1
|
Leal-Alves C, Deng Z, Kermeci N, Shih SCC. Integrating microfluidics and synthetic biology: advancements and diverse applications across organisms. LAB ON A CHIP 2024; 24:2834-2860. [PMID: 38712893 DOI: 10.1039/d3lc01090b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
Synthetic biology is the design and modification of biological systems for specific functions, integrating several disciplines like engineering, genetics, and computer science. The field of synthetic biology is to understand biological processes within host organisms through the manipulation and regulation of their genetic pathways and the addition of biocontrol circuits to enhance their production capabilities. This pursuit serves to address global challenges spanning diverse domains that are difficult to tackle through conventional routes of production. Despite its impact, achieving precise, dynamic, and high-throughput manipulation of biological processes is still challenging. Microfluidics offers a solution to those challenges, enabling controlled fluid handling at the microscale, offering lower reagent consumption, faster analysis of biochemical reactions, automation, and high throughput screening. In this review, we diverge from conventional focus on automating the synthetic biology design-build-test-learn cycle, and instead, focus on microfluidic platforms and their role in advancing synthetic biology through its integration with host organisms - bacterial cells, yeast, fungi, animal cells - and cell-free systems. The review illustrates how microfluidic devices have been instrumental in understanding biological systems by showcasing microfluidics as an essential tool to create synthetic genetic circuits, pathways, and organisms within controlled environments. In conclusion, we show how microfluidics expedite synthetic biology applications across diverse domains including but not limited to personalized medicine, bioenergy, and agriculture.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Leal-Alves
- Centre for Applied Synthetic Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke St. W, Montréal, QC, H4B1R6 Canada.
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Concordia University, 1515 Ste-Catherine St. W, Montréal, QC, H3G1M8 Canada
| | - Zhiyang Deng
- Centre for Applied Synthetic Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke St. W, Montréal, QC, H4B1R6 Canada.
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Concordia University, 1515 Ste-Catherine St. W, Montréal, QC, H3G1M8 Canada
| | - Natalia Kermeci
- Centre for Applied Synthetic Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke St. W, Montréal, QC, H4B1R6 Canada.
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke St. W, Montréal, QC, H4B1R6 Canada
| | - Steve C C Shih
- Centre for Applied Synthetic Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke St. W, Montréal, QC, H4B1R6 Canada.
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Concordia University, 1515 Ste-Catherine St. W, Montréal, QC, H3G1M8 Canada
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke St. W, Montréal, QC, H4B1R6 Canada
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Zhao Y, Chen K, Yang H, Wang Y, Liao X. Semirational Design Based on Consensus Sequences to Balance the Enzyme Activity-Stability Trade-Off. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2024; 72:6454-6462. [PMID: 38477968 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.3c08620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/14/2024]
Abstract
In this study, the phenomenon of the stability-activity trade-off, which is increasingly recognized in enzyme engineering, was explored. Typically, enhanced stability in enzymes correlates with diminished activity. Utilizing Rosa roxburghii copper-zinc superoxide dismutase (RrCuZnSOD) as a model, single-site mutations were introduced based on a semirational design derived from consensus sequences. The initial set of mutants was selected based on activity, followed by combinatorial mutation. This approach yielded two double-site mutants, D25/A115T (18,688 ± 206 U/mg) and A115T/S135P (18,095 ± 1556 U/mg), exhibiting superior enzymatic properties due to additive and synergistic effects. These mutants demonstrated increased half-lives (T1/2) at 80 °C by 1.2- and 1.6-fold, respectively, and their melting temperatures (Tm) rose by 3.4 and 2.5 °C, respectively, without any loss in activity relative to the wild type. Via an integration of structural analysis and molecular dynamics simulations, we elucidated the underlying mechanism facilitating the concurrent enhancement of both thermostability and enzymatic activity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yang Zhao
- National Engineering Research Center for Fruit & Vegetable Processing, Key Laboratory of Fruit & Vegetable Processing, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Beijing Key Laboratory for Food Non-Thermal Processing, College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
- Sichuan Advanced Agricultural and Industrial Institute, China Agricultural University, Chengdu 611400, China
| | - Kun Chen
- National Engineering Research Center for Fruit & Vegetable Processing, Key Laboratory of Fruit & Vegetable Processing, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Beijing Key Laboratory for Food Non-Thermal Processing, College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Haixia Yang
- National Engineering Research Center for Fruit & Vegetable Processing, Key Laboratory of Fruit & Vegetable Processing, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Beijing Key Laboratory for Food Non-Thermal Processing, College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Yongtao Wang
- National Engineering Research Center for Fruit & Vegetable Processing, Key Laboratory of Fruit & Vegetable Processing, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Beijing Key Laboratory for Food Non-Thermal Processing, College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Xiaojun Liao
- National Engineering Research Center for Fruit & Vegetable Processing, Key Laboratory of Fruit & Vegetable Processing, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Beijing Key Laboratory for Food Non-Thermal Processing, College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Yan W, Li X, Zhao D, Xie M, Li T, Qian L, Ye C, Shi T, Wu L, Wang Y. Advanced strategies in high-throughput droplet screening for enzyme engineering. Biosens Bioelectron 2024; 248:115972. [PMID: 38171222 DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2023.115972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2023] [Revised: 11/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/23/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Enzymes, as biocatalysts, play a cumulatively important role in environmental purification and industrial production of chemicals and pharmaceuticals. However, natural enzymes are limited by their physiological properties in practice, which need to be modified driven by requirements. Screening and isolating certain enzyme variants or ideal industrial strains with high yielding of target product enzymes is one of the main directions of enzyme engineering research. Droplet-based high-throughput screening (DHTS) technology employs massive monodisperse emulsion droplets as microreactors to achieve single strain encapsulation, as well as continuous monitoring for the inside mutant library. It can effectively sort out strains or enzymes with desired characteristics, offering a throughput of 108 events per hour. Much of the early literature focused on screening various engineered strains or designing signalling sorting strategies based on DHTS technology. However, the field of enzyme engineering lacks a comprehensive overview of advanced methods for microfluidic droplets and their cutting-edge developments in generation and manipulation. This review emphasizes the advanced strategies and frontiers of microfluidic droplet generation and manipulation facilitating enzyme engineering development. We also introduce design for various screening signals that cooperate with DHTS and devote to enzyme engineering.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wenxin Yan
- School of Food Science and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210046, China
| | - Xiang Li
- School of Food Science and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210046, China
| | - Danshan Zhao
- School of Food Science and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210046, China
| | - Meng Xie
- School of Food Science and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210046, China
| | - Ting Li
- School of Food Science and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210046, China
| | - Lu Qian
- School of Food Science and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210046, China
| | - Chao Ye
- School of Food Science and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210046, China; Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of NSLSCS, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210046, China.
| | - Tianqiong Shi
- School of Food Science and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210046, China.
| | - Lina Wu
- School of Food Science and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210046, China; Food Laboratory of Zhongyuan, Luohe, 462300, Henan, China.
| | - Yuetong Wang
- School of Food Science and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210046, China.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Aza P, Camarero S. Fungal Laccases: Fundamentals, Engineering and Classification Update. Biomolecules 2023; 13:1716. [PMID: 38136587 PMCID: PMC10741624 DOI: 10.3390/biom13121716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2023] [Revised: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Multicopper oxidases (MCOs) share a common catalytic mechanism of activation by oxygen and cupredoxin-like folding, along with some common structural determinants. Laccases constitute the largest group of MCOs, with fungal laccases having the greatest biotechnological applicability due to their superior ability to oxidize a wide range of aromatic compounds and lignin, which is enhanced in the presence of redox mediators. The adaptation of these versatile enzymes to specific application processes can be achieved through the directed evolution of the recombinant enzymes. On the other hand, their substrate versatility and the low sequence homology among laccases make their exact classification difficult. Many of the ever-increasing amounts of MCO entries from fungal genomes are automatically (and often wrongly) annotated as laccases. In a recent comparative genomic study of 52 basidiomycete fungi, MCO classification was revised based on their phylogeny. The enzymes clustered according to common structural motifs and theoretical activities, revealing three novel groups of laccase-like enzymes. This review provides an overview of the structure, catalytic activity, and oxidative mechanism of fungal laccases and how their biotechnological potential as biocatalysts in industry can be greatly enhanced by protein engineering. Finally, recent information on newly identified MCOs with laccase-like activity is included.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Susana Camarero
- Margarita Salas Center for Biological Research, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), 28040 Madrid, Spain;
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Jiang J, Yang G, Ma F. Fluorescence coupling strategies in fluorescence-activated droplet sorting (FADS) for ultrahigh-throughput screening of enzymes, metabolites, and antibodies. Biotechnol Adv 2023; 66:108173. [PMID: 37169102 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2023.108173] [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: 01/11/2023] [Revised: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Fluorescence-activated droplet sorting (FADS) has emerged as a powerful tool for ultrahigh-throughput screening of enzymes, metabolites, and antibodies. Fluorescence coupling strategies (FCSs) are key to the development of new FADS methods through their coupling of analyte properties such as concentration, activities, and affinity with fluorescence signals. Over the last decade, a series of FCSs have been developed, greatly expanding applications of FADS. Here, we review recent advances in FCS for different analyte types, providing a critical comparison of the available FCSs and further classification into four categories according to their principles. We also summarize successful FADS applications employing FCSs in enzymes, metabolites, and antibodies. Further, we outline possible future developments in this area.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jingjie Jiang
- Medical Enzyme Engineering Center, CAS Key Lab of Bio-Medical Diagnostics, Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215163, China
| | - Guangyu Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic and Developmental Sciences, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China.
| | - Fuqiang Ma
- Medical Enzyme Engineering Center, CAS Key Lab of Bio-Medical Diagnostics, Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215163, China.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Xing H, Wang P, Yan X, Yang Y, Li X, Liu R, Zhou Z. Thermostability enhancement of Escherichia coli phytase by error-prone polymerase chain reaction (epPCR) and site-directed mutagenesis. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2023; 11:1167530. [PMID: 37064242 PMCID: PMC10101328 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1167530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Phytase efficiently hydrolyzes phytate to phosphate; thus, it is widely used to increase phosphorus availability in animal feeds and reduce phosphorus pollution through excretion. Phytase is easily inactivated during feed pelleting at high temperature, and sufficient thermostability of phytase is essential for industrial applications. In this study, directed evolution was performed to enhance phytase thermostability. Variants were initially expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 for screening, then in Pichia pastoris for characterization. Over 19,000 clones were generated from an error-prone Polymerase Chain Reaction (epPCR) library; 5 mutants (G10, D7, E3, F8, and F9) were obtained with approximately 9.6%, 10.6%, 11.5%, 11.6%, and 12.2% higher residual activities than the parent after treatment at 99°C for 60 min. Three of these mutants, D7, E3, and F8, exhibited 79.8%, 73.2%, and 92.6% increases in catalytic efficiency (kcat/Km), respectively. In addition, the specific activities of D7, E3, and F8 were 2.33-, 1.98-, and 2.02-fold higher than parental phytase; they were also higher than the activities of all known thermostable phytases. Sequence analysis revealed that all mutants were substituted at residue 75 and was confirmed that the substitution of cysteine at position 75 was the main contribution to the improvement of thermostability of mutants by saturation mutagenesis, indicating that this amino acid is crucial for the stability and catalytic efficiency of phytase. Docking structure analysis revealed that substitution of the C75 residue allowed the mutants to form additional hydrogen bonds in the active pocket, thereby facilitating binding to the substrate. In addition, we confirmed that the intrinsic C77-C108 disulfide bond in E. coli phytase is detrimental to its stability.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hongguan Xing
- School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
- CAS-Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Pingping Wang
- CAS-Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Xing Yan
- CAS-Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Yi Yang
- School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Xinliang Li
- CJ Youtell (Shanghai) Biotech Co., Ltd., Shanghai, China
| | - Rui Liu
- CJ Youtell (Shanghai) Biotech Co., Ltd., Shanghai, China
| | - Zhihua Zhou
- School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
- CAS-Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- *Correspondence: Zhihua Zhou,
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Lu T, Fu C, Xiong Y, Zeng Z, Fan Y, Dai X, Huang X, Ge J, Li X. Biodegradation of Aflatoxin B 1 in Peanut Oil by an Amphipathic Laccase-Inorganic Hybrid Nanoflower. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2023; 71:3876-3884. [PMID: 36791339 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.2c08148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) contamination is an important issue for the safety of edible oils. Enzymatic degradation is a promising approach for removing mycotoxins in a specific, efficient, and green manner. However, enzymatic degradation of mycotoxins in edible oil is challenging as a result of the low activity and stability of the enzyme. Herein, a novel strategy was proposed to degrade AFB1 in peanut oil using an amphipathic laccase-inorganic hybrid nanoflower (Lac NF-P) as a biocatalyst. Owing to the improved microenvironment of the enzymatic reaction and the enhanced stability of the enzyme structure, the proposed amphipathic Lac NF-P showed 134- and 3.2-fold increases in the degradation efficiency of AFB1 in comparison to laccase and Lac NF, respectively. AFB1 was removed to less than 0.96 μg/kg within 3 h when using Lac NF-P as a catalyst in the peanut oil, with the AFB1 concentration ranging from 50 to 150 μg/kg. Moreover, the quality of the peanut oil had no obvious change, and no leakage of catalyst was observed after the treatment of Lac NF-P. In other words, our study may open an avenue for the development of a novel biocatalyst for the detoxification of mycotoxins in edible oils.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tianying Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, School of Food Science and Technology, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330047, People's Republic of China
| | - Caicai Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, School of Food Science and Technology, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330047, People's Republic of China
| | - Yonghua Xiong
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, School of Food Science and Technology, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330047, People's Republic of China
| | - Zheling Zeng
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330031, People's Republic of China
| | - Yunkai Fan
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, School of Food Science and Technology, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330047, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiao Dai
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, School of Food Science and Technology, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330047, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaolin Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, School of Food Science and Technology, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330047, People's Republic of China
| | - Jun Ge
- Key Laboratory for Industrial Biocatalysis, Ministry of Education, Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaoyang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, School of Food Science and Technology, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330047, People's Republic of China
| |
Collapse
|