1
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Costacurta F, Dodaro A, Bante D, Schöppe H, Peng JY, Sprenger B, He X, Moghadasi SA, Egger LM, Fleischmann J, Pavan M, Bassani D, Menin S, Rauch S, Krismer L, Sauerwein A, Heberle A, Rabensteiner T, Ho J, Harris RS, Stefan E, Schneider R, Dunzendorfer-Matt T, Naschberger A, Wang D, Kaserer T, Moro S, von Laer D, Heilmann E. A comprehensive study of SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro) inhibitor-resistant mutants selected in a VSV-based system. PLoS Pathog 2024; 20:e1012522. [PMID: 39259728 PMCID: PMC11407635 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1012522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Revised: 09/17/2024] [Accepted: 08/19/2024] [Indexed: 09/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Nirmatrelvir was the first protease inhibitor specifically developed against the SARS-CoV-2 main protease (3CLpro/Mpro) and licensed for clinical use. As SARS-CoV-2 continues to spread, variants resistant to nirmatrelvir and other currently available treatments are likely to arise. This study aimed to identify and characterize mutations that confer resistance to nirmatrelvir. To safely generate Mpro resistance mutations, we passaged a previously developed, chimeric vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV-Mpro) with increasing, yet suboptimal concentrations of nirmatrelvir. Using Wuhan-1 and Omicron Mpro variants, we selected a large set of mutants. Some mutations are frequently present in GISAID, suggesting their relevance in SARS-CoV-2. The resistance phenotype of a subset of mutations was characterized against clinically available protease inhibitors (nirmatrelvir and ensitrelvir) with cell-based, biochemical and SARS-CoV-2 replicon assays. Moreover, we showed the putative molecular mechanism of resistance based on in silico molecular modelling. These findings have implications on the development of future generation Mpro inhibitors, will help to understand SARS-CoV-2 protease inhibitor resistance mechanisms and show the relevance of specific mutations, thereby informing treatment decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Costacurta
- Institute of Virology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Tyrol, Austria
| | - Andrea Dodaro
- Molecular Modeling Section (MMS), Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padua, Padova, Italy
| | - David Bante
- Institute of Virology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Tyrol, Austria
| | - Helge Schöppe
- Institute of Pharmacy/Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck (CMBI), University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Tyrol, Austria
| | - Ju-Yi Peng
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Vaccines Research, MRL, Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Bernhard Sprenger
- Institute of Biochemistry and Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck (CMBI), University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Xi He
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Vaccines Research, MRL, Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Seyed Arad Moghadasi
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biophysics, Institute for Molecular Virology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Lisa Maria Egger
- Institute of Molecular Biochemistry, Biocentre, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Jakob Fleischmann
- Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Tyrol, Austria
- Tyrolean Cancer Research Institute (TKFI), Innsbruck, Tyrol, Austria
| | - Matteo Pavan
- Molecular Modeling Section (MMS), Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padua, Padova, Italy
| | - Davide Bassani
- Molecular Modeling Section (MMS), Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padua, Padova, Italy
| | - Silvia Menin
- Molecular Modeling Section (MMS), Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padua, Padova, Italy
| | - Stefanie Rauch
- Institute of Virology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Tyrol, Austria
| | - Laura Krismer
- Institute of Virology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Tyrol, Austria
| | - Anna Sauerwein
- Institute of Virology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Tyrol, Austria
| | - Anne Heberle
- Institute of Virology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Tyrol, Austria
| | - Toni Rabensteiner
- Institute of Virology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Tyrol, Austria
| | - Joses Ho
- Bioinformatics Institute, Agency for Science Technology and Research, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Reuben S. Harris
- Department of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, United States of America
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, United States of America
| | - Eduard Stefan
- Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Tyrol, Austria
- Tyrolean Cancer Research Institute (TKFI), Innsbruck, Tyrol, Austria
| | - Rainer Schneider
- Institute of Biochemistry and Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck (CMBI), University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | | | - Andreas Naschberger
- Division of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Dai Wang
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Vaccines Research, MRL, Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Teresa Kaserer
- Institute of Pharmacy/Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck (CMBI), University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Tyrol, Austria
| | - Stefano Moro
- Molecular Modeling Section (MMS), Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padua, Padova, Italy
| | - Dorothee von Laer
- Institute of Virology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Tyrol, Austria
| | - Emmanuel Heilmann
- Institute of Virology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Tyrol, Austria
- Division of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
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2
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Harrison K, Carlos PW, Ullrich S, Aggarwal A, Johansen-Leete J, Sasi VM, Barter I, Maxwell JWC, Bedding MJ, Larance M, Turville S, Norman A, Jackson CJ, Nitsche C, Payne RJ. Exploiting Hydrophobic Amino Acid Scanning to Develop Cyclic Peptide Inhibitors of the SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease with Antiviral Activity. Chemistry 2024; 30:e202401606. [PMID: 38801240 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202401606] [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: 04/24/2024] [Revised: 05/27/2024] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
The development of novel antivirals is crucial not only for managing current COVID-19 infections but for addressing potential future zoonotic outbreaks. SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro) is vital for viral replication and viability and therefore serves as an attractive target for antiviral intervention. Herein, we report the optimization of a cyclic peptide inhibitor that emerged from an mRNA display selection against the SARS-CoV-2 Mpro to enhance its cell permeability and in vitro antiviral activity. By identifying mutation-tolerant amino acid residues within the peptide sequence, we describe the development of a second-generation Mpro inhibitor bearing five cyclohexylalanine residues. This cyclic peptide analogue exhibited significantly improved cell permeability and antiviral activity compared to the parent peptide. This approach highlights the importance of optimizing cyclic peptide hits for activity against intracellular targets such as the SARS-CoV-2 Mpro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katriona Harrison
- School of Chemistry, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - Patrick W Carlos
- School of Chemistry, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - Sven Ullrich
- Research School of Chemistry, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Anupriya Aggarwal
- The Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Jason Johansen-Leete
- School of Chemistry, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - Vishnu Mini Sasi
- Research School of Chemistry, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Isabel Barter
- School of Chemistry, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
- Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
- School of Medical Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - Joshua W C Maxwell
- School of Chemistry, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - Max J Bedding
- School of Chemistry, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - Mark Larance
- Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
- School of Medical Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - Stuart Turville
- The Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Alexander Norman
- School of Chemistry, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - Colin J Jackson
- Research School of Chemistry, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Christoph Nitsche
- Research School of Chemistry, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Richard J Payne
- School of Chemistry, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
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3
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Ganegamage S, Ramirez E, Alnakhala H, Tripathi A, Nguyen CCD, Zami A, Ostafe R, Tian S, Dettmer U, Fortin JS. 1,4-Diurea- and 1,4-Dithiourea-Substituted Aromatic Derivatives Selectively Inhibit α-Synuclein Oligomer Formation In Vitro. ACS OMEGA 2024; 9:1216-1229. [PMID: 38222653 PMCID: PMC10785335 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c07453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2023] [Revised: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 01/16/2024]
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease, affecting the elderly population worldwide. In PD, the misfolding of α-synuclein (α-syn) results in the formation of inclusions referred to as Lewy bodies (LB) in midbrain neurons of the substantia nigra and other specific brain localizations, which is associated with neurodegeneration. There are no approved strategies to reduce the formation of LB in the neurons of patients with PD. Our drug discovery program focuses on the synthesis of urea and thiourea compounds coupled with aminoindole moieties to abrogate α-syn aggregation and to slow down the progression of PD. We synthesized several urea and thiourea analogues with a central 1,4-phenyl diurea/thiourea linkage and evaluated their effectiveness in reducing α-syn aggregation with a special focus on the selective inhibition of oligomer formation among other proteins. We utilized biophysical methods such as thioflavin T (ThT) fluorescence assays, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), photoinduced cross-linking of unmodified proteins (PICUP), as well as M17D intracellular inclusion cell-based assays to evaluate the antiaggregation properties and cellular protection of our best compounds. Our results identified compound 1 as the best compound in reducing α-syn fibril formation via ThT assays. The antioligomer formation of compound 1 was subsequently superseded by compound 2. Both compounds selectively curtailed the oligomer formation of α-syn but not tau 4R isoforms (0N4R, 2N4R) or p-tau (isoform 1N4R). Compounds 1 and 2 failed to abrogate tau 0N3R fibril formation by ThT and atomic force microscopy. Compound 2 was best at reducing the formation of recombinant α-syn fibrils by TEM. In contrast to compound 2, compound 1 reduced the formation of α-syn inclusions in M17D neuroblastoma cells in a dose-dependent manner. Compound 1 may provide molecular scaffolds for the optimization of symmetric molecules for its α-syn antiaggregation activity with potential therapeutic applications and development of small molecules in PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susantha
K. Ganegamage
- Department
of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
| | - Eduardo Ramirez
- Department
of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
| | - Heba Alnakhala
- Ann
Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical
School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Arati Tripathi
- Ann
Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical
School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Cuong Calvin Duc Nguyen
- Department
of Chemistry, College of Sciences, Purdue
University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
| | - Ashique Zami
- Purdue
Institute for Inflammation, Immunology and Infectious Disease, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
| | - Raluca Ostafe
- Purdue
Institute for Inflammation, Immunology and Infectious Disease, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
| | - Shiliang Tian
- Department
of Chemistry, College of Sciences, Purdue
University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
| | - Ulf Dettmer
- Ann
Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical
School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Jessica S. Fortin
- Department
of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
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4
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Abdelkader EH, Qianzhu H, Huber T, Otting G. Genetic Encoding of 7-Aza-l-tryptophan: Isoelectronic Substitution of a Single CH-Group in a Protein for a Nitrogen Atom for Site-Selective Isotope Labeling. ACS Sens 2023; 8:4402-4406. [PMID: 37890165 DOI: 10.1021/acssensors.3c01904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/29/2023]
Abstract
Genetic encoding of a noncanonical amino acid (ncAA) in an in vivo expression system requires an aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase that specifically recognizes the ncAA, while the ncAA must not be recognized by the canonical protein expression machinery. We succeeded in genetically encoding 7-aza-tryptophan (7AW), which is isoelectronic with tryptophan. The system is fully orthogonal to protein expression in Escherichia coli, enabling high-yielding site-selective isotope labeling in vivo. 7AW is readily synthesized from serine and 7-aza-indole using a tryptophan synthetase β-subunit (TrpB) mutant, affording easy access to isotope-labeled 7AW. Using labeled 7AW produced from 15N/13C-labeled serine, we produced 7AW mutants of the 25 kDa Zika virus NS2B-NS3 protease. 15N-HSQC spectra display single cross-peaks at chemical shifts near those observed for the wild-type protein labeled with 15N/13C-tryptophan, confirming the structural integrity of the protein and yielding straightforward NMR resonance assignments for site-specific probing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elwy H Abdelkader
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide & Protein Science, Research School of Chemistry, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Haocheng Qianzhu
- Research School of Chemistry, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Thomas Huber
- Research School of Chemistry, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Gottfried Otting
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide & Protein Science, Research School of Chemistry, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
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5
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Costacurta F, Dodaro A, Bante D, Schöppe H, Sprenger B, Moghadasi SA, Fleischmann J, Pavan M, Bassani D, Menin S, Rauch S, Krismer L, Sauerwein A, Heberle A, Rabensteiner T, Ho J, Harris RS, Stefan E, Schneider R, Kaserer T, Moro S, von Laer D, Heilmann E. A comprehensive study of SARS-CoV-2 main protease (M pro) inhibitor-resistant mutants selected in a VSV-based system. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.09.22.558628. [PMID: 37808638 PMCID: PMC10557589 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.22.558628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
Nirmatrelvir was the first protease inhibitor (PI) specifically developed against the SARS-CoV-2 main protease (3CLpro/Mpro) and licensed for clinical use. As SARS-CoV-2 continues to spread, variants resistant to nirmatrelvir and other currently available treatments are likely to arise. This study aimed to identify and characterize mutations that confer resistance to nirmatrelvir. To safely generate Mpro resistance mutations, we passaged a previously developed, chimeric vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV-Mpro) with increasing, yet suboptimal concentrations of nirmatrelvir. Using Wuhan-1 and Omicron Mpro variants, we selected a large set of mutants. Some mutations are frequently present in GISAID, suggesting their relevance in SARS-CoV-2. The resistance phenotype of a subset of mutations was characterized against clinically available PIs (nirmatrelvir and ensitrelvir) with cell-based and biochemical assays. Moreover, we showed the putative molecular mechanism of resistance based on in silico molecular modelling. These findings have implications on the development of future generation Mpro inhibitors, will help to understand SARS-CoV-2 protease-inhibitor-resistance mechanisms and show the relevance of specific mutations in the clinic, thereby informing treatment decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Costacurta
- Institute of Virology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, 6020, Tyrol, Austria
| | - Andrea Dodaro
- Molecular Modeling Section (MMS), Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padua, Via F. Marzolo 5, 35131, Padova, Italy
| | - David Bante
- Institute of Virology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, 6020, Tyrol, Austria
| | - Helge Schöppe
- Institute of Pharmacy/Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, 6020, Tyrol, Austria
| | - Bernhard Sprenger
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, 6020, Austria
| | - Seyed Arad Moghadasi
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biophysics, Institute for Molecular Virology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, United States
| | - Jakob Fleischmann
- Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, 6020, Tyrol, Austria
- Tyrolean Cancer Research Institute (TKFI), Innrain 66, Innsbruck, 6020, Tyrol, Austria
| | - Matteo Pavan
- Molecular Modeling Section (MMS), Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padua, Via F. Marzolo 5, 35131, Padova, Italy
| | - Davide Bassani
- Molecular Modeling Section (MMS), Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padua, Via F. Marzolo 5, 35131, Padova, Italy
| | - Silvia Menin
- Molecular Modeling Section (MMS), Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padua, Via F. Marzolo 5, 35131, Padova, Italy
| | - Stefanie Rauch
- Institute of Virology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, 6020, Tyrol, Austria
| | - Laura Krismer
- Institute of Virology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, 6020, Tyrol, Austria
| | - Anna Sauerwein
- Institute of Virology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, 6020, Tyrol, Austria
| | - Anne Heberle
- Institute of Virology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, 6020, Tyrol, Austria
| | - Toni Rabensteiner
- Institute of Virology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, 6020, Tyrol, Austria
| | - Joses Ho
- Bioinformatics Institute, Agency for Science Technology and Research, Singapore
| | - Reuben S. Harris
- Department of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, United States
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, United States
| | - Eduard Stefan
- Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, 6020, Tyrol, Austria
- Tyrolean Cancer Research Institute (TKFI), Innrain 66, Innsbruck, 6020, Tyrol, Austria
| | - Rainer Schneider
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, 6020, Austria
| | - Teresa Kaserer
- Institute of Pharmacy/Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, 6020, Tyrol, Austria
| | - Stefano Moro
- Molecular Modeling Section (MMS), Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padua, Via F. Marzolo 5, 35131, Padova, Italy
| | - Dorothee von Laer
- Institute of Virology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, 6020, Tyrol, Austria
| | - Emmanuel Heilmann
- Institute of Virology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, 6020, Tyrol, Austria
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6
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Parida PP, Saraswathi D, Mopidevi SM, Raran-Kurussi S. Advancing large-scale production of TEV protease through an innovative NT* tag-based fusion construct. Curr Res Struct Biol 2023; 6:100106. [PMID: 37822550 PMCID: PMC10563009 DOI: 10.1016/j.crstbi.2023.100106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2023] [Revised: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Tobacco etch virus Protease (TEVp), a cysteine protease, is renowned for its remarkable specific proteolysis, making it an invaluable tool for removing fusion tags from recombinant proteins. However, TEV protease's inherent insolubility limits its broad application. Fusion constructs like an N-terminal MBP fusion, known for its improved solubility, have been employed for TEVp production to address this issue. In this study, we fused the TEVp with the N-terminal domain of the spider silk protein, specifically utilizing a charge-reversed mutant (D40K/K65D) of the N-terminal domain of major ampullate spidroin-1 protein from Euprosthenops australis, referred to as NT*. This fusion construct contains a TEVp cleavage site, enabling intracellular self-processing and the release of a His7-tagged protease. The significant increase in soluble protein expression allowed us to purify approximately 90-100 mg of TEVp from a 1-L E. coli culture, surpassing previous findings by a considerable margin. The enzyme remained stable and catalytically active even after several months of storage in a deep freezer (-80 °C).
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Affiliation(s)
- Pragyan P. Parida
- Tata Institute of Fundamental Research Hyderabad, 36/P Gopanpally Village, Ranga Reddy District, Serilingampally, Hyderabad, 500046, Telangana, India
| | - Deepa Saraswathi
- Tata Institute of Fundamental Research Hyderabad, 36/P Gopanpally Village, Ranga Reddy District, Serilingampally, Hyderabad, 500046, Telangana, India
| | - Subbarao M.V. Mopidevi
- Tata Institute of Fundamental Research Hyderabad, 36/P Gopanpally Village, Ranga Reddy District, Serilingampally, Hyderabad, 500046, Telangana, India
| | - Sreejith Raran-Kurussi
- Tata Institute of Fundamental Research Hyderabad, 36/P Gopanpally Village, Ranga Reddy District, Serilingampally, Hyderabad, 500046, Telangana, India
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7
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Poore AT, Zuercher EC, Bury G, Whitesell C, Nguyen CC, Pushkar YN, Tian S. Revisit the E2 Domain of Amyloid Precursor Protein: Ferroxidase, Superoxide and Peroxynitrite Scavenging Activities. Inorg Chem 2023. [PMID: 37369063 DOI: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.3c01336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/29/2023]
Abstract
Amyloid precursor protein (APP) is the biological precursor of β-amyloids, a known histopathological hallmark associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD). The function of APP is of great interest yet remains elusive. One of the extracellular domains of APP, the E2 domain, has been proposed to possess ferroxidase activity and affect neuronal iron homeostasis. However, contradicting evidence has been reported, and its precise role remains inconclusive. Here, we studied the Cu-binding site of the E2 domain using extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS), UV-vis, and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and discovered that a new labile water ligand coordinates to the Cu(II) cofactor in addition to the four known histidines. We explored the proposed ferroxidase activity of the Cu(II)-E2 domain through reactions with ferrous iron and observed single-turnover ferrous oxidation activity with a rate up to 1.0 × 102 M-1 s-1. Cu(I)-E2 reacted with molecular oxygen at a rate of only 5.3 M-1 s-1, which would restrict any potential multiturnover ferroxidase activity to this slow rate and prevents observation of activity under multiturnover conditions. The positive electrostatic potential surface of the protein indicates possible reactivity with negatively charged small substrates such as superoxide radicals (O2•-) and peroxynitrite (ONOO-) that are major contributors to the oxidative stress prevalent in the extracellular environment. Our assays showed that Cu(I)-E2 can remove O2•- at a rate of 1.6 × 105 M-1 s-1, which is slower than the rates of native SODs. However, the reaction between Cu(I)-E2 and ONOO- achieved a rate of 1.1 × 105 M-1 s-1, comparable to native ONOO- scavenger peroxiredoxins (105-107 M-1 s-1). Therefore, the E2 domain of APP can serve as an enzymatic site that may function as a ferroxidase under substrate-limiting conditions, a supplemental O2•- scavenger, and an ONOO- remover in the vicinity of the cellular iron efflux channel and protect neuron cells from reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) damage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew T Poore
- Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47906, United States
| | - Eli C Zuercher
- Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47906, United States
| | - Gabriel Bury
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
| | - Caslyn Whitesell
- Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47906, United States
| | - Cuong C Nguyen
- Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47906, United States
| | - Yulia N Pushkar
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
| | - Shiliang Tian
- Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47906, United States
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8
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Fu L, Sun M, Wen W, Dong N, Li D. Extracellular production of Ulp1 403-621 in leaky E. coli and its application in antimicrobial peptide production. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2022; 106:7805-7817. [PMID: 36260100 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-022-12235-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2022] [Revised: 10/03/2022] [Accepted: 10/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) tag is widely used to promote soluble expression of exogenous proteins, which can then be cleaved by ubiquitin-like protease 1 (Ulp1) to obtain interested protein. But the application of Ulp1 in large-scale recombinant protein production is limited by complicated purification procedures and high cost. In this study, we describe an efficient and simple method of extracellular production of Ulp1403-621 using a leaky Escherichia coli BL21(DE3), engineered by deleting the peptidoglycan-associated outer membrane lipoprotein (pal) gene. Ulp1403-621 was successfully leaked into extracellular supernatant by the BL21(DE3)-Δpal strain after IPTG induction. The addition of 1% glycine increased the extracellular production of Ulp1403-621 approximately four fold. Moreover, extracellular Ulp1403-621 without purification had high activities for cleaving SUMO fusion proteins, and antimicrobial peptide pBD2 obtained after cleavage can inhibit the growth of Staphylococcus aureus. The specific activity of extracellular Ulp1403-621 containing 1 mM EDTA and 8 mM DTT reached 2.0 × 106 U/L. Another commonly used protease, human rhinovirus 3C protease, was also successfully secreted by leaky E. coli strains. In conclusion, extracellular production of tool enzymes is an attractive way for producing large-scale active recombinant proteins at a lower cost for pharmaceutical, industrial, and biotechnological applications. KEY POINTS: • First report of extracellular production of Ulp1403-621 in leaky Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) strain. • One percent glycine addition into cultivation medium increased the extracellular production of Ulp1403-621 approximately four fold. • The specific activity of extracellular Ulp1403-621 produced in this study reached 2.0 × 106 U/L.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linglong Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, People's Republic of China
| | - Mengning Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, People's Republic of China
| | - Weizhang Wen
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, People's Republic of China
| | - Na Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, People's Republic of China.
| | - Defa Li
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, People's Republic of China.
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9
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Dutta R, Makhaik S, Zhao P, Cruz KG, Park KW, Liu H, Andrew TL, Hardy JA, Thayumanavan S. Colorimetric Cotton Swab for Viral Protease Detection. Anal Chem 2022; 94:12699-12705. [PMID: 36054755 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.2c02033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Reporting the activity of a specific viral protease remains an acute need for rapid point-of-care detection strategies that can distinguish active infection from a resolved infection. In this work, we present a simple colorimetric approach for reporting the activity of a specific viral protease through direct color conversion on a cotton swab, which has the potential to be extended to detect the corresponding virus. We use SARS-CoV-2 viral protease as a proof-of-concept model system. We use 4-aminomalachite green (4-AMG) as the base chromophore structure to design a CoV2-AMG reporter, which is selective toward the SARS-CoV-2 Mpro but does not produce any observable color change in the presence of other viral proteases. The color change is observable by the naked eye, as well as smartphone imaging, which affords a lower limit of detection. The simplicity and generalizability of the method could be instrumental in combating future viral outbreaks.
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10
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Zhong X, Kumar R, Wang Y, Biverstål H, Ingeborg Jegerschöld C, J B Koeck P, Johansson J, Abelein A, Chen G. Amyloid Fibril Formation of Arctic Amyloid-β 1-42 Peptide is Efficiently Inhibited by the BRICHOS Domain. ACS Chem Biol 2022; 17:2201-2211. [PMID: 35876740 PMCID: PMC9396614 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.2c00344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Amyloid-β peptide (Aβ) aggregation is one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Mutations in Aβ are associated with early onset familial AD, and the Arctic mutant E22G (Aβarc) is an extremely aggregation-prone variant. Here, we show that BRICHOS, a natural anti-amyloid chaperone domain, from Bri2 efficiently inhibits aggregation of Aβarc by mainly interfering with secondary nucleation. This is qualitatively different from the microscopic inhibition mechanism for the wild-type Aβ, against which Bri2 BRICHOS has a major effect on both secondary nucleation and fibril end elongation. The monomeric Aβ42arc peptide aggregates into amyloid fibrils significantly faster than wild-type Aβ (Aβ42wt), as monitored by thioflavin T (ThT) binding, but the final ThT intensity was strikingly lower for Aβ42arc compared to Aβ42wt fibrils. The Aβ42arc peptide formed large aggregates, single-filament fibrils, and multiple-filament fibrils without obvious twists, while Aβ42wt fibrils displayed a polymorphic pattern with typical twisted fibril architecture. Recombinant human Bri2 BRICHOS binds to the Aβ42arc fibril surface and interferes with the macroscopic fibril arrangement by promoting single-filament fibril formation. This study provides mechanistic insights on how BRICHOS efficiently affects the aggressive Aβ42arc aggregation, resulting in both delayed fibril formation kinetics and altered fibril structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueying Zhong
- School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Health Systems, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, 141 52 Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Rakesh Kumar
- The Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, 141 52 Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Yu Wang
- The Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, 141 52 Huddinge, Sweden.,College of Wildlife and Protected Area, Northeast Forestry University, 150040 Harbin, People's Republic of China
| | - Henrik Biverstål
- The Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, 141 52 Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Caroline Ingeborg Jegerschöld
- School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Health Systems, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, 141 52 Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Philip J B Koeck
- School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Health Systems, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, 141 52 Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Jan Johansson
- The Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, 141 52 Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Axel Abelein
- The Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, 141 52 Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Gefei Chen
- The Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, 141 52 Huddinge, Sweden
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11
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Schellhaus AK, Xu S, Gierisch ME, Vornberger J, Johansson J, Dantuma NP. A spider silk-derived solubility domain inhibits nuclear and cytosolic protein aggregation in human cells. Commun Biol 2022; 5:505. [PMID: 35618760 PMCID: PMC9135726 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03442-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 05/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Due to the inherent toxicity of protein aggregates, the propensity of natural, functional amyloidogenic proteins to aggregate must be tightly controlled to avoid negative consequences on cellular viability. The importance of controlled aggregation in biological processes is illustrated by spidroins, which are functional amyloidogenic proteins that form the basis for spider silk. Premature aggregation of spidroins is prevented by the N-terminal NT domain. Here we explored the potential of the engineered, spidroin-based NT* domain in preventing protein aggregation in the intracellular environment of human cells. We show that the NT* domain increases the soluble pool of a reporter protein carrying a ligand-regulatable aggregation domain. Interestingly, the NT* domain prevents the formation of aggregates independent of its position in the aggregation-prone protein. The ability of the NT* domain to inhibit ligand-regulated aggregation was evident both in the cytosolic and nuclear compartments, which are both highly relevant for human disorders linked to non-physiological protein aggregation. We conclude that the spidroin-derived NT* domain has a generic anti-aggregation activity, independent of position or subcellular location, that is also active in human cells and propose that the NT* domain can potentially be exploited in controlling protein aggregation of disease-associated proteins. Spider-silk protein increases the solubility of an aggregation-prone reporter protein, showing potential applications in controlling aggregation of disease-associated proteins by natural solubility domains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Katharina Schellhaus
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Solnavägen 9, S-17165, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Shanshan Xu
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Solnavägen 9, S-17165, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Maria E Gierisch
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Solnavägen 9, S-17165, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Julia Vornberger
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Solnavägen 9, S-17165, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jan Johansson
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Neo, S-14183, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Nico P Dantuma
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Solnavägen 9, S-17165, Stockholm, Sweden.
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12
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Sarr M, Kitoka K, Walsh-White KA, Kaldmäe M, Metlāns R, Tārs K, Mantese A, Shah D, Landreh M, Rising A, Johansson J, Jaudzems K, Kronqvist N. The dimerization mechanism of the N-terminal domain of spider silk proteins is conserved despite extensive sequence divergence. J Biol Chem 2022; 298:101913. [PMID: 35398358 PMCID: PMC9097459 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.101913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Revised: 04/04/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The N-terminal (NT) domain of spider silk proteins (spidroins) is crucial for their storage at high concentrations and also regulates silk assembly. NTs from the major ampullate spidroin (MaSp) and the minor ampullate spidroin are monomeric at neutral pH and confer solubility to spidroins, whereas at lower pH, they dimerize to interconnect spidroins in a fiber. This dimerization is known to result from modulation of electrostatic interactions by protonation of well-conserved glutamates, although it is undetermined if this mechanism applies to other spidroin types as well. Here, we determine the solution and crystal structures of the flagelliform spidroin NT, which shares only 35% identity with MaSp NT, and investigate the mechanisms of its dimerization. We show that flagelliform spidroin NT is structurally similar to MaSp NT and that the electrostatic intermolecular interaction between Asp 40 and Lys 65 residues is conserved. However, the protonation events involve a different set of residues than in MaSp, indicating that an overall mechanism of pH-dependent dimerization is conserved but can be mediated by different pathways in different silk types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Médoune Sarr
- Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Division for Neurogeriatrics, Karolinska Institutet, 141 83 Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Kristine Kitoka
- Department of Physical Organic Chemistry, Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis, Riga, 1006, Latvia
| | - Kellie-Ann Walsh-White
- Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Division for Neurogeriatrics, Karolinska Institutet, 141 83 Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Margit Kaldmäe
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, 171 65 Solna, Sweden
| | - Rimants Metlāns
- Department of Physical Organic Chemistry, Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis, Riga, 1006, Latvia
| | - Kaspar Tārs
- Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, Riga, 1067, Latvia
| | | | - Dipen Shah
- ZoBio BV, J.H. Oortweg 19, 2333CH Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Michael Landreh
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, 171 65 Solna, Sweden
| | - Anna Rising
- Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Division for Neurogeriatrics, Karolinska Institutet, 141 83 Huddinge, Sweden; Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Biochemistry, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 750 07 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Jan Johansson
- Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Division for Neurogeriatrics, Karolinska Institutet, 141 83 Huddinge, Sweden; Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Neo, Karolinska Institutet, 141 83 Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Kristaps Jaudzems
- Department of Physical Organic Chemistry, Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis, Riga, 1006, Latvia
| | - Nina Kronqvist
- Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Division for Neurogeriatrics, Karolinska Institutet, 141 83 Huddinge, Sweden; Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Neo, Karolinska Institutet, 141 83 Huddinge, Sweden.
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13
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Basabe-Burgos O, Landreh M, Rising A, Curstedt T, Jan Johansson. Treatment of Respiratory Distress Syndrome with Single Recombinant Polypeptides that Combine Features of SP-B and SP-C. ACS Chem Biol 2021; 16:2864-2873. [PMID: 34878249 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.1c00816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Treatment of respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) with surfactant replacement therapy in prematurely born infants was introduced more than 30 years ago; however, the surfactant preparations currently in clinical use are extracts from animal lungs. A synthetic surfactant that matches the currently used nature-derived surfactant preparations and can be produced in a cost-efficient manner would enable worldwide treatment of neonatal RDS and could also be tested against lung diseases in adults. The major challenge in developing fully functional synthetic surfactant preparations is to recapitulate the properties of the hydrophobic lung surfactant proteins B (SP-B) and SP-C. Here, we have designed single polypeptides that combine properties of SP-B and SP-C and produced them recombinantly using a novel solubility tag based on spider silk production. These Combo peptides mixed with phospholipids are as efficient as nature-derived surfactant preparations against neonatal RDS in premature rabbit fetuses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oihana Basabe-Burgos
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Neo, 141 83 Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Michael Landreh
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Tomtebodavägen 23A, SE-171 65 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Anna Rising
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Neo, 141 83 Huddinge, Sweden
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Biochemistry, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 751 23 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Tore Curstedt
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Karolinska Institutet at Karolinska University Hospital, 171 76 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jan Johansson
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Neo, 141 83 Huddinge, Sweden
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14
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Li X, Qi X, Cai YM, Sun Y, Wen R, Zhang R, Johansson J, Meng Q, Chen G. Customized Flagelliform Spidroins Form Spider Silk-like Fibers at pH 8.0 with Outstanding Tensile Strength. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2021; 8:119-127. [PMID: 34908395 PMCID: PMC8753598 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.1c01354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Spider flagelliform silk shows the best extensibility among various types of silk, but its biomimetic preparation has not been much studied. Herein, five customized flagelliform spidroins (FlSps: S and NTDFl-Sn-CTDFl, n = 1-4), in which the repetitive region (S) and N-/C- terminal domains (NTDFl and CTDFl) are from the same spidroin and spider species, were produced recombinantly. The recombinant spidroins with terminal domains were able to form silk-like fibers with diameters of ∼5 μm by manual pulling at pH 8.0, where the secondary structure transformation occurred. The silk-like fibers from NTDFl-S4-CTDFl showed the highest tensile strength (∼250 MPa), while those ones with 1-3 S broke at a similar stress (∼180 MPa), suggesting that increasing the amounts of the repetitive region can improve the tensile strength, but a certain threshold might need to be reached. This study shows successful preparation of flagelliform silk-like fibers with good mechanical properties, providing general insights into efficient biomimetic preparations of spider silks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue Li
- Department of Medical Ultrasound, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Ultrasound Research and Education Institute, Tongji University Cancer Center, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Ultrasound Diagnosis and Treatment, Tongji University School of Medicine, 200092 Shanghai, China.,Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Donghua University, 201620 Shanghai, China
| | - Xingmei Qi
- The Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Institutes of Biology and Medical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Yu-Ming Cai
- Institute for Life Sciences, University of Southampton, SO17 1BJ Southampton, Hampshire, U.K
| | - Yuan Sun
- Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Donghua University, 201620 Shanghai, China
| | - Rui Wen
- Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Donghua University, 201620 Shanghai, China
| | - Rui Zhang
- Department of Pulmonary Circulation, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Jan Johansson
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, 14157 Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Qing Meng
- Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Donghua University, 201620 Shanghai, China
| | - Gefei Chen
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, 14157 Huddinge, Sweden
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15
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Raran-Kurussi S, Sharwanlal SB, Balasubramanian D, Mote KR. A comparison between MBP- and NT* as N-terminal fusion partner for recombinant protein production in E. coli. Protein Expr Purif 2021; 189:105991. [PMID: 34628000 DOI: 10.1016/j.pep.2021.105991] [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: 06/09/2021] [Revised: 09/27/2021] [Accepted: 10/05/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Advances in structural biology have been fueled in part by developing techniques for large-scale heterologous expression and purification of proteins. Nevertheless, this step is still a bottleneck in biophysical studies of many proteins. Often, fusion proteins are used to increase expression levels, solubility, or both. Here, we compare a recently reported fusion tag, NT*, with Maltose Binding Protein (MBP), a well-known fusion tag and solubility enhancer. NT* shows high expression and solubility when used as an N-terminal fusion partner for several aggregation-prone peptides. Its efficacy in enhancing the solubility of aggregation-prone globular proteins has, however, not been tested. We find here that although the overall expression levels for NT* fusions are much higher than those for the MBP fusion, MBP was far superior for enhancing the solubility of the passenger protein. Nevertheless, the effective yield after purification from the soluble fraction of both MBP-fusion and NT*-fusion was comparable, mainly due to higher expression levels in NT*-fusion and a smaller fraction of the passenger protein net weight being locked in the fusion protein. We conclude that NT* is an excellent fusion tag to improve the overall expression of globular proteins but does not increase the passenger protein's solubility compared to MBP. Proteins that are partially soluble or can be refolded in-vitro will significantly benefit from N-terminal NT* fusions. MBP, however, still remains one of the very few options for an N-terminal fusion if the solubility of the protein after expression is critical for preserving its proper fold or activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sreejith Raran-Kurussi
- Tata Institute of Fundamental Research Hyderabad, 36/P Gopanpally Village, Ranga Reddy District, Serilingampally, Hyderabad, 500046, Telangana, India.
| | - Sarawata B Sharwanlal
- Tata Institute of Fundamental Research Hyderabad, 36/P Gopanpally Village, Ranga Reddy District, Serilingampally, Hyderabad, 500046, Telangana, India
| | - Deepa Balasubramanian
- Tata Institute of Fundamental Research Hyderabad, 36/P Gopanpally Village, Ranga Reddy District, Serilingampally, Hyderabad, 500046, Telangana, India
| | - Kaustubh R Mote
- Tata Institute of Fundamental Research Hyderabad, 36/P Gopanpally Village, Ranga Reddy District, Serilingampally, Hyderabad, 500046, Telangana, India
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16
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Schmuck B, Chen G, Pelcman J, Kronqvist N, Rising A, Johansson J. Expression of the human molecular chaperone domain Bri2 BRICHOS on a gram per liter scale with an E. coli fed-batch culture. Microb Cell Fact 2021; 20:150. [PMID: 34330289 PMCID: PMC8325310 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-021-01638-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 07/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The human Bri2 BRICHOS domain inhibits amyloid formation and toxicity and could be used as a therapeutic agent against amyloid diseases. For translation into clinical use, large quantities of correctly folded recombinant human (rh) Bri2 BRICHOS are required. To increase the expression and solubility levels of rh Bri2 BRICHOS it was fused to NT*, a solubility tag derived from the N-terminal domain of a spider silk protein, which significantly increases expression levels and solubility of target proteins. To increase the expression levels even further and reach the g/L range, which is a prerequisite for an economical production on an industrial scale, we developed a fed-batch expression protocol for Escherichia coli. Results A fed-batch production method for NT*-Bri2 BRICHOS was set up and systematically optimized. This gradual improvement resulted in expression levels of up to 18.8 g/L. Following expression, NT*-Bri2 BRICHOS was purified by chromatographic methods to a final yield of up to 6.5 g/L. After removal of the NT*-tag and separation into different oligomeric species, activity assays verified that different assembly states of the fed-batch produced rh Bri2 BRICHOS have the same ability to inhibit fibrillar and non-fibrillar protein aggregation as the reference protein isolated from shake flask cultures. Conclusions The protocol developed in this work allows the production of large quantities of rh Bri2 BRICHOS using the solubility enhancing NT*-tag as a fusion partner, which is required to effectively conduct pre-clinical research. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12934-021-01638-8.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Schmuck
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Neo, 141 86, Huddinge, Sweden. .,Department of Anatomy, Physiology, and Biochemistry, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Gefei Chen
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Neo, 141 86, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Josef Pelcman
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Neo, 141 86, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Nina Kronqvist
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Neo, 141 86, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Anna Rising
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Neo, 141 86, Huddinge, Sweden.,Department of Anatomy, Physiology, and Biochemistry, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Jan Johansson
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Neo, 141 86, Huddinge, Sweden
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