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Sharma P, Raju B, Narendra G, Sapra B, Silakari O. Molecular Docking, Dynamics, and WaterSwap Analysis to Identify Anti-aggregating Agents of Insulin and IFN-β. Appl Biochem Biotechnol 2022; 194:3261-3279. [PMID: 35353318 DOI: 10.1007/s12010-022-03881-0] [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] [Received: 01/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
There are several challenges in the development, and formulation of biologics, particularly concerning their physical stabilities. The self-assembly of peptides like human insulin and interferon beta (IFN-β) has potential to form aggregates in pharmaceutical formulation. Therefore, it is a significant problem in the manufacturing, storage, and delivery of insulin and IFN-β formulations. Amino acids as aggregation suppressing additives have been used to stabilize proteins during manufacturing and storage. Several changes to the B chain's C-terminus have been proposed in an attempt to improve insulin formulation. The core segments of the A and B chains (SLYQLENY and LVEALYLV) have recently been identified as sheet-forming areas, and their microcrystalline structures have been exploited to construct a high-resolution insulin amyloid fibril model. Here, we have chosen twenty-one amino acids to develop as additives in rendering the insulin and IFN-β aggregations. Thereafter, integrated molecular docking studies of single layer monomers of full-length insulin and IFN-β have been performed to identify structural elements (amino acids) that can act as disaggregating agents. The stability of the best-docked amino acid complexes was judged using molecular dynamics studies. Finally, phenylalanine was identified as a disaggregation agent for insulin, and lysine, tyrosine, phenylalanine, and tryptophan were identified as disaggregation agents for IFN-β from the molecular dynamics study. These findings may open a novel proposal to explore further in vitro studies to increase the stability of the insulin and IFN-β formulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priyanka Sharma
- Molecular Modeling Lab (MML), Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Drug Research, Punjabi University, Patiala, Punjab, 147002, India
| | - Baddipadige Raju
- Molecular Modeling Lab (MML), Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Drug Research, Punjabi University, Patiala, Punjab, 147002, India
| | - Gera Narendra
- Molecular Modeling Lab (MML), Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Drug Research, Punjabi University, Patiala, Punjab, 147002, India
| | - Bharti Sapra
- Molecular Modeling Lab (MML), Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Drug Research, Punjabi University, Patiala, Punjab, 147002, India.
| | - Om Silakari
- Molecular Modeling Lab (MML), Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Drug Research, Punjabi University, Patiala, Punjab, 147002, India.
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Bahadori Z, Shabani AA, Minuchehr Z. Rational design of hyper-glycosylated human follicle-stimulating hormone analogs (a bioinformatics approach). J Biomol Struct Dyn 2021; 40:9114-9125. [PMID: 33998969 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2021.1924268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
N-glycosylation is a complex mechanism in which the carbohydrate molecules bind to the Asn amino acid in the N-glycan consensus sequence (AsnXxxThr/Ser sequon, where Xxx is any residue, excluding Pro). Introduction of additional N-linked glycosylation site into proposed location in the protein causes to its hyper-glycosylation and can enhance the protein characteristics to provide promising prospects in treatment. Glycoengineering is a favorably used strategy to design and generate hyper-glycosylated variants. In this research, human follicle-stimulating hormone (HuFSH) was considered to identify appropriate positions for adding novel N-glycan sites. A rational computational strategy was applied to predict functional/structural variations induced through changes in polypeptide chain. We analyzed the amino acid chain of FSH to find out the proper locations to introduce asparagine and/or threonine for creating novel N-glycan positions. This analysis resulted in the recognition of 40 possible N-glycosylation positions, and then the eight adequate ones were chosen for additional investigation. The model validation techniques were used to examine 3-dimensional structures of the chosen mutant proteins. Finally, 2 mutants with a further glycan site were recommended as eligible FSH hyper-glycosylated analogs, which may be regarded for subsequent experimental studies. Our in silico approach may decrease tedious and time-wasting laboratory researches of the mutants.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sharma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zohreh Bahadori
- Department of Biotechnology and Biotechnology Research Center, School of Medicine, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran.,Students Research Committee, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran
| | - Ali Akbar Shabani
- Department of Biotechnology and Biotechnology Research Center, School of Medicine, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran
| | - Zarrin Minuchehr
- Department of Systems Biotechnology, National Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (NIGEB), Tehran, Iran
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Khodabakhsh F, Salimian M, Hedayati MH, Ahangari Cohan R, Norouzian D. Challenges and advancements in the pharmacokinetic enhancement of therapeutic proteins. Prep Biochem Biotechnol 2021; 51:519-529. [PMID: 33459157 DOI: 10.1080/10826068.2020.1839907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Nowadays, proteins are frequently administered as therapeutic agents in human diseases. However, the main challenge regarding the clinical application of therapeutic proteins is short circulating plasma half-life that leads to more frequent injections for maintaining therapeutic plasma levels, increased therapy costs, immunogenic reactions, and low patient compliance. So, the development of novel strategies to enhance the pharmacokinetic profile of therapeutic proteins has attracted great attention in pharmaceuticals. So far, several techniques, each with their pros and cons, have been developed including chemical bonding to polymers, hyper glycosylation, Fc fusion, human serum albumin fusion, and recombinant PEG mimetics. These techniques mainly classify into three strategies; (i) the endosomal recycling of neonatal Fc receptor which is observed for immunoglobulins and albumin, (ii) decrease in receptor-mediated clearance, and (iii) increase in hydrodynamic radius through chemical and genetic modifications. Recently, novel PEG mimetic peptides like proline/alanine/serine repeat sequences are designed to overcome pitfalls associated with the previous technologies. Biodegradability, lack of or low immunogenicity, product homogeneity, and a simple production process, currently make these polypeptides as the preferred technology for plasma half-life extension of therapeutic proteins. In this review, challenges and pitfalls in the pharmacokinetic enhancement of therapeutic proteins using PEG-mimetic peptides will be discussed in detail.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farnaz Khodabakhsh
- Department of Genetics and Advanced Medical Technology, Medical Biotechnology Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, AJA University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Morteza Salimian
- Department of Medical Laboratory, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
| | - Mohammad Hossein Hedayati
- Department of Quality Control, Research and Production Complex, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Reza Ahangari Cohan
- Department of Nanobiotechnology, New Technologies Research Group, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Dariush Norouzian
- Department of Nanobiotechnology, New Technologies Research Group, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
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Nabizadeh Z, Minuchehr Z, Shabani AA. Rational Design of Hyper-glycosylated Human Chorionic Gonadotropin Analogs (A Bioinformatics Approach). LETT DRUG DES DISCOV 2020. [DOI: 10.2174/1570180817666200225101938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Background:Protein pharmaceuticals routinely display a series of intrinsic physicochemical instabilities during their production and administration that can unfavorably affect their therapeutic effectiveness. Glycoengineering is one of the most desirable techniques to improve the attributes of therapeutic proteins. One aspect of glycoengineering is the rational manipulation of the peptide backbone to introduce new N-glycosylation consensus sequences (Asn-X-Ser/Thr, where X is any amino acid except proline).Methods:In this work, the amino acid sequence of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) was analyzed to identify suitable positions in order to create new N-glycosylation sites. This survey led to the detection of 46 potential N-glycosylation sites. The N-glycosylation probability of all the potential positions was measured with the NetNGlyc 1.0 server. After theoretical reviews and the removal of unsuitable positions, the five acceptable ones were selected for more analyses. Then, threedimensional (3D) structures of the selected analogs were generated and evaluated by SPDBV software. The molecular stability and flexibility profile of five designed analogs were examined using Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations.Results:Finally, three analogs with one additional N-glycosylation site (V68T, V79N and R67N) were proposed as the qualified analogs that could be glycosylated at the new sites.Conclusion:According to the results of this study, further experimental investigations could be guided on the three analogs. Therefore, our computational strategy can be a valuable method due to the reduction in the number of the expensive, tiresome and time-consuming experimental studies of hCG analogs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zahra Nabizadeh
- Dept. and Center for Biotechnology Research, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran
| | - Zarrin Minuchehr
- Department of Systems Biotechnology, Institute of Industrial and Environmental Biotechnology (IIEB), National Institute for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (NIGEB), P.O. Box 14965/161, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ali Akbar Shabani
- Dept. and Center for Biotechnology Research, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran
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Shafaghi M, Shabani AA, Minuchehr Z. Rational design of hyper-glycosylated human luteinizing hormone analogs (a bioinformatics approach). Comput Biol Chem 2019; 79:16-23. [PMID: 30708139 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiolchem.2019.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2018] [Revised: 12/29/2018] [Accepted: 01/02/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Glycoengineering is a recently used approach to extend serum half-life of valuable protein therapeutics. One aspect of glycoengineering is to introduce new N-glycosylation site (Asn-X-Thr/Ser, where X ≠ Pro) into desirable positions in the peptide backbone, resulting in the generation of hyper-glycosylated protein. In this study, human luteinizing hormone (LH) was considered for identification of the suitable positions for the addition of new N-linked glycosylation sites. A rational in silico approach was applied for prediction of structural and functional alterations caused by changes in amino acid sequence. As the first step, we explored the amino acid sequence of LH to find out desirable positions for introducing Asn or/and Thr to create new N-glycosylation sites. This exploration led to the identification of 38 potential N-glycan sites, and then the four acceptable ones were selected for further analysis. Three-dimensional (3D) structures of the selected analogs were generated and examined by the model evaluation methods. Finally, two analogs with one additional glycosylation site were suggested as the qualified analogs for hyper-glycosylation of the LH, which can be considered for further experimental investigations. Our computational strategy can reduce laborious and time-consuming experimental analyses of the analogs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mona Shafaghi
- Dept. & Center for Biotechnology Research, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran; Students Research Committee, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran
| | - Ali Akbar Shabani
- Dept. & Center for Biotechnology Research, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran.
| | - Zarrin Minuchehr
- Department of Systems Biotechnology, National Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (NIGEB), Tehran, Iran.
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Lee S, Son WS, Yang HB, Rajasekaran N, Kim SS, Hong S, Choi JS, Choi JY, Song K, Shin YK. A Glycoengineered Interferon-β Mutein (R27T) Generates Prolonged Signaling by an Altered Receptor-Binding Kinetics. Front Pharmacol 2019; 9:1568. [PMID: 30733680 PMCID: PMC6353837 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2018.01568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2018] [Accepted: 12/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The glycoengineering approach is used to improve biophysical properties of protein-based drugs, but its direct impact on binding affinity and kinetic properties for the glycoengineered protein and its binding partner interaction is unclear. Type I interferon (IFN) receptors, composed of IFNAR1 and IFNAR2, have different binding strengths, and sequentially bind to IFN in the dominant direction, leading to activation of signals and induces a variety of biological effects. Here, we evaluated receptor-binding kinetics for each state of binary and ternary complex formation between recombinant human IFN-β-1a and the glycoengineered IFN-β mutein (R27T) using the heterodimeric Fc-fusion technology, and compared biological responses between them. Our results have provided evidence that the additional glycan of R27T, located at the binding interface of IFNAR2, destabilizes the interaction with IFNAR2 via steric hindrance, and simultaneously enhances the interaction with IFNAR1 by restricting the conformational freedom of R27T. Consequentially, altered receptor-binding kinetics of R27T in the ternary complex formation led to a substantial increase in strength and duration of biological responses such as prolonged signal activation and gene expression, contributing to enhanced anti-proliferative activity. In conclusion, our findings reveal N-glycan at residue 25 of R27T is a crucial regulator of receptor-binding kinetics that changes biological activities such as long-lasting activation. Thus, we believe that R27T may be clinically beneficial for patients with multiple sclerosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saehyung Lee
- Laboratory of Molecular Pathology and Cancer Genomics, Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences and College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Woo Sung Son
- Department of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, CHA University, Pocheon, South Korea
| | - Ho Bin Yang
- Laboratory of Molecular Pathology and Cancer Genomics, Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences and College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Nirmal Rajasekaran
- Laboratory of Molecular Pathology and Cancer Genomics, Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences and College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Sung-Su Kim
- The Center for Companion Diagnostics, LOGONE Bio Convergence Research Foundation, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Sungyoul Hong
- Laboratory of Molecular Pathology and Cancer Genomics, Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences and College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Joon-Seok Choi
- College of Pharmacy, Daegu Catholic University, Gyeongsan, South Korea
| | | | - Kyoung Song
- The Center for Companion Diagnostics, LOGONE Bio Convergence Research Foundation, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Young Kee Shin
- Laboratory of Molecular Pathology and Cancer Genomics, Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences and College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea.,Molecular Medicine and Biopharmaceutical Sciences, Graduate School of Convergence Science and Technology, Seoul National University, Suwon, South Korea
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Rouhani M, Khodabakhsh F, Norouzian D, Cohan RA, Valizadeh V. Molecular dynamics simulation for rational protein engineering: Present and future prospectus. J Mol Graph Model 2018; 84:43-53. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jmgm.2018.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2018] [Revised: 06/05/2018] [Accepted: 06/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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8
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Shen C, Iskenderian A, Lundberg D, He T, Palmieri K, Crooker R, Deng Q, Traylor M, Gu S, Rong H, Ehmann D, Pescatore B, Strack-Logue B, Romashko A, Baviello G, Gill J, Zhang B, Meiyappan M, Pan C, Norton AW. Protein Engineering on Human Recombinant Follistatin: Enhancing Pharmacokinetic Characteristics for Therapeutic Application. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 2018; 366:291-302. [DOI: 10.1124/jpet.118.248195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2018] [Accepted: 05/07/2018] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
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9
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Gugliotta A, Ceaglio N, Etcheverrigaray M, Kratje R, Oggero M. Strategies to Develop Therapeutic N- and O-Hyperglycosylated Proteins. Methods Mol Biol 2018; 1674:163-181. [PMID: 28921436 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-7312-5_13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Glycoengineering by N- and/or O-hyperglycosylation represents a procedure to introduce potential sites for adding N- and/or O-glycosyl structures to proteins with the aim of producing biotherapeutics with improved pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic properties. In this chapter, a detailed description of the steps routinely performed to generate new proteins having high content of N- and/or O-glycosyl moieties is carried out. The rational strategy involves the initial stage of designing N- and/or O-hyperglycosylated muteins to be expressed by mammalian cells and includes the upstream and downstream processing stages necessary to develop hyperglycosylated versions of the proteins of interest with the purpose of beginning the long road toward producing biobetters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agustina Gugliotta
- UNL, CONICET, FBCB, Cell Culture Laboratory, Ciudad Universitaria UNL-C.C. 242, (S3000ZAA), Santa Fe, Pcia. de Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - Natalia Ceaglio
- CONICET, Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - Marina Etcheverrigaray
- UNL, CONICET, FBCB, Cell Culture Laboratory, Ciudad Universitaria UNL-C.C. 242, (S3000ZAA), Santa Fe, Pcia. de Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - Ricardo Kratje
- UNL, CONICET, FBCB, Cell Culture Laboratory, Ciudad Universitaria UNL-C.C. 242, (S3000ZAA), Santa Fe, Pcia. de Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - Marcos Oggero
- UNL, CONICET, FBCB, Cell Culture Laboratory, Ciudad Universitaria UNL-C.C. 242, (S3000ZAA), Santa Fe, Pcia. de Santa Fe, Argentina.
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Khodabakhsh F, Norouzian D, Vaziri B, Ahangari Cohan R, Sardari S, Mahboudi F, Behdani M, Mansouri K, Mehdizadeh A. Development of a novel nano-sized anti-VEGFA nanobody with enhanced physicochemical and pharmacokinetic properties. ARTIFICIAL CELLS NANOMEDICINE AND BIOTECHNOLOGY 2017; 46:1402-1414. [PMID: 28841807 DOI: 10.1080/21691401.2017.1369426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Since physiological and pathological processes occur at nano-environments, nanotechnology has considered as an efficient tool for designing of next generation specific biomolecules with enhanced pharmacodynamic and pharmacodynamic properties. In the current investigation, by control of the size and hydrodynamic volume at the nanoscale, for the first time, physicochemical and pharmacokinetic properties of an anti-VEGFA nanobody was remarkably improved by attachment of a Proline-Alanine-Serine (PAS) rich sequence. The results elucidated unexpected impressive effects of PAS sequence on physicochemical properties especially on size, hydrodynamics radius, and even solubility of nanobody. CD analysis revealed an increment in random coil structure of the PASylated protein in comparison to native one without any change in charge state or binding kinetic parameters of nanobody assessed by isoelectric focusing and surface plasmon resonance measurements, respectively. In vitro biological activities of nanobody were not affected by coupling of the PAS sequence. In contrast, the terminal half-life was significantly increased by a factor of 14 for the nanobody-PAS after single dose IV injection to the mice. Our study demonstrated that the control of size in the design of small therapeutic proteins has a promising effect on the stability and solubility, in addition to their physiochemical and pharmacokinetic properties. The designed new anti-VEGFA nanobody could promise a better therapeutic agent with a long administration intervals and lower dose, which in turn leads to a better patient compliance. Size adjustment of an anti-VEGF nanobody at the nanoscale by the attachment of a natural PAS polymer remarkably improves physicochemical properties, as well as a pharmacokinetic profile without any change in biological activity of the miniaturized antibody.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farnaz Khodabakhsh
- a Department of Nanobiotechnology , Advanced Technology Group, Pasteur Institute of Iran , Tehran , Iran.,b Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran , Tehran , Iran
| | - Dariush Norouzian
- a Department of Nanobiotechnology , Advanced Technology Group, Pasteur Institute of Iran , Tehran , Iran
| | - Behrouz Vaziri
- b Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran , Tehran , Iran
| | - Reza Ahangari Cohan
- a Department of Nanobiotechnology , Advanced Technology Group, Pasteur Institute of Iran , Tehran , Iran
| | - Soroush Sardari
- c Drug Design and Bioinformatics Unit, Department of Medical Biotechnology , Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran , Tehran , Iran
| | - Fereidoun Mahboudi
- b Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran , Tehran , Iran
| | - Mahdi Behdani
- d Venom & Biotherapeutics Molecules Laboratory , Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran , Tehran , Iran
| | - Kamran Mansouri
- e Medical Biology Research Center, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences , Kermanshah , Iran
| | - Ardavan Mehdizadeh
- f Department of Civil Engineering , Sharif University of Technology , Tehran , Iran
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Childers MC, Daggett V. Insights from molecular dynamics simulations for computational protein design. MOLECULAR SYSTEMS DESIGN & ENGINEERING 2017; 2:9-33. [PMID: 28239489 PMCID: PMC5321087 DOI: 10.1039/c6me00083e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 127] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
A grand challenge in the field of structural biology is to design and engineer proteins that exhibit targeted functions. Although much success on this front has been achieved, design success rates remain low, an ever-present reminder of our limited understanding of the relationship between amino acid sequences and the structures they adopt. In addition to experimental techniques and rational design strategies, computational methods have been employed to aid in the design and engineering of proteins. Molecular dynamics (MD) is one such method that simulates the motions of proteins according to classical dynamics. Here, we review how insights into protein dynamics derived from MD simulations have influenced the design of proteins. One of the greatest strengths of MD is its capacity to reveal information beyond what is available in the static structures deposited in the Protein Data Bank. In this regard simulations can be used to directly guide protein design by providing atomistic details of the dynamic molecular interactions contributing to protein stability and function. MD simulations can also be used as a virtual screening tool to rank, select, identify, and assess potential designs. MD is uniquely poised to inform protein design efforts where the application requires realistic models of protein dynamics and atomic level descriptions of the relationship between dynamics and function. Here, we review cases where MD simulations was used to modulate protein stability and protein function by providing information regarding the conformation(s), conformational transitions, interactions, and dynamics that govern stability and function. In addition, we discuss cases where conformations from protein folding/unfolding simulations have been exploited for protein design, yielding novel outcomes that could not be obtained from static structures.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Valerie Daggett
- Corresponding author: , Phone: 1.206.685.7420, Fax: 1.206.685.3300
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Ghasemi F, Zomorodipour A, Karkhane AA, Khorramizadeh MR. In silico designing of hyper-glycosylated analogs for the human coagulation factor IX. J Mol Graph Model 2016; 68:39-47. [PMID: 27356208 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmgm.2016.05.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2015] [Revised: 05/24/2016] [Accepted: 05/25/2016] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
N-glycosylation is a process during which a glycan moiety attaches to the asparagine residue in the N-glycosylation consensus sequence (Asn-Xxx-Ser/Thr), where Xxx can be any amino acid except proline. Introduction of a new N-glycosylation site into a protein backbone leads to its hyper-glycosylation, and may improve the protein properties such as solubility, folding, stability, and secretion. Glyco-engineering is an approach to facilitate the hyper-glycosylation of recombinant proteins by application of the site-directed mutagenesis methods. In this regard, selection of a suitable location on the surface of a protein for introduction of a new N-glycosylation site is a main concern. In this work, a computational approach was conducted to select suitable location(s) for introducing new N-glycosylation sites into the human coagulation factor IX (hFIX). With this aim, the first 45 residues of mature hFIX were explored to find out suitable positions for introducing either Asn or Ser/Thr residues, to create new N-glycosylation site(s). Our exploration lead to detection of five potential positions, for hyper-glycosylation. For each suggested position, an analog was defined and subjected for N-glycosylation efficiency prediction. After generation of three-dimensional structures, by homology-based modeling, the five designed analogs were examined by molecular dynamic (MD) simulations, to predict their stability levels and probable structural distortions caused by amino acid substitutions, relative to the native counterpart. Three out of five suggested analogs, namely; E15T, K22N, and R37N, reached equilibration state with relatively constant Root Mean Square Deviation values. Additional analysis on the data obtained during MD simulations, lead us to conclude that, R37N is the only qualified analog with the most similar structure and dynamic behavior to that of the native counterpart, to be considered for further experimental investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fahimeh Ghasemi
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Alireza Zomorodipour
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Institute of Medical Biotechnology, National Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (NIGEB), P.O. Box: 14965/161, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Ali Asghar Karkhane
- Institute of Industrial and Environmental Biotechnology (IIEB), National Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (NIGEB), Tehran, Iran.
| | - M Reza Khorramizadeh
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Biosensor Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Molecular-Cellular Sciences Institute, Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Institute (EMRI), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, 5th Fl., Dr. Shariati Hospital, North Karegar Ave., Tehran 1411413137, Iran.
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13
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Mirzaei H, Kazemi B, Bandehpour M, Shoari A, Asgary V, Ardestani MS, Madadkar-Sobhani A, Cohan RA. Computational and nonglycosylated systems: a simpler approach for development of nanosized PEGylated proteins. DRUG DESIGN DEVELOPMENT AND THERAPY 2016; 10:1193-200. [PMID: 27042012 PMCID: PMC4801162 DOI: 10.2147/dddt.s98323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Cysteine PEGylation includes several steps, and is difficult to manage in practice. In the current investigation, the cysteine PEGylation of erythropoietin analogs was examined using computational and nonglycosylated systems to define a simpler approach for specific PEGylation. Two model analogs (E31C and E89C) were selected for PEGylation based on lowest structural deviation from the native form, accessibility, and nucleophilicity of the free thiol group. The selected analogs were cloned and the expression was assessed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and Western blot using Coomassie blue staining and anti-His monoclonal antibody, respectively. PEGylation with 20 kDa mPEG-maleimide resulted in 79% and 82% conjugation yield for E31C and E89C nonglycosylated erythropoietin (ngEPO) analogs, respectively. The size distribution and charge analysis showed an increase in size and negative charge of the PEGylated forms compared with nonconjugated ones. Biological assay revealed that E31C and E89C mutations and subsequent PEGylation of ngEPO analogs have no deleterious effects on in vitro biological activity when compared to CHO-derived recombinant human erythropoietin. In addition, PEG-conjugated ngEPOs showed a significant increase in plasma half-lives after injection into rats when compared to nonconjugated ones. The development of the cysteine-PEGylated proteins using nonglycosylated expression system and in silico technique can be considered an efficient approach in terms of optimization of PEGylation parameters, time, and cost.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hadi Mirzaei
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Bahram Kazemi
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mojgan Bandehpour
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Alireza Shoari
- Department of Pilot Nanobiotechnology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Vahid Asgary
- Department of Pilot Nanobiotechnology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mehdi Shafiee Ardestani
- Department of Radiopharmacy, Pharmacy Faculty, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Reza Ahangari Cohan
- Department of Pilot Nanobiotechnology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
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Ceaglio N, Gugliotta A, Tardivo MB, Cravero D, Etcheverrigaray M, Kratje R, Oggero M. Improvement of in vitro stability and pharmacokinetics of hIFN-α by fusing the carboxyl-terminal peptide of hCG β-subunit. J Biotechnol 2016; 221:13-24. [PMID: 26806490 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiotec.2016.01.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2015] [Revised: 01/13/2016] [Accepted: 01/15/2016] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Improving in vivo half-life and in vitro stability of protein-based therapeutics is a current challenge for the biopharmaceutical industry. In particular, recombinant human interferon alpha-2b (rhIFN-α2b), which belongs to a group of cytokines extensively used for the treatment of viral diseases and cancers, shows a poor stability in solution and an extremely short plasma half-life which determines a strict therapeutic regimen comprising high and repeated doses. In this work, we have used a strategy based on the fusion of the carboxyl-terminal peptide (CTP) of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) β-subunit, bearing four O-linked oligosaccharide recognition sites, to each or both N- and C-terminal ends of rhIFN-α2b. Molecules containing from 5 (CTP-IFN and IFN-CTP) to 9 (CTP-IFN-CTP) O-glycosylation sites were efficiently expressed and secreted to CHO cells supernatants, and exhibited antiviral and antiproliferative bioactivities in vitro. Significant improvements in pharmacokinetics in rats were achieved through this approach, since the doubly CTP-modified IFN variant showed a 10-fold longer elimination half-life and a 19-fold decreased plasma apparent clearance compared to the wild-type cytokine. Moreover, CTP-IFN-CTP demonstrated a significant increase in in vitro thermal resistance and a higher stability against plasma protease inactivation, both features attributed to the stabilizing effects of the O-glycans provided by the CTP moiety. These results constitute the first report that postulates CTP as a tag for improving both the in vitro and in vivo stability of rhIFN-α2b which, in turn, would positively influence its in vivo bioactivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Ceaglio
- Cell Culture Laboratory, School of Biochemistry and Biological Sciences, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Ciudad Universitaria, Paraje "El Pozo", C.C. 242, S3000ZAA Santa Fe, Argentina.
| | - Agustina Gugliotta
- Cell Culture Laboratory, School of Biochemistry and Biological Sciences, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Ciudad Universitaria, Paraje "El Pozo", C.C. 242, S3000ZAA Santa Fe, Argentina
| | | | - Dianela Cravero
- Cell Culture Laboratory, School of Biochemistry and Biological Sciences, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Ciudad Universitaria, Paraje "El Pozo", C.C. 242, S3000ZAA Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - Marina Etcheverrigaray
- Cell Culture Laboratory, School of Biochemistry and Biological Sciences, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Ciudad Universitaria, Paraje "El Pozo", C.C. 242, S3000ZAA Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - Ricardo Kratje
- Cell Culture Laboratory, School of Biochemistry and Biological Sciences, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Ciudad Universitaria, Paraje "El Pozo", C.C. 242, S3000ZAA Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - Marcos Oggero
- Cell Culture Laboratory, School of Biochemistry and Biological Sciences, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Ciudad Universitaria, Paraje "El Pozo", C.C. 242, S3000ZAA Santa Fe, Argentina
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