1
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Fatima S, Mehrafrooz B, Boggs DG, Ali N, Singh S, Thielges MC, Bridwell-Rabb J, Aksimentiev A, Olshansky L. Conformation-Dependent Hydrogen-Bonding Interactions in a Switchable Artificial Metalloprotein. Biochemistry 2024. [PMID: 39088332 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.4c00209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/03/2024]
Abstract
Hydrogen-bonding (H-bonding) interactions in metalloprotein active sites can critically regulate enzyme function. Changes in the protein structure triggered by interplay with substrates, products, and partner proteins are often translated to the metallocofactor by way of specific changes in H-bond networks connected to the active site. However, the complexities of metalloprotein architecture and mechanism often preclude our ability to define the precise molecular interactions giving rise to these intricate regulatory pathways. To address this shortcoming, we have developed conformationally switchable artificial metalloproteins (swArMs) in which allosteric Gln-binding triggers protein conformational changes that impact the microenvironment surrounding an installed metallocofactor. Herein, we report a combined structural, spectroscopic, and computational approach to enhance the conformation-dependent changes in H-bond interactions surrounding the metallocofactor site of a swArM. Structure-informed molecular dynamics simulations were employed to predict point mutations that could enhance active site H-bond interactions preferentially in the Gln-bound holo-conformation of the swArM. Testing our predictions via the unique infrared spectral signals associated with the metallocofactor site, we have identified three key residues capable of imparting conformational control over the metallocofactor microenvironment. The resultant swArMs not only model biologically relevant structural regulation but also provide an enhanced Gln-responsive biological probe to be leveraged in future biosensing applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saman Fatima
- Department of Chemistry, Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, Materials Research Laboratory, and the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 600 S. Mathews Ave., Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Behzad Mehrafrooz
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, and Department of Physics, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - David G Boggs
- Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, 930 N. University Ave., Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Noor Ali
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, 800 E. Kirkwood Ave., Bloomington, Indiana 47405, United States
| | - Swapnil Singh
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, 800 E. Kirkwood Ave., Bloomington, Indiana 47405, United States
| | - Megan C Thielges
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, 800 E. Kirkwood Ave., Bloomington, Indiana 47405, United States
| | - Jennifer Bridwell-Rabb
- Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, 930 N. University Ave., Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Aleksei Aksimentiev
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, and Department of Physics, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Lisa Olshansky
- Department of Chemistry, Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, Materials Research Laboratory, and the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 600 S. Mathews Ave., Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
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2
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Frei MS, Mehta S, Zhang J. Next-Generation Genetically Encoded Fluorescent Biosensors Illuminate Cell Signaling and Metabolism. Annu Rev Biophys 2024; 53:275-297. [PMID: 38346245 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-biophys-030722-021359] [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] [Indexed: 02/28/2024]
Abstract
Genetically encoded fluorescent biosensors have revolutionized the study of cell signaling and metabolism, as they allow for live-cell measurements with high spatiotemporal resolution. This success has spurred the development of tailor-made biosensors that enable the study of dynamic phenomena on different timescales and length scales. In this review, we discuss different approaches to enhancing and developing new biosensors. We summarize the technologies used to gain structural insights into biosensor design and comment on useful screening technologies. Furthermore, we give an overview of different applications where biosensors have led to key advances over recent years. Finally, we give our perspective on where future work is bound to make a large impact.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle S Frei
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA; , ,
| | - Sohum Mehta
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA; , ,
| | - Jin Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA; , ,
- Shu Chien-Gene Lay Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
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3
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Cui Z, Ayva CE, Liew YJ, Guo Z, Mutschler R, Dreier B, Fiorito MM, Walden P, Howard CB, Ely F, Plückthun A, Pretorius C, Ungerer JPJ, Buckle AM, Alexandrov K. mRNA Display Pipeline for Protein Biosensor Construction. ACS Sens 2024; 9:2846-2857. [PMID: 38807313 PMCID: PMC11218749 DOI: 10.1021/acssensors.3c02471] [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: 11/20/2023] [Revised: 05/01/2024] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024]
Abstract
Despite the significant potential of protein biosensors, their construction remains a trial-and-error process. The most obvious approach for addressing this is to utilize modular biosensor architectures where specificity-conferring modalities can be readily generated to recognize new targets. Toward this goal, we established a workflow that uses mRNA display-based selection of hyper-stable monobody domains for the target of choice or ribosome display to select equally stable DARPins. These binders were integrated into a two-component allosteric biosensor architecture based on a calmodulin-reporter chimera. This workflow was tested by developing biosensors for liver toxicity markers such as cytosolic aspartate aminotransferase, mitochondrial aspartate aminotransferase, and alanine aminotransferase 1. We demonstrate that our pipeline consistently produced >103 unique binders for each target within a week. Our analysis revealed that the affinity of the binders for their targets was not a direct predictor of the binder's performance in a biosensor context. The interactions between the binding domains and the reporter module affect the biosensor activity and the dynamic range. We conclude that following binding domain selection, the multiplexed biosensor assembly and prototyping appear to be the most promising approach for identifying biosensors with the desired properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenling Cui
- ARC
Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, Brisbane, Queensland 4001, Australia
- Centre
for Agriculture and the Bioeconomy, Queensland
University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland 4001, Australia
- School
of Biology and Environmental Science, Queensland
University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland 4001, Australia
| | - Cagla Ergun Ayva
- Centre
for Agriculture and the Bioeconomy, Queensland
University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland 4001, Australia
- School
of Biology and Environmental Science, Queensland
University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland 4001, Australia
| | - Yi Jin Liew
- CSIRO
Health & Biosecurity, Westmead, New South Wales 2145,Australia
| | - Zhong Guo
- ARC
Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, Brisbane, Queensland 4001, Australia
- Centre
for Agriculture and the Bioeconomy, Queensland
University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland 4001, Australia
- School
of Biology and Environmental Science, Queensland
University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland 4001, Australia
| | - Roxane Mutschler
- Centre
for Agriculture and the Bioeconomy, Queensland
University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland 4001, Australia
- School
of Biology and Environmental Science, Queensland
University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland 4001, Australia
| | - Birgit Dreier
- Department
of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zurich CH-8057, Switzerland
| | - Maria M Fiorito
- Centre
for Agriculture and the Bioeconomy, Queensland
University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland 4001, Australia
- School
of Biology and Environmental Science, Queensland
University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland 4001, Australia
| | - Patricia Walden
- Centre
for Agriculture and the Bioeconomy, Queensland
University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland 4001, Australia
- School
of Biology and Environmental Science, Queensland
University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland 4001, Australia
| | - Christopher B Howard
- Australian
Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | | | - Andreas Plückthun
- Department
of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zurich CH-8057, Switzerland
| | - Carel Pretorius
- Department
of Chemical Pathology, Pathology Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4006, Australia
- Faculty
of Health and Behavioural Sciences, The
University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Jacobus PJ Ungerer
- Department
of Chemical Pathology, Pathology Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4006, Australia
- Faculty
of Health and Behavioural Sciences, The
University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | | | - Kirill Alexandrov
- ARC
Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, Brisbane, Queensland 4001, Australia
- Centre
for Agriculture and the Bioeconomy, Queensland
University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland 4001, Australia
- School
of Biology and Environmental Science, Queensland
University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland 4001, Australia
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4
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Winter DL, Wairara AR, Bennett JL, Donald WA, Glover DJ. Protein Interaction Kinetics Delimit the Performance of Phosphorylation-Driven Protein Switches. ACS Synth Biol 2024; 13:1781-1797. [PMID: 38830815 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.4c00101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2024]
Abstract
Post-translational modifications (PTMs) such as phosphorylation and dephosphorylation can rapidly alter protein surface chemistry and structural conformation, which can switch protein-protein interactions (PPIs) within signaling networks. Recently, de novo-designed phosphorylation-responsive protein switches have been created that harness kinase- and phosphatase-mediated phosphorylation to modulate PPIs. PTM-driven protein switches are promising tools for investigating PTM dynamics in living cells, developing biocompatible nanodevices, and engineering signaling pathways to program cell behavior. However, little is known about the physical and kinetic constraints of PTM-driven protein switches, which limits their practical application. In this study, we present a framework to evaluate two-component PTM-driven protein switches based on four performance metrics: effective concentration, dynamic range, response time, and reversibility. Our computational models reveal an intricate relationship between the binding kinetics, phosphorylation kinetics, and switch concentration that governs the sensitivity and reversibility of PTM-driven protein switches. Building upon the insights of the interaction modeling, we built and evaluated novel phosphorylation-driven protein switches consisting of phosphorylation-sensitive coiled coils as sensor domains fused to fluorescent proteins as actuator domains. By modulating the phosphorylation state of the switches with a specific protein kinase and phosphatase, we demonstrate fast, reversible transitions between "on" and "off" states. The response of the switches linearly correlated to the kinase concentration, demonstrating its potential as a biosensor for kinase measurements in real time. As intended, the switches responded to specific kinase activity with an increase in the fluorescence signal and our model could be used to distinguish between two mechanisms of switch activation: dimerization or a structural rearrangement. The protein switch kinetics model developed here should enable PTM-driven switches to be designed with ideal performance for specific applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel L Winter
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
- Synthetic Biology Future Science Platform, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Adelgisa R Wairara
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Jack L Bennett
- School of Chemistry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - William A Donald
- School of Chemistry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Dominic J Glover
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
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5
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Shui S, Scheller L, Correia BE. Protein-based bandpass filters for controlling cellular signaling with chemical inputs. Nat Chem Biol 2024; 20:586-593. [PMID: 37957273 PMCID: PMC11062894 DOI: 10.1038/s41589-023-01463-7] [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: 02/10/2023] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Biological signal processing is vital for cellular function. Similar to electronic circuits, cells process signals via integrated mechanisms. In electronics, bandpass filters transmit frequencies with defined ranges, but protein-based counterparts for controlled responses are lacking in engineered biological systems. Here, we rationally design protein-based, chemically responsive bandpass filters (CBPs) showing OFF-ON-OFF patterns that respond to chemical concentrations within a specific range and reject concentrations outside that range. Employing structure-based strategies, we designed a heterodimeric construct that dimerizes in response to low concentrations of a small molecule (ON), and dissociates at high concentrations of the same molecule (OFF). The CBPs have a multidomain architecture in which we used known drug receptors, a computationally designed protein binder and small-molecule inhibitors. This modular system allows fine-tuning for optimal performance in terms of bandwidth, response, cutoff and fold changes. The CBPs were used to regulate cell surface receptor signaling pathways to control cellular activities in engineered cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sailan Shui
- Laboratory of Protein Design and Immunoengineering (LPDI)-STI-EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics (SIB), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Leo Scheller
- Laboratory of Protein Design and Immunoengineering (LPDI)-STI-EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics (SIB), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Bruno E Correia
- Laboratory of Protein Design and Immunoengineering (LPDI)-STI-EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland.
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics (SIB), Lausanne, Switzerland.
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6
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Kang W, Xiao F, Zhu X, Ling X, Xie S, Li R, Yu P, Cao L, Lei C, Qiu Y, Liu T, Nie Z. Engineering Anti-CRISPR Proteins to Create CRISPR-Cas Protein Switches for Activatable Genome Editing and Viral Protease Detection. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2024; 63:e202400599. [PMID: 38407550 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202400599] [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: 01/09/2024] [Revised: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
Proteins capable of switching between distinct active states in response to biochemical cues are ideal for sensing and controlling biological processes. Activatable CRISPR-Cas systems are significant in precise genetic manipulation and sensitive molecular diagnostics, yet directly controlling Cas protein function remains challenging. Herein, we explore anti-CRISPR (Acr) proteins as modules to create synthetic Cas protein switches (CasPSs) based on computational chemistry-directed rational protein interface engineering. Guided by molecular fingerprint analysis, electrostatic potential mapping, and binding free energy calculations, we rationally engineer the molecular interaction interface between Cas12a and its cognate Acr proteins (AcrVA4 and AcrVA5) to generate a series of orthogonal protease-responsive CasPSs. These CasPSs enable the conversion of specific proteolytic events into activation of Cas12a function with high switching ratios (up to 34.3-fold). These advancements enable specific proteolysis-inducible genome editing in mammalian cells and sensitive detection of viral protease activities during virus infection. This work provides a promising strategy for developing CRISPR-Cas tools for controllable gene manipulation and regulation and clinical diagnostics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenyuan Kang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, P. R. China
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Medicinal Resource Chemistry of Ministry of Education & Key Laboratory of Tropical Medicinal Plant Chemistry of Hainan Province, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hainan Normal University, Haikou, 571158, P. R. China
| | - Fei Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, P. R. China
| | - Xi Zhu
- Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Virology, Institute of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, College of Biology, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, P. R. China
| | - Xinyu Ling
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, 38 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100191, P. R. China
| | - Shiyi Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, P. R. China
| | - Ruimiao Li
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, P. R. China
| | - Peihang Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, P. R. China
| | - Linxin Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, P. R. China
| | - Chunyang Lei
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, P. R. China
| | - Ye Qiu
- Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Virology, Institute of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, College of Biology, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, P. R. China
| | - Tao Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, 38 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100191, P. R. China
| | - Zhou Nie
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, P. R. China
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7
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Mohsenin H, Wagner HJ, Rosenblatt M, Kemmer S, Drepper F, Huesgen P, Timmer J, Weber W. Design of a Biohybrid Materials Circuit with Binary Decoder Functionality. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2024; 36:e2308092. [PMID: 38118057 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202308092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Revised: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 12/22/2023]
Abstract
Synthetic biology applies concepts from electrical engineering and information processing to endow cells with computational functionality. Transferring the underlying molecular components into materials and wiring them according to topologies inspired by electronic circuit boards has yielded materials systems that perform selected computational operations. However, the limited functionality of available building blocks is restricting the implementation of advanced information-processing circuits into materials. Here, a set of protease-based biohybrid modules the bioactivity of which can either be induced or inhibited is engineered. Guided by a quantitative mathematical model and following a design-build-test-learn (DBTL) cycle, the modules are wired according to circuit topologies inspired by electronic signal decoders, a fundamental motif in information processing. A 2-input/4-output binary decoder for the detection of two small molecules in a material framework that can perform regulated outputs in form of distinct protease activities is designed. The here demonstrated smart material system is strongly modular and can be used for biomolecular information processing for example in advanced biosensing or drug delivery applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hasti Mohsenin
- Signalling Research Centres BIOSS and CIBSS, University of Freiburg, Schänzlestraße 18, 79104, Freiburg, Germany
- INM - Leibniz Institute for New Materials, Campus D2 2, 66123, Saarbrücken, Germany
- Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Schänzlestraße 1, 79104, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Hanna J Wagner
- Signalling Research Centres BIOSS and CIBSS, University of Freiburg, Schänzlestraße 18, 79104, Freiburg, Germany
- Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Schänzlestraße 1, 79104, Freiburg, Germany
- Spemann Graduate School of Biology and Medicine (SGBM), University of Freiburg, Albertstraße 19a, 79104, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Marcus Rosenblatt
- Institute of Physics and Freiburg Center for Data Analysis and Modelling (FDM), University of Freiburg, Hermann-Herder-Straße 3, 79104, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Svenja Kemmer
- Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Schänzlestraße 1, 79104, Freiburg, Germany
- Institute of Physics and Freiburg Center for Data Analysis and Modelling (FDM), University of Freiburg, Hermann-Herder-Straße 3, 79104, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Friedel Drepper
- Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Schänzlestraße 1, 79104, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Pitter Huesgen
- Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Schänzlestraße 1, 79104, Freiburg, Germany
- CIBSS - Centre for Integrative Biological Signalling Studies, University of Freiburg, Schänzlestraße 18, 79104, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Jens Timmer
- Signalling Research Centres BIOSS and CIBSS, University of Freiburg, Schänzlestraße 18, 79104, Freiburg, Germany
- Institute of Physics and Freiburg Center for Data Analysis and Modelling (FDM), University of Freiburg, Hermann-Herder-Straße 3, 79104, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Wilfried Weber
- Signalling Research Centres BIOSS and CIBSS, University of Freiburg, Schänzlestraße 18, 79104, Freiburg, Germany
- INM - Leibniz Institute for New Materials, Campus D2 2, 66123, Saarbrücken, Germany
- Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Schänzlestraße 1, 79104, Freiburg, Germany
- Spemann Graduate School of Biology and Medicine (SGBM), University of Freiburg, Albertstraße 19a, 79104, Freiburg, Germany
- Saarland University, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Campus D2 2, 66123, Saarbrücken, Germany
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8
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Plaper T, Merljak E, Fink T, Satler T, Ljubetič A, Lainšček D, Jazbec V, Benčina M, Stevanoska S, Džeroski S, Jerala R. Designed allosteric protein logic. Cell Discov 2024; 10:8. [PMID: 38228615 DOI: 10.1038/s41421-023-00635-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2024] Open
Abstract
The regulation of protein function by external or internal signals is one of the key features of living organisms. The ability to directly control the function of a selected protein would represent a valuable tool for regulating biological processes. Here, we present a generally applicable regulation of proteins called INSRTR, based on inserting a peptide into a loop of a target protein that retains its function. We demonstrate the versatility and robustness of coiled-coil-mediated regulation, which enables designs for either inactivation or activation of selected protein functions, and implementation of two-input logic functions with rapid response in mammalian cells. The selection of insertion positions in tested proteins was facilitated by using a predictive machine learning model. We showcase the robustness of the INSRTR strategy on proteins with diverse folds and biological functions, including enzymes, signaling mediators, DNA binders, transcriptional regulators, reporters, and antibody domains implemented as chimeric antigen receptors in T cells. Our findings highlight the potential of INSRTR as a powerful tool for precise control of protein function, advancing our understanding of biological processes and developing biotechnological and therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tjaša Plaper
- Department of Synthetic Biology and Immunology, National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, SI-1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Estera Merljak
- Department of Synthetic Biology and Immunology, National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, SI-1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Tina Fink
- Department of Synthetic Biology and Immunology, National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, SI-1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Tadej Satler
- Department of Synthetic Biology and Immunology, National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, SI-1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Interdisciplinary doctoral study of biomedicine, Medical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Ajasja Ljubetič
- Department of Synthetic Biology and Immunology, National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, SI-1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Duško Lainšček
- Department of Synthetic Biology and Immunology, National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, SI-1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Vid Jazbec
- Department of Synthetic Biology and Immunology, National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, SI-1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Interdisciplinary doctoral study of biomedicine, Medical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Mojca Benčina
- Department of Synthetic Biology and Immunology, National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, SI-1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Centre for Technologies of Gene and Cell Therapy, Hajdrihova 19, SI-1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Sintija Stevanoska
- Department of knowledge technologies, Jožef Stefan Institute, Jamova cesta 39, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Sašo Džeroski
- Department of knowledge technologies, Jožef Stefan Institute, Jamova cesta 39, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Roman Jerala
- Department of Synthetic Biology and Immunology, National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, SI-1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
- Centre for Technologies of Gene and Cell Therapy, Hajdrihova 19, SI-1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
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9
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Teng F, Cui T, Zhou L, Gao Q, Zhou Q, Li W. Programmable synthetic receptors: the next-generation of cell and gene therapies. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2024; 9:7. [PMID: 38167329 PMCID: PMC10761793 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-023-01680-5] [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: 05/30/2023] [Revised: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Cell and gene therapies hold tremendous promise for treating a range of difficult-to-treat diseases. However, concerns over the safety and efficacy require to be further addressed in order to realize their full potential. Synthetic receptors, a synthetic biology tool that can precisely control the function of therapeutic cells and genetic modules, have been rapidly developed and applied as a powerful solution. Delicately designed and engineered, they can be applied to finetune the therapeutic activities, i.e., to regulate production of dosed, bioactive payloads by sensing and processing user-defined signals or biomarkers. This review provides an overview of diverse synthetic receptor systems being used to reprogram therapeutic cells and their wide applications in biomedical research. With a special focus on four synthetic receptor systems at the forefront, including chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) and synthetic Notch (synNotch) receptors, we address the generalized strategies to design, construct and improve synthetic receptors. Meanwhile, we also highlight the expanding landscape of therapeutic applications of the synthetic receptor systems as well as current challenges in their clinical translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fei Teng
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 101408, China.
| | - Tongtong Cui
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Li Zhou
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 101408, China
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Qingqin Gao
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 101408, China
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Qi Zhou
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 101408, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
- Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
- Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Beijing, 100101, China.
| | - Wei Li
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 101408, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
- Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
- Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Beijing, 100101, China.
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10
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Chamorro A, Rossetti M, Bagheri N, Porchetta A. Rationally Designed DNA-Based Scaffolds and Switching Probes for Protein Sensing. ADVANCES IN BIOCHEMICAL ENGINEERING/BIOTECHNOLOGY 2024; 187:71-106. [PMID: 38273204 DOI: 10.1007/10_2023_235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
The detection of a protein analyte and use of this type of information for disease diagnosis and physiological monitoring requires methods with high sensitivity and specificity that have to be also easy to use, rapid and, ideally, single step. In the last 10 years, a number of DNA-based sensing methods and sensors have been developed in order to achieve quantitative readout of protein biomarkers. Inspired by the speed, specificity, and versatility of naturally occurring chemosensors based on structure-switching biomolecules, significant efforts have been done to reproduce these mechanisms into the fabrication of artificial biosensors for protein detection. As an alternative, in scaffold DNA biosensors, different recognition elements (e.g., peptides, proteins, small molecules, and antibodies) can be conjugated to the DNA scaffold with high accuracy and precision in order to specifically interact with the target protein with high affinity and specificity. They have several advantages and potential, especially because the transduction signal can be drastically enhanced. Our aim here is to provide an overview of the best examples of structure switching-based and scaffold DNA sensors, as well as to introduce the reader to the rational design of innovative sensing mechanisms and strategies based on programmable functional DNA systems for protein detection.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Marianna Rossetti
- Department of Chemistry, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Neda Bagheri
- Department of Chemistry, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
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11
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Campbell E, Luxton T, Kohl D, Goodchild SA, Walti C, Jeuken LJC. Chimeric Protein Switch Biosensors. ADVANCES IN BIOCHEMICAL ENGINEERING/BIOTECHNOLOGY 2024; 187:1-35. [PMID: 38273207 DOI: 10.1007/10_2023_241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
Rapid detection of protein and small-molecule analytes is a valuable technique across multiple disciplines, but most in vitro testing of biological or environmental samples requires long, laborious processes and trained personnel in laboratory settings, leading to long wait times for results and high expenses. Fusion of recognition with reporter elements has been introduced to detection methods such as enzyme-linked immunoassays (ELISA), with enzyme-conjugated secondary antibodies removing one of the many incubation and wash steps. Chimeric protein switch biosensors go further and provide a platform for homogenous mix-and-read assays where long wash and incubation steps are eradicated from the process. Chimeric protein switch biosensors consist of an enzyme switch (the reporter) coupled to a recognition element, where binding of the analyte results in switching the activity of the reporter enzyme on or off. Several chimeric protein switch biosensors have successfully been developed for analytes ranging from small molecule drugs to large protein biomarkers. There are two main formats of chimeric protein switch biosensor developed, one-component and multi-component, and these formats exhibit unique advantages and disadvantages. Genetically fusing a recognition protein to the enzyme switch has many advantages in the production and performance of the biosensor. A range of immune and synthetic binding proteins have been developed as alternatives to antibodies, including antibody mimetics or antibody fragments. These are mainly small, easily manipulated proteins and can be genetically fused to a reporter for recombinant expression or manipulated to allow chemical fusion. Here, aspects of chimeric protein switch biosensors will be reviewed with a comparison of different classes of recognition elements and switching mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma Campbell
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | - Timothy Luxton
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | - Declan Kohl
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | | | - Christoph Walti
- School of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | - Lars J C Jeuken
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.
- Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.
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12
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Broch F, El Hajji L, Pietrancosta N, Gautier A. Engineering of Tunable Allosteric-like Fluorogenic Protein Sensors. ACS Sens 2023; 8:3933-3942. [PMID: 37830919 DOI: 10.1021/acssensors.3c01536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2023]
Abstract
Optical protein sensors that enable detection of relevant biomolecules of interest play central roles in biological research. Coupling fluorescent reporters with protein sensing units has enabled the development of a wide range of biosensors that recognize analytes with high selectivity. In these sensors, analyte recognition induces a conformational change in the protein sensing unit that can modulate the optical signal of the fluorescent reporter. Here, we explore various designs for the creation of tunable allosteric-like fluorogenic protein sensors through incorporation of sensing protein units within the chemogenetic fluorescence-activating and absorption-shifting tag (FAST) that selectively binds and stabilizes the fluorescent state of 4-hydroxybenzylidene rhodanine (HBR) analogs. Conformational coupling allowed us to design analyte-responsive optical protein sensors through allosteric-like modulation of fluorogen binding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fanny Broch
- Sorbonne Université, École Normale Supérieure, Université PSL, CNRS, Laboratoire des Biomolécules, LBM, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Lina El Hajji
- Sorbonne Université, École Normale Supérieure, Université PSL, CNRS, Laboratoire des Biomolécules, LBM, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Nicolas Pietrancosta
- Sorbonne Université, École Normale Supérieure, Université PSL, CNRS, Laboratoire des Biomolécules, LBM, 75005 Paris, France
- Neuroscience Paris Seine-Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS-IBPS) INSERM, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Arnaud Gautier
- Sorbonne Université, École Normale Supérieure, Université PSL, CNRS, Laboratoire des Biomolécules, LBM, 75005 Paris, France
- Institut Universitaire de France, 75231 Paris, France
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13
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Shui S, Buckley S, Scheller L, Correia BE. Rational design of small-molecule responsive protein switches. Protein Sci 2023; 32:e4774. [PMID: 37656809 PMCID: PMC10510469 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2023] [Revised: 08/26/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/03/2023]
Abstract
Small-molecule responsive protein switches are powerful tools for controlling cellular processes. These switches are designed to respond rapidly and specifically to their inducer. They have been used in numerous applications, including the regulation of gene expression, post-translational protein modification, and signal transduction. Typically, small-molecule responsive protein switches consist of two proteins that interact with each other in the presence or absence of a small molecule. Recent advances in computational protein design already contributed to the development of protein switches with an expanded range of small-molecule inducers and increasingly sophisticated switch mechanisms. Further progress in the engineering of small-molecule responsive switches is fueled by cutting-edge computational design approaches, which will enable more complex and precise control over cellular processes and advance synthetic biology applications in biotechnology and medicine. Here, we discuss recent milestones and how technological advances are impacting the development of chemical switches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sailan Shui
- Laboratory of Protein Design and Immunoengineering (LPDI)STI, EPFLLausanneSwitzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics (SIB)LausanneSwitzerland
| | - Stephen Buckley
- Laboratory of Protein Design and Immunoengineering (LPDI)STI, EPFLLausanneSwitzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics (SIB)LausanneSwitzerland
| | - Leo Scheller
- Laboratory of Protein Design and Immunoengineering (LPDI)STI, EPFLLausanneSwitzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics (SIB)LausanneSwitzerland
| | - Bruno E. Correia
- Laboratory of Protein Design and Immunoengineering (LPDI)STI, EPFLLausanneSwitzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics (SIB)LausanneSwitzerland
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14
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Lee H, Xie T, Yu X, Schaffter SW, Schulman R. Plug-and-play protein biosensors using aptamer-regulated in vitro transcription. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.08.10.552680. [PMID: 37645783 PMCID: PMC10461910 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.10.552680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
Molecular biosensors that accurately measure protein concentrations without external equipment are critical for solving numerous problems in diagnostics and therapeutics. Modularly transducing the binding of protein antibodies, protein switches or aptamers into a useful output remains challenging. Here, we develop a biosensing platform based on aptamer-regulated transcription in which aptamers integrated into transcription templates serve as inputs to molecular circuits that can be programmed to a produce a variety of responses. We modularly design molecular biosensors using this platform by swapping aptamer domains for specific proteins and downstream domains that encode different RNA transcripts. By coupling aptamer-regulated transcription with diverse transduction circuits, we rapidly construct analog protein biosensors or digital protein biosensors with detection ranges that can be tuned over two orders of magnitude. Aptamer-regulated transcription is a straightforward and inexpensive approach for constructing programmable protein biosensors suitable for diverse research and diagnostic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heonjoon Lee
- Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21218
| | - Tian Xie
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205
| | - Xinjie Yu
- Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218
| | | | - Rebecca Schulman
- Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218
- Computer Science, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218
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15
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Park YS, Choi S, Jang HJ, Yoo TH. Assay methods based on proximity-enhanced reactions for detecting non-nucleic acid molecules. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2023; 11:1188313. [PMID: 37456730 PMCID: PMC10343955 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1188313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Accurate and reliable detection of biological molecules such as nucleic acids, proteins, and small molecules is essential for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. While simple homogeneous assays have been developed and are widely used for detecting nucleic acids, non-nucleic acid molecules such as proteins and small molecules are usually analyzed using methods that require time-consuming procedures and highly trained personnel. Recently, methods using proximity-enhanced reactions (PERs) have been developed for detecting non-nucleic acids. These reactions can be conducted in a homogeneous liquid phase via a single-step procedure. Herein, we review three assays based on PERs for the detection of non-nucleic acid molecules: proximity ligation assay, proximity extension assay, and proximity proteolysis assay.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ye Seop Park
- Department of Molecular Science and Technology, Ajou University, Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - Sunjoo Choi
- Department of Molecular Science and Technology, Ajou University, Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - Hee Ju Jang
- Department of Molecular Science and Technology, Ajou University, Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - Tae Hyeon Yoo
- Department of Molecular Science and Technology, Ajou University, Suwon, Republic of Korea
- Department of Applied Chemistry and Biological Engineering, Ajou University, Suwon, Republic of Korea
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16
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Park HJ, Kim Y, Lee KW, Gwon M, Yoon HC, Yoo TH. Coupling hCG-based protease sensors with a commercial pregnancy test strip for simple analyses of protease activities. Biosens Bioelectron 2023; 235:115364. [PMID: 37207580 DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2023.115364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2022] [Revised: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Proteases play an essential role in many cellular processes, and consequently, abnormalities in their activities are related to various diseases. Methods have been developed to measure the activity of these enzymes, but most involve sophisticated instruments or complicated procedures, which hampers the development of a point-of-care test (POCT). Here, we propose a strategy for developing simple and sensitive methods to analyze protease activity using commercial pregnancy test strips that detect human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). hCG was engineered to have site-specific conjugated biotin and a peptide sequence, which can be cleaved by a target protease, between hCG and biotin. hCG protein was immobilized on streptavidin-coated beads, resulting in a protease sensor. The hCG-immobilized beads were too large to flow through the membrane of the hCG test strip and yielded only one band in the control line. When the peptide linker was hydrolyzed by the target protease, hCG was released from the beads, and the signal appeared in both the control and test lines. Three protease sensors for matrix metalloproteinase-2, caspase-3, and thrombin were constructed by replacing the protease-cleavable peptide linker. The combination of the protease sensors and a commercial pregnancy strip enabled the specific detection of each protease in the picomolar range, with a 30-min incubation of the hCG-immobilized beads and samples. The modular design of the protease sensor and simple assay procedure will facilitate the development of POCTs for various protease disease markers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyeon Ji Park
- Department of Molecular Science and Technology, Ajou University, 206 World cup-ro, Yengtong-gu, Suwon, 16499, South Korea
| | - Yuseon Kim
- Department of Molecular Science and Technology, Ajou University, 206 World cup-ro, Yengtong-gu, Suwon, 16499, South Korea
| | - Kyung Won Lee
- Department of Molecular Science and Technology, Ajou University, 206 World cup-ro, Yengtong-gu, Suwon, 16499, South Korea
| | - Minji Gwon
- Department of Molecular Science and Technology, Ajou University, 206 World cup-ro, Yengtong-gu, Suwon, 16499, South Korea
| | - Hyun C Yoon
- Department of Molecular Science and Technology, Ajou University, 206 World cup-ro, Yengtong-gu, Suwon, 16499, South Korea; Department of Applied Chemistry and Biological Engineering, Ajou University, 206 World cup-ro, Yengtong-gu, Suwon, 16499, South Korea.
| | - Tae Hyeon Yoo
- Department of Molecular Science and Technology, Ajou University, 206 World cup-ro, Yengtong-gu, Suwon, 16499, South Korea; Department of Applied Chemistry and Biological Engineering, Ajou University, 206 World cup-ro, Yengtong-gu, Suwon, 16499, South Korea.
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17
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Engelberger F, Zakary JD, Künze G. Guiding protein design choices by per-residue energy breakdown analysis with an interactive web application. Front Mol Biosci 2023; 10:1178035. [PMID: 37228581 PMCID: PMC10204868 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2023.1178035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent developments in machine learning have greatly facilitated the design of proteins with improved properties. However, accurately assessing the contributions of an individual or multiple amino acid mutations to overall protein stability to select the most promising mutants remains a challenge. Knowing the specific types of amino acid interactions that improve energetic stability is crucial for finding favorable combinations of mutations and deciding which mutants to test experimentally. In this work, we present an interactive workflow for assessing the energetic contributions of single and multi-mutant designs of proteins. The energy breakdown guided protein design (ENDURE) workflow includes several key algorithms, including per-residue energy analysis and the sum of interaction energies calculations, which are performed using the Rosetta energy function, as well as a residue depth analysis, which enables tracking the energetic contributions of mutations occurring in different spatial layers of the protein structure. ENDURE is available as a web application that integrates easy-to-read summary reports and interactive visualizations of the automated energy calculations and helps users selecting protein mutants for further experimental characterization. We demonstrate the effectiveness of the tool in identifying the mutations in a designed polyethylene terephthalate (PET)-degrading enzyme that add up to an improved thermodynamic stability. We expect that ENDURE can be a valuable resource for researchers and practitioners working in the field of protein design and optimization. ENDURE is freely available for academic use at: http://endure.kuenzelab.org.
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18
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Navone L, Moffitt K, Behrendorff J, Sadowski P, Hartley C, Speight R. Biosensor-guided rapid screening for improved recombinant protein secretion in Pichia pastoris. Microb Cell Fact 2023; 22:92. [PMID: 37138331 PMCID: PMC10155391 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-023-02089-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Pichia pastoris (Komagataella phaffii) is widely used for industrial production of heterologous proteins due to high secretory capabilities but selection of highly productive engineered strains remains a limiting step. Despite availability of a comprehensive molecular toolbox for construct design and gene integration, there is high clonal variability among transformants due to frequent multi-copy and off-target random integration. Therefore, functional screening of several hundreds of transformant clones is essential to identify the best protein production strains. Screening methods are commonly based on deep-well plate cultures with analysis by immunoblotting or enzyme activity assays of post-induction samples, and each heterologous protein produced may require development of bespoke assays with multiple sample processing steps. In this work, we developed a generic system based on a P. pastoris strain that uses a protein-based biosensor to identify highly productive protein secretion clones from a heterogeneous set of transformants. The biosensor uses a split green fluorescent protein where the large GFP fragment (GFP1-10) is fused to a sequence-specific protease from Tobacco Etch Virus (TEV) and is targeted to the endoplasmic reticulum. Recombinant proteins targeted for secretion are tagged with the small fragment of the split GFP (GFP11). Recombinant protein production can be measured by monitoring GFP fluorescence, which is dependent on interaction between the large and small GFP fragments. The reconstituted GFP is cleaved from the target protein by TEV protease, allowing for secretion of the untagged protein of interest and intracellular retention of the mature GFP. We demonstrate this technology with four recombinant proteins (phytase, laccase, β-casein and β-lactoglobulin) and show that the biosensor directly reports protein production levels that correlate with traditional assays. Our results confirm that the split GFP biosensor can be used for facile, generic, and rapid screening of P. pastoris clones to identify those with the highest production levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Navone
- School of Biology and Environmental Science, Faculty of Science, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, QLD, 4000, Australia.
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, QLD, 4000, Australia.
| | - Kaylee Moffitt
- School of Biology and Environmental Science, Faculty of Science, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, QLD, 4000, Australia
| | - James Behrendorff
- School of Biology and Environmental Science, Faculty of Science, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, QLD, 4000, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, QLD, 4000, Australia
| | - Pawel Sadowski
- Central Analytical Research Facility (CARF), Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, QLD, 4000, Australia
| | | | - Robert Speight
- School of Biology and Environmental Science, Faculty of Science, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, QLD, 4000, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, QLD, 4000, Australia
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19
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Atkinson JT, Chavez MS, Niman CM, El-Naggar MY. Living electronics: A catalogue of engineered living electronic components. Microb Biotechnol 2023; 16:507-533. [PMID: 36519191 PMCID: PMC9948233 DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.14171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2022] [Revised: 09/26/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Biology leverages a range of electrical phenomena to extract and store energy, control molecular reactions and enable multicellular communication. Microbes, in particular, have evolved genetically encoded machinery enabling them to utilize the abundant redox-active molecules and minerals available on Earth, which in turn drive global-scale biogeochemical cycles. Recently, the microbial machinery enabling these redox reactions have been leveraged for interfacing cells and biomolecules with electrical circuits for biotechnological applications. Synthetic biology is allowing for the use of these machinery as components of engineered living materials with tuneable electrical properties. Herein, we review the state of such living electronic components including wires, capacitors, transistors, diodes, optoelectronic components, spin filters, sensors, logic processors, bioactuators, information storage media and methods for assembling these components into living electronic circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua T Atkinson
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Marko S Chavez
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Christina M Niman
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Mohamed Y El-Naggar
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA.,Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA.,Department of Chemistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
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20
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d'Amone L, Matzeu G, Quijano-Rubio A, Callahan GP, Napier B, Baker D, Omenetto FG. Reshaping de Novo Protein Switches into Bioresponsive Materials for Biomarker, Toxin, and Viral Detection. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2023; 35:e2208556. [PMID: 36493355 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202208556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2022] [Revised: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
De novo designed protein switches are powerful tools to specifically and sensitively detect diverse targets with simple chemiluminescent readouts. Finding an appropriate material host for de novo designed protein switches without altering their thermodynamics while preserving their intrinsic stability over time would enable the development of a variety of sensing formats to monitor exposure to pathogens, toxins, and for disease diagnosis. Here, a de novo protein-biopolymer hybrid that maintains the detection capabilities induced by the conformational change of the incorporated proteins in response to analytes of interest is generated in multiple, shelf-stable material formats without the need of refrigerated storage conditions. A set of functional demonstrator devices including personal protective equipment such as masks and laboratory gloves, free-standing films, air quality monitors, and wearable devices is presented to illustrate the versatility of the approach. Such formats are designed to be responsive to human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER2), anti-hepatitis B (HBV) antibodies, Botulinum neurotoxin B (BoNT/B), and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). This combination of form and function offers wide opportunities for ubiquitous sensing in multiple environments by enabling a large class of bio-responsive interfaces of broad utility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luciana d'Amone
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
| | - Giusy Matzeu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
| | - Alfredo Quijano-Rubio
- Department of Biochemistry, Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Gregory P Callahan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
| | - Bradley Napier
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
| | - David Baker
- Department of Biochemistry, Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Fiorenzo G Omenetto
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
- Department of Physics, Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
- Laboratory for Living Devices, Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
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21
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Evolution of protease activation and specificity via alpha-2-macroglobulin-mediated covalent capture. Nat Commun 2023; 14:768. [PMID: 36765057 PMCID: PMC9918453 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-36099-7] [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: 08/07/2022] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Tailoring of the activity and specificity of proteases is critical for their utility across industrial, medical and research purposes. However, engineering or evolving protease catalysts is challenging and often labour intensive. Here, we describe a generic method to accelerate this process based on yeast display. We introduce the protease selection system A2Mcap that covalently captures protease catalysts by repurposed alpha-2-macroglobulin (A2Ms). To demonstrate the utility of A2Mcap for protease engineering we exemplify the directed activity and specificity evolution of six serine proteases. This resulted in a variant of Staphylococcus aureus serin-protease-like (Spl) protease SplB, an enzyme used for recombinant protein processing, that no longer requires activation by N-terminal signal peptide removal. SCHEMA-based domain shuffling was used to map the specificity determining regions of Spl proteases, leading to a chimeric scaffold that supports specificity switching via subdomain exchange. The ability of A2Mcap to overcome key challenges en route to tailor-made proteases suggests easier access to such reagents in the future.
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22
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Lu H, Cheng Z, Hu Y, Tang LV. What Can De Novo Protein Design Bring to the Treatment of Hematological Disorders? BIOLOGY 2023; 12:biology12020166. [PMID: 36829445 PMCID: PMC9952452 DOI: 10.3390/biology12020166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Revised: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Protein therapeutics have been widely used to treat hematological disorders. With the advent of de novo protein design, protein therapeutics are not limited to ameliorating natural proteins but also produce novel protein sequences, folds, and functions with shapes and functions customized to bind to the therapeutic targets. De novo protein techniques have been widely used biomedically to design novel diagnostic and therapeutic drugs, novel vaccines, and novel biological materials. In addition, de novo protein design has provided new options for treating hematological disorders. Scientists have designed protein switches called Colocalization-dependent Latching Orthogonal Cage-Key pRoteins (Co-LOCKR) that perform computations on the surface of cells. De novo designed molecules exhibit a better capacity than the currently available tyrosine kinase inhibitors in chronic myeloid leukemia therapy. De novo designed protein neoleukin-2/15 enhances chimeric antigen receptor T-cell activity. This new technique has great biomedical potential, especially in exploring new treatment methods for hematological disorders. This review discusses the development of de novo protein design and its biological applications, with emphasis on the treatment of hematological disorders.
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23
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Van Thillo T, Van Deuren V, Dedecker P. Smart genetically-encoded biosensors for the chemical monitoring of living systems. Chem Commun (Camb) 2023; 59:520-534. [PMID: 36519509 DOI: 10.1039/d2cc05363b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Genetically-encoded biosensors provide the all-optical and non-invasive visualization of dynamic biochemical events within living systems, which has allowed the discovery of profound new insights. Twenty-five years of biosensor development has steadily improved their performance and has provided us with an ever increasing biosensor repertoire. In this feature article, we present recent advances made in biosensor development and provide a perspective on the future direction of the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toon Van Thillo
- Department of Chemistry, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200G, 3001 Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Vincent Van Deuren
- Department of Chemistry, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200G, 3001 Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Peter Dedecker
- Department of Chemistry, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200G, 3001 Leuven, Belgium.
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24
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Patel SK, Surve J, Parmar J, Ahmed K, Bui FM, Al-Zahrani FA. Recent Advances in Biosensors for Detection of COVID-19 and Other Viruses. IEEE Rev Biomed Eng 2023; 16:22-37. [PMID: 36197867 PMCID: PMC10009816 DOI: 10.1109/rbme.2022.3212038] [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: 03/21/2022] [Revised: 06/28/2022] [Accepted: 09/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
This century has introduced very deadly, dangerous, and infectious diseases to humankind such as the influenza virus, Ebola virus, Zika virus, and the most infectious SARS-CoV-2 commonly known as COVID-19 and have caused epidemics and pandemics across the globe. For some of these diseases, proper medications, and vaccinations are missing and the early detection of these viruses will be critical to saving the patients. And even the vaccines are available for COVID-19, the new variants of COVID-19 such as Delta, and Omicron are spreading at large. The available virus detection techniques take a long time, are costly, and complex and some of them generates false negative or false positive that might cost patients their lives. The biosensor technique is one of the best qualified to address this difficult challenge. In this systematic review, we have summarized recent advancements in biosensor-based detection of these pandemic viruses including COVID-19. Biosensors are emerging as efficient and economical analytical diagnostic instruments for early-stage illness detection. They are highly suitable for applications related to healthcare, wearable electronics, safety, environment, military, and agriculture. We strongly believe that these insights will aid in the study and development of a new generation of adaptable virus biosensors for fellow researchers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shobhit K. Patel
- Department of Computer EngineeringMarwadi UniversityRajkot360003India
| | - Jaymit Surve
- Department of Electrical EngineeringMarwadi UniversityRajkot360003India
| | - Juveriya Parmar
- Department of Mechanical and Materials EngineeringUniversity of Nebraska - LincolnNebraska68588USA
- Department of Electronics and Communication EngineeringMarwadi UniversityRajkot360003India
| | - Kawsar Ahmed
- Department of Electrical and Computer EngineeringUniversity of SaskatchewanSaskatoonSKS79 5A9Canada
- Group of Bio-PhotomatiX, Department of Information and Communication TechnologyMawlana Bhashani Science and Technology UniversitySantoshTangail1902Bangladesh
| | - Francis M. Bui
- Department of Electrical and Computer EngineeringUniversity of SaskatchewanSaskatoonSKS79 5A9Canada
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25
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Bollhagen A, Bechtel W. Discovering autoinhibition as a design principle for the control of biological mechanisms. STUDIES IN HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE 2022; 95:145-157. [PMID: 36029564 DOI: 10.1016/j.shpsa.2022.08.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Revised: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/05/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Autoinhibition is a design principle realized in many molecular mechanisms in biology. After explicating the notion of a design principle and showing that autoinhibition is such a principle, we focus on how researchers discovered instances of autoinhibition, using research establishing the autoinhibition of the molecular motors kinesin and dynein as our case study. Research on kinesin and dynein began in the fashion described in accounts of mechanistic explanation but, once the mechanisms had been discovered, researchers discovered that they exhibited a second phenomenon, autoinhibition. The discovery of autoinhibition not only reverses the pattern in terms of which philosophers have understood mechanism discovery but runs counter to the one phenomenon-one mechanism principle assumed to relate mechanisms and the phenomena they explain. The ubiquity of autoinhibition as a design principle, therefore, necessitates a philosophical understanding of mechanisms that recognizes how they can participate in more than one phenomenon. Since mechanisms with this design are released from autoinhibition only when they are acted on by control mechanisms, we advance a revised account of mechanisms that accommodates attribution of multiple phenomena to the same mechanism and distinguishes them from other processes that control them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Bollhagen
- UC San Diego Philosophy Department, Ridge Walk Academic Complex - Arts & Humanities Bldg. Room 0435, La Jolla, CA 92093-0119, USA.
| | - William Bechtel
- UC San Diego Philosophy Department, Ridge Walk Academic Complex - Arts & Humanities Bldg. Room 0455, La Jolla, CA 92093-0119, USA.
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26
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Wu CC, Huang SJ, Fu TY, Lin FL, Wang XY, Tan KT. Small-Molecule Modulated Affinity-Tunable Semisynthetic Protein Switches. ACS Sens 2022; 7:2691-2700. [PMID: 36084142 DOI: 10.1021/acssensors.2c01211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Engineered protein switches have been widely applied in cell-based protein sensors and point-of-care diagnosis for the rapid and simple analysis of a wide variety of proteins, metabolites, nucleic acids, and enzymatic activities. Currently, these protein switches are based on two main types of switching mechanisms to transduce the target binding event to a quantitative signal, through a change in the optical properties of fluorescent molecules and the activation of enzymatic activities. In this paper, we introduce a new affinity-tunable protein switch strategy in which the binding of a small-molecule target with the protein activates the streptavidin-biotin interaction to generate a readout signal. In the absence of a target, the biotinylated protein switch forms a closed conformation where the biotin is positioned in close proximity to the protein, imposing a large steric hindrance to prevent the effective binding with streptavidin. In the presence of the target molecule, this steric hindrance is removed, thereby exposing the biotin for streptavidin binding to produce strong fluorescent signals. With this modular sensing concept, various sulfonamide, methotrexate, and trimethoprim drugs can be selectively detected on the cell surface of native and genetically engineered cells using different fluorescent dyes and detection techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chien-Chi Wu
- Department of Chemistry, National Tsing Hua University, 101 Section 2, Kuang Fu Road, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Shao-Jie Huang
- Department of Chemistry, National Tsing Hua University, 101 Section 2, Kuang Fu Road, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Tsung-Yu Fu
- Department of Chemistry, National Tsing Hua University, 101 Section 2, Kuang Fu Road, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Fang-Ling Lin
- Department of Chemistry, National Tsing Hua University, 101 Section 2, Kuang Fu Road, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Xin-You Wang
- Department of Chemistry, National Tsing Hua University, 101 Section 2, Kuang Fu Road, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Kui-Thong Tan
- Department of Chemistry, National Tsing Hua University, 101 Section 2, Kuang Fu Road, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan, Republic of China.,Frontier Research Center on Fundamental and Applied Sciences of Matters, National Tsing Hua University, 101 Section 2, Kuang Fu Road, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan, Republic of China.,Department of Medicinal and Applied Chemistry, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan, Republic of China
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27
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Ding Q, Li Z, Guo L, Song W, Wu J, Chen X, Liu L, Gao C. Engineering Escherichia coli asymmetry distribution-based synthetic consortium for shikimate production. Biotechnol Bioeng 2022; 119:3230-3240. [PMID: 35982023 DOI: 10.1002/bit.28211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2022] [Revised: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Microbial consortia constitute a promising tool for achieving high-value chemical bio-production. However, customizing the consortium ratio remains challenging. Herein, an asymmetry distribution-based synthetic consortium (ADSC) was developed to switch cell phenotypes using shikimate synthesis for proof of concept. First, the cell pole-organizing protein PopZ was screened as a mediator of asymmetric protein distribution in Escherichia coli. The ADSC was then constructed to incorporate PopZ-mediated asymmetry distribution and a TetR-based transcription repression switch to achieve the dynamical control of microbial population ratio. Finally, the ADSC was used to decouple cell growth from shikimate synthesis by effectively coordinating the ratio of growing cells and production cells at the consortium level, thereby increasing shikimate titer to 30.1 g/L in the 7.5-L bioreactor with a minimal medium. This titer was further improved to 82.5 g/L when using rich medium fermentation. Our results illustrate a novel approach to control consortium structure through ADSC-mediated regulation, highlighting its potential as an efficient strategy for controlling metabolic state in microbes. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiang Ding
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China.,International Joint Laboratory on Food Safety, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China.,School of Life Sciences, Anhui University, Hefei, 230601, China
| | - Zhendong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China.,International Joint Laboratory on Food Safety, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
| | - Liang Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China.,International Joint Laboratory on Food Safety, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
| | - Wei Song
- School of Life Sciences and Health Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
| | - Jing Wu
- School of Life Sciences and Health Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
| | - Xiulai Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China.,International Joint Laboratory on Food Safety, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
| | - Liming Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China.,International Joint Laboratory on Food Safety, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
| | - Cong Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China.,International Joint Laboratory on Food Safety, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
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28
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Redesigning Robust Biocatalysts by Engineering Enzyme Microenvironment and Enzyme Immobilization. Catal Letters 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10562-022-04137-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
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29
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Li J, Wang JL, Zhang WL, Tu Z, Cai XF, Wang YW, Gan CY, Deng HJ, Cui J, Shu ZC, Long QX, Chen J, Tang N, Hu X, Huang AL, Hu JL. Protein sensors combining both on-and-off model for antibody homogeneous assay. Biosens Bioelectron 2022; 209:114226. [PMID: 35413624 PMCID: PMC8968183 DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2022.114226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2021] [Revised: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Protein sensors based on allosteric enzymes responding to target binding with rapid changes in enzymatic activity are potential tools for homogeneous assays. However, a high signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) is difficult to achieve in their construction. A high S/N is critical to discriminate signals from the background, a phenomenon that might largely vary among serum samples from different individuals. Herein, based on the modularized luciferase NanoLuc, we designed a novel biosensor called NanoSwitch. This sensor allows direct detection of antibodies in 1 μl serum in 45 min without washing steps. In the detection of Flag and HA antibodies, NanoSwitches respond to antibodies with S/N ratios of 33-fold and 42-fold, respectively. Further, we constructed a NanoSwitch for detecting SARS-CoV-2-specific antibodies, which showed over 200-fold S/N in serum samples. High S/N was achieved by a new working model, combining the turn-off of the sensor with human serum albumin and turn-on with a specific antibody. Also, we constructed NanoSwitches for detecting antibodies against the core protein of hepatitis C virus (HCV) and gp41 of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Interestingly, these sensors demonstrated a high S/N and good performance in the assays of clinical samples; this was partly attributed to the combination of off-and-on models. In summary, we provide a novel type of protein sensor and a working model that potentially guides new sensor design with better performance.
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30
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Gräwe A, Merkx M, Stein V. iFLinkC-X: A Scalable Framework to Assemble Bespoke Genetically Encoded Co-polymeric Linkers of Variable Lengths and Amino Acid Composition. Bioconjug Chem 2022; 33:1415-1421. [PMID: 35815527 DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.2c00250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Linker engineering is rapidly gaining prominence as protein engineers and synthetic biologists construct increasingly sophisticated protein assemblies capable of executing complex molecular functions in the context of biosensing, biocatalysis, or biotherapeutics. Depending on the application, the structural and functional requirements imposed on the underlying linkers can differ vastly. At the same time, there is a distinct lack of methods to effectively code linkers at the level of DNA and tailor them to the functional requirements of different fusion proteins. Addressing these limitations, a scalable framework is presented to compose co-polymeric linkers of variable lengths and amino acid composition based on a limited number of linker fragments stored in sequence-verified entry plasmids. The assembly process is exemplified for Pro-rich linkers in the context of a Zn2+-responsive dual-readout BRET/FRET sensor while examining how linker composition impacts key functional properties such as ligand affinity, dynamic range, and their ability to separate structurally distinct domains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Gräwe
- Department of Biology, TU Darmstadt, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany.,Centre for Synthetic Biology, TU Darmstadt, 64283 Darmstadt, Germany.,Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems (ICMS), Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e), 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Maarten Merkx
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems (ICMS), Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e), 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Viktor Stein
- Department of Biology, TU Darmstadt, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany.,Centre for Synthetic Biology, TU Darmstadt, 64283 Darmstadt, Germany
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31
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De novo design of a transcription factor for a progesterone biosensor. Biosens Bioelectron 2022; 203:113897. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2021.113897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2021] [Revised: 12/12/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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32
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Kretschmer S, Kortemme T. Advances in the Computational Design of Small-Molecule-Controlled Protein-Based Circuits for Synthetic Biology. PROCEEDINGS OF THE IEEE. INSTITUTE OF ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONICS ENGINEERS 2022; 110:659-674. [PMID: 36531560 PMCID: PMC9754107 DOI: 10.1109/jproc.2022.3157898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Synthetic biology approaches living systems with an engineering perspective and promises to deliver solutions to global challenges in healthcare and sustainability. A critical component is the design of biomolecular circuits with programmable input-output behaviors. Such circuits typically rely on a sensor module that recognizes molecular inputs, which is coupled to a functional output via protein-level circuits or regulating the expression of a target gene. While gene expression outputs can be customized relatively easily by exchanging the target genes, sensing new inputs is a major limitation. There is a limited repertoire of sensors found in nature, and there are often difficulties with interfacing them with engineered circuits. Computational protein design could be a key enabling technology to address these challenges, as it allows for the engineering of modular and tunable sensors that can be tailored to the circuit's application. In this article, we review recent computational approaches to design protein-based sensors for small-molecule inputs with particular focus on those based on the widely used Rosetta software suite. Furthermore, we review mechanisms that have been harnessed to couple ligand inputs to functional outputs. Based on recent literature, we illustrate how the combination of protein design and synthetic biology enables new sensors for diverse applications ranging from biomedicine to metabolic engineering. We conclude with a perspective on how strategies to address frontiers in protein design and cellular circuit design may enable the next generation of sense-response networks, which may increasingly be assembled from de novo components to display diverse and engineerable input-output behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Kretschmer
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158 USA, and affiliated with the California Quantitative Biosciences Institute (QBI) at UCSF, San Francisco, CA 94158 USA
| | - Tanja Kortemme
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158 USA, and affiliated with the California Quantitative Biosciences Institute (QBI) at UCSF, San Francisco, CA 94158 USA
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33
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Zubi YS, Seki K, Li Y, Hunt AC, Liu B, Roux B, Jewett MC, Lewis JC. Metal-responsive regulation of enzyme catalysis using genetically encoded chemical switches. Nat Commun 2022; 13:1864. [PMID: 35387988 PMCID: PMC8987029 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-29239-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2021] [Accepted: 03/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Dynamic control over protein function is a central challenge in synthetic biology. To address this challenge, we describe the development of an integrated computational and experimental workflow to incorporate a metal-responsive chemical switch into proteins. Pairs of bipyridinylalanine (BpyAla) residues are genetically encoded into two structurally distinct enzymes, a serine protease and firefly luciferase, so that metal coordination biases the conformations of these enzymes, leading to reversible control of activity. Computational analysis and molecular dynamics simulations are used to rationally guide BpyAla placement, significantly reducing experimental workload, and cell-free protein synthesis coupled with high-throughput experimentation enable rapid prototyping of variants. Ultimately, this strategy yields enzymes with a robust 20-fold dynamic range in response to divalent metal salts over 24 on/off switches, demonstrating the potential of this approach. We envision that this strategy of genetically encoding chemical switches into enzymes will complement other protein engineering and synthetic biology efforts, enabling new opportunities for applications where precise regulation of protein function is critical.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasmine S Zubi
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA
| | - Kosuke Seki
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering and Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Ying Li
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Andrew C Hunt
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering and Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Bingqing Liu
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA
| | - Benoît Roux
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
| | - Michael C Jewett
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering and Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA.
| | - Jared C Lewis
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA.
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34
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Komera I, Gao C, Guo L, Hu G, Chen X, Liu L. Bifunctional optogenetic switch for improving shikimic acid production in E. coli. BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR BIOFUELS AND BIOPRODUCTS 2022; 15:13. [PMID: 35418155 PMCID: PMC8822657 DOI: 10.1186/s13068-022-02111-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Biomass formation and product synthesis decoupling have been proven to be promising to increase the titer of desired value add products. Optogenetics provides a potential strategy to develop light-induced circuits that conditionally control metabolic flux redistribution for enhanced microbial production. However, the limited number of light-sensitive proteins available to date hinders the progress of light-controlled tools. RESULTS To address these issues, two optogenetic systems (TPRS and TPAS) were constructed by reprogramming the widely used repressor TetR and protease TEVp to expand the current optogenetic toolkit. By merging the two systems, a bifunctional optogenetic switch was constructed to enable orthogonally regulated gene transcription and protein accumulation. Application of this bifunctional switch to decouple biomass formation and shikimic acid biosynthesis allowed 35 g/L of shikimic acid production in a minimal medium from glucose, representing the highest titer reported to date by E. coli without the addition of any chemical inducers and expensive aromatic amino acids. This titer was further boosted to 76 g/L when using rich medium fermentation. CONCLUSION The cost effective and light-controlled switch reported here provides important insights into environmentally friendly tools for metabolic pathway regulation and should be applicable to the production of other value-add chemicals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene Komera
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China.,International Joint Laboratory On Food Safety, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
| | - Cong Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China.,International Joint Laboratory On Food Safety, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
| | - Liang Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China.,International Joint Laboratory On Food Safety, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
| | - Guipeng Hu
- School of Pharmaceutical Science, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
| | - Xiulai Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China.,International Joint Laboratory On Food Safety, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
| | - Liming Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China. .,International Joint Laboratory On Food Safety, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China.
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35
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John AM, Sekhon H, Ha JH, Loh SN. Engineering a Fluorescent Protein Color Switch Using Entropy-Driven β-Strand Exchange. ACS Sens 2022; 7:263-271. [PMID: 35006676 DOI: 10.1021/acssensors.1c02239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Protein conformational switches are widely used in biosensing. They are often composed of an input domain (which binds a target ligand) fused to an output domain (which generates an optical readout). A central challenge in designing such switches is to develop mechanisms for coupling the input and output signals via conformational changes. Here, we create a biosensor in which binding-induced folding of the input domain drives a conformational shift in the output domain that results in a sixfold green-to-yellow ratiometric fluorescence change in vitro and a 35-fold intensiometric fluorescence increase in cultured cells. The input domain consists of circularly permuted FK506 binding protein (cpFKBP) that folds upon binding its target ligand (FK506 or rapamycin). cpFKBP folding induces the output domain, an engineered green fluorescent protein (GFP) variant, to replace one of its β-strands (containing T203 and specifying green fluorescence) with a duplicate β-strand (containing Y203 and specifying yellow fluorescence) in an intramolecular exchange reaction. This mechanism employs the loop-closure entropy principle, embodied by the folding of the partially disordered cpFKBP domain, to couple ligand binding to the GFP color shift. This study highlights the high-energy barriers present in GFP folding which cause β-strand exchange to be slow and are also likely responsible for the shift from the β-strand exchange mechanism in vitro to ligand-induced chromophore maturation in cells. The proof-of-concept design has the advantages of full genetic encodability and potential for modularity. The latter attribute is enabled by the natural coupling of binding and folding and circular permutation of the input domain, which theoretically allows different binding domains to be compatible for insertion into the GFP surface loop.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Miriam John
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York 13210, United States
| | - Harsimranjit Sekhon
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York 13210, United States
| | - Jeung-Hoi Ha
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York 13210, United States
| | - Stewart N Loh
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York 13210, United States
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36
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Guo Z, Smutok O, Johnston WA, Ayva CE, Walden P, McWhinney B, Ungerer JPJ, Melman A, Katz E, Alexandrov K. Circular Permutated PQQ‐Glucose Dehydrogenase as an Ultrasensitive Electrochemical Biosensor. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.202109005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Zhong Guo
- CSIRO-QUT Synthetic Biology Alliance ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, Centre for Agriculture and the Bioeconomy Centre for Genomics and Personalised Health School of Biology and Environmental Science Queensland University of Technology Brisbane QLD 4001 Australia
| | - Oleh Smutok
- Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Science Clarkson University 8 Clarkson Ave. Potsdam NY 13699 USA
| | - Wayne A. Johnston
- CSIRO-QUT Synthetic Biology Alliance ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, Centre for Agriculture and the Bioeconomy Centre for Genomics and Personalised Health School of Biology and Environmental Science Queensland University of Technology Brisbane QLD 4001 Australia
| | - Cagla Ergun Ayva
- CSIRO-QUT Synthetic Biology Alliance ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, Centre for Agriculture and the Bioeconomy Centre for Genomics and Personalised Health School of Biology and Environmental Science Queensland University of Technology Brisbane QLD 4001 Australia
| | - Patricia Walden
- CSIRO-QUT Synthetic Biology Alliance ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, Centre for Agriculture and the Bioeconomy Centre for Genomics and Personalised Health School of Biology and Environmental Science Queensland University of Technology Brisbane QLD 4001 Australia
| | - Brett McWhinney
- Department of Chemical Pathology Pathology Queensland Brisbane QLD 4001 Australia
| | - Jacobus P. J. Ungerer
- Department of Chemical Pathology Pathology Queensland Brisbane QLD 4001 Australia
- Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences University of Queensland Brisbane QLD 4072 Australia
| | - Artem Melman
- Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Science Clarkson University 8 Clarkson Ave. Potsdam NY 13699 USA
| | - Evgeny Katz
- Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Science Clarkson University 8 Clarkson Ave. Potsdam NY 13699 USA
| | - Kirill Alexandrov
- CSIRO-QUT Synthetic Biology Alliance ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, Centre for Agriculture and the Bioeconomy Centre for Genomics and Personalised Health School of Biology and Environmental Science Queensland University of Technology Brisbane QLD 4001 Australia
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37
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Coyote-Maestas W, Nedrud D, Suma A, He Y, Matreyek KA, Fowler DM, Carnevale V, Myers CL, Schmidt D. Probing ion channel functional architecture and domain recombination compatibility by massively parallel domain insertion profiling. Nat Commun 2021; 12:7114. [PMID: 34880224 PMCID: PMC8654947 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-27342-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Protein domains are the basic units of protein structure and function. Comparative analysis of genomes and proteomes showed that domain recombination is a main driver of multidomain protein functional diversification and some of the constraining genomic mechanisms are known. Much less is known about biophysical mechanisms that determine whether protein domains can be combined into viable protein folds. Here, we use massively parallel insertional mutagenesis to determine compatibility of over 300,000 domain recombination variants of the Inward Rectifier K+ channel Kir2.1 with channel surface expression. Our data suggest that genomic and biophysical mechanisms acted in concert to favor gain of large, structured domain at protein termini during ion channel evolution. We use machine learning to build a quantitative biophysical model of domain compatibility in Kir2.1 that allows us to derive rudimentary rules for designing domain insertion variants that fold and traffic to the cell surface. Positional Kir2.1 responses to motif insertion clusters into distinct groups that correspond to contiguous structural regions of the channel with distinct biophysical properties tuned towards providing either folding stability or gating transitions. This suggests that insertional profiling is a high-throughput method to annotate function of ion channel structural regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Willow Coyote-Maestas
- grid.17635.360000000419368657Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology & Biophysics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455 USA
| | - David Nedrud
- grid.17635.360000000419368657Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology & Biophysics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455 USA
| | - Antonio Suma
- grid.264727.20000 0001 2248 3398Department of Chemistry, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122 USA
| | - Yungui He
- grid.17635.360000000419368657Department of Genetics, Cell Biology & Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455 USA
| | - Kenneth A. Matreyek
- grid.67105.350000 0001 2164 3847Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106 USA
| | - Douglas M. Fowler
- grid.34477.330000000122986657Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98115 USA ,grid.34477.330000000122986657Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98115 USA
| | - Vincenzo Carnevale
- grid.264727.20000 0001 2248 3398Department of Chemistry, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122 USA
| | - Chad L. Myers
- grid.17635.360000000419368657Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455 USA
| | - Daniel Schmidt
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology & Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA.
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38
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Bollella P, Edwardraja S, Guo Z, Vickers CE, Whitfield J, Walden P, Melman A, Alexandrov K, Katz E. Connecting Artificial Proteolytic and Electrochemical Signaling Systems with Caged Messenger Peptides. ACS Sens 2021; 6:3596-3603. [PMID: 34637274 DOI: 10.1021/acssensors.1c00845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Enzymatic polypeptide proteolysis is a widespread and powerful biological control mechanism. Over the last few years, substantial progress has been made in creating artificial proteolytic systems where an input of choice modulates the protease activity and thereby the activity of its substrates. However, all proteolytic systems developed so far have relied on the direct proteolytic cleavage of their effectors. Here, we propose a new concept where protease biosensors with a tunable input uncage a signaling peptide, which can then transmit a signal to an allosteric protein reporter. We demonstrate that both the cage and the regulatory domain of the reporter can be constructed from the same peptide-binding domain, such as calmodulin. To demonstrate this concept, we constructed a proteolytic rapamycin biosensor and demonstrated its quantitative actuation on fluorescent, luminescent, and electrochemical reporters. Using the latter, we constructed sensitive bioelectrodes that detect the messenger peptide release and quantitatively convert the recognition event into electric current. We discuss the application of such systems for the construction of in vitro sensory arrays and in vivo signaling circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paolo Bollella
- Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Science, Clarkson University, 8 Clarkson Avenue, Potsdam, New York 13699, United States
- Department of Chemistry, University of Bari A. Moro, Via E. Orabona 4, Bari 70125, Italy
| | - Selvakumar Edwardraja
- Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Zhong Guo
- CSIRO-QUT Synthetic Biology Alliance, ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, Centre for Agriculture and the Bioeconomy, Centre for Genomics and Personalised Health, School of Biology and Environmental Science, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland 4001, Australia
| | - Claudia E. Vickers
- CSIRO Synthetic Biology Future Science Platform, GP.O. Box 2583, Brisbane, Queensland 4001, Australia
| | - Jason Whitfield
- Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Patricia Walden
- CSIRO-QUT Synthetic Biology Alliance, ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, Centre for Agriculture and the Bioeconomy, Centre for Genomics and Personalised Health, School of Biology and Environmental Science, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland 4001, Australia
| | - Artem Melman
- Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Science, Clarkson University, 8 Clarkson Avenue, Potsdam, New York 13699, United States
| | - Kirill Alexandrov
- CSIRO-QUT Synthetic Biology Alliance, ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, Centre for Agriculture and the Bioeconomy, Centre for Genomics and Personalised Health, School of Biology and Environmental Science, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland 4001, Australia
| | - Evgeny Katz
- Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Science, Clarkson University, 8 Clarkson Avenue, Potsdam, New York 13699, United States
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39
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Alexandrov K, Guo Z, Smutok O, Wayne A Johnston WAJ, Ergun Ayva C, Walden PM, McWhinney B, Ungerer J, Melman A, Katz E. Circular permutated PQQ-glucose dehydrogenase as an ultrasensitive electrochemical biosensor. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2021; 61:e202109005. [PMID: 34633119 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202109005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Protein biosensors play an increasingly important role as reporters for research and clinical applications. Here we present an approach for the construction of fully integrated but modular electrochemical biosensors based on the principal component of glucose monitors PQQ-glucose dehydrogenase (PQQ-GDH). We designed allosterically regulated circular permutated variants of PQQ-GDH that show large (>10 fold) changes in enzymatic activity following intramolecular scaffolding of the newly generated N- and C termini by ligand binding domain:ligand complexes. The developed biosensors demonstrated sub-nanomolar affinities for small molecules and proteins in colorimetric and electrochemical assays. For instance, the concentration of Cyclosporine A could be measured in 1 ml of undiluted blood with the same accuracy as the leading diagnostic technique that uses 50 times more sample. We further used this biosensor to construct highly porous gold bioelectrodes capable of robustly detecting concentrations of Cyclosporine A as low as 20 pM and retained functionality in samples containing at least 60% human serum. These experiments suggest that the developed biosensor platform is generalizable and may be suitable for Point-of-Care diagnostics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirill Alexandrov
- Queensland University of Technology, Centre for Tropical Crops and Biocommodities, 2 george st, 4100, Brisbane, AUSTRALIA
| | - Zhong Guo
- Queensland University of Technology Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation Research Methods Group: Queensland University of Technology Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, CSIRO-QUT synthetic Biology Alliance, AUSTRALIA
| | - Oleh Smutok
- Clarkson University, electrochemistry, UNITED STATES
| | - Wayne A Johnston Wayne A Johnston
- Queensland University of Technology IHBI: Queensland University of Technology Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, CSIRO-QUT synthetic Biology Alliance, AUSTRALIA
| | - Cagla Ergun Ayva
- Queensland University of Technology IHBI: Queensland University of Technology Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, CSIRO-QUT Synthetic Biology Alliance, AUSTRALIA
| | - Patricia M Walden
- Queensland University of Technology IHBI: Queensland University of Technology Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, CSIRO-QUT synthetic biology alliance, AUSTRALIA
| | - Brett McWhinney
- Central Laboratory: Health Support Queensland Pathology Queensland, chemical pathology, AUSTRALIA
| | - Jacobus Ungerer
- Health Support Queensland Pathology Queensland, Chemical Pathology, AUSTRALIA
| | | | - Evgeny Katz
- Clarkson University, electrochemistry, AUSTRALIA
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40
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Lee SJ, Kim Y, Kim TW, Yang C, Thamilselvan K, Jeong H, Hyun J, Ihee H. Reversible molecular motional switch based on circular photoactive protein oligomers exhibits unexpected photo-induced contraction. CELL REPORTS. PHYSICAL SCIENCE 2021; 2:100512. [PMID: 35509376 PMCID: PMC9062587 DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrp.2021.100512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Molecular switches alterable between two stable states by environmental stimuli, such as light and temperature, offer the potential for controlling biological functions. Here, we report a circular photoswitchable protein complex made of multiple protein molecules that can rapidly and reversibly switch with significant conformational changes. The structural and photochromic properties of photoactive yellow protein (PYP) are harnessed to construct circular oligomer PYPs (coPYPs) of desired sizes. Considering the light-induced N-terminal protrusion of monomer PYP, we expected coPYPs would expand upon irradiation, but time-resolved X-ray scattering data reveal that the late intermediate has a pronounced light-induced contraction motion. This work not only provides an approach to engineering a novel protein-based molecular switch based on circular oligomers of well-known protein units but also demonstrates the importance of characterizing the structural dynamics of designed molecular switches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sang Jin Lee
- Department of Chemistry and KI for the BioCentury, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
- Center for Nanomaterials and Chemical Reactions, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
- These authors contributed equally
| | - Youngmin Kim
- Department of Chemistry and KI for the BioCentury, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
- Center for Nanomaterials and Chemical Reactions, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
- These authors contributed equally
| | - Tae Wu Kim
- Department of Chemistry and KI for the BioCentury, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
- Center for Nanomaterials and Chemical Reactions, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Cheolhee Yang
- Department of Chemistry and KI for the BioCentury, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
- Center for Nanomaterials and Chemical Reactions, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Kamatchi Thamilselvan
- Department of Chemistry and KI for the BioCentury, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
- Center for Nanomaterials and Chemical Reactions, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyeongseop Jeong
- Center for Research Equipment, Korea Basic Science Institute (KBSI), Cheongju-si, Chungcheongbuk-do 28119, Republic of Korea
| | - Jaekyung Hyun
- Center for Research Equipment, Korea Basic Science Institute (KBSI), Cheongju-si, Chungcheongbuk-do 28119, Republic of Korea
- Molecular Cryo-Electron Microscopy Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST), Okinawa 904-0495, Japan
| | - Hyotcherl Ihee
- Department of Chemistry and KI for the BioCentury, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
- Center for Nanomaterials and Chemical Reactions, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
- Lead contact
- Correspondence:
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41
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Wells PK, Smutok O, Melman A, Katz E. Switchable Biocatalytic Reactions Controlled by Interfacial pH Changes Produced by Orthogonal Biocatalytic Processes. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2021; 13:33830-33839. [PMID: 34264645 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.1c07393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Enzymes immobilized on a nano-structured surface were used to switch the activity of one enzyme by a local pH change produced by another enzyme. Immobilized amyloglucosidase (AMG) and trypsin were studied as examples of the pH-dependent switchable "target enzymes." The reactions catalyzed by co-immobilized urease or esterase were increasing or decreasing the local pH, respectively, thus operating as "actuator enzymes." Both kinds of the enzymes, producing local pH changes and changing biocatalytic activity with the pH variation, were orthogonal in terms of the biocatalytic reactions; however, their operation was coupled with the local pH produced near the surface with the immobilized enzymes. The "target enzymes" (AMG and trypsin) were changed reversibly between the active and inactive states by applying input signals (urea or ester, substrates for the urease or esterase operating as the "actuator enzymes") and washing them out with a new portion of the background solution. The developed approach can potentially lead to switchable operation of several enzymes, while some of them are inhibited when the others are activated upon receiving external signals processed by the "actuator enzymes." More complex systems with branched biocatalytic cascades can be controlled by orthogonal biocatalytic reactions activating selected pathways and changing the final output.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paulina K Wells
- Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Science, Clarkson University, Potsdam, New York 13699, United States
| | - Oleh Smutok
- Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Science, Clarkson University, Potsdam, New York 13699, United States
| | - Artem Melman
- Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Science, Clarkson University, Potsdam, New York 13699, United States
| | - Evgeny Katz
- Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Science, Clarkson University, Potsdam, New York 13699, United States
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42
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A plug-and-play platform of ratiometric bioluminescent sensors for homogeneous immunoassays. Nat Commun 2021; 12:4586. [PMID: 34321486 PMCID: PMC8319308 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-24874-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2020] [Accepted: 07/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Heterogeneous immunoassays such as ELISA have become indispensable in modern bioanalysis, yet translation into point-of-care assays is hindered by their dependence on external calibration and multiple washing and incubation steps. Here, we introduce RAPPID (Ratiometric Plug-and-Play Immunodiagnostics), a mix-and-measure homogeneous immunoassay platform that combines highly specific antibody-based detection with a ratiometric bioluminescent readout. The concept entails analyte-induced complementation of split NanoLuc luciferase fragments, photoconjugated to an antibody sandwich pair via protein G adapters. Introduction of a calibrator luciferase provides a robust ratiometric signal that allows direct in-sample calibration and quantitative measurements in complex media such as blood plasma. We developed RAPPID sensors that allow low-picomolar detection of several protein biomarkers, anti-drug antibodies, therapeutic antibodies, and both SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. With its easy-to-implement standardized workflow, RAPPID provides an attractive, fast, and low-cost alternative to traditional immunoassays, in an academic setting, in clinical laboratories, and for point-of-care applications. Many current immunoassays require multiple washing, incubation and optimization steps. Here the authors present Ratiometric Plug-and-Play Immunodiagnostics (RAPPID), a generic assay platform that uses ratiometric bioluminescent detection to allow sandwich immunoassays to be performed directly in solution.
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43
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Szekeres K, Bollella P, Kim Y, Minko S, Melman A, Katz E. Magneto-Controlled Enzyme Activity with Locally Produced pH Changes. J Phys Chem Lett 2021; 12:2523-2527. [PMID: 33682408 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.1c00036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Biocatalytic activity of amyloglucosidase (AMG), immobilized on superparamagnetic nanoparticles, is dynamically and reversibly activated or inhibited by applying a magnetic field. The magnetic field triggers aggregation/deaggregation of magnetic particles that are also functionalized with urease or esterase enzymes. These enzymes produce a local pH change in the vicinity of the particles changing the AMG activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krisztina Szekeres
- Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Science, Clarkson University, 8 Clarkson Avenue, Potsdam, New York 13699, United States
- Electrochemistry and Electroanalytical Chemistry, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest 1117, Hungary
| | - Paolo Bollella
- Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Science, Clarkson University, 8 Clarkson Avenue, Potsdam, New York 13699, United States
- Department of Chemistry, University of Bari A. Moro, Via E. Orabona 4, 70125 Bari, Italy
| | - Yongwook Kim
- Nanostructured Materials Lab, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, United States
| | - Sergiy Minko
- Nanostructured Materials Lab, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, United States
| | - Artem Melman
- Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Science, Clarkson University, 8 Clarkson Avenue, Potsdam, New York 13699, United States
| | - Evgeny Katz
- Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Science, Clarkson University, 8 Clarkson Avenue, Potsdam, New York 13699, United States
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44
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De novo design of a reversible phosphorylation-dependent switch for membrane targeting. Nat Commun 2021; 12:1472. [PMID: 33674566 PMCID: PMC7935970 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-21622-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2020] [Accepted: 02/03/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Modules that switch protein-protein interactions on and off are essential to develop synthetic biology; for example, to construct orthogonal signaling pathways, to control artificial protein structures dynamically, and for protein localization in cells or protocells. In nature, the E. coli MinCDE system couples nucleotide-dependent switching of MinD dimerization to membrane targeting to trigger spatiotemporal pattern formation. Here we present a de novo peptide-based molecular switch that toggles reversibly between monomer and dimer in response to phosphorylation and dephosphorylation. In combination with other modules, we construct fusion proteins that couple switching to lipid-membrane targeting by: (i) tethering a ‘cargo’ molecule reversibly to a permanent membrane ‘anchor’; and (ii) creating a ‘membrane-avidity switch’ that mimics the MinD system but operates by reversible phosphorylation. These minimal, de novo molecular switches have potential applications for introducing dynamic processes into designed and engineered proteins to augment functions in living cells and add functionality to protocells. The ability to dynamically control protein-protein interactions and localization of proteins is critical in synthetic biological systems. Here the authors develop a peptide-based molecular switch that regulates dimer formation and lipid membrane targeting via reversible phosphorylation.
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45
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Quijano-Rubio A, Yeh HW, Park J, Lee H, Langan RA, Boyken SE, Lajoie MJ, Cao L, Chow CM, Miranda MC, Wi J, Hong HJ, Stewart L, Oh BH, Baker D. De novo design of modular and tunable protein biosensors. Nature 2021; 591:482-487. [PMID: 33503651 PMCID: PMC8074680 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-03258-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 121] [Impact Index Per Article: 40.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2020] [Accepted: 01/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Naturally occurring protein switches have been repurposed for the development of biosensors and reporters for cellular and clinical applications1. However, the number of such switches is limited, and reengineering them is challenging. Here we show that a general class of protein-based biosensors can be created by inverting the flow of information through de novo designed protein switches in which the binding of a peptide key triggers biological outputs of interest2. The designed sensors are modular molecular devices with a closed dark state and an open luminescent state; analyte binding drives the switch from the closed to the open state. Because the sensor is based on the thermodynamic coupling of analyte binding to sensor activation, only one target binding domain is required, which simplifies sensor design and allows direct readout in solution. We create biosensors that can sensitively detect the anti-apoptosis protein BCL-2, the IgG1 Fc domain, the HER2 receptor, and Botulinum neurotoxin B, as well as biosensors for cardiac troponin I and an anti-hepatitis B virus antibody with the high sensitivity required to detect these molecules clinically. Given the need for diagnostic tools to track the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)3, we used the approach to design sensors for the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and antibodies against the membrane and nucleocapsid proteins. The former, which incorporates a de novo designed spike receptor binding domain (RBD) binder4, has a limit of detection of 15 pM and a luminescence signal 50-fold higher than the background level. The modularity and sensitivity of the platform should enable the rapid construction of sensors for a wide range of analytes, and highlights the power of de novo protein design to create multi-state protein systems with new and useful functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alfredo Quijano-Rubio
- Department of Biochemistry and Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA,Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
| | - Hsien-Wei Yeh
- Department of Biochemistry and Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
| | - Jooyoung Park
- Department of Biochemistry and Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
| | - Hansol Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences, KAIST Institute for the Biocentury, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Robert A. Langan
- Department of Biochemistry and Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
| | - Scott E. Boyken
- Department of Biochemistry and Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
| | - Marc J. Lajoie
- Department of Biochemistry and Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
| | - Longxing Cao
- Department of Biochemistry and Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
| | - Cameron M. Chow
- Department of Biochemistry and Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
| | - Marcos C. Miranda
- Department of Biochemistry and Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
| | - Jimin Wi
- Department of Systems Immunology, College of Biomedical Science, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 200-701, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyo Jeong Hong
- Department of Systems Immunology, College of Biomedical Science, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 200-701, Republic of Korea
| | - Lance Stewart
- Department of Biochemistry and Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
| | - Byung-Ha Oh
- Department of Biochemistry and Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA,Department of Biological Sciences, KAIST Institute for the Biocentury, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea,Correspondence and requests for materials should be addressed to D.B. or B.-H.O
| | - David Baker
- Department of Biochemistry and Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA,Correspondence and requests for materials should be addressed to D.B. or B.-H.O
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46
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Watson EE, Angerani S, Sabale PM, Winssinger N. Biosupramolecular Systems: Integrating Cues into Responses. J Am Chem Soc 2021; 143:4467-4482. [DOI: 10.1021/jacs.0c12970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Emma E. Watson
- University of Geneva, Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Science, NCCR Chem Biol, 30 Quai Ernest Ansermet, CH-1205 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Simona Angerani
- University of Geneva, Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Science, NCCR Chem Biol, 30 Quai Ernest Ansermet, CH-1205 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Pramod M. Sabale
- University of Geneva, Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Science, NCCR Chem Biol, 30 Quai Ernest Ansermet, CH-1205 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Nicolas Winssinger
- University of Geneva, Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Science, NCCR Chem Biol, 30 Quai Ernest Ansermet, CH-1205 Geneva, Switzerland
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47
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He L, Tan P, Huang Y, Zhou Y. Design of Smart Antibody Mimetics with Photosensitive Switches. Adv Biol (Weinh) 2021; 5:e2000541. [PMID: 34028213 DOI: 10.1002/adbi.202000541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2020] [Revised: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
As two prominent examples of intracellular single-domain antibodies or antibody mimetics derived from synthetic protein scaffolds, monobodies and nanobodies are gaining wide applications in cell biology, structural biology, synthetic immunology, and theranostics. Herein, a generally applicable method to engineer light-controllable monobodies and nanobodies, designated as moonbody and sunbody, respectively, is introduced. These engineered antibody-like modular domains enable rapid and reversible antibody-antigen recognition by utilizing light. By the paralleled insertion of two light-oxygen-voltage domain 2 modules into a single sunbody and the use of bivalent sunbodies, the range of dynamic changes of photoswitchable sunbodies is substantially enhanced. Furthermore, the use of moonbodies or sunbodies to precisely control protein degradation, gene transcription, and base editing by harnessing the power of light is demonstrated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lian He
- Center for Translational Cancer Research, Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Texas A&M University, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Peng Tan
- Center for Translational Cancer Research, Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Texas A&M University, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Yun Huang
- Center for Epigenetics and Disease Prevention, Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Texas A&M University, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.,Department of Translational Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Texas A&M University, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Yubin Zhou
- Center for Translational Cancer Research, Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Texas A&M University, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.,Department of Translational Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Texas A&M University, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
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48
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Park S, Pascua E, Lindquist KC, Kimberlin C, Deng X, Mak YSL, Melton Z, Johnson TO, Lin R, Boldajipour B, Abraham RT, Pons J, Sasu BJ, Van Blarcom TJ, Chaparro-Riggers J. Direct control of CAR T cells through small molecule-regulated antibodies. Nat Commun 2021; 12:710. [PMID: 33514714 PMCID: PMC7846603 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-20671-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/02/2020] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Antibody-based therapeutics have experienced a rapid growth in recent years and are now utilized in various modalities spanning from conventional antibodies, antibody-drug conjugates, bispecific antibodies to chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells. Many next generation antibody therapeutics achieve enhanced potency but often increase the risk of adverse events. Antibody scaffolds capable of exhibiting inducible affinities could reduce the risk of adverse events by enabling a transient suspension of antibody activity. To demonstrate this, we develop conditionally activated, single-module CARs, in which tumor antigen recognition is directly modulated by an FDA-approved small molecule drug. The resulting CAR T cells demonstrate specific cytotoxicity of tumor cells comparable to that of traditional CARs, but the cytotoxicity is reversibly attenuated by the addition of the small molecule. The exogenous control of conditional CAR T cell activity allows continual modulation of therapeutic activity to improve the safety profile of CAR T cells across all disease indications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Spencer Park
- grid.410513.20000 0000 8800 7493Pfizer, La Jolla, CA USA ,Present Address: Lyell Immunopharma, South San Francisco, CA USA
| | - Edward Pascua
- grid.410513.20000 0000 8800 7493Pfizer, La Jolla, CA USA
| | | | - Christopher Kimberlin
- grid.410513.20000 0000 8800 7493Pfizer, La Jolla, CA USA ,Present Address: Asher Bio, South San Francisco, CA USA
| | - Xiaodi Deng
- grid.410513.20000 0000 8800 7493Pfizer, La Jolla, CA USA ,Present Address: Dren Bio, San Carlos, CA USA
| | - Yvonne S. L. Mak
- grid.410513.20000 0000 8800 7493Pfizer, La Jolla, CA USA ,grid.507497.8Present Address: Allogene Therapeutics, South San Francisco, CA USA
| | - Zea Melton
- grid.410513.20000 0000 8800 7493Pfizer, La Jolla, CA USA ,grid.507497.8Present Address: Allogene Therapeutics, South San Francisco, CA USA
| | | | - Regina Lin
- grid.410513.20000 0000 8800 7493Pfizer, La Jolla, CA USA ,grid.507497.8Present Address: Allogene Therapeutics, South San Francisco, CA USA
| | - Bijan Boldajipour
- grid.410513.20000 0000 8800 7493Pfizer, La Jolla, CA USA ,Present Address: Lyell Immunopharma, South San Francisco, CA USA
| | - Robert T. Abraham
- grid.410513.20000 0000 8800 7493Pfizer, La Jolla, CA USA ,Present Address: Vividion Therapeutics, San Diego, CA USA
| | - Jaume Pons
- grid.410513.20000 0000 8800 7493Pfizer, La Jolla, CA USA ,Present Address: ALX Oncology, Burlingame, CA USA
| | - Barbra Johnson Sasu
- grid.410513.20000 0000 8800 7493Pfizer, La Jolla, CA USA ,grid.507497.8Present Address: Allogene Therapeutics, South San Francisco, CA USA
| | - Thomas J. Van Blarcom
- grid.410513.20000 0000 8800 7493Pfizer, La Jolla, CA USA ,grid.507497.8Present Address: Allogene Therapeutics, South San Francisco, CA USA
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Yudenko A, Smolentseva A, Maslov I, Semenov O, Goncharov IM, Nazarenko VV, Maliar NL, Borshchevskiy V, Gordeliy V, Remeeva A, Gushchin I. Rational Design of a Split Flavin-Based Fluorescent Reporter. ACS Synth Biol 2021; 10:72-83. [PMID: 33325704 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.0c00454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Protein-fragment complementation assays are used ubiquitously for probing protein-protein interactions. Most commonly, the reporter protein is split in two parts, which are then fused to the proteins of interest and can reassemble and provide a readout if the proteins of interest interact with each other. The currently known split fluorescent proteins either can be used only in aerobic conditions and assemble irreversibly, or require addition of exogenous chromophores, which complicates the design of experiments. In recent years, light-oxygen-voltage (LOV) domains of several photoreceptor proteins have been developed into flavin-based fluorescent proteins (FbFPs) that, under some circumstances, can outperform commonly used fluorescent proteins such as GFP. Here, we show that CagFbFP, a small thermostable FbFP based on a LOV domain-containing protein from Chloroflexus aggregans, can serve as a split fluorescent reporter. We use the available genetic and structural information to identify three loops between the conserved secondary structure elements, Aβ-Bβ, Eα-Fα, and Hβ-Iβ, that tolerate insertion of flexible poly-Gly/Ser segments and eventually splitting. We demonstrate that the designed split pairs, when fused to interacting proteins, are fluorescent in vivo in E. coli and human cells and have low background fluorescence. Our results enable probing protein-protein interactions in anaerobic conditions without using exogenous fluorophores and provide a basis for further development of LOV and PAS (Per-Arnt-Sim) domain-based fluorescent reporters and optogenetic tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Yudenko
- Research Center for Molecular Mechanisms of Aging and Age-Related Diseases, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Dolgoprudny 141701, Russia
| | - Anastasia Smolentseva
- Research Center for Molecular Mechanisms of Aging and Age-Related Diseases, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Dolgoprudny 141701, Russia
| | - Ivan Maslov
- Research Center for Molecular Mechanisms of Aging and Age-Related Diseases, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Dolgoprudny 141701, Russia
| | - Oleg Semenov
- Research Center for Molecular Mechanisms of Aging and Age-Related Diseases, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Dolgoprudny 141701, Russia
| | - Ivan M. Goncharov
- Research Center for Molecular Mechanisms of Aging and Age-Related Diseases, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Dolgoprudny 141701, Russia
| | - Vera V. Nazarenko
- Research Center for Molecular Mechanisms of Aging and Age-Related Diseases, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Dolgoprudny 141701, Russia
| | - Nina L. Maliar
- Research Center for Molecular Mechanisms of Aging and Age-Related Diseases, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Dolgoprudny 141701, Russia
| | - Valentin Borshchevskiy
- Research Center for Molecular Mechanisms of Aging and Age-Related Diseases, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Dolgoprudny 141701, Russia
| | - Valentin Gordeliy
- Research Center for Molecular Mechanisms of Aging and Age-Related Diseases, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Dolgoprudny 141701, Russia
- Institut de Biologie Structurale J.-P. Ebel, Université Grenoble Alpes-CEA-CNRS, 38044 Grenoble, France
- Institute of Biological Information Processing (IBI-7: Structural Biochemistry), Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany
- JuStruct: Jülich Center for Structural Biology, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany
| | - Alina Remeeva
- Research Center for Molecular Mechanisms of Aging and Age-Related Diseases, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Dolgoprudny 141701, Russia
| | - Ivan Gushchin
- Research Center for Molecular Mechanisms of Aging and Age-Related Diseases, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Dolgoprudny 141701, Russia
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50
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Pirro F, Schmidt N, Lincoff J, Widel ZX, Polizzi NF, Liu L, Therien MJ, Grabe M, Chino M, Lombardi A, DeGrado WF. Allosteric cooperation in a de novo-designed two-domain protein. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:33246-33253. [PMID: 33318174 PMCID: PMC7776816 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2017062117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
We describe the de novo design of an allosterically regulated protein, which comprises two tightly coupled domains. One domain is based on the DF (Due Ferri in Italian or two-iron in English) family of de novo proteins, which have a diiron cofactor that catalyzes a phenol oxidase reaction, while the second domain is based on PS1 (Porphyrin-binding Sequence), which binds a synthetic Zn-porphyrin (ZnP). The binding of ZnP to the original PS1 protein induces changes in structure and dynamics, which we expected to influence the catalytic rate of a fused DF domain when appropriately coupled. Both DF and PS1 are four-helix bundles, but they have distinct bundle architectures. To achieve tight coupling between the domains, they were connected by four helical linkers using a computational method to discover the most designable connections capable of spanning the two architectures. The resulting protein, DFP1 (Due Ferri Porphyrin), bound the two cofactors in the expected manner. The crystal structure of fully reconstituted DFP1 was also in excellent agreement with the design, and it showed the ZnP cofactor bound over 12 Å from the dimetal center. Next, a substrate-binding cleft leading to the diiron center was introduced into DFP1. The resulting protein acts as an allosterically modulated phenol oxidase. Its Michaelis-Menten parameters were strongly affected by the binding of ZnP, resulting in a fourfold tighter Km and a 7-fold decrease in kcat These studies establish the feasibility of designing allosterically regulated catalytic proteins, entirely from scratch.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabio Pirro
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Napoli Federico II, 80126 Napoli, Italy
| | - Nathan Schmidt
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and the Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158-9001
| | - James Lincoff
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and the Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158-9001
| | - Zachary X Widel
- Department of Chemistry, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708-0346
| | - Nicholas F Polizzi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and the Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158-9001
| | - Lijun Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics, School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, 518055 Shenzhen, China
- DLX Scientific, Lawrence, KS 66049
| | | | - Michael Grabe
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and the Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158-9001
| | - Marco Chino
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Napoli Federico II, 80126 Napoli, Italy
| | - Angela Lombardi
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Napoli Federico II, 80126 Napoli, Italy;
| | - William F DeGrado
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and the Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158-9001;
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