1
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Franco HEO, Le AV, Chang NY, Hartman MCT. p-Chloropropynyl Phenylalanine, a Versatile Non-Canonical Amino Acid for Co-Translational Peptide Macrocyclization and Side Chain Diversification. Chembiochem 2023; 24:e202300020. [PMID: 37156744 PMCID: PMC11165969 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202300020] [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: 01/11/2023] [Revised: 04/07/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Macrocyclization has proven to be a beneficial strategy to improve upon some of the disadvantages of peptides as therapeutics. Nevertheless, many peptide cyclization strategies are not compatible with in vitro display technologies like mRNA display. Here we describe the novel amino acid p-chloropropynyl phenylalanine (pCPF). pCPF is a substrate for a mutant phenylalanyl-tRNA synthetase and its introduction into peptides via in vitro translation leads to spontaneous peptide macrocyclization in the presence of peptides containing cysteine. Macrocyclization occurs efficiently with a wide variety of ring sizes. Moreover, pCPF can be reacted with thiols after charging onto tRNA, enabling the testing of diverse ncAAs in translation. The versatility of pCPF should facilitate downstream studies of translation and enable the creation of novel macrocyclic peptide libraries.
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Affiliation(s)
- H. Estheban Osorio Franco
- Chemistry, Virginia Commonwealth University, 1001 W Main St, Richmond, 23284, VA
- Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University
| | - Anthony V. Le
- Chemistry, Virginia Commonwealth University, 1001 W Main St, Richmond, 23284, VA
- Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University
| | - Nathan Y. Chang
- Chemistry, Virginia Commonwealth University, 1001 W Main St, Richmond, 23284, VA
- Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University
| | - Matthew C. T. Hartman
- Chemistry, Virginia Commonwealth University, 1001 W Main St, Richmond, 23284, VA
- Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University
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2
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Du Y, Li L, Zheng Y, Liu J, Gong J, Qiu Z, Li Y, Qiao J, Huo YX. Incorporation of Non-Canonical Amino Acids into Antimicrobial Peptides: Advances, Challenges, and Perspectives. Appl Environ Microbiol 2022; 88:e0161722. [PMID: 36416555 PMCID: PMC9746297 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01617-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The emergence of antimicrobial resistance is a global health concern and calls for the development of novel antibiotic agents. Antimicrobial peptides seem to be promising candidates due to their diverse sources, mechanisms of action, and physicochemical characteristics, as well as the relatively low emergence of resistance. The incorporation of noncanonical amino acids into antimicrobial peptides could effectively improve their physicochemical and pharmacological diversity. Recently, various antimicrobial peptides variants with improved or novel properties have been produced by the incorporation of single and multiple distinct noncanonical amino acids. In this review, we summarize strategies for the incorporation of noncanonical amino acids into antimicrobial peptides, as well as their features and suitabilities. Recent applications of noncanonical amino acid incorporation into antimicrobial peptides are also presented. Finally, we discuss the related challenges and prospects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuhui Du
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China
- MOE International Joint Research Laboratory on Synthetic Biology and Medicines, School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Li Li
- School of Chemical Engineering, Sichuan University (SCU), Chengdu, China
| | - Yue Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Jiaheng Liu
- School of Chemical Engineering, Sichuan University (SCU), Chengdu, China
| | - Julia Gong
- Marymount High School, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Zekai Qiu
- Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Yanni Li
- Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Jianjun Qiao
- Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Yi-Xin Huo
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China
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3
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Bora RE, Bilgicli HG, Üç EM, Alagöz MA, Zengin M, Gulcin İ. Synthesis, characterization, Evaluation of Metabolic Enzyme Inhibitors and in silico Studies of Thymol Based 2-Amino Thiol and Sulfonic Acid Compounds. Chem Biol Interact 2022; 366:110134. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cbi.2022.110134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2022] [Revised: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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4
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Gu Y, Iannuzzelli JA, Fasan R. MOrPH-PhD: A Phage Display System for the Functional Selection of Genetically Encoded Macrocyclic Peptides. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2371:261-286. [PMID: 34596853 PMCID: PMC8493807 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1689-5_14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Macrocyclic peptides represent promising scaffolds for targeting biomolecules with high affinity and selectivity, making methods for the diversification and functional selection of these macrocycles highly valuable for drug discovery purposes. We recently reported a novel phage display platform (called MOrPH-PhD) for the creation and functional exploration of combinatorial libraries of genetically encoded cyclic peptides. In this system, spontaneous, posttranslational peptide cyclization by means of a cysteine-reactive non-canonical amino acid is integrated with M13 bacteriophage display, enabling the creation of genetically encoded macrocyclic peptide libraries displayed on phage particles. Using this system, it is possible to rapidly generate and screen large libraries of phage-displayed macrocyclic peptides (up to 108 to 1010 members) in order to identify high-affinity binders of a target protein of interest. Herein, we describe step-by-step protocols for the production of MOrPH-PhD libraries, the screening of these libraries against an immobilized protein target, and the isolation and characterization of functional macrocyclic peptides from these genetically encoded libraries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Gu
- Department of Chemistry, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
| | | | - Rudi Fasan
- Department of Chemistry, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA.
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5
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González S, Ad O, Shah B, Zhang Z, Zhang X, Chatterjee A, Schepartz A. Genetic Code Expansion in the Engineered Organism Vmax X2: High Yield and Exceptional Fidelity. ACS CENTRAL SCIENCE 2021; 7:1500-1507. [PMID: 34584951 PMCID: PMC8461772 DOI: 10.1021/acscentsci.1c00499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2021] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
We report that the recently introduced commercial strain of Vibrio natriegens (Vmax X2) supports robust unnatural amino acid mutagenesis, generating exceptional yields of soluble protein containing up to 5 noncanonical α-amino acids (ncAA). The isolated yields of ncAA-containing superfolder green fluorescent protein (sfGFP) expressed in Vmax X2 are up to 25-fold higher than those achieved using commercial expression strains (Top10 and BL21) and more than 10-fold higher than those achieved using two different genomically recodedEscherichia colistrains that lack endogenous UAG stop codons and release factor 1 and have been optimized for improved fitness and preferred growth temperature (C321.ΔA.opt and C321.ΔA.exp). In addition to higher yields of soluble protein, Vmax X2 cells also generate proteins with significantly lower levels of misincorporated natural α-amino acids at the UAG-programmed position, especially in cases where the ncAA is a moderate substrate for the chosen orthogonal aminoacyl tRNA synthetase (aaRS). This increase in fidelity implies that the use of Vmax X2 cells as the expression host can obviate the need for time-consuming directed evolution experiments to improve the selectivity of an aaRS toward highly desired but suboptimal ncAA substrates.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Omer Ad
- Department
of Chemistry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, United States
| | - Bhavana Shah
- Process
Development, Attribute Sciences, Amgen Inc., Thousand Oaks, California 91320, United States
| | - Zhongqi Zhang
- Process
Development, Attribute Sciences, Amgen Inc., Thousand Oaks, California 91320, United States
| | - Xizi Zhang
- Department
of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Abhishek Chatterjee
- Department
of Chemistry, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts 02467, United States
| | - Alanna Schepartz
- Department
of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Department
of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University
of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- California
Institute for Quantitative Biosciences (QB3), University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
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6
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Reille‐Seroussi M, Meyer‐Ahrens P, Aust A, Feldberg A, Mootz HD. Genetic Encoding and Enzymatic Deprotection of a Latent Thiol Side Chain to Enable New Protein Bioconjugation Applications. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2021; 60:15972-15979. [PMID: 33844389 PMCID: PMC8361980 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202102343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2021] [Revised: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The thiol group of the cysteine side chain is arguably the most versatile chemical handle in proteins. To expand the scope of established and commercially available thiol bioconjugation reagents, we genetically encoded a second such functional moiety in form of a latent thiol group that can be unmasked under mild physiological conditions. Phenylacetamidomethyl (Phacm) protected homocysteine (HcP) was incorporated and its latent thiol group unmasked on purified proteins using penicillin G acylase (PGA). The enzymatic deprotection depends on steric accessibility, but can occur efficiently within minutes on exposed positions in flexible sequences. The freshly liberated thiol group does not require treatment with reducing agents. We demonstrate the potential of this approach for protein modification with conceptually new schemes for regioselective dual labeling, thiol bioconjugation in presence of a preserved disulfide bond and formation of a novel intramolecular thioether crosslink.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Pascal Meyer‐Ahrens
- Institute of BiochemistryUniversity of MünsterCorrensstraße 3648149MünsterGermany
| | - Annika Aust
- Institute of BiochemistryUniversity of MünsterCorrensstraße 3648149MünsterGermany
| | - Anna‐Lena Feldberg
- Institute of BiochemistryUniversity of MünsterCorrensstraße 3648149MünsterGermany
| | - Henning D. Mootz
- Institute of BiochemistryUniversity of MünsterCorrensstraße 3648149MünsterGermany
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7
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Reille‐Seroussi M, Meyer‐Ahrens P, Aust A, Feldberg A, Mootz HD. Genetic Encoding and Enzymatic Deprotection of a Latent Thiol Side Chain to Enable New Protein Bioconjugation Applications. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.202102343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Marie Reille‐Seroussi
- Institute of Biochemistry University of Münster Corrensstraße 36 48149 Münster Germany
| | - Pascal Meyer‐Ahrens
- Institute of Biochemistry University of Münster Corrensstraße 36 48149 Münster Germany
| | - Annika Aust
- Institute of Biochemistry University of Münster Corrensstraße 36 48149 Münster Germany
| | - Anna‐Lena Feldberg
- Institute of Biochemistry University of Münster Corrensstraße 36 48149 Münster Germany
| | - Henning D. Mootz
- Institute of Biochemistry University of Münster Corrensstraße 36 48149 Münster Germany
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8
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Wang W, Khojasteh SC, Su D. Biosynthetic Strategies for Macrocyclic Peptides. Molecules 2021; 26:3338. [PMID: 34206124 PMCID: PMC8199541 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26113338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2021] [Revised: 05/22/2021] [Accepted: 05/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Macrocyclic peptides are predominantly peptide structures bearing one or more rings and spanning multiple amino acid residues. Macrocyclization has become a common approach for improving the pharmacological properties and bioactivity of peptides. A variety of ribosomal-derived and non-ribosomal synthesized cyclization approaches have been established. The biosynthesis of backbone macrocyclic peptides using seven new emerging methodologies will be discussed with regard to the features and strengths of each platform rather than medicinal chemistry tools. The mRNA display variant, known as the random nonstandard peptide integrated discovery (RaPID) platform, utilizes flexible in vitro translation (FIT) to access macrocyclic peptides containing nonproteinogenic amino acids (NAAs). As a new discovery approach, the ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs) method involves the combination of ribosomal synthesis and the phage screening platform together with macrocyclization chemistries to generate libraries of macrocyclic peptides. Meanwhile, the split-intein circular ligation of peptides and proteins (SICLOPPS) approach relies on the in vivo production of macrocyclic peptides. In vitro and in vivo peptide library screening is discussed as an advanced strategy for cyclic peptide selection. Specifically, biosynthetic bicyclic peptides are highlighted as versatile and attractive modalities. Bicyclic peptides represent another type of promising therapeutics that allow for building blocks with a heterotrimeric conjugate to address intractable challenges and enable multimer complexes via linkers. Additionally, we discuss the cell-free chemoenzymatic synthesis of macrocyclic peptides with a non-ribosomal catalase known as the non-ribosomal synthetase (NRPS) and chemo-enzymatic approach, with recombinant thioesterase (TE) domains. Novel insights into the use of peptide library tools, activity-based two-hybrid screening, structure diversification, inclusion of NAAs, combinatorial libraries, expanding the toolbox for macrocyclic peptides, bicyclic peptides, chemoenzymatic strategies, and future perspectives are presented. This review highlights the broad spectrum of strategy classes, novel platforms, structure diversity, chemical space, and functionalities of macrocyclic peptides enabled by emerging biosynthetic platforms to achieve bioactivity and for therapeutic purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Dian Su
- Drug Metabolism and Disposition, Genentech, 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA; (W.W.); (S.C.K.)
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9
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Manandhar M, Chun E, Romesberg FE. Genetic Code Expansion: Inception, Development, Commercialization. J Am Chem Soc 2021; 143:4859-4878. [DOI: 10.1021/jacs.0c11938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Miglena Manandhar
- Synthorx, a Sanofi Company, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Eugene Chun
- Synthorx, a Sanofi Company, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
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10
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Banerjee I, Ghosh KC, Oheix E, Jean M, Naubron JV, Réglier M, Iranzo O, Sinha S. Synthesis of Protected 3,4- and 2,3-Dimercaptophenylalanines as Building Blocks for Fmoc-Peptide Synthesis and Incorporation of the 3,4-Analogue in a Decapeptide Using Solid-Phase Synthesis. J Org Chem 2021; 86:2210-2223. [PMID: 33491451 DOI: 10.1021/acs.joc.0c02359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
3,4-Dimercaptophenylalanines and 2,3-dimercaptophenylalanines have been synthesized for the first time by nucleophilic substitution of a protected aminomalonate on 3,4- and 2,3-dimercaptobenzyl bromide derivatives. The dithiol functions were protected as thioketals, and the key precursors, diphenylthioketal-protected dimercaptobenzyl bromides, were synthesized via two distinct routes from either dihydroxy benzoates or toluene-3,4-dithiol. Racemic mixtures of the fully protected amino acids were separated by chiral HPLC into the corresponding enantiomers. The absolute configuration of both 3,4- and 2,3-analogues could be assigned based on X-ray crystallography and VCD/DFT measurements. Thioketal groups were deprotected upon reaction with mercury oxide and aqueous tetrafluoroboric acid followed by treatment with H2S gas under an argon atmosphere to obtain the corresponding dimercapto amino acids. The optically pure l-Fmoc-protected 3,4-analogue (S- enantiomer) was successfully incorporated into a decapeptide using standard solid-phase peptide synthesis. Therefore, dithiolene-functionalized peptides are now accessible from a simple synthetic procedure, and this should afford new molecular tools for research into the catalysis, diagnostic, and nanotechnology fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isita Banerjee
- School of Applied and Interdisciplinary Sciences, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Jadavpur, Kolkata 700 032, India
| | - Keshab Ch Ghosh
- School of Applied and Interdisciplinary Sciences, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Jadavpur, Kolkata 700 032, India
| | - Emmanuel Oheix
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, Centrale Marseille, iSm2, 13397 Marseille, France
| | - Marion Jean
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, Centrale Marseille, iSm2, 13397 Marseille, France
| | - Jean-Valère Naubron
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, Centrale Marseille, FSCM-Spectropole,, 13397 Marseille, France
| | - Marius Réglier
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, Centrale Marseille, iSm2, 13397 Marseille, France
| | - Olga Iranzo
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, Centrale Marseille, iSm2, 13397 Marseille, France
| | - Surajit Sinha
- School of Applied and Interdisciplinary Sciences, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Jadavpur, Kolkata 700 032, India
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11
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Iskandar SE, Haberman VA, Bowers AA. Expanding the Chemical Diversity of Genetically Encoded Libraries. ACS COMBINATORIAL SCIENCE 2020; 22:712-733. [PMID: 33167616 PMCID: PMC8284915 DOI: 10.1021/acscombsci.0c00179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The power of ribosomes has increasingly been harnessed for the synthesis and selection of molecular libraries. Technologies, such as phage display, yeast display, and mRNA display, effectively couple genotype to phenotype for the molecular evolution of high affinity epitopes for many therapeutic targets. Genetic code expansion is central to the success of these technologies, allowing researchers to surpass the intrinsic capabilities of the ribosome and access new, genetically encoded materials for these selections. Here, we review techniques for the chemical expansion of genetically encoded libraries, their abilities and limits, and opportunities for further development. Importantly, we also discuss methods and metrics used to assess the efficiency of modification and library diversity with these new techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina E Iskandar
- Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Victoria A Haberman
- Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Albert A Bowers
- Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
- Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
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12
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Karbalaei-Heidari HR, Budisa N. Combating Antimicrobial Resistance With New-To-Nature Lanthipeptides Created by Genetic Code Expansion. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:590522. [PMID: 33250877 PMCID: PMC7674664 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.590522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2020] [Accepted: 10/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Due to the rapid emergence of multi-resistant bacterial strains in recent decades, the commercially available effective antibiotics are becoming increasingly limited. On the other hand, widespread antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) such as the lantibiotic nisin has been used worldwide for more than 40 years without the appearance of significant bacterial resistance. Lantibiotics are ribosomally synthesized antimicrobials generated by posttranslational modifications. Their biotechnological production is of particular interest to redesign natural scaffolds improving their pharmaceutical properties, which has great potential for therapeutic use in human medicine and other areas. However, conventional protein engineering methods are limited to 20 canonical amino acids prescribed by the genetic code. Therefore, the expansion of the genetic code as the most advanced approach in Synthetic Biology allows the addition of new amino acid building blocks (non-canonical amino acids, ncAAs) during protein translation. We now have solid proof-of-principle evidence that bioexpression with these novel building blocks enabled lantibiotics with chemical properties transcending those produced by natural evolution. The unique scaffolds with novel structural and functional properties are the result of this bioengineering. Here we will critically examine and evaluate the use of the expanded genetic code and its alternatives in lantibiotics research over the last 7 years. We anticipate that Synthetic Biology, using engineered lantibiotics and even more complex scaffolds will be a promising tool to address an urgent problem of antibiotic resistance, especially in a class of multi-drug resistant microbes known as superbugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hamid Reza Karbalaei-Heidari
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran
- Department of Chemistry, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Nediljko Budisa
- Department of Chemistry, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
- Institute of Chemistry, Technical University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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13
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McAllister TE, Coleman OD, Roper G, Kawamura A. Structural diversity in
de novo
cyclic peptide ligands from genetically encoded library technologies. Pept Sci (Hoboken) 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/pep2.24204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tom E. McAllister
- Chemistry – School of Natural and Environmental Sciences Newcastle University Newcastle upon Tyne UK
| | - Oliver D. Coleman
- Chemistry – School of Natural and Environmental Sciences Newcastle University Newcastle upon Tyne UK
| | - Grace Roper
- Chemistry – School of Natural and Environmental Sciences Newcastle University Newcastle upon Tyne UK
- Chemistry Research Laboratory, Department of Chemistry University of Oxford Oxford UK
| | - Akane Kawamura
- Chemistry – School of Natural and Environmental Sciences Newcastle University Newcastle upon Tyne UK
- Chemistry Research Laboratory, Department of Chemistry University of Oxford Oxford UK
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14
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Ding Y, Ting JP, Liu J, Al-Azzam S, Pandya P, Afshar S. Impact of non-proteinogenic amino acids in the discovery and development of peptide therapeutics. Amino Acids 2020; 52:1207-1226. [PMID: 32945974 PMCID: PMC7544725 DOI: 10.1007/s00726-020-02890-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2020] [Accepted: 09/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
With the development of modern chemistry and biology, non-proteinogenic amino acids (NPAAs) have become a powerful tool for developing peptide-based drug candidates. Drug-like properties of peptidic medicines, due to the smaller size and simpler structure compared to large proteins, can be changed fundamentally by introducing NPAAs in its sequence. While peptides composed of natural amino acids can be used as drug candidates, the majority have shown to be less stable in biological conditions. The impact of NPAA incorporation can be extremely beneficial in improving the stability, potency, permeability, and bioavailability of peptide-based therapies. Conversely, undesired effects such as toxicity or immunogenicity should also be considered. The impact of NPAAs in the development of peptide-based therapeutics is reviewed in this article. Further, numerous examples of peptides containing NPAAs are presented to highlight the ongoing development in peptide-based therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun Ding
- Protein Engineering, Lilly Biotechnology Center, Eli Lilly and Company, San Diego, CA, 92121, USA
| | - Joey Paolo Ting
- Protein Engineering, Lilly Biotechnology Center, Eli Lilly and Company, San Diego, CA, 92121, USA
| | - Jinsha Liu
- Protein Engineering, Lilly Biotechnology Center, Eli Lilly and Company, San Diego, CA, 92121, USA
| | - Shams Al-Azzam
- Professional Scientific Services, Eurofins Lancaster Laboratories, Lancaster, PA, 17605, USA
| | - Priyanka Pandya
- Protein Engineering, Lilly Biotechnology Center, Eli Lilly and Company, San Diego, CA, 92121, USA
| | - Sepideh Afshar
- Protein Engineering, Lilly Biotechnology Center, Eli Lilly and Company, San Diego, CA, 92121, USA.
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15
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Tang TMS, Cardella D, Lander AJ, Li X, Escudero JS, Tsai YH, Luk LYP. Use of an asparaginyl endopeptidase for chemo-enzymatic peptide and protein labeling. Chem Sci 2020; 11:5881-5888. [PMID: 32874509 PMCID: PMC7441500 DOI: 10.1039/d0sc02023k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2020] [Accepted: 05/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Asparaginyl endopeptidases (AEPs) are ideal for peptide and protein labeling. However, because of the reaction reversibility, a large excess of labels or backbone modified substrates are needed. In turn, simple and cheap reagents can be used to label N-terminal cysteine, but its availability inherently limits the potential applications. Aiming to address these issues, we have created a chemo-enzymatic labeling system that exploits the substrate promiscuity of AEP with the facile chemical reaction between N-terminal cysteine and 2-formyl phenylboronic acid (FPBA). In this approach, AEP is used to ligate polypeptides with a Asn-Cys-Leu recognition sequence with counterparts possessing an N-terminal Gly-Leu. Instead of being a labeling reagent, the commercially available FPBA serves as a scavenger converting the byproduct Cys-Leu into an inert thiazolidine derivative. This consequently drives the AEP labeling reaction forward to product formation with a lower ratio of label to protein substrate. By carefully screening the reaction conditions for optimal compatibility and minimal hydrolysis, conversion to the ligated product in the model reaction resulted in excellent yields. The versatility of this AEP-ligation/FPBA-coupling system was further demonstrated by site-specifically labeling the N- or C-termini of various proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- T M Simon Tang
- School of Chemistry , Cardiff University , Main Building, Park Place , Cardiff , CF10 3AT , UK .
| | - Davide Cardella
- School of Chemistry , Cardiff University , Main Building, Park Place , Cardiff , CF10 3AT , UK .
| | - Alexander J Lander
- School of Chemistry , Cardiff University , Main Building, Park Place , Cardiff , CF10 3AT , UK .
| | - Xuefei Li
- School of Chemistry , Cardiff University , Main Building, Park Place , Cardiff , CF10 3AT , UK .
| | - Jorge S Escudero
- School of Chemistry , Cardiff University , Main Building, Park Place , Cardiff , CF10 3AT , UK .
| | - Yu-Hsuan Tsai
- School of Chemistry , Cardiff University , Main Building, Park Place , Cardiff , CF10 3AT , UK .
| | - Louis Y P Luk
- School of Chemistry , Cardiff University , Main Building, Park Place , Cardiff , CF10 3AT , UK .
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16
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Iannuzzelli JA, Fasan R. Expanded toolbox for directing the biosynthesis of macrocyclic peptides in bacterial cells. Chem Sci 2020; 11:6202-6208. [PMID: 32953014 PMCID: PMC7480269 DOI: 10.1039/d0sc01699c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2020] [Accepted: 05/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
A new suite of unnatural amino acids is reported for directing the biosynthesis of genetically encoded macrocyclic peptides in live bacteria.
The macrocyclization of recombinant polypeptides by means of genetically encodable non-canonical amino acids has recently provided an attractive strategy for the screening and discovery of macrocyclic peptide inhibitors of protein–protein interactions. Here, we report the development of an expanded suite of electrophilic unnatural amino acids (eUAAs) useful for directing the biosynthesis of genetically encoded thioether-bridged macrocyclic peptides in bacterial cells (E. coli). These reagents are shown to provide efficient access to a broad range of macrocyclic peptide scaffolds spanning from 2 to 20 amino acid residues, with the different eUAAs offering complementary reactivity profiles toward mediating short- vs. long-range macrocyclizations. Swapping of the eUAA cyclization module in a cyclopeptide inhibitor of streptavidin and Keap1 led to compounds with markedly distinct binding affinity toward the respective target proteins, highlighting the effectiveness of this strategy toward tuning the structural and functional properties of bioactive macrocyclic peptides. The peptide cyclization strategies reported here expand opportunities for the combinatorial biosynthesis of natural product-like peptide macrocycles in bacterial cells or in combination with display platforms toward the discovery of selective agents capable of targeting proteins and protein-mediated interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob A Iannuzzelli
- Department of Chemistry , University of Rochester , Rochester , New York 14627 , USA .
| | - Rudi Fasan
- Department of Chemistry , University of Rochester , Rochester , New York 14627 , USA .
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17
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Owens A, Iannuzzelli JA, Gu Y, Fasan R. MOrPH-PhD: An Integrated Phage Display Platform for the Discovery of Functional Genetically Encoded Peptide Macrocycles. ACS CENTRAL SCIENCE 2020; 6:368-381. [PMID: 32232137 PMCID: PMC7099587 DOI: 10.1021/acscentsci.9b00927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2019] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Macrocyclic peptides represent attractive scaffolds for targeting protein-protein interactions, making methods for the diversification and functional selection of these molecules highly valuable for molecular discovery purposes. Here, we report the development of a novel strategy for the generation and high-throughput screening of combinatorial libraries of macrocyclic peptides constrained by a nonreducible thioether bridge. In this system, spontaneous, posttranslational peptide cyclization by means of a cysteine-reactive noncanonical amino acid was integrated with M13 bacteriophage display, enabling the creation of genetically encoded macrocyclic peptide libraries displayed on phage particles. This platform, named MOrPH-PhD, was successfully applied to produce and screen 105- to 108-member libraries of peptide macrocycles against three different protein targets, resulting in the discovery of a high-affinity binder for streptavidin (K D: 20 nM) and potent inhibitors of the therapeutically relevant proteins Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (K D: 40 nM) and Sonic Hedgehog (K D: 550 nM). This work introduces and validates an efficient and general platform for the discovery and evolution of functional, conformationally constrained macrocyclic peptides useful for targeting proteins and protein-mediated interactions.
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18
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Delivoria DC, Chia S, Habchi J, Perni M, Matis I, Papaevgeniou N, Reczko M, Chondrogianni N, Dobson CM, Vendruscolo M, Skretas G. Bacterial production and direct functional screening of expanded molecular libraries for discovering inhibitors of protein aggregation. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2019; 5:eaax5108. [PMID: 31663025 PMCID: PMC6795521 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aax5108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2019] [Accepted: 09/25/2019] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Protein misfolding and aggregation are associated with a many human disorders, including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. Toward increasing the effectiveness of early-stage drug discovery for these conditions, we report a bacterial platform that enables the biosynthesis of molecular libraries with expanded diversities and their direct functional screening for discovering protein aggregation inhibitors. We illustrate this approach by performing, what is to our knowledge, the largest functional screen of small-size molecular entities described to date. We generated a combinatorial library of ~200 million drug-like, cyclic peptides and rapidly screened it for aggregation inhibitors against the amyloid-β peptide (Aβ42), linked to Alzheimer's disease. Through this procedure, we identified more than 400 macrocyclic compounds that efficiently reduce Aβ42 aggregation and toxicity in vitro and in vivo. Finally, we applied a combination of deep sequencing and mutagenesis analyses to demonstrate how this system can rapidly determine structure-activity relationships and define consensus motifs required for bioactivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dafni C. Delivoria
- Institute of Chemical Biology, National Hellenic Research Foundation, Athens 11635, Greece
- School of Chemical Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, Athens 15780, Greece
| | - Sean Chia
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK
| | - Johnny Habchi
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK
| | - Michele Perni
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK
| | - Ilias Matis
- Institute of Chemical Biology, National Hellenic Research Foundation, Athens 11635, Greece
| | - Nikoletta Papaevgeniou
- Institute of Chemical Biology, National Hellenic Research Foundation, Athens 11635, Greece
- Faculty of Biology and Pharmacy, Institute of Nutrition, Friedrich Schiller University of Jena, Jena 07743, Germany
| | - Martin Reczko
- Institute for Fundamental Biomedical Science, Biomedical Sciences Research Center “Alexander Fleming,” Athens 16672, Greece
| | - Niki Chondrogianni
- Institute of Chemical Biology, National Hellenic Research Foundation, Athens 11635, Greece
| | - Christopher M. Dobson
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK
| | - Michele Vendruscolo
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK
| | - Georgios Skretas
- Institute of Chemical Biology, National Hellenic Research Foundation, Athens 11635, Greece
- Corresponding author.
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19
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Moore EJ, Fasan R. Effect of proximal ligand substitutions on the carbene and nitrene transferase activity of myoglobin. Tetrahedron 2019; 75:2357-2363. [PMID: 31133770 PMCID: PMC6534480 DOI: 10.1016/j.tet.2019.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Engineered myoglobins were recently shown to be effective catalysts for abiological carbene and nitrene transfer reactions. Here, we investigated the impact of substituting the conserved heme-coordinating histidine residue with both proteinogenic (Cys, Ser, Tyr, Asp) and non-proteinogenic Lewis basic amino acids (3-(3'-pyridyl)-alanine, p-aminophenylalanine, and β-(3-thienyl)-alanine), on the reactivity of this metalloprotein toward these abiotic transformations. These studies showed that mutation of the proximal histidine residue with both natural and non-natural amino acids result in stable myoglobin variants that can function as both carbene and nitrene transferases. In addition, substitution of the proximal histidine with an aspartate residue led to a myoglobin-based catalyst capable of promoting stereoselective olefin cyclopropanation under nonreducing conditions. Overall, these studies demonstrate that proximal ligand substitution provides a promising strategy to tune the reactivity of myoglobin-based carbene and nitrene transfer catalysts and provide a first, proof-of-principle demonstration of the viability of pyridine-, thiophene-, and aniline-based unnatural amino acids for metalloprotein engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric J Moore
- Department of Chemistry, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14627, United States.
| | - Rudi Fasan
- Department of Chemistry, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14627, United States.
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20
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Mayer C. Selection, Addiction and Catalysis: Emerging Trends for the Incorporation of Noncanonical Amino Acids into Peptides and Proteins in Vivo. Chembiochem 2019; 20:1357-1364. [PMID: 30618145 PMCID: PMC6563710 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.201800733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Expanding the genetic code of organisms by incorporating noncanonical amino acids (ncAAs) into target proteins through the suppression of stop codons in vivo has profoundly impacted how we perform protein modification or detect proteins and their interaction partners in their native environment. Yet, with genetic code expansion strategies maturing over the past 15 years, new applications that make use—or indeed repurpose—these techniques are beginning to emerge. This Concept article highlights three of these developments: 1) The incorporation of ncAAs for the biosynthesis and selection of bioactive macrocyclic peptides with novel ring architectures, 2) synthetic biocontainment strategies based on the addiction of microorganisms to ncAAs, and 3) enzyme design strategies, in which ncAAs with unique functionalities enable the catalysis of new‐to‐nature reactions. Key advances in all three areas are presented and potential future applications discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clemens Mayer
- Stratingh Institute for Chemistry, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG, Groningen, The Netherlands
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21
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Huang Y, Liu T. Therapeutic applications of genetic code expansion. Synth Syst Biotechnol 2018; 3:150-158. [PMID: 30345400 PMCID: PMC6190509 DOI: 10.1016/j.synbio.2018.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2018] [Revised: 09/16/2018] [Accepted: 09/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
In nature, a limited, conservative set of amino acids are utilized to synthesize proteins. Genetic code expansion technique reassigns codons and incorporates noncanonical amino acids (ncAAs) through orthogonal aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase (aaRS)/tRNA pairs. The past decade has witnessed the rapid growth in diversity and scope for therapeutic applications of this technology. Here, we provided an update on the recent progress using genetic code expansion in the following areas: antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), bispecific antibodies (BsAb), immunotherapies, long-lasting protein therapeutics, biosynthesized peptides, engineered viruses and cells, as well as other therapeutic related applications, where the technique was used to elucidate the mechanisms of biotherapeutics and drug targets.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Tao Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China
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22
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Abstract
Many biologically active peptides found in nature exhibit a bicyclic structure wherein a head-to-tail cyclic backbone is further constrained by an intramolecular linkage connecting two side chains of the peptide. Accordingly, methods to access macrocyclic peptides sharing this overall topology could be of significant value toward the discovery of new functional entities and bioactive compounds. With this goal in mind, we recently developed a strategy for enabling the biosynthesis of thioether-bridged bicyclic peptides in living bacterial cells. This method involves a split intein-catalyzed head-to-tail cyclization of a ribosomally produced precursor peptide, combined with inter-sidechain cross-linking through a genetically encoded cysteine-reactive amino acid. This approach can be applied to direct the formation of structurally diverse bicyclic peptides with high efficiency and selectivity in living Escherichia coli cells and provides a platform for the generation of combinatorial libraries of genetically encoded bicyclic peptides for screening purposes.
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23
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Chee SMQ, Wongsantichon J, Siau J, Thean D, Ferrer F, Robinson RC, Lane DP, Brown CJ, Ghadessy FJ. Structure-activity studies of Mdm2/Mdm4-binding stapled peptides comprising non-natural amino acids. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0189379. [PMID: 29228061 PMCID: PMC5724825 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0189379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2017] [Accepted: 11/24/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
As primary p53 antagonists, Mdm2 and the closely related Mdm4 are relevant cancer therapeutic targets. We have previously described a series of cell-permeable stapled peptides that bind to Mdm2 with high affinity, resulting in activation of the p53 tumour suppressor. Within this series, highest affinity was obtained by modification of an obligate tryptophan residue to the non-natural L-6-chlorotryptophan. To understand the structural basis for improved affinity we have solved the crystal structure of this stapled peptide (M011) bound to Mdm2 (residues 6–125) at 1.66 Å resolution. Surprisingly, near identity to the structure of a related peptide (M06) without the 6-chloro modification is observed. Further analysis of linear and stapled peptides comprising 6-Me-tryptophan provides mechanistic insight into dual Mdm2/Mdm4 antagonism and confirms L98 of Mdm4 as a mutable steric gate. The results also highlight a possible role of the flexible hinge region in determining Mdm2/Mdm4 plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharon Min Qi Chee
- p53Lab, Agency for Science Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore
| | | | - Jiawei Siau
- p53Lab, Agency for Science Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore
| | - Dawn Thean
- p53Lab, Agency for Science Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore
| | - Fernando Ferrer
- p53Lab, Agency for Science Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore
| | - Robert C. Robinson
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, A*STAR, Singapore, Singapore
| | - David P. Lane
- p53Lab, Agency for Science Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore
| | - Christopher J. Brown
- p53Lab, Agency for Science Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore
- * E-mail: (CJB); (FJG)
| | - Farid J. Ghadessy
- p53Lab, Agency for Science Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore
- * E-mail: (CJB); (FJG)
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24
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Matis I, Delivoria DC, Mavroidi B, Papaevgeniou N, Panoutsou S, Bellou S, Papavasileiou KD, Linardaki ZI, Stavropoulou AV, Vekrellis K, Boukos N, Kolisis FN, Gonos ES, Margarity M, Papadopoulos MG, Efthimiopoulos S, Pelecanou M, Chondrogianni N, Skretas G. An integrated bacterial system for the discovery of chemical rescuers of disease-associated protein misfolding. Nat Biomed Eng 2017; 1:838-852. [DOI: 10.1038/s41551-017-0144-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2017] [Accepted: 09/06/2017] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
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25
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Owens AE, de Paola I, Hansen WA, Liu YW, Khare SD, Fasan R. Design and Evolution of a Macrocyclic Peptide Inhibitor of the Sonic Hedgehog/Patched Interaction. J Am Chem Soc 2017; 139:12559-12568. [PMID: 28759213 PMCID: PMC5753398 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.7b06087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway plays a central role during embryonic development, and its aberrant activation has been implicated in the development and progression of several human cancers. Major efforts toward the identification of chemical modulators of the hedgehog pathway have yielded several antagonists of the GPCR-like smoothened receptor. In contrast, potent inhibitors of the sonic hedgehog/patched interaction, the most upstream event in ligand-induced activation of this signaling pathway, have been elusive. To address this gap, a genetically encoded cyclic peptide was designed based on the sonic hedgehog (Shh)-binding loop of hedgehog-interacting protein (HHIP) and subjected to multiple rounds of affinity maturation through the screening of macrocyclic peptide libraries produced in E. coli cells. Using this approach, an optimized macrocyclic peptide inhibitor (HL2-m5) was obtained that binds Shh with a KD of 170 nM, which corresponds to a 120-fold affinity improvement compared to the parent molecule. Importantly, HL2-m5 is able to effectively suppress Shh-mediated hedgehog signaling and Gli-controlled gene transcription in living cells (IC50 = 230 nM), providing the most potent inhibitor of the sonic hedgehog/patched interaction reported to date. This first-in-class macrocyclic peptide modulator of the hedgehog pathway is expected to provide a valuable probe for investigating and targeting ligand-dependent hedgehog pathway activation in cancer and other pathologies. This work also introduces a general strategy for the development of cyclopeptide inhibitors of protein-protein interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew E. Owens
- Department of Chemistry, University of Rochester, 12o Trustee Road, Rochester, NY 14627, United States
| | - Ivan de Paola
- Department of Chemistry, University of Rochester, 12o Trustee Road, Rochester, NY 14627, United States
| | - William A. Hansen
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Center for Integrative Proteomics Research, Rutgers University, 174 Frelinghuysen Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854, United States
| | - Yi-Wen Liu
- Department of Chemistry, University of Rochester, 12o Trustee Road, Rochester, NY 14627, United States
| | - Sagar D. Khare
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Center for Integrative Proteomics Research, Rutgers University, 174 Frelinghuysen Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854, United States
| | - Rudi Fasan
- Department of Chemistry, University of Rochester, 12o Trustee Road, Rochester, NY 14627, United States
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26
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Owens AE, Grasso KT, Ziegler CA, Fasan R. Two-Tier Screening Platform for Directed Evolution of Aminoacyl-tRNA Synthetases with Enhanced Stop Codon Suppression Efficiency. Chembiochem 2017; 18:1109-1116. [PMID: 28383180 PMCID: PMC5586079 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.201700039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2017] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Genetic code expansion through amber stop codon suppression provides a powerful tool for introducing non-proteinogenic functionalities into proteins for a broad range of applications. However, ribosomal incorporation of noncanonical amino acids (ncAAs) by means of engineered aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (aaRSs) often proceeds with significantly reduced efficiency compared to sense codon translation. Here, we report the implementation of a versatile platform for the development of engineered aaRSs with enhanced efficiency in mediating ncAA incorporation by amber stop codon suppression. This system integrates a white/blue colony screen with a plate-based colorimetric assay, thereby combining high-throughput capabilities with reliable and quantitative measurement of aaRS-dependent ncAA incorporation efficiency. This two-tier functional screening system was successfully applied to obtain a pyrrolysyl-tRNA synthetase (PylRS) variant (CrtK-RS(4.1)) with significantly improved efficiency (+250-370 %) for mediating the incorporation of Nϵ -crotonyl-lysine and other lysine analogues of relevance for the study of protein post-translational modifications into a target protein. Interestingly, the beneficial mutations accumulated by CrtK-RS(4.1) were found to localize within the noncatalytic N-terminal domain of the enzyme and could be transferred to another PylRS variant, improving the ability of the variant to incorporate its corresponding ncAA substrate. This work introduces an efficient platform for the improvement of aaRSs that could be readily extended to other members of this enzyme family and/or other target ncAAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew E Owens
- Department of Chemistry, University of Rochester, Hutchinson Hall, Rochester, NY, 14627, USA
| | - Katherine T Grasso
- Department of Chemistry, University of Rochester, Hutchinson Hall, Rochester, NY, 14627, USA
| | - Christine A Ziegler
- Department of Chemistry, University of Rochester, Hutchinson Hall, Rochester, NY, 14627, USA
| | - Rudi Fasan
- Department of Chemistry, University of Rochester, Hutchinson Hall, Rochester, NY, 14627, USA
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27
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Liu R, Li X, Lam KS. Combinatorial chemistry in drug discovery. Curr Opin Chem Biol 2017; 38:117-126. [PMID: 28494316 PMCID: PMC5645069 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2017.03.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 158] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2017] [Revised: 03/27/2017] [Accepted: 03/29/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Several combinatorial methods have been developed to create focused or diverse chemical libraries with a wide range of linear or macrocyclic chemical molecules: peptides, non-peptide oligomers, peptidomimetics, small-molecules, and natural product-like organic molecules. Each combinatorial approach has its own unique high-throughput screening and encoding strategy. In this article, we provide a brief overview of combinatorial chemistry in drug discovery with emphasis on recently developed new technologies for design, synthesis, screening and decoding of combinatorial library. Examples of successful application of combinatorial chemistry in hit discovery and lead optimization are given. The limitations and strengths of combinatorial chemistry are also briefly discussed. We are now in a better position to truly leverage the power of combinatorial technologies for the discovery and development of next-generation drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruiwu Liu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA; University of California Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
| | - Xiaocen Li
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA; University of California Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
| | - Kit S Lam
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA; University of California Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA; Division of Hematology & Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA.
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28
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Van Deventer JA, Le DN, Zhao J, Kehoe HP, Kelly RL. A platform for constructing, evaluating, and screening bioconjugates on the yeast surface. Protein Eng Des Sel 2016; 29:485-494. [PMID: 27515702 DOI: 10.1093/protein/gzw029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2015] [Revised: 06/15/2016] [Accepted: 06/18/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The combination of protein display technologies and noncanonical amino acids (ncAAs) offers unprecedented opportunities for the high throughput discovery and characterization of molecules suitable for addressing fundamental and applied problems in biological systems. Here we demonstrate that ncAA-compatible yeast display facilitates evaluations of conjugation chemistry and stability that would be challenging or impossible to perform with existing mRNA, phage, or E. coli platforms. Our approach enables site-specific introduction of ncAAs into displayed proteins, robust modification at azide-containing residues, and quantitative evaluation of conjugates directly on the yeast surface. Moreover, screening allows for the selective enrichment of chemically modified constructs while maintaining a genotype-phenotype linkage with encoded azide functionalities. Thus, this platform is suitable for the high throughput characterization and screening of libraries of chemically modified polypeptides for therapeutic lead discovery and other biological applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- James A Van Deventer
- Chemical and Biological Engineering Department, Tufts University, 4 Colby Street Room 148, Medford, MA 02155, United States of America.,Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research.,Department of Chemical Engineering
| | - Doris N Le
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research.,Department of Chemical Engineering
| | - Jessie Zhao
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research.,Department of Chemical Engineering
| | - Haixing P Kehoe
- Chemical and Biological Engineering Department, Tufts University, 4 Colby Street Room 148, Medford, MA 02155, United States of America
| | - Ryan L Kelly
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research.,Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 500 Main Street, Building 76 Room 289, Cambridge, MA 02139, United States of America
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29
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Frost JR, Wu Z, Lam YC, Owens AE, Fasan R. Side-chain-to-tail cyclization of ribosomally derived peptides promoted by aryl and alkyl amino-functionalized unnatural amino acids. Org Biomol Chem 2016; 14:5803-12. [PMID: 27064594 PMCID: PMC4909536 DOI: 10.1039/c6ob00192k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
A strategy for the production of side-chain-to-tail cyclic peptides from ribosomally derived polypeptide precursors is reported. Two genetically encodable unnatural amino acids, bearing either an aryl or alkyl amino group, were investigated for their efficiency toward promoting the formation of medium to large-sized peptide macrocycles via intein-mediated side-chain-to-C-terminus cyclization. While only partial cyclization was observed with precursor proteins containing para-amino-phenylalanine, efficient peptide macrocyclization could be achieved using O-2-aminoethyl-tyrosine as the reactive moiety. Conveniently, the latter was generated upon quantitative, post-translational reduction of the azido-containing counterpart, O-2-azidoethyl-tyrosine, directly in E. coli cells. This methodology could be successfully applied for the production of a 12 mer cyclic peptide with enhanced binding affinity for the model target protein streptavidin as compared to the acyclic counterpart (KD: 5.1 μM vs. 22.4 μM), thus demonstrating its utility toward the creation and investigation of novel, functional macrocyclic peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- John R Frost
- Department of Chemistry, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14627, USA.
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30
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Abstract
Split intein circular ligation of peptides and proteins (SICLOPPS) is a genetically encoded method for the intracellular production of cyclic peptide libraries of around 100 million (10(8)) members that utilizes the Synechocystis sp PCC6803 (Ssp) DnaE split inteins. However, Ssp inteins are relatively slow splicing and intolerant of amino acid variation around the splice junction, potentially limiting the utility and composition of SICLOPPS libraries. In contrast, Nostoc punctiforme (Npu) DnaE split inteins not only splice significantly faster, they are also much more tolerant of amino acid variation around their splice junctions. Here, we report the use of engineered Npu inteins in SICLOPPS for the generation of cyclic peptide libraries and cyclic proteins. Despite their superior splicing characteristics, however, we observed a high level of toxicity from the Npu SICLOPPS constructs in E. coli. The observed toxicity was overcome though incorporation of an SsrA tag to target the spliced Npu inteins to the ClpXP complex for degradation. The resulting traceless Npu SICLOPPS inteins showed no toxicity to E. coli, demonstrating their potential for the production of cyclic peptide libraries for use in a variety of high-throughput screens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaime E. Townend
- Chemistry, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom
| | - Ali Tavassoli
- Chemistry, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom
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31
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Goldflam M, Ullman CG. Recent Advances Toward the Discovery of Drug-Like Peptides De novo. Front Chem 2015; 3:69. [PMID: 26734602 PMCID: PMC4683170 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2015.00069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2015] [Accepted: 11/30/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Peptides are important natural molecules that possess functions as diverse as antibiotics, toxins, venoms and hormones, for example. However, whilst these peptides have useful properties, there are many targets and pathways that are not addressed through the activities of natural peptidic compounds. In these circumstances, directed evolution techniques, such as phage display, have been developed to sample the diverse chemical and structural repertoire of small peptides for useful means. In this review, we consider recent concepts that relate peptide structure to drug-like attributes and how these are incorporated within display technologies to deliver peptides de novo with valuable pharmaceutical properties.
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32
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Rogers JM, Suga H. Discovering functional, non-proteinogenic amino acid containing, peptides using genetic code reprogramming. Org Biomol Chem 2015; 13:9353-63. [PMID: 26280393 DOI: 10.1039/c5ob01336d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
The protein synthesis machinery of the cell, the ribosome and associated factors, is able to accurately follow the canonical genetic code, that which maps RNA sequence to protein sequence, to assemble functional proteins from the twenty or so proteinogenic amino acids. A number of innovative methods have arisen to take advantage of this accurate, and efficient, machinery to direct the assembly of non-proteinogenic amino acids. We review and compare these routes to 'reprogram the genetic code' including in vitro translation, engineered aminoacyl tRNA synthetases, and RNA 'flexizymes'. These studies show that the ribosome is highly tolerant of unnatural amino acids, with hundreds of unusual substrates of varying structure and chemistries being incorporated into protein chains. We also discuss how these methods have been coupled to selection techniques, such as phage display and mRNA display, opening up an exciting new avenue for the production of proteins and peptides with properties and functions beyond that which is possible using proteins composed entirely of the proteinogenic amino acids.
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Affiliation(s)
- J M Rogers
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Tokyo, Graduate School of Science, Tokyo, Japan.
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