicted mutations are scored as benign by the MUTPRED2 algorithm. Our results suggest the level of disruption of the co-evolution predictions of the amino acid networks in NBD2 does not have a straightforward correlation with the severity of the CF phenotypes observed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabrianne Ivey
- Kyder Christian Academy, Franklin, North Carolina, United States of America
- Southwestern Community College, Sylva, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Robert T. Youker
- Department of Biology, Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, North Carolina, United States of America
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6
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Goyal VD, Sullivan BJ, Magliery TJ. Phylogenetic spread of sequence data affects fitness of consensus enzymes: Insights from triosephosphate isomerase. Proteins 2019; 88:274-283. [PMID: 31407418 DOI: 10.1002/prot.25799] [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: 10/17/2018] [Revised: 07/26/2019] [Accepted: 08/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The concept of consensus in multiple sequence alignments (MSAs) has been used to design and engineer proteins previously with some success. However, consensus design implicitly assumes that all amino acid positions function independently, whereas in reality, the amino acids in a protein interact with each other and work cooperatively to produce the optimum structure required for its function. Correlation analysis is a tool that can capture the effect of such interactions. In a previously published study, we made consensus variants of the triosephosphate isomerase (TIM) protein using MSAs that included sequences form both prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms. These variants were not completely native-like and were also surprisingly different from each other in terms of oligomeric state, structural dynamics, and activity. Extensive correlation analysis of the TIM database has revealed some clues about factors leading to the unusual behavior of the previously constructed consensus proteins. Among other things, we have found that the more ill-behaved consensus mutant had more broken correlations than the better-behaved consensus variant. Moreover, we report three correlation and phylogeny-based consensus variants of TIM. These variants were more native-like than the previous consensus mutants and considerably more stable than a wild-type TIM from a mesophilic organism. This study highlights the importance of choosing the appropriate diversity of MSA for consensus analysis and provides information that can be used to engineer stable enzymes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Venuka Durani Goyal
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Brandon J Sullivan
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio.,Ohio State Biochemistry Program, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Thomas J Magliery
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
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7
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Cirri E, Brier S, Assal R, Canul-Tec JC, Chamot-Rooke J, Reyes N. Consensus designs and thermal stability determinants of a human glutamate transporter. eLife 2018; 7:40110. [PMID: 30334738 PMCID: PMC6209432 DOI: 10.7554/elife.40110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2018] [Accepted: 10/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Human excitatory amino acid transporters (EAATs) take up the neurotransmitter glutamate in the brain and are essential to maintain excitatory neurotransmission. Our understanding of the EAATs’ molecular mechanisms has been hampered by the lack of stability of purified protein samples for biophysical analyses. Here, we present approaches based on consensus mutagenesis to obtain thermostable EAAT1 variants that share up to ~95% amino acid identity with the wild type transporters, and remain natively folded and functional. Structural analyses of EAAT1 and the consensus designs using hydrogen-deuterium exchange linked to mass spectrometry show that small and highly cooperative unfolding events at the inter-subunit interface rate-limit their thermal denaturation, while the transport domain unfolds at a later stage in the unfolding pathway. Our findings provide structural insights into the kinetic stability of human glutamate transporters, and introduce general approaches to extend the lifetime of human membrane proteins for biophysical analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erica Cirri
- Molecular Mechanisms of Membrane Transport Laboratory, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.,UMR 3528, CNRS, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Sébastien Brier
- Mass Spectrometry for Biology Unit, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.,USR 2000, CNRS, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Reda Assal
- Molecular Mechanisms of Membrane Transport Laboratory, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.,UMR 3528, CNRS, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Juan Carlos Canul-Tec
- Molecular Mechanisms of Membrane Transport Laboratory, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.,UMR 3528, CNRS, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Julia Chamot-Rooke
- Mass Spectrometry for Biology Unit, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.,USR 2000, CNRS, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Nicolas Reyes
- Molecular Mechanisms of Membrane Transport Laboratory, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.,UMR 3528, CNRS, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
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8
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Goyal VD, Magliery TJ. Phylogenetic spread of sequence data affects fitness of SOD1 consensus enzymes: Insights from sequence statistics and structural analyses. Proteins 2018; 86:609-620. [PMID: 29490429 DOI: 10.1002/prot.25486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2017] [Revised: 01/25/2018] [Accepted: 02/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Non-natural protein sequences with native-like structures and functions can be constructed successfully using consensus design. This design strategy is relatively well understood in repeat proteins with simple binding function, however detailed studies are lacking in globular enzymes. The SOD1 family is a good model for such studies due to the availability of large amount of sequence and structure data motivated by involvement of human SOD1 in the fatal motor neuron disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). We constructed two consensus SOD1 enzymes from multiple sequence alignments from all organisms and eukaryotic organisms. A significant difference in their catalytic activities shows that the phylogenetic spread of the sequences used affects the fitness of the construct obtained. A mutation in an electrostatic loop and overall design incompatibilities between bacterial and eukaryotic sequences were implicated in this disparity. Based on this analysis, a bioinformatics approach was used to classify mutations thought to cause familial ALS providing a unique high level view of the physical basis of disease-causing aggregation of human SOD1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Venuka Durani Goyal
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, 43210.,Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai, 400076, India
| | - Thomas J Magliery
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, 43210
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9
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Goldsmith M, Tawfik DS. Enzyme engineering: reaching the maximal catalytic efficiency peak. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2017; 47:140-150. [PMID: 29035814 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2017.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2017] [Revised: 07/04/2017] [Accepted: 09/20/2017] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
The practical need for highly efficient enzymes presents new challenges in enzyme engineering, in particular, the need to improve catalytic turnover (kcat) or efficiency (kcat/KM) by several orders of magnitude. However, optimizing catalysis demands navigation through complex and rugged fitness landscapes, with optimization trajectories often leading to strong diminishing returns and dead-ends. When no further improvements are observed in library screens or selections, it remains unclear whether the maximal catalytic efficiency of the enzyme (the catalytic 'fitness peak') has been reached; or perhaps, an alternative combination of mutations exists that could yield additional improvements. Here, we discuss fundamental aspects of the process of catalytic optimization, and offer practical solutions with respect to overcoming optimization plateaus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moshe Goldsmith
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel.
| | - Dan S Tawfik
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
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10
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Sharma B, Jamdar SN, Ghosh B, Yadav P, Kumar A, Kundu S, Goyal VD, Makde RD. Active site gate of M32 carboxypeptidases illuminated by crystal structure and molecular dynamics simulations. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-PROTEINS AND PROTEOMICS 2017; 1865:1406-1415. [PMID: 28844748 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbapap.2017.07.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2017] [Revised: 07/21/2017] [Accepted: 07/24/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Enzyme gates are important dynamic features that regulate function. Study of these features is critical for understanding of enzyme mechanism. In this study, the active-site gate of M32 carboxypeptidases (M32CP) is illuminated. Only a handful of members of this family have been structurally and functionally characterized and various aspects of their activity and mechanism are yet not clarified. Here, crystal structure of putative M32CP from Deinococcus radiodurans (M32dr) was solved to 2.4Å resolution. Enzymatic assays confirmed its identity as a carboxypeptidase. Open and relatively closed conformations observed in the structure provided supporting evidence for previously hypothesized hinge motion in this family of enzymes. Molecular dynamics simulations of 1.5μs displayed distinct open and closed conformations revealing amplitude of the motion to be beyond what was observed in the crystal structure. Hinge region and anchoring region of this shell-type gate were identified. A small displacement of 3Å and a helical tilt of 9° propagated by the hinge region translates into a 10Å motion at the top of the gate. The dynamics of the gate was supported by our mutagenesis experiment involving formation of disulphide bond across helices of the gate. The nearly inactive mutant enzyme showed 65-fold increase in the enzymatic activity in presence of reducing agent. Further, while a previously proposed structural basis would have led to its classification in subfamily II, experimentally observed substrate length restriction places M32dr in subfamily I of M32CPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bhaskar Sharma
- High Pressure and Synchrotron Radiation Physics Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, India; Department of Biochemistry, University of Delhi South Campus, New Delhi, India
| | - Sahayog N Jamdar
- Food Technology Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, India
| | - Biplab Ghosh
- High Pressure and Synchrotron Radiation Physics Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, India
| | - Pooja Yadav
- High Pressure and Synchrotron Radiation Physics Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, India
| | - Ashwani Kumar
- High Pressure and Synchrotron Radiation Physics Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, India
| | - Suman Kundu
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Delhi South Campus, New Delhi, India
| | - Venuka Durani Goyal
- High Pressure and Synchrotron Radiation Physics Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, India.
| | - Ravindra D Makde
- High Pressure and Synchrotron Radiation Physics Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, India.
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11
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Abstract
This article defines protein stability, emphasizes its importance and surveys the field of protein stabilization, with summary reference to a selection of 2009-2015 publications. One can enhance stability by, in particular, protein engineering strategies and by chemical modification (including conjugation) in solution. General protocols are set out on how to measure a given protein's (1) kinetic thermal stability, and (2) oxidative stability, and (3) how to undertake chemical modification of a protein in solution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ciarán Ó'Fágáin
- School of Biotechnology, Dublin City University, Glasnevin, Dublin 9, Ireland.
- National Centre for Sensor Research, Dublin City University, Glasnevin, Dublin 9, Ireland.
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12
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Gating role of His 72 in TmPurL enzyme uncovered by structural analyses and molecular dynamics simulations. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2016; 26:5644-5649. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2016.10.070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2016] [Revised: 10/03/2016] [Accepted: 10/24/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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13
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Protein stability: computation, sequence statistics, and new experimental methods. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2016; 33:161-8. [PMID: 26497286 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2015.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 107] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2015] [Revised: 09/22/2015] [Accepted: 09/24/2015] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Calculating protein stability and predicting stabilizing mutations remain exceedingly difficult tasks, largely due to the inadequacy of potential functions, the difficulty of modeling entropy and the unfolded state, and challenges of sampling, particularly of backbone conformations. Yet, computational design has produced some remarkably stable proteins in recent years, apparently owing to near ideality in structure and sequence features. With caveats, computational prediction of stability can be used to guide mutation, and mutations derived from consensus sequence analysis, especially improved by recent co-variation filters, are very likely to stabilize without sacrificing function. The combination of computational and statistical approaches with library approaches, including new technologies such as deep sequencing and high throughput stability measurements, point to a very exciting near term future for stability engineering, even with difficult computational issues remaining.
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14
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Case BA, Hackel BJ. Synthetic and natural consensus design for engineering charge within an affibody targeting epidermal growth factor receptor. Biotechnol Bioeng 2016; 113:1628-38. [PMID: 26724421 PMCID: PMC5200887 DOI: 10.1002/bit.25931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2015] [Revised: 12/19/2015] [Accepted: 12/28/2015] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Protein ligand charge can impact physiological delivery with charge reduction often benefiting performance. Yet neutralizing mutations can be detrimental to protein function. Herein, three approaches are evaluated to introduce charged-to-neutral mutations of three cations and three anions within an affibody engineered to bind epidermal growth factor receptor. These approaches-combinatorial library sorting or consensus design, based on natural homologs or library-sorted mutants-are used to identify mutations with favorable affinity, stability, and recombinant yield. Consensus design, based on 942 affibody homologs, yielded a mutant of modest function (Kd = 11 ±4 nM, Tm = 62°C, and yield = 4.0 ± 0.8 mg/L as compared to 5.3 ± 1.7 nM, 71°C, and 3.5 ± 0.3 mg/L for the parental affibody). Extension of consensus design to 10 additional mutants exhibited varied performance including a substantially improved mutant (Kd = 6.9 ± 1.4 nM, Tm = 71°C, and 12.7 ± 0.9 mg/L yield). Sorting a homolog-based combinatorial library of 7 × 10(5) mutants generated a distribution of mutants with lower stability and yield, but did identify one strongly binding variant (Kd = 1.2 ± 0.3 nM, Tm = 69°C, and 6.0 ± 0.4 mg/L yield). Synthetic consensus design, based on the amino acid distribution in functional library mutants, yielded higher affinities (P = 0.05) with comparable stabilities and yields. The best of four analyzed clones had Kd = 1.7 ± 0.5 nM, Tm = 68°C, and 7.0 ± 0.5 mg/L yield. While all three approaches were effective in creating targeted affibodies with six charged-to-neutral mutations, synthetic consensus design proved to be the most robust. Synthetic consensus design provides a valuable tool for ligand engineering, particularly in the context of charge manipulation. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2016;113: 1628-1638. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brett A Case
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, 421 Washington Avenue SE, 356 Amundson Hall, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55455
| | - Benjamin J Hackel
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, 421 Washington Avenue SE, 356 Amundson Hall, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55455.
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15
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Abstract
A popular and successful strategy in semi-rational design of protein stability is the use of evolutionary information encapsulated in homologous protein sequences. Consensus design is based on the hypothesis that at a given position, the respective consensus amino acid contributes more than average to the stability of the protein than non-conserved amino acids. Here, we review the consensus design approach, its theoretical underpinnings, successes, limitations and challenges, as well as providing a detailed guide to its application in protein engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin T Porebski
- Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK
| | - Ashley M Buckle
- Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
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16
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Woldring DR, Holec PV, Hackel BJ. ScaffoldSeq: Software for characterization of directed evolution populations. Proteins 2016; 84:869-74. [PMID: 27018773 DOI: 10.1002/prot.25040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2015] [Revised: 03/08/2016] [Accepted: 03/18/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
ScaffoldSeq is software designed for the numerous applications-including directed evolution analysis-in which a user generates a population of DNA sequences encoding for partially diverse proteins with related functions and would like to characterize the single site and pairwise amino acid frequencies across the population. A common scenario for enzyme maturation, antibody screening, and alternative scaffold engineering involves naïve and evolved populations that contain diversified regions, varying in both sequence and length, within a conserved framework. Analyzing the diversified regions of such populations is facilitated by high-throughput sequencing platforms; however, length variability within these regions (e.g., antibody CDRs) encumbers the alignment process. To overcome this challenge, the ScaffoldSeq algorithm takes advantage of conserved framework sequences to quickly identify diverse regions. Beyond this, unintended biases in sequence frequency are generated throughout the experimental workflow required to evolve and isolate clones of interest prior to DNA sequencing. ScaffoldSeq software uniquely handles this issue by providing tools to quantify and remove background sequences, cluster similar protein families, and dampen the impact of dominant clones. The software produces graphical and tabular summaries for each region of interest, allowing users to evaluate diversity in a site-specific manner as well as identify epistatic pairwise interactions. The code and detailed information are freely available at http://research.cems.umn.edu/hackel. Proteins 2016; 84:869-874. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel R Woldring
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55455
| | - Patrick V Holec
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55455
| | - Benjamin J Hackel
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55455
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17
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Abstract
Using structure and sequence based analysis we can engineer proteins to increase their thermal stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- H. Pezeshgi Modarres
- Molecular Cell Biomechanics Laboratory
- Departments of Bioengineering and Mechanical Engineering
- University of California Berkeley
- Berkeley
- USA
| | - M. R. Mofrad
- Molecular Cell Biomechanics Laboratory
- Departments of Bioengineering and Mechanical Engineering
- University of California Berkeley
- Berkeley
- USA
| | - A. Sanati-Nezhad
- BioMEMS and Bioinspired Microfluidic Laboratory
- Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering
- University of Calgary
- Calgary
- Canada
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18
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Abstract
Recent developments in the analysis of amino acid covariation are leading to breakthroughs in protein structure prediction, protein design, and prediction of the interactome. It is assumed that observed patterns of covariation are caused by molecular coevolution, where substitutions at one site affect the evolutionary forces acting at neighboring sites. Our theoretical and empirical results cast doubt on this assumption. We demonstrate that the strongest coevolutionary signal is a decrease in evolutionary rate and that unfeasibly long times are required to produce coordinated substitutions. We find that covarying substitutions are mostly found on different branches of the phylogenetic tree, indicating that they are independent events that may or may not be attributable to coevolution. These observations undermine the hypothesis that molecular coevolution is the primary cause of the covariation signal. In contrast, we find that the pairs of residues with the strongest covariation signal tend to have low evolutionary rates, and that it is this low rate that gives rise to the covariation signal. Slowly evolving residue pairs are disproportionately located in the protein’s core, which explains covariation methods’ ability to detect pairs of residues that are close in three dimensions. These observations lead us to propose the “coevolution paradox”: The strength of coevolution required to cause coordinated changes means the evolutionary rate is so low that such changes are highly unlikely to occur. As modern covariation methods may lead to breakthroughs in structural genomics, it is critical to recognize their biases and limitations.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Talavera
- Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Simon C Lovell
- Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Simon Whelan
- Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom Evolutionary Biology Centre, Department of Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
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19
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Risso VA, Gavira JA, Gaucher EA, Sanchez-Ruiz JM. Phenotypic comparisons of consensus variants versus laboratory resurrections of Precambrian proteins. Proteins 2014; 82:887-96. [PMID: 24710963 DOI: 10.1002/prot.24575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2013] [Revised: 03/13/2014] [Accepted: 03/29/2014] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Consensus-sequence engineering has generated protein variants with enhanced stability, and sometimes, with modulated biological function. Consensus mutations are often interpreted as the introduction of ancestral amino acid residues. However, the precise relationship between consensus engineering and ancestral protein resurrection is not fully understood. Here, we report the properties of proteins encoded by consensus sequences derived from a multiple sequence alignment of extant, class A β-lactamases, as compared with the properties of ancient Precambrian β-lactamases resurrected in the laboratory. These comparisons considered primary sequence, secondary, and tertiary structure, as well as stability and catalysis against different antibiotics. Out of the three consensus variants generated, one could not be expressed and purified (likely due to misfolding and/or low stability) and only one displayed substantial stability having substrate promiscuity, although to a lower extent than ancient β-lactamases. These results: (i) highlight the phenotypic differences between consensus variants and laboratory resurrections of ancestral proteins; (ii) question interpretations of consensus proteins as phenotypic proxies of ancestral proteins; and (iii) support the notion that ancient proteins provide a robust approach toward the preparation of protein variants having large numbers of mutational changes while possessing unique biomolecular properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria A Risso
- Departamento de Quimica Fisica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Granada, 18071, Spain
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Tanwar AS, Goyal VD, Choudhary D, Panjikar S, Anand R. Importance of hydrophobic cavities in allosteric regulation of formylglycinamide synthetase: insight from xenon trapping and statistical coupling analysis. PLoS One 2013; 8:e77781. [PMID: 24223728 PMCID: PMC3815217 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0077781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2013] [Accepted: 09/12/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Formylglycinamide ribonucleotide amidotransferase (FGAR-AT) is a 140 kDa bi-functional enzyme involved in a coupled reaction, where the glutaminase active site produces ammonia that is subsequently utilized to convert FGAR to its corresponding amidine in an ATP assisted fashion. The structure of FGAR-AT has been previously determined in an inactive state and the mechanism of activation remains largely unknown. In the current study, hydrophobic cavities were used as markers to identify regions involved in domain movements that facilitate catalytic coupling and subsequent activation of the enzyme. Three internal hydrophobic cavities were located by xenon trapping experiments on FGAR-AT crystals and further, these cavities were perturbed via site-directed mutagenesis. Biophysical characterization of the mutants demonstrated that two of these three voids are crucial for stability and function of the protein, although being ∼20 Å from the active centers. Interestingly, correlation analysis corroborated the experimental findings, and revealed that amino acids lining the functionally important cavities form correlated sets (co-evolving residues) that connect these regions to the amidotransferase active center. It was further proposed that the first cavity is transient and allows for breathing motion to occur and thereby serves as an allosteric hotspot. In contrast, the third cavity which lacks correlated residues was found to be highly plastic and accommodated steric congestion by local adjustment of the structure without affecting either stability or activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ajay Singh Tanwar
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, India
| | - Venuka Durani Goyal
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, India
| | - Deepanshu Choudhary
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, India
| | - Santosh Panjikar
- Australian Synchrotron, Clayton, Australia
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Victoria, Australia
| | - Ruchi Anand
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, India
- * E-mail:
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