1
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Guan A, He Z, Wang X, Jia ZJ, Qin J. Engineering the next-generation synthetic cell factory driven by protein engineering. Biotechnol Adv 2024; 73:108366. [PMID: 38663492 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2024.108366] [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: 11/02/2023] [Revised: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/09/2024]
Abstract
Synthetic cell factory offers substantial advantages in economically efficient production of biofuels, chemicals, and pharmaceutical compounds. However, to create a high-performance synthetic cell factory, precise regulation of cellular material and energy flux is essential. In this context, protein components including enzymes, transcription factor-based biosensors and transporters play pivotal roles. Protein engineering aims to create novel protein variants with desired properties by modifying or designing protein sequences. This review focuses on summarizing the latest advancements of protein engineering in optimizing various aspects of synthetic cell factory, including: enhancing enzyme activity to eliminate production bottlenecks, altering enzyme selectivity to steer metabolic pathways towards desired products, modifying enzyme promiscuity to explore innovative routes, and improving the efficiency of transporters. Furthermore, the utilization of protein engineering to modify protein-based biosensors accelerates evolutionary process and optimizes the regulation of metabolic pathways. The remaining challenges and future opportunities in this field are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ailin Guan
- College of Biomass Science and Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
| | - Zixi He
- College of Biomass Science and Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
| | - Xin Wang
- West China School of Pharmacy, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Zhi-Jun Jia
- West China School of Pharmacy, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Jiufu Qin
- College of Biomass Science and Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China.
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2
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Zhou L, Tao C, Shen X, Sun X, Wang J, Yuan Q. Unlocking the potential of enzyme engineering via rational computational design strategies. Biotechnol Adv 2024; 73:108376. [PMID: 38740355 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2024.108376] [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: 12/27/2023] [Revised: 04/27/2024] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
Enzymes play a pivotal role in various industries by enabling efficient, eco-friendly, and sustainable chemical processes. However, the low turnover rates and poor substrate selectivity of enzymes limit their large-scale applications. Rational computational enzyme design, facilitated by computational algorithms, offers a more targeted and less labor-intensive approach. There has been notable advancement in employing rational computational protein engineering strategies to overcome these issues, it has not been comprehensively reviewed so far. This article reviews recent developments in rational computational enzyme design, categorizing them into three types: structure-based, sequence-based, and data-driven machine learning computational design. Case studies are presented to demonstrate successful enhancements in catalytic activity, stability, and substrate selectivity. Lastly, the article provides a thorough analysis of these approaches, highlights existing challenges and potential solutions, and offers insights into future development directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Chunmeng Tao
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Xiaolin Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Xinxiao Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Jia Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China.
| | - Qipeng Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China.
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3
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Ali M, Greenig M, Oeller M, Atkinson M, Xu X, Sormanni P. Automated optimization of the solubility of a hyper-stable α-amylase. Open Biol 2024; 14:240014. [PMID: 38745462 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.240014] [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: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Most successes in computational protein engineering to date have focused on enhancing one biophysical trait, while multi-trait optimization remains a challenge. Different biophysical properties are often conflicting, as mutations that improve one tend to worsen the others. In this study, we explored the potential of an automated computational design strategy, called CamSol Combination, to optimize solubility and stability of enzymes without affecting their activity. Specifically, we focus on Bacillus licheniformis α-amylase (BLA), a hyper-stable enzyme that finds diverse application in industry and biotechnology. We validate the computational predictions by producing 10 BLA variants, including the wild-type (WT) and three designed models harbouring between 6 and 8 mutations each. Our results show that all three models have substantially improved relative solubility over the WT, unaffected catalytic rate and retained hyper-stability, supporting the algorithm's capacity to optimize enzymes. High stability and solubility embody enzymes with superior resilience to chemical and physical stresses, enhance manufacturability and allow for high-concentration formulations characterized by extended shelf lives. This ability to readily optimize solubility and stability of enzymes will enable the rapid and reliable generation of highly robust and versatile reagents, poised to contribute to advancements in diverse scientific and industrial domains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Montader Ali
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge , Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK
| | - Matthew Greenig
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge , Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK
| | - Marc Oeller
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge , Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK
- Proteomics and Signal Transduction, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry , Martinsried 82152, Germany
| | - Misha Atkinson
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge , Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK
| | - Xing Xu
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge , Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK
| | - Pietro Sormanni
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge , Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK
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4
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Nishikawa KK, Chen J, Acheson JF, Harbaugh SV, Huss P, Frenkel M, Novy N, Sieren HR, Lodewyk EC, Lee DH, Chávez JL, Fox BG, Raman S. Highly multiplexed design of an allosteric transcription factor to sense novel ligands. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.07.583947. [PMID: 38496486 PMCID: PMC10942455 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.07.583947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
Allosteric transcription factors (aTF), widely used as biosensors, have proven challenging to design for detecting novel molecules because mutation of ligand-binding residues often disrupts allostery. We developed Sensor-seq, a high-throughput platform to design and identify aTF biosensors that bind to non-native ligands. We screened a library of 17,737 variants of the aTF TtgR, a regulator of a multidrug exporter, against six non-native ligands of diverse chemical structures - four derivatives of the cancer therapeutic tamoxifen, the antimalarial drug quinine, and the opiate analog naltrexone - as well as two native flavonoid ligands, naringenin and phloretin. Sensor-seq identified novel biosensors for each of these ligands with high dynamic range and diverse specificity profiles. The structure of a naltrexone-bound design showed shape-complementary methionine-aromatic interactions driving ligand specificity. To demonstrate practical utility, we developed cell-free detection systems for naltrexone and quinine. Sensor-seq enables rapid, scalable design of new biosensors, overcoming constraints of natural biosensors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle K Nishikawa
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Jackie Chen
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Justin F Acheson
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Svetlana V Harbaugh
- 711th Human Performance Wing, Air Force Research Laboratory Wright Patterson Air Force Base, OH, USA
| | - Phil Huss
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Max Frenkel
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Nathan Novy
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Hailey R Sieren
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Ella C Lodewyk
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Daniel H Lee
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Jorge L Chávez
- 711th Human Performance Wing, Air Force Research Laboratory Wright Patterson Air Force Base, OH, USA
| | - Brian G Fox
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
- Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Srivatsan Raman
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
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5
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Tripp A, Braun M, Wieser F, Oberdorfer G, Lechner H. Click, Compute, Create: A Review of Web-based Tools for Enzyme Engineering. Chembiochem 2024:e202400092. [PMID: 38634409 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202400092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2024] [Revised: 04/14/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024]
Abstract
Enzyme engineering, though pivotal across various biotechnological domains, is often plagued by its time-consuming and labor-intensive nature. This review aims to offer an overview of supportive in silico methodologies for this demanding endeavor. Starting from methods to predict protein structures, to classification of their activity and even the discovery of new enzymes we continue with describing tools used to increase thermostability and production yields of selected targets. Subsequently, we discuss computational methods to modulate both, the activity as well as selectivity of enzymes. Last, we present recent approaches based on cutting-edge machine learning methods to redesign enzymes. With exception of the last chapter, there is a strong focus on methods easily accessible via web-interfaces or simple Python-scripts, therefore readily useable for a diverse and broad community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrian Tripp
- Institute of Biochemistry, Graz University of Technology, Petersgasse 12/2, 8010, Graz, Austria
| | - Markus Braun
- Institute of Biochemistry, Graz University of Technology, Petersgasse 12/2, 8010, Graz, Austria
| | - Florian Wieser
- Institute of Biochemistry, Graz University of Technology, Petersgasse 12/2, 8010, Graz, Austria
| | - Gustav Oberdorfer
- Institute of Biochemistry, Graz University of Technology, Petersgasse 12/2, 8010, Graz, Austria
- BioTechMed, Graz, Austria
| | - Horst Lechner
- Institute of Biochemistry, Graz University of Technology, Petersgasse 12/2, 8010, Graz, Austria
- BioTechMed, Graz, Austria
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6
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Agosto-Maldonado A, Guo J, Niu W. Engineering carboxylic acid reductases and unspecific peroxygenases for flavor and fragrance biosynthesis. J Biotechnol 2024; 385:1-12. [PMID: 38428504 PMCID: PMC11062483 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiotec.2024.02.013] [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: 01/08/2024] [Revised: 02/23/2024] [Accepted: 02/25/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
Emerging consumer demand for safer, more sustainable flavors and fragrances has created new challenges for the industry. Enzymatic syntheses represent a promising green production route, but the broad application requires engineering advancements for expanded diversity, improved selectivity, and enhanced stability to be cost-competitive with current methods. This review discusses recent advances and future outlooks for enzyme engineering in this field. We focus on carboxylic acid reductases (CARs) and unspecific peroxygenases (UPOs) that enable selective productions of complex flavor and fragrance molecules. Both enzyme types consist of natural variants with attractive characteristics for biocatalytic applications. Applying protein engineering methods, including rational design and directed evolution in concert with computational modeling, present excellent examples for property improvements to unleash the full potential of enzymes in the biosynthesis of value-added chemicals.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jiantao Guo
- Department of Chemistry, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska 68588, United States; The Nebraska Center for Integrated Biomolecular Communication (NCIBC), University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska 68588, United States
| | - Wei Niu
- Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska 68588, United States; The Nebraska Center for Integrated Biomolecular Communication (NCIBC), University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska 68588, United States.
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7
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Listov D, Goverde CA, Correia BE, Fleishman SJ. Opportunities and challenges in design and optimization of protein function. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 2024:10.1038/s41580-024-00718-y. [PMID: 38565617 DOI: 10.1038/s41580-024-00718-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
The field of protein design has made remarkable progress over the past decade. Historically, the low reliability of purely structure-based design methods limited their application, but recent strategies that combine structure-based and sequence-based calculations, as well as machine learning tools, have dramatically improved protein engineering and design. In this Review, we discuss how these methods have enabled the design of increasingly complex structures and therapeutically relevant activities. Additionally, protein optimization methods have improved the stability and activity of complex eukaryotic proteins. Thanks to their increased reliability, computational design methods have been applied to improve therapeutics and enzymes for green chemistry and have generated vaccine antigens, antivirals and drug-delivery nano-vehicles. Moreover, the high success of design methods reflects an increased understanding of basic rules that govern the relationships among protein sequence, structure and function. However, de novo design is still limited mostly to α-helix bundles, restricting its potential to generate sophisticated enzymes and diverse protein and small-molecule binders. Designing complex protein structures is a challenging but necessary next step if we are to realize our objective of generating new-to-nature activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dina Listov
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Casper A Goverde
- Institute of Bioengineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Bruno E Correia
- Institute of Bioengineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Sarel Jacob Fleishman
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel.
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8
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Sun R, Zheng P, Chen P, Wu D, Zheng J, Liu X, Hu Y. Enhancing the Catalytic Efficiency of D-lactonohydrolase through the Synergy of Tunnel Engineering, Evolutionary Analysis, and Force-Field Calculations. Chemistry 2024; 30:e202304164. [PMID: 38217521 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202304164] [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: 12/14/2023] [Revised: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 01/15/2024]
Abstract
Computational design advances enzyme evolution and their use in biocatalysis in a faster and more efficient manner. In this study, a synergistic approach integrating tunnel engineering, evolutionary analysis, and force-field calculations has been employed to enhance the catalytic activity of D-lactonohydrolase (D-Lac), which is a pivotal enzyme involved in the resolution of racemic pantolactone during the production of vitamin B5. The best mutant, N96S/A271E/F274Y/F308G (M3), was obtained and its catalytic efficiency (kcat/KM) was nearly 23-fold higher than that of the wild-type. The M3 whole-cell converted 20 % of DL-pantolactone into D-pantoic acid (D-PA, >99 % e.e.) with a conversion rate of 47 % and space-time yield of 107.1 g L-1 h-1, demonstrating its great potential for industrial-scale D-pantothenic acid production. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations revealed that the reduction in the steric hindrance within the substrate tunnel and conformational reconstruction of the distal loop resulted in a more favourable"catalytic" conformation, making it easier for the substrate and enzyme to enter their pre-reaction state. This study illustrates the potential of the distal residue on the pivotal loop at the entrance of the D-Lac substrate tunnel as a novel modification hotspot capable of reshaping energy patterns and consequently influencing the enzymatic activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruobin Sun
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, P. R. China
| | - Pu Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, P. R. China
| | - Pengcheng Chen
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, P. R. China
| | - Dan Wu
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, P. R. China
| | - Jiangmei Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, P. R. China
| | - Xueyu Liu
- Hangzhou Xinfu Technology Co., Ltd., Hangzhou, 311301, P. R. China
| | - Yunxiang Hu
- Hangzhou Xinfu Technology Co., Ltd., Hangzhou, 311301, P. R. China
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9
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Wang X, Li A, Li X, Cui H. Empowering Protein Engineering through Recombination of Beneficial Substitutions. Chemistry 2024; 30:e202303889. [PMID: 38288640 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202303889] [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: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
Directed evolution stands as a seminal technology for generating novel protein functionalities, a cornerstone in biocatalysis, metabolic engineering, and synthetic biology. Today, with the development of various mutagenesis methods and advanced analytical machines, the challenge of diversity generation and high-throughput screening platforms is largely solved, and one of the remaining challenges is: how to empower the potential of single beneficial substitutions with recombination to achieve the epistatic effect. This review overviews experimental and computer-assisted recombination methods in protein engineering campaigns. In addition, integrated and machine learning-guided strategies were highlighted to discuss how these recombination approaches contribute to generating the screening library with better diversity, coverage, and size. A decision tree was finally summarized to guide the further selection of proper recombination strategies in practice, which was beneficial for accelerating protein engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyue Wang
- School of Food Science and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, No. 2 Xuelin Road, Nanjing, 210097, China
| | - Anni Li
- School of Food Science and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, No. 2 Xuelin Road, Nanjing, 210097, China
| | - Xiujuan Li
- School of Food Science and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, No. 2 Xuelin Road, Nanjing, 210097, China
| | - Haiyang Cui
- School of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, No. 2 Xuelin Road, Nanjing, 210097, China
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10
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Swint-Kruse L, Fenton AW. Rheostats, toggles, and neutrals, Oh my! A new framework for understanding how amino acid changes modulate protein function. J Biol Chem 2024; 300:105736. [PMID: 38336297 PMCID: PMC10914490 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2024.105736] [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: 11/15/2023] [Revised: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Advances in personalized medicine and protein engineering require accurately predicting outcomes of amino acid substitutions. Many algorithms correctly predict that evolutionarily-conserved positions show "toggle" substitution phenotypes, which is defined when a few substitutions at that position retain function. In contrast, predictions often fail for substitutions at the less-studied "rheostat" positions, which are defined when different amino acid substitutions at a position sample at least half of the possible functional range. This review describes efforts to understand the impact and significance of rheostat positions: (1) They have been observed in globular soluble, integral membrane, and intrinsically disordered proteins; within single proteins, their prevalence can be up to 40%. (2) Substitutions at rheostat positions can have biological consequences and ∼10% of substitutions gain function. (3) Although both rheostat and "neutral" (defined when all substitutions exhibit wild-type function) positions are nonconserved, the two classes have different evolutionary signatures. (4) Some rheostat positions have pleiotropic effects on function, simultaneously modulating multiple parameters (e.g., altering both affinity and allosteric coupling). (5) In structural studies, substitutions at rheostat positions appear to cause only local perturbations; the overall conformations appear unchanged. (6) Measured functional changes show promising correlations with predicted changes in protein dynamics; the emergent properties of predicted, dynamically coupled amino acid networks might explain some of the complex functional outcomes observed when substituting rheostat positions. Overall, rheostat positions provide unique opportunities for using single substitutions to tune protein function. Future studies of these positions will yield important insights into the protein sequence/function relationship.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liskin Swint-Kruse
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas, USA.
| | - Aron W Fenton
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas, USA
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11
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Yehorova D, Crean RM, Kasson PM, Kamerlin SCL. Key interaction networks: Identifying evolutionarily conserved non-covalent interaction networks across protein families. Protein Sci 2024; 33:e4911. [PMID: 38358258 PMCID: PMC10868456 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4911] [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: 11/03/2023] [Revised: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
Protein structure (and thus function) is dictated by non-covalent interaction networks. These can be highly evolutionarily conserved across protein families, the members of which can diverge in sequence and evolutionary history. Here we present KIN, a tool to identify and analyze conserved non-covalent interaction networks across evolutionarily related groups of proteins. KIN is available for download under a GNU General Public License, version 2, from https://www.github.com/kamerlinlab/KIN. KIN can operate on experimentally determined structures, predicted structures, or molecular dynamics trajectories, providing insight into both conserved and missing interactions across evolutionarily related proteins. This provides useful insight both into protein evolution, as well as a tool that can be exploited for protein engineering efforts. As a showcase system, we demonstrate applications of this tool to understanding the evolutionary-relevant conserved interaction networks across the class A β-lactamases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dariia Yehorova
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of TechnologyAtlantaGeorgiaUSA
| | - Rory M. Crean
- Department of Chemistry—BMCUppsala UniversityUppsalaSweden
| | - Peter M. Kasson
- Department of Molecular PhysiologyUniversity of VirginiaCharlottesvilleVirginiaUSA
- Department Biomedical EngineeringUniversity of VirginiaCharlottesvilleVirginiaUSA
- Department of Cell and Molecular BiologyUppsala UniversityUppsalaSweden
| | - Shina C. L. Kamerlin
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of TechnologyAtlantaGeorgiaUSA
- Department of Chemistry—BMCUppsala UniversityUppsalaSweden
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12
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Yang J, Li FZ, Arnold FH. Opportunities and Challenges for Machine Learning-Assisted Enzyme Engineering. ACS CENTRAL SCIENCE 2024; 10:226-241. [PMID: 38435522 PMCID: PMC10906252 DOI: 10.1021/acscentsci.3c01275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Revised: 12/26/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
Enzymes can be engineered at the level of their amino acid sequences to optimize key properties such as expression, stability, substrate range, and catalytic efficiency-or even to unlock new catalytic activities not found in nature. Because the search space of possible proteins is vast, enzyme engineering usually involves discovering an enzyme starting point that has some level of the desired activity followed by directed evolution to improve its "fitness" for a desired application. Recently, machine learning (ML) has emerged as a powerful tool to complement this empirical process. ML models can contribute to (1) starting point discovery by functional annotation of known protein sequences or generating novel protein sequences with desired functions and (2) navigating protein fitness landscapes for fitness optimization by learning mappings between protein sequences and their associated fitness values. In this Outlook, we explain how ML complements enzyme engineering and discuss its future potential to unlock improved engineering outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason Yang
- Division
of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California
Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125, United States
| | - Francesca-Zhoufan Li
- Division
of Biology and Biological Engineering, California
Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125, United States
| | - Frances H. Arnold
- Division
of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California
Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125, United States
- Division
of Biology and Biological Engineering, California
Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125, United States
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13
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Huang J, Xie X, Zheng W, Xu L, Yan J, Wu Y, Yang M, Yan Y. In silico design of multipoint mutants for enhanced performance of Thermomyces lanuginosus lipase for efficient biodiesel production. BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR BIOFUELS AND BIOPRODUCTS 2024; 17:33. [PMID: 38402206 PMCID: PMC10894483 DOI: 10.1186/s13068-024-02478-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/26/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Biodiesel, an emerging sustainable and renewable clean energy, has garnered considerable attention as an alternative to fossil fuels. Although lipases are promising catalysts for biodiesel production, their efficiency in industrial-scale application still requires improvement. RESULTS In this study, a novel strategy for multi-site mutagenesis in the binding pocket was developed via FuncLib (for mutant enzyme design) and Rosetta Cartesian_ddg (for free energy calculation) to improve the reaction rate and yield of lipase-catalyzed biodiesel production. Thermomyces lanuginosus lipase (TLL) with high activity and thermostability was obtained using the Pichia pastoris expression system. The specific activities of the mutants M11 and M21 (each with 5 and 4 mutations) were 1.50- and 3.10-fold higher, respectively, than those of the wild-type (wt-TLL). Their corresponding melting temperature profiles increased by 10.53 and 6.01 °C, [Formula: see text] (the temperature at which the activity is reduced to 50% after 15 min incubation) increased from 60.88 to 68.46 °C and 66.30 °C, and the optimum temperatures shifted from 45 to 50 °C. After incubation in 60% methanol for 1 h, the mutants M11 and M21 retained more than 60% activity, and 45% higher activity than that of wt-TLL. Molecular dynamics simulations indicated that the increase in thermostability could be explained by reduced atomic fluctuation, and the improved catalytic properties were attributed to a reduced binding free energy and newly formed hydrophobic interaction. Yields of biodiesel production catalyzed by mutants M11 and M21 for 48 h at an elevated temperature (50 °C) were 94.03% and 98.56%, respectively, markedly higher than that of the wt-TLL (88.56%) at its optimal temperature (45 °C) by transesterification of soybean oil. CONCLUSIONS An integrating strategy was first adopted to realize the co-evolution of catalytic efficiency and thermostability of lipase. Two promising mutants M11 and M21 with excellent properties exhibited great potential for practical applications for in biodiesel production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinsha Huang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaoman Xie
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
| | - Wanlin Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
| | - Li Xu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, People's Republic of China.
| | - Jinyong Yan
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
| | - Ying Wu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
| | - Min Yang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
| | - Yunjun Yan
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, People's Republic of China.
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14
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Nam K, Shao Y, Major DT, Wolf-Watz M. Perspectives on Computational Enzyme Modeling: From Mechanisms to Design and Drug Development. ACS OMEGA 2024; 9:7393-7412. [PMID: 38405524 PMCID: PMC10883025 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c09084] [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: 11/14/2023] [Revised: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
Understanding enzyme mechanisms is essential for unraveling the complex molecular machinery of life. In this review, we survey the field of computational enzymology, highlighting key principles governing enzyme mechanisms and discussing ongoing challenges and promising advances. Over the years, computer simulations have become indispensable in the study of enzyme mechanisms, with the integration of experimental and computational exploration now established as a holistic approach to gain deep insights into enzymatic catalysis. Numerous studies have demonstrated the power of computer simulations in characterizing reaction pathways, transition states, substrate selectivity, product distribution, and dynamic conformational changes for various enzymes. Nevertheless, significant challenges remain in investigating the mechanisms of complex multistep reactions, large-scale conformational changes, and allosteric regulation. Beyond mechanistic studies, computational enzyme modeling has emerged as an essential tool for computer-aided enzyme design and the rational discovery of covalent drugs for targeted therapies. Overall, enzyme design/engineering and covalent drug development can greatly benefit from our understanding of the detailed mechanisms of enzymes, such as protein dynamics, entropy contributions, and allostery, as revealed by computational studies. Such a convergence of different research approaches is expected to continue, creating synergies in enzyme research. This review, by outlining the ever-expanding field of enzyme research, aims to provide guidance for future research directions and facilitate new developments in this important and evolving field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kwangho Nam
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University
of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas 76019, United States
| | - Yihan Shao
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University
of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma 73019-5251, United States
| | - Dan T. Major
- Department
of Chemistry and Institute for Nanotechnology & Advanced Materials, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan 52900, Israel
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15
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Melnik TN, Majorina MA, Vorobeva DE, Nagibina GS, Veselova VR, Glukhova KA, Pak MA, Ivankov DN, Uversky VN, Melnik BS. Design of stable circular permutants of the GroEL chaperone apical domain. Cell Commun Signal 2024; 22:90. [PMID: 38303060 PMCID: PMC10836027 DOI: 10.1186/s12964-023-01426-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Enhancing protein stability holds paramount significance in biotechnology, therapeutics, and the food industry. Circular permutations offer a distinctive avenue for manipulating protein stability while keeping intra-protein interactions intact. Amidst the creation of circular permutants, determining the optimal placement of the new N- and C-termini stands as a pivotal, albeit largely unexplored, endeavor. In this study, we employed PONDR-FIT's predictions of disorder propensity to guide the design of circular permutants for the GroEL apical domain (residues 191-345). Our underlying hypothesis posited that a higher predicted disorder value would correspond to reduced stability in the circular permutants, owing to the increased likelihood of fluctuations in the novel N- and C-termini. To substantiate this hypothesis, we engineered six circular permutants, positioning glycines within the loops as locations for the new N- and C-termini. We demonstrated the validity of our hypothesis along the set of the designed circular permutants, as supported by measurements of melting temperatures by circular dichroism and differential scanning microcalorimetry. Consequently, we propose a novel computational methodology that rationalizes the design of circular permutants with projected stability. Video Abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatiana N Melnik
- Institute of Protein Research, Russian Academy of Sciences, Institutskaja Str. 4, Pushchino, Moscow Region, 142290, Russia
| | - Maria A Majorina
- Institute of Protein Research, Russian Academy of Sciences, Institutskaja Str. 4, Pushchino, Moscow Region, 142290, Russia
| | - Daria E Vorobeva
- Institute of Protein Research, Russian Academy of Sciences, Institutskaja Str. 4, Pushchino, Moscow Region, 142290, Russia
| | - Galina S Nagibina
- Institute of Protein Research, Russian Academy of Sciences, Institutskaja Str. 4, Pushchino, Moscow Region, 142290, Russia
| | - Victoria R Veselova
- Institute of Protein Research, Russian Academy of Sciences, Institutskaja Str. 4, Pushchino, Moscow Region, 142290, Russia
| | - Ksenia A Glukhova
- Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Biophysics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Institutskaja Str. 3, Puschino, Moscow Region, 142290, Russia
| | - Marina A Pak
- Center for Molecular and Cellular Biology, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Bolshoy Boulevard 30, Bld. 1, Moscow, 121205, Russia
| | - Dmitry N Ivankov
- Center for Molecular and Cellular Biology, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Bolshoy Boulevard 30, Bld. 1, Moscow, 121205, Russia
| | - Vladimir N Uversky
- Department of Molecular Medicine and USF Health Byrd Alzheimer's Center and Research Institute, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA.
- Research Center for Molecular Mechanisms of Aging and Age-Related Diseases, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Dolgoprudny, Russia.
| | - Bogdan S Melnik
- Institute of Protein Research, Russian Academy of Sciences, Institutskaja Str. 4, Pushchino, Moscow Region, 142290, Russia.
- Pushchino Branch, Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Prospekt Nauki 6, Pushchino, Moscow Region, 142290, Russia.
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16
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Wahhab BH, Oyewusi HA, Wahab RA, Mohammad Hood MH, Abdul Hamid AA, Al-Nimer MS, Edbeib MF, Kaya Y, Huyop F. Comparative modeling and enzymatic affinity of novel haloacid dehalogenase from Bacillus megaterium strain BHS1 isolated from alkaline Blue Lake in Turkey. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2024; 42:1429-1442. [PMID: 37038649 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2023.2199870] [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: 08/13/2022] [Accepted: 04/01/2023] [Indexed: 04/12/2023]
Abstract
This study presents the initial structural model of L-haloacid dehalogenase (DehLBHS1) from Bacillus megaterium BHS1, an alkalotolerant bacterium known for its ability to degrade halogenated environmental pollutants. The model provides insights into the structural features of DehLBHS1 and expands our understanding of the enzymatic mechanisms involved in the degradation of these hazardous pollutants. Key amino acid residues (Arg40, Phe59, Asn118, Asn176, and Trp178) in DehLBHS1 were identified to play critical roles in catalysis and molecular recognition of haloalkanoic acid, essential for efficient binding and transformation of haloalkanoic acid molecules. DehLBHS1 was modeled using I-TASSER, yielding a best TM-score of 0.986 and an RMSD of 0.53 Å. Validation of the model using PROCHECK revealed that 89.2% of the residues were located in the most favored region, providing confidence in its structural accuracy. Molecular docking simulations showed that the non-simulated DehLBHS1 preferred 2,2DCP over other substrates, forming one hydrogen bond with Arg40 and exhibiting a minimum energy of -2.5 kJ/mol. The simulated DehLBHS1 exhibited a minimum energy of -4.3 kJ/mol and formed four hydrogen bonds with Arg40, Asn176, Asp9, and Tyr11, further confirming the preference for 2,2DCP. Molecular dynamics simulations supported this preference, based on various metrics, including RMSD, RMSF, gyration, hydrogen bonding, and molecular distance. MM-PBSA calculations showed that the DehLBHS1-2,2-DCP complex had a markedly lower binding energy (-21.363 ± 1.26 kcal/mol) than the DehLBHS1-3CP complex (-14.327 ± 1.738 kcal/mol). This finding has important implications for the substrate specificity and catalytic function of DehLBHS1, particularly in the bioremediation of 2,2-DCP in contaminated alkaline environments. These results provide a detailed view of the molecular interactions between the enzyme and its substrate and may aid in the development of more efficient biocatalytic strategies for the degradation of halogenated compounds.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Batool Hazim Wahhab
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Mustansiriyah University, Iraq
- Department of Biosciences, Faculty of Science, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Malaysia
| | - Habeebat Adekilekun Oyewusi
- Department of Biosciences, Faculty of Science, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Malaysia
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Science and Computer Studies, Federal Polytechnic Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria
| | - Roswanira Abdul Wahab
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Malaysia
| | - Mohammad Hakim Mohammad Hood
- Department of Biotechnology, Kulliyah of Science, International Islamic University Malaysia, Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia
| | - Azzmer Azzar Abdul Hamid
- Department of Biotechnology, Kulliyah of Science, International Islamic University Malaysia, Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia
| | - Marwan Salih Al-Nimer
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, University of Diyala, Baqubah, Iraq
| | - Mohamed Faraj Edbeib
- Department of Medical Laboratories, Faculty of Medical Technology, Bani Walid University, Libya
| | - Yilmaz Kaya
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Kyrgyz-Turkish Manas University, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, Ondokuz Mayis University, Samsun, Turkey
| | - Fahrul Huyop
- Department of Biosciences, Faculty of Science, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Malaysia
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17
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Radley E, Davidson J, Foster J, Obexer R, Bell EL, Green AP. Engineering Enzymes for Environmental Sustainability. ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2023; 135:e202309305. [PMID: 38516574 PMCID: PMC10952289 DOI: 10.1002/ange.202309305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2024]
Abstract
The development and implementation of sustainable catalytic technologies is key to delivering our net-zero targets. Here we review how engineered enzymes, with a focus on those developed using directed evolution, can be deployed to improve the sustainability of numerous processes and help to conserve our environment. Efficient and robust biocatalysts have been engineered to capture carbon dioxide (CO2) and have been embedded into new efficient metabolic CO2 fixation pathways. Enzymes have been refined for bioremediation, enhancing their ability to degrade toxic and harmful pollutants. Biocatalytic recycling is gaining momentum, with engineered cutinases and PETases developed for the depolymerization of the abundant plastic, polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Finally, biocatalytic approaches for accessing petroleum-based feedstocks and chemicals are expanding, using optimized enzymes to convert plant biomass into biofuels or other high value products. Through these examples, we hope to illustrate how enzyme engineering and biocatalysis can contribute to the development of cleaner and more efficient chemical industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Radley
- Department of Chemistry & Manchester Institute of Biotechnology The University of Manchester 131 Princess Street Manchester M1 7DN UK
| | - John Davidson
- Department of Chemistry & Manchester Institute of Biotechnology The University of Manchester 131 Princess Street Manchester M1 7DN UK
| | - Jake Foster
- Department of Chemistry & Manchester Institute of Biotechnology The University of Manchester 131 Princess Street Manchester M1 7DN UK
| | - Richard Obexer
- Department of Chemistry & Manchester Institute of Biotechnology The University of Manchester 131 Princess Street Manchester M1 7DN UK
| | - Elizabeth L Bell
- Renewable Resources and Enabling Sciences Center National Renewable Energy Laboratory Golden CO USA
- BOTTLE Consortium Golden CO USA
| | - Anthony P Green
- Department of Chemistry & Manchester Institute of Biotechnology The University of Manchester 131 Princess Street Manchester M1 7DN UK
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18
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Radley E, Davidson J, Foster J, Obexer R, Bell EL, Green AP. Engineering Enzymes for Environmental Sustainability. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2023; 62:e202309305. [PMID: 37651344 PMCID: PMC10952156 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202309305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Revised: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
The development and implementation of sustainable catalytic technologies is key to delivering our net-zero targets. Here we review how engineered enzymes, with a focus on those developed using directed evolution, can be deployed to improve the sustainability of numerous processes and help to conserve our environment. Efficient and robust biocatalysts have been engineered to capture carbon dioxide (CO2 ) and have been embedded into new efficient metabolic CO2 fixation pathways. Enzymes have been refined for bioremediation, enhancing their ability to degrade toxic and harmful pollutants. Biocatalytic recycling is gaining momentum, with engineered cutinases and PETases developed for the depolymerization of the abundant plastic, polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Finally, biocatalytic approaches for accessing petroleum-based feedstocks and chemicals are expanding, using optimized enzymes to convert plant biomass into biofuels or other high value products. Through these examples, we hope to illustrate how enzyme engineering and biocatalysis can contribute to the development of cleaner and more efficient chemical industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Radley
- Department of Chemistry & Manchester Institute of BiotechnologyThe University of Manchester131 Princess StreetManchesterM1 7DNUK
| | - John Davidson
- Department of Chemistry & Manchester Institute of BiotechnologyThe University of Manchester131 Princess StreetManchesterM1 7DNUK
| | - Jake Foster
- Department of Chemistry & Manchester Institute of BiotechnologyThe University of Manchester131 Princess StreetManchesterM1 7DNUK
| | - Richard Obexer
- Department of Chemistry & Manchester Institute of BiotechnologyThe University of Manchester131 Princess StreetManchesterM1 7DNUK
| | - Elizabeth L. Bell
- Renewable Resources and Enabling Sciences CenterNational Renewable Energy LaboratoryGoldenCOUSA
- BOTTLE ConsortiumGoldenCOUSA
| | - Anthony P. Green
- Department of Chemistry & Manchester Institute of BiotechnologyThe University of Manchester131 Princess StreetManchesterM1 7DNUK
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19
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Xi C, Diao J, Moon TS. Advances in ligand-specific biosensing for structurally similar molecules. Cell Syst 2023; 14:1024-1043. [PMID: 38128482 PMCID: PMC10751988 DOI: 10.1016/j.cels.2023.10.009] [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: 05/21/2023] [Revised: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
The specificity of biological systems makes it possible to develop biosensors targeting specific metabolites, toxins, and pollutants in complex medical or environmental samples without interference from structurally similar compounds. For the last two decades, great efforts have been devoted to creating proteins or nucleic acids with novel properties through synthetic biology strategies. Beyond augmenting biocatalytic activity, expanding target substrate scopes, and enhancing enzymes' enantioselectivity and stability, an increasing research area is the enhancement of molecular specificity for genetically encoded biosensors. Here, we summarize recent advances in the development of highly specific biosensor systems and their essential applications. First, we describe the rational design principles required to create libraries containing potential mutants with less promiscuity or better specificity. Next, we review the emerging high-throughput screening techniques to engineer biosensing specificity for the desired target. Finally, we examine the computer-aided evaluation and prediction methods to facilitate the construction of ligand-specific biosensors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenggang Xi
- Department of Energy, Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Jinjin Diao
- Department of Energy, Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Tae Seok Moon
- Department of Energy, Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA; Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA.
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20
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Avizemer Z, Martí-Gómez C, Hoch SY, McCandlish DM, Fleishman SJ. Evolutionary paths that link orthogonal pairs of binding proteins. RESEARCH SQUARE 2023:rs.3.rs-2836905. [PMID: 37131620 PMCID: PMC10153392 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-2836905/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Some protein binding pairs exhibit extreme specificities that functionally insulate them from homologs. Such pairs evolve mostly by accumulating single-point mutations, and mutants are selected if their affinity exceeds the threshold required for function1-4. Thus, homologous and high-specificity binding pairs bring to light an evolutionary conundrum: how does a new specificity evolve while maintaining the required affinity in each intermediate5,6? Until now, a fully functional single-mutation path that connects two orthogonal pairs has only been described where the pairs were mutationally close thus enabling experimental enumeration of all intermediates2. We present an atomistic and graph-theoretical framework for discovering low molecular strain single-mutation paths that connect two extant pairs, enabling enumeration beyond experimental capability. We apply it to two orthogonal bacterial colicin endonuclease-immunity pairs separated by 17 interface mutations7. We were not able to find a strain-free and functional path in the sequence space defined by the two extant pairs. But including mutations that bridge amino acids that cannot be exchanged through single-nucleotide mutations led us to a strain-free 19-mutation trajectory that is completely viable in vivo. Our experiments show that the specificity switch is remarkably abrupt, resulting from only one radical mutation on each partner. Furthermore, each of the critical specificity-switch mutations increases fitness, demonstrating that functional divergence could be driven by positive Darwinian selection. These results reveal how even radical functional changes in an epistatic fitness landscape may evolve.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziv Avizemer
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, 7610001, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Carlos Martí-Gómez
- Simons Center for Quantitative Biology, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724
| | - Shlomo Yakir Hoch
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, 7610001, Rehovot, Israel
| | - David M. McCandlish
- Simons Center for Quantitative Biology, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724
| | - Sarel J. Fleishman
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, 7610001, Rehovot, Israel
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21
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Yang ZJ, Shao Q, Jiang Y, Jurich C, Ran X, Juarez RJ, Yan B, Stull SL, Gollu A, Ding N. Mutexa: A Computational Ecosystem for Intelligent Protein Engineering. J Chem Theory Comput 2023; 19:7459-7477. [PMID: 37828731 PMCID: PMC10653112 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.3c00602] [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: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023]
Abstract
Protein engineering holds immense promise in shaping the future of biomedicine and biotechnology. This Review focuses on our ongoing development of Mutexa, a computational ecosystem designed to enable "intelligent protein engineering". In this vision, researchers will seamlessly acquire sequences of protein variants with desired functions as biocatalysts, therapeutic peptides, and diagnostic proteins through a finely-tuned computational machine, akin to Amazon Alexa's role as a versatile virtual assistant. The technical foundation of Mutexa has been established through the development of a database that combines and relates enzyme structures and their respective functions (e.g., IntEnzyDB), workflow software packages that enable high-throughput protein modeling (e.g., EnzyHTP and LassoHTP), and scoring functions that map the sequence-structure-function relationship of proteins (e.g., EnzyKR and DeepLasso). We will showcase the applications of these tools in benchmarking the convergence conditions of enzyme functional descriptors across mutants, investigating protein electrostatics and cavity distributions in SAM-dependent methyltransferases, and understanding the role of nonelectrostatic dynamic effects in enzyme catalysis. Finally, we will conclude by addressing the future steps and fundamental challenges in our endeavor to develop new Mutexa applications that assist the identification of beneficial mutants in protein engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhongyue J. Yang
- Department
of Chemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235, United States
- Center
for Structural Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235, United States
- Vanderbilt
Institute of Chemical Biology, Vanderbilt
University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235, United States
- Department
of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235, United States
- Data
Science Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235, United States
| | - Qianzhen Shao
- Department
of Chemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235, United States
| | - Yaoyukun Jiang
- Department
of Chemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235, United States
| | - Christopher Jurich
- Department
of Chemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235, United States
- Vanderbilt
Institute of Chemical Biology, Vanderbilt
University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235, United States
| | - Xinchun Ran
- Department
of Chemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235, United States
| | - Reecan J. Juarez
- Department
of Chemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235, United States
- Chemical
and Physical Biology Program, Vanderbilt
University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235, United States
| | - Bailu Yan
- Department
of Biostatistics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37205, United States
| | - Sebastian L. Stull
- Department
of Chemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235, United States
| | - Anvita Gollu
- Department
of Chemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235, United States
| | - Ning Ding
- Department
of Chemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235, United States
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22
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Zhang J, Wang H, Luo Z, Yang Z, Zhang Z, Wang P, Li M, Zhang Y, Feng Y, Lu D, Zhu Y. Computational design of highly efficient thermostable MHET hydrolases and dual enzyme system for PET recycling. Commun Biol 2023; 6:1135. [PMID: 37945666 PMCID: PMC10636135 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05523-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Recently developed enzymes for the depolymerization of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) such as FAST-PETase and LCC-ICCG are inhibited by the intermediate PET product mono(2-hydroxyethyl) terephthalate (MHET). Consequently, the conversion of PET enzymatically into its constituent monomers terephthalic acid (TPA) and ethylene glycol (EG) is inefficient. In this study, a protein scaffold (1TQH) corresponding to a thermophilic carboxylesterase (Est30) was selected from the structural database and redesigned in silico. Among designs, a double variant KL-MHETase (I171K/G130L) with a similar protein melting temperature (67.58 °C) to that of the PET hydrolase FAST-PETase (67.80 °C) exhibited a 67-fold higher activity for MHET hydrolysis than FAST-PETase. A fused dual enzyme system comprising KL-MHETase and FAST-PETase exhibited a 2.6-fold faster PET depolymerization rate than FAST-PETase alone. Synergy increased the yield of TPA by 1.64 fold, and its purity in the released aromatic products reached 99.5%. In large reaction systems with 100 g/L substrate concentrations, the dual enzyme system KL36F achieved over 90% PET depolymerization into monomers, demonstrating its potential applicability in the industrial recycling of PET plastics. Therefore, a dual enzyme system can greatly reduce the reaction and separation cost for sustainable enzymatic PET recycling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Zhang
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, China
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Hongzhao Wang
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Zhaorong Luo
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Zhenwu Yang
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Zixuan Zhang
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Pengyu Wang
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Mengyu Li
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Yi Zhang
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Yue Feng
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Diannan Lu
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.
| | - Yushan Zhu
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, China.
- National Energy R&D Center for Biorefinery, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, China.
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23
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Kouba P, Kohout P, Haddadi F, Bushuiev A, Samusevich R, Sedlar J, Damborsky J, Pluskal T, Sivic J, Mazurenko S. Machine Learning-Guided Protein Engineering. ACS Catal 2023; 13:13863-13895. [PMID: 37942269 PMCID: PMC10629210 DOI: 10.1021/acscatal.3c02743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Revised: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023]
Abstract
Recent progress in engineering highly promising biocatalysts has increasingly involved machine learning methods. These methods leverage existing experimental and simulation data to aid in the discovery and annotation of promising enzymes, as well as in suggesting beneficial mutations for improving known targets. The field of machine learning for protein engineering is gathering steam, driven by recent success stories and notable progress in other areas. It already encompasses ambitious tasks such as understanding and predicting protein structure and function, catalytic efficiency, enantioselectivity, protein dynamics, stability, solubility, aggregation, and more. Nonetheless, the field is still evolving, with many challenges to overcome and questions to address. In this Perspective, we provide an overview of ongoing trends in this domain, highlight recent case studies, and examine the current limitations of machine learning-based methods. We emphasize the crucial importance of thorough experimental validation of emerging models before their use for rational protein design. We present our opinions on the fundamental problems and outline the potential directions for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petr Kouba
- Loschmidt
Laboratories, Department of Experimental Biology and RECETOX, Faculty
of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00 Brno, Czech
Republic
- Czech Institute
of Informatics, Robotics and Cybernetics, Czech Technical University in Prague, Jugoslavskych partyzanu 1580/3, 160 00 Prague 6, Czech Republic
- Faculty of
Electrical Engineering, Czech Technical
University in Prague, Technicka 2, 166 27 Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Pavel Kohout
- Loschmidt
Laboratories, Department of Experimental Biology and RECETOX, Faculty
of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00 Brno, Czech
Republic
- International
Clinical Research Center, St. Anne’s
University Hospital Brno, Pekarska 53, 656 91 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Faraneh Haddadi
- Loschmidt
Laboratories, Department of Experimental Biology and RECETOX, Faculty
of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00 Brno, Czech
Republic
- International
Clinical Research Center, St. Anne’s
University Hospital Brno, Pekarska 53, 656 91 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Anton Bushuiev
- Czech Institute
of Informatics, Robotics and Cybernetics, Czech Technical University in Prague, Jugoslavskych partyzanu 1580/3, 160 00 Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Raman Samusevich
- Czech Institute
of Informatics, Robotics and Cybernetics, Czech Technical University in Prague, Jugoslavskych partyzanu 1580/3, 160 00 Prague 6, Czech Republic
- Institute
of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo nám. 2, 160 00 Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Jiri Sedlar
- Czech Institute
of Informatics, Robotics and Cybernetics, Czech Technical University in Prague, Jugoslavskych partyzanu 1580/3, 160 00 Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Jiri Damborsky
- Loschmidt
Laboratories, Department of Experimental Biology and RECETOX, Faculty
of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00 Brno, Czech
Republic
- International
Clinical Research Center, St. Anne’s
University Hospital Brno, Pekarska 53, 656 91 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Tomas Pluskal
- Institute
of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo nám. 2, 160 00 Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Josef Sivic
- Czech Institute
of Informatics, Robotics and Cybernetics, Czech Technical University in Prague, Jugoslavskych partyzanu 1580/3, 160 00 Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Stanislav Mazurenko
- Loschmidt
Laboratories, Department of Experimental Biology and RECETOX, Faculty
of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00 Brno, Czech
Republic
- International
Clinical Research Center, St. Anne’s
University Hospital Brno, Pekarska 53, 656 91 Brno, Czech Republic
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24
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Dym O, Aggarwal N, Ashani Y, Leader H, Albeck S, Unger T, Hamer-Rogotner S, Silman I, Tawfik DS, Sussman JL. The impact of molecular variants, crystallization conditions and the space group on ligand-protein complexes: a case study on bacterial phosphotriesterase. Acta Crystallogr D Struct Biol 2023; 79:992-1009. [PMID: 37860961 PMCID: PMC10619419 DOI: 10.1107/s2059798323007672] [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: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 09/03/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023] Open
Abstract
A bacterial phosphotriesterase was employed as an experimental paradigm to examine the effects of multiple factors, such as the molecular constructs, the ligands used during protein expression and purification, the crystallization conditions and the space group, on the visualization of molecular complexes of ligands with a target enzyme. In this case, the ligands used were organophosphates that are fragments of the nerve agents and insecticides on which the enzyme acts as a bioscavenger. 12 crystal structures of various phosphotriesterase constructs obtained by directed evolution were analyzed, with resolutions of up to 1.38 Å. Both apo forms and holo forms, complexed with the organophosphate ligands, were studied. Crystals obtained from three different crystallization conditions, crystallized in four space groups, with and without N-terminal tags, were utilized to investigate the impact of these factors on visualizing the organophosphate complexes of the enzyme. The study revealed that the tags used for protein expression can lodge in the active site and hinder ligand binding. Furthermore, the space group in which the protein crystallizes can significantly impact the visualization of bound ligands. It was also observed that the crystallization precipitants can compete with, and even preclude, ligand binding, leading to false positives or to the incorrect identification of lead drug candidates. One of the co-crystallization conditions enabled the definition of the spaces that accommodate the substituents attached to the P atom of several products of organophosphate substrates after detachment of the leaving group. The crystal structures of the complexes of phosphotriesterase with the organophosphate products reveal similar short interaction distances of the two partially charged O atoms of the P-O bonds with the exposed β-Zn2+ ion and the buried α-Zn2+ ion. This suggests that both Zn2+ ions have a role in stabilizing the transition state for substrate hydrolysis. Overall, this study provides valuable insights into the challenges and considerations involved in studying the crystal structures of ligand-protein complexes, highlighting the importance of careful experimental design and rigorous data analysis in ensuring the accuracy and reliability of the resulting phosphotriesterase-organophosphate structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Orly Dym
- Department of Life Sciences Core Facilities, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Nidhi Aggarwal
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Yacov Ashani
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Haim Leader
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Shira Albeck
- Department of Life Sciences Core Facilities, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Tamar Unger
- Department of Life Sciences Core Facilities, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Shelly Hamer-Rogotner
- Department of Life Sciences Core Facilities, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Israel Silman
- Department of Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Dan S. Tawfik
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Joel L. Sussman
- Department of Chemical and Structural Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
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25
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Zhao L, Xu Y, Chen M, Wu L, Li M, Lu Y, Lu M, Chen Y, Wu X. Design of a chimeric glycosyltransferase OleD for the site-specific O-monoglycosylation of 3-hydroxypyridine in nosiheptide. Microb Biotechnol 2023; 16:1971-1984. [PMID: 37606280 PMCID: PMC10527214 DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.14332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Revised: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/23/2023] Open
Abstract
To identify the potential role of the 3-hydroxyl group of the pyridine ring in nosiheptide (NOS) for its antibacterial activity against Gram-positive pathogens, enzymatic glycosylation was utilized to regio-selectively create a monoglycosyl NOS derivative, NOS-G. For this purpose, we selected OleD, a UDP glycosyltransferase from Streptomyces antibioticus that has a low productivity for NOS-G. Activity of the enzyme was increased by swapping domains derived from OleI, both single and in combination. Activity enhancement was best in mutant OleD-10 that contained four OleI domains. This chimer was engineered by site-directed mutagenesis (single and in combination) to increase its activity further, whereby variants were screened using a newly-established colorimetric assay. OleD-10 with I117F and T118G substitutions (FG) had an increased NOS-G productivity of 56%, approximately 70 times higher than that of wild-type OleD. The reason for improved activity of FG towards NOS was structurally attributed to a closer distance (<3 Å) between NOS/sugar donor and the catalytic amino acid H25. The engineered enzyme allowed sufficient activity to demonstrate that the produced NOS-G had enhanced stability and aqueous solubility compared to NOS. Using a murine MRSA infection model, it was established that NOS-G resulted in partial protection within 20 h of administration and delayed the death of infected mice. We conclude that 3-hydroxypyridine is a promising site for structural modification of NOS, which may pave the way for producing nosiheptide derivatives as a potential antibiotic for application in clinical treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling Zhao
- Laboratory of Chemical BiologyCollege of Life Sciences and Technology, China Pharmaceutical UniversityNanjingJiangsu ProvincePR China
| | - Yuncong Xu
- Department of BiochemistryCollege of Life Sciences and Technology, China Pharmaceutical UniversityNanjingJiangsu ProvincePR China
| | - Manting Chen
- Department of BiochemistryCollege of Life Sciences and Technology, China Pharmaceutical UniversityNanjingJiangsu ProvincePR China
| | - Lingrui Wu
- Department of BiochemistryCollege of Life Sciences and Technology, China Pharmaceutical UniversityNanjingJiangsu ProvincePR China
| | - Meng Li
- Laboratory of Chemical BiologyCollege of Life Sciences and Technology, China Pharmaceutical UniversityNanjingJiangsu ProvincePR China
| | - Yuanyuan Lu
- Department of Marine PharmacyCollege of Life Sciences and Technology, China Pharmaceutical UniversityNanjingJiangsu ProvincePR China
| | - Meiling Lu
- Department of BiochemistryCollege of Life Sciences and Technology, China Pharmaceutical UniversityNanjingJiangsu ProvincePR China
| | - Yijun Chen
- Laboratory of Chemical BiologyCollege of Life Sciences and Technology, China Pharmaceutical UniversityNanjingJiangsu ProvincePR China
| | - Xuri Wu
- Department of BiochemistryCollege of Life Sciences and Technology, China Pharmaceutical UniversityNanjingJiangsu ProvincePR China
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26
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Patsch D, Eichenberger M, Voss M, Bornscheuer UT, Buller RM. LibGENiE - A bioinformatic pipeline for the design of information-enriched enzyme libraries. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2023; 21:4488-4496. [PMID: 37736300 PMCID: PMC10510078 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2023.09.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Revised: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Enzymes are potent catalysts with high specificity and selectivity. To leverage nature's synthetic potential for industrial applications, various protein engineering techniques have emerged which allow to tailor the catalytic, biophysical, and molecular recognition properties of enzymes. However, the many possible ways a protein can be altered forces researchers to carefully balance between the exhaustiveness of an enzyme screening campaign and the required resources. Consequently, the optimal engineering strategy is often defined on a case-by-case basis. Strikingly, while predicting mutations that lead to an improved target function is challenging, here we show that the prediction and exclusion of deleterious mutations is a much more straightforward task as analyzed for an engineered carbonic acid anhydrase, a transaminase, a squalene-hopene cyclase and a Kemp eliminase. Combining such a pre-selection of allowed residues with advanced gene synthesis methods opens a path toward an efficient and generalizable library construction approach for protein engineering. To give researchers easy access to this methodology, we provide the website LibGENiE containing the bioinformatic tools for the library design workflow.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Patsch
- Zurich University of Applied Sciences, School of Life Sciences and Facility Management, Institute of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Einsiedlerstrasse 31, 8820 Wädenswil, Switzerland
- Institute of Biochemistry, Department of Biotechnology & Enzyme Catalysis, Greifswald University, Felix-Hausdorff-Strasse 4, 17487 Greifswald, Germany
| | - Michael Eichenberger
- Zurich University of Applied Sciences, School of Life Sciences and Facility Management, Institute of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Einsiedlerstrasse 31, 8820 Wädenswil, Switzerland
| | - Moritz Voss
- Zurich University of Applied Sciences, School of Life Sciences and Facility Management, Institute of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Einsiedlerstrasse 31, 8820 Wädenswil, Switzerland
| | - Uwe T. Bornscheuer
- Institute of Biochemistry, Department of Biotechnology & Enzyme Catalysis, Greifswald University, Felix-Hausdorff-Strasse 4, 17487 Greifswald, Germany
| | - Rebecca M. Buller
- Zurich University of Applied Sciences, School of Life Sciences and Facility Management, Institute of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Einsiedlerstrasse 31, 8820 Wädenswil, Switzerland
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27
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Shao Q, Jiang Y, Yang ZJ. EnzyHTP Computational Directed Evolution with Adaptive Resource Allocation. J Chem Inf Model 2023; 63:5650-5659. [PMID: 37611241 PMCID: PMC11211066 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.3c00618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/25/2023]
Abstract
Directed evolution facilitates enzyme engineering via iterative rounds of mutagenesis. Despite the wide applications of high-throughput screening, building "smart libraries" to effectively identify beneficial variants remains a major challenge in the community. Here, we developed a new computational directed evolution protocol based on EnzyHTP, a software that we have previously reported to automate enzyme modeling. To enhance the throughput efficiency, we implemented an adaptive resource allocation strategy that dynamically allocates different types of computing resources (e.g., GPU/CPU) based on the specific need of an enzyme modeling subtask in the workflow. We implemented the strategy as a Python library and tested the library using fluoroacetate dehalogenase as a model enzyme. The results show that compared to fixed resource allocation where both CPU and GPU are on-call for use during the entire workflow, applying adaptive resource allocation can save 87% CPU hours and 14% GPU hours. Furthermore, we constructed a computational directed evolution protocol under the framework of adaptive resource allocation. The workflow was tested against two rounds of mutational screening in the directed evolution experiments of Kemp eliminase (KE07) with a total of 184 mutants. Using folding stability and electrostatic stabilization energy as computational readout, we identified all four experimentally observed target variants. Enabled by the workflow, the entire computation task (i.e., 18.4 μs MD and 18,400 QM single-point calculations) completes in 3 days of wall-clock time using ∼30 GPUs and ∼1000 CPUs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qianzhen Shao
- Department of Chemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235, United States
| | - Yaoyukun Jiang
- Department of Chemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235, United States
| | - Zhongyue J. Yang
- Department of Chemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235, United States
- Center for Structural Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235, United States
- Vanderbilt Institute of Chemical Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235, United States
- Data Science Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235, United States
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235, United States
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28
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Zhao M, Zhou B, Jia X, Wang M, Liu Z, Zheng Y. Increasing catalytic efficiency of SceCPR by semi-rational engineering towards the asymmetric reduction of D-pantolactone. J Biotechnol 2023; 373:34-41. [PMID: 37392996 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiotec.2023.06.007] [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: 03/30/2023] [Revised: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/03/2023]
Abstract
D-pantolactone (D-PL) is one of the important chiral intermediates in the synthesis of D-pantothenic acid. Our previous study has revealed that ketopantolactone (KPL) reductase in Saccharomyces cerevisiae (SceCPR) could asymmetrically reduce KPL to D-PL with a relatively weak activity. In this study, engineering of SceCPR was performed using a semi-rational design to enhance its catalytic activity. Based on the computer-aided design including phylogenetic analysis and molecular dynamics simulation, Ser158, Asn159, Gln180, Tyr208, Tyr298 and Trp299 were identified as the potential sites. Semi-saturation, single and combined-site mutagenesis was performed on all six residues, and several mutants with improved enzymatic activities were obtained. Among them, the mutant SceCPRS158A/Y298H exhibited the highest catalytic efficiency in which the kcat/Km value is 2466.22 s-1·mM-1, 18.5 times higher than that of SceCPR. The 3D structural analysis showed that the mutant SceCPRS158A/Y298H had an expanded and increased hydrophilicity catalytic pocket, and an enhanced π-π interaction which could contribute to faster conversion efficiency and higher catalytic rate. The whole cell system containing SceCPRS158A/Y298H and glucose dehydrogenase (GDH), under the optimized condition, could reduce 490.21 mM D-PL with e.e.≧ 99%, conversion rate = 98%, and the space-time yield = 382.80 g·L-1·d-1, which is the highest level reported so far.
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Affiliation(s)
- Man Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Synthesis of Zhejiang Province, College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, People's Republic of China; The National and Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Biomanufacturing of Chiral Chemicals, College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, People's Republic of China
| | - Bin Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Synthesis of Zhejiang Province, College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, People's Republic of China; The National and Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Biomanufacturing of Chiral Chemicals, College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaoli Jia
- Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Synthesis of Zhejiang Province, College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, People's Republic of China; The National and Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Biomanufacturing of Chiral Chemicals, College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, People's Republic of China
| | - Meinan Wang
- Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Synthesis of Zhejiang Province, College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, People's Republic of China; The National and Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Biomanufacturing of Chiral Chemicals, College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhiqiang Liu
- Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Synthesis of Zhejiang Province, College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, People's Republic of China; The National and Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Biomanufacturing of Chiral Chemicals, College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, People's Republic of China.
| | - Yuguo Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Synthesis of Zhejiang Province, College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, People's Republic of China; The National and Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Biomanufacturing of Chiral Chemicals, College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, People's Republic of China
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29
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McConnell A, Hackel BJ. Protein engineering via sequence-performance mapping. Cell Syst 2023; 14:656-666. [PMID: 37494931 PMCID: PMC10527434 DOI: 10.1016/j.cels.2023.06.009] [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: 02/27/2023] [Revised: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023]
Abstract
Discovery and evolution of new and improved proteins has empowered molecular therapeutics, diagnostics, and industrial biotechnology. Discovery and evolution both require efficient screens and effective libraries, although they differ in their challenges because of the absence or presence, respectively, of an initial protein variant with the desired function. A host of high-throughput technologies-experimental and computational-enable efficient screens to identify performant protein variants. In partnership, an informed search of sequence space is needed to overcome the immensity, sparsity, and complexity of the sequence-performance landscape. Early in the historical trajectory of protein engineering, these elements aligned with distinct approaches to identify the most performant sequence: selection from large, randomized combinatorial libraries versus rational computational design. Substantial advances have now emerged from the synergy of these perspectives. Rational design of combinatorial libraries aids the experimental search of sequence space, and high-throughput, high-integrity experimental data inform computational design. At the core of the collaborative interface, efficient protein characterization (rather than mere selection of optimal variants) maps sequence-performance landscapes. Such quantitative maps elucidate the complex relationships between protein sequence and performance-e.g., binding, catalytic efficiency, biological activity, and developability-thereby advancing fundamental protein science and facilitating protein discovery and evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam McConnell
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, 421 Washington Avenue SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Benjamin J Hackel
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, 421 Washington Avenue SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, 421 Washington Avenue SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
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30
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Platero-Rochart D, Krivobokova T, Gastegger M, Reibnegger G, Sánchez-Murcia PA. Prediction of Enzyme Catalysis by Computing Reaction Energy Barriers via Steered QM/MM Molecular Dynamics Simulations and Machine Learning. J Chem Inf Model 2023; 63:4623-4632. [PMID: 37479222 PMCID: PMC10430765 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.3c00772] [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: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/23/2023]
Abstract
The prediction of enzyme activity is one of the main challenges in catalysis. With computer-aided methods, it is possible to simulate the reaction mechanism at the atomic level. However, these methods are usually expensive if they are to be used on a large scale, as they are needed for protein engineering campaigns. To alleviate this situation, machine learning methods can help in the generation of predictive-decision models. Herein, we test different regression algorithms for the prediction of the reaction energy barrier of the rate-limiting step of the hydrolysis of mono-(2-hydroxyethyl)terephthalic acid by the MHETase ofIdeonella sakaiensis. As a training data set, we use steered quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) molecular dynamics (MD) simulation snapshots and their corresponding pulling work values. We have explored three algorithms together with three chemical representations. As an outcome, our trained models are able to predict pulling works along the steered QM/MM MD simulations with a mean absolute error below 3 kcal mol-1 and a score value above 0.90. More challenging is the prediction of the energy maximum with a single geometry. Whereas the use of the initial snapshot of the QM/MM MD trajectory as input geometry yields a very poor prediction of the reaction energy barrier, the use of an intermediate snapshot of the former trajectory brings the score value above 0.40 with a low mean absolute error (ca. 3 kcal mol-1). Altogether, we have faced in this work some initial challenges of the final goal of getting an efficient workflow for the semiautomatic prediction of enzyme-catalyzed energy barriers and catalytic efficiencies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Platero-Rochart
- Laboratory
of Computer-Aided Molecular Design, Division of Medicinal Chemistry,
Otto-Loewi Research Center, Medical University
of Graz, Neue Stiftingtalstraße 6/III, A-8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Tatyana Krivobokova
- Department
of Statistics and Operations Research, University
of Vienna, Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Michael Gastegger
- Institute
of Software Engineering and Theoretical Computer Science, Machine
Learning Group, Technische Universität, 10587 Berlin, Germany
| | - Gilbert Reibnegger
- Laboratory
of Computer-Aided Molecular Design, Division of Medicinal Chemistry,
Otto-Loewi Research Center, Medical University
of Graz, Neue Stiftingtalstraße 6/III, A-8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Pedro A. Sánchez-Murcia
- Laboratory
of Computer-Aided Molecular Design, Division of Medicinal Chemistry,
Otto-Loewi Research Center, Medical University
of Graz, Neue Stiftingtalstraße 6/III, A-8010 Graz, Austria
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31
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Huang X, Sun Y, Osawa Y, Chen YE, Zhang H. Computational redesign of cytochrome P450 CYP102A1 for highly stereoselective omeprazole hydroxylation by UniDesign. J Biol Chem 2023; 299:105050. [PMID: 37451479 PMCID: PMC10413352 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.105050] [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: 05/24/2023] [Revised: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/09/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Cytochrome P450 CYP102A1 is a prototypic biocatalyst that has great potential in chemical synthesis, drug discovery, and biotechnology. CYP102A1 variants engineered by directed evolution and/or rational design are capable of catalyzing the oxidation of a wide range of organic compounds. However, it is difficult to foresee the outcome of engineering CYP102A1 for a compound of interest. Here, we introduce UniDesign as a computational framework for enzyme design and engineering. We tested UniDesign by redesigning CYP102A1 for stereoselective metabolism of omeprazole (OMP), a proton pump inhibitor, starting from an active but nonstereoselective triple mutant (TM: A82F/F87V/L188Q). To shift stereoselectivity toward (R)-OMP, we computationally scanned three active site positions (75, 264, and 328) for mutations that would stabilize the binding of the transition state of (R)-OMP while destabilizing that of (S)-OMP and picked three variants, namely UD1 (TM/L75I), UD2 (TM/A264G), and UD3 (TM/A328V), for experimentation, based on computed energy scores and models. UD1, UD2, and UD3 exhibit high turnover rates of 55 ± 4.7, 84 ± 4.8, and 79 ± 5.7 min-1, respectively, for (R)-OMP hydroxylation, whereas the corresponding rates for (S)-OMP are only 2.2 ± 0.19, 6.0 ± 0.68, and 14 ± 2.8 min-1, yielding an enantiomeric excess value of 92, 87, and 70%, respectively. These results suggest the critical roles of L75I, A264G, and A328V in steering OMP in the optimal orientation for stereoselective oxidation and demonstrate the utility of UniDesign for engineering CYP102A1 to produce drug metabolites of interest. The results are discussed in the context of protein structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoqiang Huang
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
| | - Yudong Sun
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Yoichi Osawa
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Y Eugene Chen
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Haoming Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
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32
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Chen JP, Gong JS, Su C, Li H, Xu ZH, Shi JS. Improving the soluble expression of difficult-to-express proteins in prokaryotic expression system via protein engineering and synthetic biology strategies. Metab Eng 2023; 78:99-114. [PMID: 37244368 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymben.2023.05.007] [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: 04/09/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Solubility and folding stability are key concerns for difficult-to-express proteins (DEPs) restricted by amino acid sequences and superarchitecture, resolved by the precise distribution of amino acids and molecular interactions as well as the assistance of the expression system. Therefore, an increasing number of tools are available to achieve efficient expression of DEPs, including directed evolution, solubilization partners, chaperones, and affluent expression hosts, among others. Furthermore, genome editing tools, such as transposons and CRISPR Cas9/dCas9, have been developed and expanded to construct engineered expression hosts capable of efficient expression ability of soluble proteins. Accounting for the accumulated knowledge of the pivotal factors in the solubility and folding stability of proteins, this review focuses on advanced technologies and tools of protein engineering, protein quality control systems, and the redesign of expression platforms in prokaryotic expression systems, as well as advances of the cell-free expression technologies for membrane proteins production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin-Ping Chen
- Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences and Health Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, PR China; Yixing Institute of Food and Biotechnology Co., Ltd, Yixing, 214200, PR China
| | - Jin-Song Gong
- Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences and Health Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, PR China; Yixing Institute of Food and Biotechnology Co., Ltd, Yixing, 214200, PR China.
| | - Chang Su
- Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences and Health Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, PR China
| | - Heng Li
- Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences and Health Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, PR China
| | - Zheng-Hong Xu
- National Engineering Research Center for Cereal Fermentation and Food Biomanufacturing, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, PR China; Jiangsu Provincial Research Center for Bioactive Product Processing Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, PR China; Yixing Institute of Food and Biotechnology Co., Ltd, Yixing, 214200, PR China
| | - Jin-Song Shi
- Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences and Health Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, PR China; Yixing Institute of Food and Biotechnology Co., Ltd, Yixing, 214200, PR China
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33
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Deshmukh FK, Ben-Nissan G, Olshina MA, Füzesi-Levi MG, Polkinghorn C, Arkind G, Leushkin Y, Fainer I, Fleishman SJ, Tawfik D, Sharon M. Allosteric regulation of the 20S proteasome by the Catalytic Core Regulators (CCRs) family. Nat Commun 2023; 14:3126. [PMID: 37253751 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-38404-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Controlled degradation of proteins is necessary for ensuring their abundance and sustaining a healthy and accurately functioning proteome. One of the degradation routes involves the uncapped 20S proteasome, which cleaves proteins with a partially unfolded region, including those that are damaged or contain intrinsically disordered regions. This degradation route is tightly controlled by a recently discovered family of proteins named Catalytic Core Regulators (CCRs). Here, we show that CCRs function through an allosteric mechanism, coupling the physical binding of the PSMB4 β-subunit with attenuation of the complex's three proteolytic activities. In addition, by dissecting the structural properties that are required for CCR-like function, we could recapitulate this activity using a designed protein that is half the size of natural CCRs. These data uncover an allosteric path that does not involve the proteasome's enzymatic subunits but rather propagates through the non-catalytic subunit PSMB4. This way of 20S proteasome-specific attenuation opens avenues for decoupling the 20S and 26S proteasome degradation pathways as well as for developing selective 20S proteasome inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fanindra Kumar Deshmukh
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 7610001, Israel
| | - Gili Ben-Nissan
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 7610001, Israel
| | - Maya A Olshina
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 7610001, Israel
| | - Maria G Füzesi-Levi
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 7610001, Israel
| | - Caley Polkinghorn
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 7610001, Israel
| | - Galina Arkind
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 7610001, Israel
| | - Yegor Leushkin
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 7610001, Israel
| | - Irit Fainer
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 7610001, Israel
| | - Sarel J Fleishman
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 7610001, Israel
| | - Dan Tawfik
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 7610001, Israel
| | - Michal Sharon
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 7610001, Israel.
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34
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Weinstein JY, Martí-Gómez C, Lipsh-Sokolik R, Hoch SY, Liebermann D, Nevo R, Weissman H, Petrovich-Kopitman E, Margulies D, Ivankov D, McCandlish DM, Fleishman SJ. Designed active-site library reveals thousands of functional GFP variants. Nat Commun 2023; 14:2890. [PMID: 37210560 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-38099-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Mutations in a protein active site can lead to dramatic and useful changes in protein activity. The active site, however, is sensitive to mutations due to a high density of molecular interactions, substantially reducing the likelihood of obtaining functional multipoint mutants. We introduce an atomistic and machine-learning-based approach, called high-throughput Functional Libraries (htFuncLib), that designs a sequence space in which mutations form low-energy combinations that mitigate the risk of incompatible interactions. We apply htFuncLib to the GFP chromophore-binding pocket, and, using fluorescence readout, recover >16,000 unique designs encoding as many as eight active-site mutations. Many designs exhibit substantial and useful diversity in functional thermostability (up to 96 °C), fluorescence lifetime, and quantum yield. By eliminating incompatible active-site mutations, htFuncLib generates a large diversity of functional sequences. We envision that htFuncLib will be used in one-shot optimization of activity in enzymes, binders, and other proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Carlos Martí-Gómez
- Simons Center for Quantitative Biology, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, 11724, USA
| | - Rosalie Lipsh-Sokolik
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 7610001, Israel
| | - Shlomo Yakir Hoch
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 7610001, Israel
| | - Demian Liebermann
- Department of Chemical and Biological Physics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 7610001, Israel
| | - Reinat Nevo
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 7610001, Israel
| | - Haim Weissman
- Department of Molecular Chemistry and Materials Science, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 7610001, Israel
| | | | - David Margulies
- Department of Chemical and Structural Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 7610001, Israel
| | - Dmitry Ivankov
- Center of Life Sciences, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Moscow, Russia
| | - David M McCandlish
- Simons Center for Quantitative Biology, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, 11724, USA
| | - Sarel J Fleishman
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 7610001, Israel.
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35
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Huang X, Zhou J, Yang D, Zhang J, Xia X, Chen YE, Xu J. Decoding CRISPR-Cas PAM recognition with UniDesign. Brief Bioinform 2023; 24:bbad133. [PMID: 37078688 PMCID: PMC10199764 DOI: 10.1093/bib/bbad133] [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: 12/20/2022] [Revised: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 04/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The critical first step in Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR)-associated (CRISPR-Cas) protein-mediated gene editing is recognizing a preferred protospacer adjacent motif (PAM) on target DNAs by the protein's PAM-interacting amino acids (PIAAs). Thus, accurate computational modeling of PAM recognition is useful in assisting CRISPR-Cas engineering to relax or tighten PAM requirements for subsequent applications. Here, we describe a universal computational protein design framework (UniDesign) for designing protein-nucleic acid interactions. As a proof of concept, we applied UniDesign to decode the PAM-PIAA interactions for eight Cas9 and two Cas12a proteins. We show that, given native PIAAs, the UniDesign-predicted PAMs are largely identical to the natural PAMs of all Cas proteins. In turn, given natural PAMs, the computationally redesigned PIAA residues largely recapitulated the native PIAAs (74% and 86% in terms of identity and similarity, respectively). These results demonstrate that UniDesign faithfully captures the mutual preference between natural PAMs and native PIAAs, suggesting it is a useful tool for engineering CRISPR-Cas and other nucleic acid-interacting proteins. UniDesign is open-sourced at https://github.com/tommyhuangthu/UniDesign.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoqiang Huang
- Center for Advanced Models for Translational Sciences and Therapeutics, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, 2800 Plymouth Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Jun Zhou
- Center for Advanced Models for Translational Sciences and Therapeutics, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, 2800 Plymouth Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Dongshan Yang
- Center for Advanced Models for Translational Sciences and Therapeutics, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, 2800 Plymouth Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Jifeng Zhang
- Center for Advanced Models for Translational Sciences and Therapeutics, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, 2800 Plymouth Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Xiaofeng Xia
- Research & Development, ATGC Inc., 100 E Lancaster Avenue, LIMR Building Lab 129, Wynnewood, PA 19096, USA
| | - Yuqing Eugene Chen
- Center for Advanced Models for Translational Sciences and Therapeutics, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, 2800 Plymouth Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Jie Xu
- Center for Advanced Models for Translational Sciences and Therapeutics, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, 2800 Plymouth Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
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36
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Roda S, Terholsen H, Meyer JRH, Cañellas-Solé A, Guallar V, Bornscheuer U, Kazemi M. AsiteDesign: a Semirational Algorithm for an Automated Enzyme Design. J Phys Chem B 2023; 127:2661-2670. [PMID: 36944360 PMCID: PMC10068746 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.2c07091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/23/2023]
Abstract
With advances in protein structure predictions, the number of available high-quality structures has increased dramatically. In light of these advances, structure-based enzyme engineering is expected to become increasingly important for optimizing biocatalysts for industrial processes. Here, we present AsiteDesign, a Monte Carlo-based protocol for structure-based engineering of active sites. AsiteDesign provides a framework for introducing new catalytic residues in a given binding pocket to either create a new catalytic activity or alter the existing one. AsiteDesign is implemented using pyRosetta and incorporates enhanced sampling techniques to efficiently explore the search space. The protocol was tested by designing an alternative catalytic triad in the active site of Pseudomonas fluorescens esterase (PFE). The designed variant was experimentally verified to be active, demonstrating that AsiteDesign can find alternative catalytic triads. Additionally, the AsiteDesign protocol was employed to enhance the hydrolysis of a bulky chiral substrate (1-phenyl-2-pentyl acetate) by PFE. The experimental verification of the designed variants demonstrated that F158L/F198A and F125A/F158L mutations increased the hydrolysis of 1-phenyl-2-pentyl acetate from 8.9 to 66.7 and 23.4%, respectively, and reversed the enantioselectivity of the enzyme from (R) to (S)-enantiopreference, with 32 and 55% enantiomeric excess (ee), respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergi Roda
- Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC), Plaça d'Eusebi Güell, 1-3, Barcelona 08034, Spain
| | - Henrik Terholsen
- Department of Biotechnology & Enzyme Catalysis, Institute of Biochemistry, University of Greifswald, Felix-Hausdorff-Str. 4, D-17487 Greifswald, Germany
| | - Jule Ruth Heike Meyer
- Department of Biotechnology & Enzyme Catalysis, Institute of Biochemistry, University of Greifswald, Felix-Hausdorff-Str. 4, D-17487 Greifswald, Germany
| | - Albert Cañellas-Solé
- Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC), Plaça d'Eusebi Güell, 1-3, Barcelona 08034, Spain
| | - Victor Guallar
- Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC), Plaça d'Eusebi Güell, 1-3, Barcelona 08034, Spain
- Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Passeig de Lluís Companys, 23, Barcelona 08010, Spain
| | - Uwe Bornscheuer
- Department of Biotechnology & Enzyme Catalysis, Institute of Biochemistry, University of Greifswald, Felix-Hausdorff-Str. 4, D-17487 Greifswald, Germany
| | - Masoud Kazemi
- Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC), Plaça d'Eusebi Güell, 1-3, Barcelona 08034, Spain
- Biomatter Designs, Žirmu̅n̨ g. 139A, Vilnius 09120, Lithuania
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37
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Malbranke C, Bikard D, Cocco S, Monasson R, Tubiana J. Machine learning for evolutionary-based and physics-inspired protein design: Current and future synergies. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2023; 80:102571. [PMID: 36947951 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2023.102571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Revised: 01/29/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/24/2023]
Abstract
Computational protein design facilitates the discovery of novel proteins with prescribed structure and functionality. Exciting designs were recently reported using novel data-driven methodologies that can be roughly divided into two categories: evolutionary-based and physics-inspired approaches. The former infer characteristic sequence features shared by sets of evolutionary-related proteins, such as conserved or coevolving positions, and recombine them to generate candidates with similar structure and function. The latter approaches estimate key biochemical properties, such as structure free energy, conformational entropy, or binding affinities using machine learning surrogates, and optimize them to yield improved designs. Here, we review recent progress along both tracks, discuss their strengths and weaknesses, and highlight opportunities for synergistic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cyril Malbranke
- Laboratory of Physics of the Ecole Normale Supérieure, PSL Research, CNRS UMR 8023, Sorbonne Université, Université de Paris, Paris, France; Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR 6047, Synthetic Biology, 75015 Paris, France.
| | - David Bikard
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR 6047, Synthetic Biology, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Simona Cocco
- Laboratory of Physics of the Ecole Normale Supérieure, PSL Research, CNRS UMR 8023, Sorbonne Université, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Rémi Monasson
- Laboratory of Physics of the Ecole Normale Supérieure, PSL Research, CNRS UMR 8023, Sorbonne Université, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Jérôme Tubiana
- Blavatnik School of Computer Science, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
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38
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Duart G, Elazar A, Weinstein JY, Gadea-Salom L, Ortiz-Mateu J, Fleishman SJ, Mingarro I, Martinez-Gil L. Computational design of BclxL inhibitors that target transmembrane domain interactions. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2219648120. [PMID: 36881618 PMCID: PMC10089226 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2219648120] [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: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Several methods have been developed to explore interactions among water-soluble proteins or regions of proteins. However, techniques to target transmembrane domains (TMDs) have not been examined thoroughly despite their importance. Here, we developed a computational approach to design sequences that specifically modulate protein-protein interactions in the membrane. To illustrate this method, we demonstrated that BclxL can interact with other members of the B cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl2) family through the TMD and that these interactions are required for BclxL control of cell death. Next, we designed sequences that specifically recognize and sequester the TMD of BclxL. Hence, we were able to prevent BclxL intramembrane interactions and cancel its antiapoptotic effect. These results advance our understanding of protein-protein interactions in membranes and provide a means to modulate them. Moreover, the success of our approach may trigger the development of a generation of inhibitors targeting interactions between TMDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerard Duart
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institut de Biotecnologia i Biomedicina, Universitat de València, Burjassot46100, Spain
| | - Assaf Elazar
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot76100, Israel
| | - Jonathan Y. Weinstein
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot76100, Israel
| | - Laura Gadea-Salom
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institut de Biotecnologia i Biomedicina, Universitat de València, Burjassot46100, Spain
| | - Juan Ortiz-Mateu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institut de Biotecnologia i Biomedicina, Universitat de València, Burjassot46100, Spain
| | - Sarel J. Fleishman
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot76100, Israel
| | - Ismael Mingarro
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institut de Biotecnologia i Biomedicina, Universitat de València, Burjassot46100, Spain
| | - Luis Martinez-Gil
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institut de Biotecnologia i Biomedicina, Universitat de València, Burjassot46100, Spain
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39
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Job L, Köhler A, Eichinger A, Testanera M, Escher B, Worek F, Skerra A. Structural and Functional Analysis of a Highly Active Designed Phosphotriesterase for the Detoxification of Organophosphate Nerve Agents Reveals an Unpredicted Conformation of the Active Site Loop. Biochemistry 2023; 62:942-955. [PMID: 36752589 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.2c00666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
Abstract
Neurotoxic organophosphorus compounds (OPs) pose a severe threat if misused in military conflicts or by terrorists. Administration of a hydrolytic enzyme that can decompose the circulating nerve agent into non-toxic metabolites in vivo offers a potential treatment. A promising candidate is the homo-dimeric phosphotriesterase originating from the bacterium Brevundimonas diminuta (BdPTE), which has been subject to several rational and combinatorial protein design studies. A series of engineered versions with much improved catalytic efficiencies toward medically relevant nerve agents was described, carrying up to 22 mutations per enzyme subunit. To provide a basis for further rational design, we have determined the crystal structure of the highly active variant 10-2-C3(C59V/C227V)─stabilized against oxidation by substitution of two unpaired Cys residues─in complex with a substrate analogue at 1.5 Å resolution. Unexpectedly, the long loop segment (residues 253-276) that covers the active site shows a totally new conformation, with drastic structural deviations up to 19 Å, which was neither predicted in any of the preceding protein design studies nor seen in previous crystallographic analyses of less far evolved enzyme versions. Inspired by this structural insight, additional amino acid exchanges were introduced and their effects on protein stability as well as on the catalytic efficiency toward several neurotoxic OPs were investigated. Somewhat surprisingly, our results suggest that the presently available engineered version of BdPTE, in spite of its design on the basis of partly false structural assumptions, constitutes a fairly optimized enzyme for the detoxification of relevant OP nerve agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Job
- Lehrstuhl für Biologische Chemie, Technische Universität München, Emil-Erlenmeyer-Forum 5, 85354 Freising, Germany
| | - Anja Köhler
- Lehrstuhl für Biologische Chemie, Technische Universität München, Emil-Erlenmeyer-Forum 5, 85354 Freising, Germany.,Bundeswehr Institut für Pharmakologie und Toxikologie, Neuherbergstr. 11, 80937 München, Germany
| | - Andreas Eichinger
- Lehrstuhl für Biologische Chemie, Technische Universität München, Emil-Erlenmeyer-Forum 5, 85354 Freising, Germany
| | - Mauricio Testanera
- Lehrstuhl für Biologische Chemie, Technische Universität München, Emil-Erlenmeyer-Forum 5, 85354 Freising, Germany
| | - Benjamin Escher
- Lehrstuhl für Biologische Chemie, Technische Universität München, Emil-Erlenmeyer-Forum 5, 85354 Freising, Germany
| | - Franz Worek
- Bundeswehr Institut für Pharmakologie und Toxikologie, Neuherbergstr. 11, 80937 München, Germany
| | - Arne Skerra
- Lehrstuhl für Biologische Chemie, Technische Universität München, Emil-Erlenmeyer-Forum 5, 85354 Freising, Germany
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40
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Wang X, Xu K, Tan Y, Liu S, Zhou J. Possibilities of Using De Novo Design for Generating Diverse Functional Food Enzymes. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:3827. [PMID: 36835238 PMCID: PMC9964944 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24043827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Revised: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Food enzymes have an important role in the improvement of certain food characteristics, such as texture improvement, elimination of toxins and allergens, production of carbohydrates, enhancing flavor/appearance characteristics. Recently, along with the development of artificial meats, food enzymes have been employed to achieve more diverse functions, especially in converting non-edible biomass to delicious foods. Reported food enzyme modifications for specific applications have highlighted the significance of enzyme engineering. However, using direct evolution or rational design showed inherent limitations due to the mutation rates, which made it difficult to satisfy the stability or specific activity needs for certain applications. Generating functional enzymes using de novo design, which highly assembles naturally existing enzymes, provides potential solutions for screening desired enzymes. Here, we describe the functions and applications of food enzymes to introduce the need for food enzymes engineering. To illustrate the possibilities of using de novo design for generating diverse functional proteins, we reviewed protein modelling and de novo design methods and their implementations. The future directions for adding structural data for de novo design model training, acquiring diversified training data, and investigating the relationship between enzyme-substrate binding and activity were highlighted as challenges to overcome for the de novo design of food enzymes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinglong Wang
- Engineering Research Center of Ministry of Education on Food Synthetic Biotechnology, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
- Science Center for Future Foods, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Kangjie Xu
- Engineering Research Center of Ministry of Education on Food Synthetic Biotechnology, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
- Science Center for Future Foods, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Yameng Tan
- Engineering Research Center of Ministry of Education on Food Synthetic Biotechnology, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
- Science Center for Future Foods, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Song Liu
- Engineering Research Center of Ministry of Education on Food Synthetic Biotechnology, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
- Science Center for Future Foods, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Jingwen Zhou
- Engineering Research Center of Ministry of Education on Food Synthetic Biotechnology, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
- Science Center for Future Foods, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
- Jiangsu Province Engineering Research Center of Food Synthetic Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
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41
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Gomez de Santos P, Mateljak I, Hoang MD, Fleishman SJ, Hollmann F, Alcalde M. Repertoire of Computationally Designed Peroxygenases for Enantiodivergent C-H Oxyfunctionalization Reactions. J Am Chem Soc 2023; 145:3443-3453. [PMID: 36689349 PMCID: PMC9936548 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.2c11118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
The generation of enantiodivergent biocatalysts for C-H oxyfunctionalizations is ever more important in modern synthetic chemistry. Here, we have applied the FuncLib algorithm based on phylogenetic and Rosetta calculations to design a diverse repertoire of active, stable, and enantiodivergent fungal peroxygenases. 24 designs, each carrying 4-5 mutations in the catalytic core, were expressed functionally in yeast and benchmarked against characteristic model compounds. Several designs were active and stable in a range of temperature and pH, displaying unprecedented enantiodivergence, changing regioselectivity from alkyl to aromatic hydroxylation, and increasing catalytic efficiencies up to 10-fold, with 15-fold improvements in total turnover numbers over the parental enzyme. We find that this dramatic functional divergence stems from beneficial epistasis among the mutations and an extensive reorganization of the heme channel. Our work demonstrates that FuncLib can rapidly design highly functional libraries enriched in enantioselective peroxygenases not seen in nature for a range of biotechnological applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia Gomez de Santos
- Department
of Biocatalysis, Institute of Catalysis, ICP-CSIC, C/ Marie Curie
2, 28049 Madrid, Spain,EvoEnzyme
S.L., Parque Científico de Madrid, C/ Faraday 7, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Ivan Mateljak
- EvoEnzyme
S.L., Parque Científico de Madrid, C/ Faraday 7, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Manh Dat Hoang
- Department
of Biocatalysis, Institute of Catalysis, ICP-CSIC, C/ Marie Curie
2, 28049 Madrid, Spain,Chair
of Biochemical Engineering, Technical University
of Munich, Boltzmannstr. 15, 85748 Garching, Germany
| | - Sarel J. Fleishman
- Department
of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute
of Science, 7610001 Rehovot, Israel
| | - Frank Hollmann
- Department
of Biotechnology, Delft University of Technology, van der Massweg 9, 2629HZ Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Miguel Alcalde
- Department
of Biocatalysis, Institute of Catalysis, ICP-CSIC, C/ Marie Curie
2, 28049 Madrid, Spain,
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42
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Jiang Y, Ran X, Yang ZJ. Data-driven enzyme engineering to identify function-enhancing enzymes. Protein Eng Des Sel 2023; 36:gzac009. [PMID: 36214500 PMCID: PMC10365845 DOI: 10.1093/protein/gzac009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Revised: 08/08/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Identifying function-enhancing enzyme variants is a 'holy grail' challenge in protein science because it will allow researchers to expand the biocatalytic toolbox for late-stage functionalization of drug-like molecules, environmental degradation of plastics and other pollutants, and medical treatment of food allergies. Data-driven strategies, including statistical modeling, machine learning, and deep learning, have largely advanced the understanding of the sequence-structure-function relationships for enzymes. They have also enhanced the capability of predicting and designing new enzymes and enzyme variants for catalyzing the transformation of new-to-nature reactions. Here, we reviewed the recent progresses of data-driven models that were applied in identifying efficiency-enhancing mutants for catalytic reactions. We also discussed existing challenges and obstacles faced by the community. Although the review is by no means comprehensive, we hope that the discussion can inform the readers about the state-of-the-art in data-driven enzyme engineering, inspiring more joint experimental-computational efforts to develop and apply data-driven modeling to innovate biocatalysts for synthetic and pharmaceutical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaoyukun Jiang
- Department of Chemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Xinchun Ran
- Department of Chemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Zhongyue J Yang
- Department of Chemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
- Center for Structural Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
- Vanderbilt Institute of Chemical Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
- Data Science Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
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43
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Chaudhari YB, Várnai A, Sørlie M, Horn SJ, Eijsink VGH. Engineering cellulases for conversion of lignocellulosic biomass. Protein Eng Des Sel 2023; 36:gzad002. [PMID: 36892404 PMCID: PMC10394125 DOI: 10.1093/protein/gzad002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Revised: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Lignocellulosic biomass is a renewable source of energy, chemicals and materials. Many applications of this resource require the depolymerization of one or more of its polymeric constituents. Efficient enzymatic depolymerization of cellulose to glucose by cellulases and accessory enzymes such as lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases is a prerequisite for economically viable exploitation of this biomass. Microbes produce a remarkably diverse range of cellulases, which consist of glycoside hydrolase (GH) catalytic domains and, although not in all cases, substrate-binding carbohydrate-binding modules (CBMs). As enzymes are a considerable cost factor, there is great interest in finding or engineering improved and robust cellulases, with higher activity and stability, easy expression, and minimal product inhibition. This review addresses relevant engineering targets for cellulases, discusses a few notable cellulase engineering studies of the past decades and provides an overview of recent work in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yogesh B Chaudhari
- Faculty of Chemistry, Biotechnology, and Food Science, NMBU-Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P.O. Box 5003, 1432 Ås, Norway
| | - Anikó Várnai
- Faculty of Chemistry, Biotechnology, and Food Science, NMBU-Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P.O. Box 5003, 1432 Ås, Norway
| | - Morten Sørlie
- Faculty of Chemistry, Biotechnology, and Food Science, NMBU-Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P.O. Box 5003, 1432 Ås, Norway
| | - Svein J Horn
- Faculty of Chemistry, Biotechnology, and Food Science, NMBU-Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P.O. Box 5003, 1432 Ås, Norway
| | - Vincent G H Eijsink
- Faculty of Chemistry, Biotechnology, and Food Science, NMBU-Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P.O. Box 5003, 1432 Ås, Norway
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44
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Clifton BE, Kozome D, Laurino P. Efficient Exploration of Sequence Space by Sequence-Guided Protein Engineering and Design. Biochemistry 2023; 62:210-220. [PMID: 35245020 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.1c00757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
The rapid growth of sequence databases over the past two decades means that protein engineers faced with optimizing a protein for any given task will often have immediate access to a vast number of related protein sequences. These sequences encode information about the evolutionary history of the protein and the underlying sequence requirements to produce folded, stable, and functional protein variants. Methods that can take advantage of this information are an increasingly important part of the protein engineering tool kit. In this Perspective, we discuss the utility of sequence data in protein engineering and design, focusing on recent advances in three main areas: the use of ancestral sequence reconstruction as an engineering tool to generate thermostable and multifunctional proteins, the use of sequence data to guide engineering of multipoint mutants by structure-based computational protein design, and the use of unlabeled sequence data for unsupervised and semisupervised machine learning, allowing the generation of diverse and functional protein sequences in unexplored regions of sequence space. Altogether, these methods enable the rapid exploration of sequence space within regions enriched with functional proteins and therefore have great potential for accelerating the engineering of stable, functional, and diverse proteins for industrial and biomedical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ben E Clifton
- Protein Engineering and Evolution Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, 1919-1 Tancha, Onna, Okinawa 904-0495, Japan
| | - Dan Kozome
- Protein Engineering and Evolution Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, 1919-1 Tancha, Onna, Okinawa 904-0495, Japan
| | - Paola Laurino
- Protein Engineering and Evolution Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, 1919-1 Tancha, Onna, Okinawa 904-0495, Japan
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45
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Lipsh-Sokolik R, Khersonsky O, Schröder SP, de Boer C, Hoch SY, Davies GJ, Overkleeft HS, Fleishman SJ. Combinatorial assembly and design of enzymes. Science 2023; 379:195-201. [PMID: 36634164 DOI: 10.1126/science.ade9434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
The design of structurally diverse enzymes is constrained by long-range interactions that are necessary for accurate folding. We introduce an atomistic and machine learning strategy for the combinatorial assembly and design of enzymes (CADENZ) to design fragments that combine with one another to generate diverse, low-energy structures with stable catalytic constellations. We applied CADENZ to endoxylanases and used activity-based protein profiling to recover thousands of structurally diverse enzymes. Functional designs exhibit high active-site preorganization and more stable and compact packing outside the active site. Implementing these lessons into CADENZ led to a 10-fold improved hit rate and more than 10,000 recovered enzymes. This design-test-learn loop can be applied, in principle, to any modular protein family, yielding huge diversity and general lessons on protein design principles.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Lipsh-Sokolik
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, 7610001 Rehovot, Israel
| | - O Khersonsky
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, 7610001 Rehovot, Israel
| | - S P Schröder
- Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, Einsteinweg 55, 2300 RA Leiden, Netherlands
| | - C de Boer
- Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, Einsteinweg 55, 2300 RA Leiden, Netherlands
| | - S-Y Hoch
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, 7610001 Rehovot, Israel
| | - G J Davies
- York Structural Biology Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, The University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5DD, UK
| | - H S Overkleeft
- Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, Einsteinweg 55, 2300 RA Leiden, Netherlands
| | - S J Fleishman
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, 7610001 Rehovot, Israel
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46
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Deckers J, Anbergen T, Hokke AM, de Dreu A, Schrijver DP, de Bruin K, Toner YC, Beldman TJ, Spangler JB, de Greef TFA, Grisoni F, van der Meel R, Joosten LAB, Merkx M, Netea MG, Mulder WJM. Engineering cytokine therapeutics. NATURE REVIEWS BIOENGINEERING 2023; 1:286-303. [PMID: 37064653 PMCID: PMC9933837 DOI: 10.1038/s44222-023-00030-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/18/2023]
Abstract
Cytokines have pivotal roles in immunity, making them attractive as therapeutics for a variety of immune-related disorders. However, the widespread clinical use of cytokines has been limited by their short blood half-lives and severe side effects caused by low specificity and unfavourable biodistribution. Innovations in bioengineering have aided in advancing our knowledge of cytokine biology and yielded new technologies for cytokine engineering. In this Review, we discuss how the development of bioanalytical methods, such as sequencing and high-resolution imaging combined with genetic techniques, have facilitated a better understanding of cytokine biology. We then present an overview of therapeutics arising from cytokine re-engineering, targeting and delivery, mRNA therapeutics and cell therapy. We also highlight the application of these strategies to adjust the immunological imbalance in different immune-mediated disorders, including cancer, infection and autoimmune diseases. Finally, we look ahead to the hurdles that must be overcome before cytokine therapeutics can live up to their full potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeroen Deckers
- Department of Internal Medicine and Radboud Center for Infectious diseases (RCI), Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Tom Anbergen
- Department of Internal Medicine and Radboud Center for Infectious diseases (RCI), Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Ayla M. Hokke
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, Netherlands
| | - Anne de Dreu
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, Netherlands
| | - David P. Schrijver
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, Netherlands
| | - Koen de Bruin
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, Netherlands
| | - Yohana C. Toner
- Department of Internal Medicine and Radboud Center for Infectious diseases (RCI), Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Thijs J. Beldman
- Department of Internal Medicine and Radboud Center for Infectious diseases (RCI), Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Jamie B. Spangler
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Whiting School of Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD USA
- Translational Tissue Engineering Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Tom F. A. de Greef
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, Netherlands
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, Netherlands
- Institute for Molecules and Materials, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Centre for Living Technologies, Alliance Eindhoven University of Technology, Wageningen University & Research, Utrecht University and University Medical Center Utrecht (EWUU), Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Francesca Grisoni
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, Netherlands
- Centre for Living Technologies, Alliance Eindhoven University of Technology, Wageningen University & Research, Utrecht University and University Medical Center Utrecht (EWUU), Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Roy van der Meel
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, Netherlands
- Present Address: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, Netherlands
| | - Leo A. B. Joosten
- Department of Internal Medicine and Radboud Center for Infectious diseases (RCI), Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, Netherlands
- Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences (RIMLS), Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, Netherlands
- Department of Medical Genetics, Iuliu Hațieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Maarten Merkx
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, Netherlands
- Present Address: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, Netherlands
| | - Mihai G. Netea
- Department of Internal Medicine and Radboud Center for Infectious diseases (RCI), Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, Netherlands
- Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences (RIMLS), Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, Netherlands
- Department for Genomics and Immunoregulation, Life and Medical Sciences Institute (LIMES), University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Willem J. M. Mulder
- Department of Internal Medicine and Radboud Center for Infectious diseases (RCI), Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, Netherlands
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, Netherlands
- Present Address: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, Netherlands
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47
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Pang C, Liu S, Zhang G, Zhou J, Du G, Li J. Improving the catalytic efficiency of Pseudomonas aeruginosa lipoxygenase by semi-rational design. Enzyme Microb Technol 2023; 162:110120. [DOI: 10.1016/j.enzmictec.2022.110120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Revised: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
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48
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Jiang Y, Stull SL, Shao Q, Yang ZJ. Convergence in determining enzyme functional descriptors across Kemp eliminase variants. ELECTRONIC STRUCTURE (BRISTOL, ENGLAND) 2022; 4:044007. [PMID: 37425623 PMCID: PMC10327861 DOI: 10.1088/2516-1075/acad51] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
Molecular simulations have been extensively employed to accelerate biocatalytic discoveries. Enzyme functional descriptors derived from molecular simulations have been leveraged to guide the search for beneficial enzyme mutants. However, the ideal active-site region size for computing the descriptors over multiple enzyme variants remains untested. Here, we conducted convergence tests for dynamics-derived and electrostatic descriptors on 18 Kemp eliminase variants across six active-site regions with various boundary distances to the substrate. The tested descriptors include the root-mean-square deviation of the active-site region, the solvent accessible surface area ratio between the substrate and active site, and the projection of the electric field (EF) on the breaking C-H bond. All descriptors were evaluated using molecular mechanics methods. To understand the effects of electronic structure, the EF was also evaluated using quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics methods. The descriptor values were computed for 18 Kemp eliminase variants. Spearman correlation matrices were used to determine the region size condition under which further expansion of the region boundary does not substantially change the ranking of descriptor values. We observed that protein dynamics-derived descriptors, including RMSDactive_site and SASAratio, converge at a distance cutoff of 5 Å from the substrate. The electrostatic descriptor, EFC-H, converges at 6 Å using molecular mechanics methods with truncated enzyme models and 4 Å using quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics methods with whole enzyme model. This study serves as a future reference to determine descriptors for predictive modeling of enzyme engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaoyukun Jiang
- Department of Chemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, United States of America
| | - Sebastian L Stull
- Department of Chemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, United States of America
| | - Qianzhen Shao
- Department of Chemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, United States of America
| | - Zhongyue J Yang
- Department of Chemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, United States of America
- Center for Structural Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, United States of America
- Vanderbilt Institute of Chemical Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, United States of America
- Data Science Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, United States of America
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, United States of America
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49
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Ospina F, Schülke KH, Soler J, Klein A, Prosenc B, Garcia‐Borràs M, Hammer SC. Selective Biocatalytic N-Methylation of Unsaturated Heterocycles. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2022; 61:e202213056. [PMID: 36202763 PMCID: PMC9827881 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202213056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Methods for regioselective N-methylation and -alkylation of unsaturated heterocycles with "off the shelf" reagents are highly sought-after. This reaction could drastically simplify synthesis of privileged bioactive molecules. Here we report engineered and natural methyltransferases for challenging N-(m)ethylation of heterocycles, including benzimidazoles, benzotriazoles, imidazoles and indazoles. The reactions are performed through a cyclic enzyme cascade that consists of two methyltransferases using only iodoalkanes or methyl tosylate as simple reagents. This method enables the selective synthesis of important molecules that are otherwise difficult to access, proceeds with high regioselectivity (r.r. up to >99 %), yield (up to 99 %), on a preparative scale, and with nearly equimolar concentrations of simple starting materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felipe Ospina
- Faculty of ChemistryOrganic Chemistry and BiocatalysisBielefeld UniversityUniversitätsstraße 2533615BielefeldGermany
| | - Kai H. Schülke
- Faculty of ChemistryOrganic Chemistry and BiocatalysisBielefeld UniversityUniversitätsstraße 2533615BielefeldGermany
| | - Jordi Soler
- Institut de Química Computacional i Catàlisi (IQCC) and Departament de QuímicaUniversitat de GironaCarrer Maria Aurèlia Capmany 69Girona17003CataloniaSpain
| | - Alina Klein
- Faculty of ChemistryOrganic Chemistry and BiocatalysisBielefeld UniversityUniversitätsstraße 2533615BielefeldGermany
| | - Benjamin Prosenc
- Faculty of ChemistryOrganic Chemistry and BiocatalysisBielefeld UniversityUniversitätsstraße 2533615BielefeldGermany
| | - Marc Garcia‐Borràs
- Institut de Química Computacional i Catàlisi (IQCC) and Departament de QuímicaUniversitat de GironaCarrer Maria Aurèlia Capmany 69Girona17003CataloniaSpain
| | - Stephan C. Hammer
- Faculty of ChemistryOrganic Chemistry and BiocatalysisBielefeld UniversityUniversitätsstraße 2533615BielefeldGermany
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50
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Wittmund M, Cadet F, Davari MD. Learning Epistasis and Residue Coevolution Patterns: Current Trends and Future Perspectives for Advancing Enzyme Engineering. ACS Catal 2022. [DOI: 10.1021/acscatal.2c01426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Marcel Wittmund
- Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Leibniz Institute of Plant Biochemistry, Weinberg 3, 06120 Halle, Germany
| | - Frederic Cadet
- Laboratory of Excellence LABEX GR, DSIMB, Inserm UMR S1134, University of Paris city & University of Reunion, Paris 75014, France
| | - Mehdi D. Davari
- Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Leibniz Institute of Plant Biochemistry, Weinberg 3, 06120 Halle, Germany
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