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Wei X, Penkauskas T, Reiner JE, Kennard C, Uline MJ, Wang Q, Li S, Aksimentiev A, Robertson JW, Liu C. Engineering Biological Nanopore Approaches toward Protein Sequencing. ACS NANO 2023; 17:16369-16395. [PMID: 37490313 PMCID: PMC10676712 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.3c05628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/26/2023]
Abstract
Biotechnological innovations have vastly improved the capacity to perform large-scale protein studies, while the methods we have for identifying and quantifying individual proteins are still inadequate to perform protein sequencing at the single-molecule level. Nanopore-inspired systems devoted to understanding how single molecules behave have been extensively developed for applications in genome sequencing. These nanopore systems are emerging as prominent tools for protein identification, detection, and analysis, suggesting realistic prospects for novel protein sequencing. This review summarizes recent advances in biological nanopore sensors toward protein sequencing, from the identification of individual amino acids to the controlled translocation of peptides and proteins, with attention focused on device and algorithm development and the delineation of molecular mechanisms with the aid of simulations. Specifically, the review aims to offer recommendations for the advancement of nanopore-based protein sequencing from an engineering perspective, highlighting the need for collaborative efforts across multiple disciplines. These efforts should include chemical conjugation, protein engineering, molecular simulation, machine-learning-assisted identification, and electronic device fabrication to enable practical implementation in real-world scenarios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaojun Wei
- Biomedical Engineering Program, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, United States
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, United States
| | - Tadas Penkauskas
- Biophysics and Biomedical Measurement Group, Microsystems and Nanotechnology Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD 20899, United States
- School of Engineering, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, United States
| | - Joseph E. Reiner
- Department of Physics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23284, United States
| | - Celeste Kennard
- Biomedical Engineering Program, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, United States
| | - Mark J. Uline
- Biomedical Engineering Program, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, United States
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, United States
| | - Qian Wang
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, United States
| | - Sheng Li
- School of Data Science, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22903, United States
| | - Aleksei Aksimentiev
- Department of Physics and Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, United States
| | - Joseph W.F. Robertson
- Biophysics and Biomedical Measurement Group, Microsystems and Nanotechnology Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD 20899, United States
| | - Chang Liu
- Biomedical Engineering Program, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, United States
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, United States
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Lucas FR, Sarthak K, Lenting EM, Coltan D, van der Heide NJ, Versloot RCA, Aksimentiev A, Maglia G. The Manipulation of the Internal Hydrophobicity of FraC Nanopores Augments Peptide Capture and Recognition. ACS NANO 2021; 15:9600-9613. [PMID: 34060809 PMCID: PMC8223486 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.0c09958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2020] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
The detection of analytes and the sequencing of DNA using biological nanopores have seen major advances over recent years. The analysis of proteins and peptides with nanopores, however, is complicated by the complex physicochemical structure of polypeptides and the lack of understanding of the mechanism of capture and recognition of polypeptides by nanopores. In this work, we show that introducing aromatic amino acids at precise positions within the lumen of α-helical fragaceatoxin C (FraC) nanopores increased the capture frequency of peptides and largely improved the discrimination among peptides of similar size. Molecular dynamics simulations determined the sensing region of the nanopore, elucidated the microscopic mechanism enabling accurate characterization of the peptides via ionic current blockades in FraC, and characterized the effect of the pore modification on peptide discrimination. This work provides insights to improve the recognition and to augment the capture of peptides by nanopores, which is important for developing a real-time and single-molecule size analyzer for peptide recognition and identification.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kumar Sarthak
- Center
for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana−Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Erica Mariska Lenting
- Groningen
Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - David Coltan
- Groningen
Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Nieck Jordy van der Heide
- Groningen
Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | | | - Aleksei Aksimentiev
- Department
of Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana−Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Giovanni Maglia
- Groningen
Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
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3
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The Nanopore-Tweezing-Based, Targeted Detection of Nucleobases on Short Functionalized Peptide Nucleic Acid Sequences. Polymers (Basel) 2021; 13:polym13081210. [PMID: 33918592 PMCID: PMC8069169 DOI: 10.3390/polym13081210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2021] [Revised: 04/03/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The implication of nanopores as versatile components in dedicated biosensors, nanoreactors, or miniaturized sequencers has considerably advanced single-molecule investigative science in a wide range of disciplines, ranging from molecular medicine and nanoscale chemistry to biophysics and ecology. Here, we employed the nanopore tweezing technique to capture amino acid-functionalized peptide nucleic acids (PNAs) with α-hemolysin-based nanopores and correlated the ensuing stochastic fluctuations of the ionic current through the nanopore with the composition and order of bases in the PNAs primary structure. We demonstrated that while the system enables the detection of distinct bases on homopolymeric PNA or triplet bases on heteropolymeric strands, it also reveals rich insights into the conformational dynamics of the entrapped PNA within the nanopore, relevant for perfecting the recognition capability of single-molecule sequencing.
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Li MY, Ying YL, Li S, Wang YQ, Wu XY, Long YT. Unveiling the Heterogenous Dephosphorylation of DNA Using an Aerolysin Nanopore. ACS NANO 2020; 14:12571-12578. [PMID: 32806044 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.0c03215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The simultaneous occurrence of multiple heterogeneous DNA phosphorylation statuses, which include 5' end phosphorylation, 5' end dephosphorylation, 3' end phosphorylation, and 3' end dephosphorylation, is crucial for regulating numerous cellular processes. Although there are many methods for detecting a single type of DNA phosphorylation, the direct and simultaneous identification of DNA phosphorylation/dephosphorylation on the 5' and/or 3' ends remains a challenge, let alone the unveiling of the heterogeneous catalysis processes of related phosphatases and kinases. Taking advantage of the charge-sensitive aerolysin nanopore interface, herein, an orientation-dependent sensing strategy is developed to enhance phosphorylation-site-dependent interaction with the nanopore sensing interface, enabling the direct and simultaneous electric identification of four heterogeneous phosphorylation statuses of a single DNA. By using this strategy, we can directly evaluate the heterogeneous dephosphorylation process of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) at the single-molecule level. Our results demonstrate that the ALP in fetal bovine serum preferentially catalyzes the 3' phosphate rather than both ends. The quantification of endogenous ALP activity in fetal bovine serum could reach the submilli-IU/L level. Our aerolysin measurements provide a direct look at the heterogeneous phosphorylation status of DNA, allowing the unveiling of the dynamic single-molecule functions of kinase and phosphatase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng-Yin Li
- State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, P.R. China
- Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Center, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, P.R. China
| | - Yi-Lun Ying
- State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, P.R. China
- Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Center, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, P.R. China
| | - Shuang Li
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, P.R. China
| | - Ya-Qian Wang
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, P.R. China
| | - Xue-Yuan Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, P.R. China
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, P.R. China
| | - Yi-Tao Long
- State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, P.R. China
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Ramírez-Carreto S, Miranda-Zaragoza B, Rodríguez-Almazán C. Actinoporins: From the Structure and Function to the Generation of Biotechnological and Therapeutic Tools. Biomolecules 2020; 10:E539. [PMID: 32252469 PMCID: PMC7226409 DOI: 10.3390/biom10040539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2020] [Revised: 03/19/2020] [Accepted: 03/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Actinoporins (APs) are a family of pore-forming toxins (PFTs) from sea anemones. These biomolecules exhibit the ability to exist as soluble monomers within an aqueous medium or as constitutively open oligomers in biological membranes. Through their conformational plasticity, actinoporins are considered good candidate molecules to be included for the rational design of molecular tools, such as immunotoxins directed against tumor cells and stochastic biosensors based on nanopores to analyze unique DNA or protein molecules. Additionally, the ability of these proteins to bind to sphingomyelin (SM) facilitates their use for the design of molecular probes to identify SM in the cells. The immunomodulatory activity of actinoporins in liposomal formulations for vaccine development has also been evaluated. In this review, we describe the potential of actinoporins for use in the development of molecular tools that could be used for possible medical and biotechnological applications.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Claudia Rodríguez-Almazán
- Departamento de Medicina Molecular y Bioprocesos, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Avenida Universidad 2001, Cuernavaca, Morelos 62210, Mexico; (S.R.-C.); (B.M.-Z.)
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Vikraman D, Satheesan R, Kumar KS, Mahendran KR. Nanopore Passport Control for Substrate-Specific Translocation. ACS NANO 2020; 14:2285-2295. [PMID: 31976649 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.9b09408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Membrane protein pores have demonstrated applications in nanobiotechnology and single-molecule chemistry for effective detection of biomolecules. Here, we define the molecular basis of carbohydrate polymers translocation through a substrate-specific bacterial nanopore, CymA, which has a 15-residue N terminus segment inside the pore, restricting its diameter. Using single-channel recordings, we determined the kinetics of cationic cyclic oligosaccharide binding and elucidated the translocation mechanism across the pore in real-time. The cationic cyclic hexasaccharide binds to the densely packed negatively charged residues at the extracellular side of the pore with high affinity, facilitating its entry into the pore driven by the applied voltage. Further, the dissociation rate constant increased with increasing voltages, indicating unidirectional translocation toward the pore exit. Specifically, a larger cationic cyclic octasaccharide rapidly blocked the pore more effectively, resulting in the complete closure of the pore with increasing voltage, implying only strong binding. Further, we show that uncharged oligosaccharides exclusively bind to the extracellular side of the pore and the electroosmotic flow most likely drives their translocation. We propose that CymA favors selective translocation of cyclic hexasaccharide and linear maltooligosaccharides due to an asymmetrical charge pattern and the N terminus that regulates the substrate transport. We suggest that this substrate-specific nanopore with sophisticated geometry will be useful for complex biopolymer characterization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Devika Vikraman
- Membrane Biology Laboratory, Interdisciplinary Research Program , Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology , Thiruvananthapuram 695014 , India
| | - Remya Satheesan
- Membrane Biology Laboratory, Interdisciplinary Research Program , Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology , Thiruvananthapuram 695014 , India
- Manipal Academy of Higher Education , Manipal , Karnataka , 576104 , India
| | - K Santhosh Kumar
- Membrane Biology Laboratory, Interdisciplinary Research Program , Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology , Thiruvananthapuram 695014 , India
| | - Kozhinjampara R Mahendran
- Membrane Biology Laboratory, Interdisciplinary Research Program , Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology , Thiruvananthapuram 695014 , India
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Restrepo-Pérez L, Huang G, Bohländer PR, Worp N, Eelkema R, Maglia G, Joo C, Dekker C. Resolving Chemical Modifications to a Single Amino Acid within a Peptide Using a Biological Nanopore. ACS NANO 2019; 13:13668-13676. [PMID: 31536327 PMCID: PMC6933820 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.9b05156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2019] [Accepted: 09/11/2019] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
While DNA sequencing is now amply available, fast, and inexpensive, protein sequencing remains a tremendous challenge. Nanopores may allow for developing a protein sequencer with single-molecule capabilities. As identification of 20 different amino acids currently presents an unsurmountable challenge, fingerprinting schemes are pursued, in which only a subset of amino acids is labeled and detected. This requires modification of amino acids with chemical structures that generate a distinct nanopore ionic current signal. Here, we use a model peptide and the fragaceatoxin C nanopore to characterize six potential tags for a fingerprinting approach using nanopores. We find that labeled and unlabeled proteins can be clearly distinguished and that sensitive detection is obtained for labels with a spectrum of different physicochemical properties such as mass (427-1275 Da), geometry, charge, and hydrophobicity. Additionally, information about the position of the label along the peptide chain can be obtained from individual current-blockade event features. The results represent an important advance toward the development of a single-molecule protein-fingerprinting device with nanopores.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Restrepo-Pérez
- Department
of Bionanoscience, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft University of Technology, van der Maasweg 9, 2629 HZ Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Gang Huang
- Groningen
Biomolecular Sciences & Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Peggy R. Bohländer
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, Delft University
of Technology, van der Maasweg 9, 2629 HZ Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Nathalie Worp
- Department
of Bionanoscience, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft University of Technology, van der Maasweg 9, 2629 HZ Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Rienk Eelkema
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, Delft University
of Technology, van der Maasweg 9, 2629 HZ Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Giovanni Maglia
- Groningen
Biomolecular Sciences & Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Chirlmin Joo
- Department
of Bionanoscience, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft University of Technology, van der Maasweg 9, 2629 HZ Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Cees Dekker
- Department
of Bionanoscience, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft University of Technology, van der Maasweg 9, 2629 HZ Delft, The Netherlands
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Roozbahani GM, Zhang Y, Chen X, Soflaee MH, Guan X. Enzymatic reaction-based nanopore detection of zinc ions. Analyst 2019; 144:7432-7436. [PMID: 31691699 DOI: 10.1039/c9an01784d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
We report a label-free nanopore sensor for the detection of Zn2+ ions. By taking advantage of the cleavage of a substrate peptide by zinc-dependent enzymes, nanomolar concentrations of Zn2+ ions could be detected within minutes. Furthermore, structurally similar transition metals such as Ni2+, Co2+, Hg2+, Cu2+, and Cd2+ did not interfere with their detection. The enzymatic reaction-based nanopore sensing strategy developed in this work may find potential applications in environmental monitoring and medical diagnosis.
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Restrepo-Pérez L, Wong CH, Maglia G, Dekker C, Joo C. Label-Free Detection of Post-translational Modifications with a Nanopore. NANO LETTERS 2019; 19:7957-7964. [PMID: 31602979 PMCID: PMC6856961 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.9b03134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2019] [Revised: 10/10/2019] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Post-translational modifications (PTMs) of proteins play key roles in cellular processes. Hence, PTM identification is crucial for elucidating the mechanism of complex cellular processes and disease. Here we present a method for PTM detection at the single-molecule level using FraC biological nanopores. We focus on two major PTMs, phosphorylation and glycosylation, that mutually compete for protein modification sites, an important regulatory process that has been implicated in the pathogenic pathways of many diseases. We show that phosphorylated and glycosylated peptides can be clearly differentiated from nonmodified peptides by differences in the relative current blockade and dwell time in nanopore translocations. Furthermore, we show that these PTM modifications can be mutually differentiated, demonstrating the identification of phosphorylation and glycosylation in a label-free manner. The results represent an important step for the single-molecule, label-free identification of proteoforms, which have tremendous potential for disease diagnosis and cell biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Restrepo-Pérez
- Department
of Bionanoscience, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft University of Technology, van der Maasweg 9, 2629 HZ Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Chun Heung Wong
- Department
of Bionanoscience, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft University of Technology, van der Maasweg 9, 2629 HZ Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Giovanni Maglia
- Groningen
Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Cees Dekker
- Department
of Bionanoscience, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft University of Technology, van der Maasweg 9, 2629 HZ Delft, The Netherlands
- E-mail:
| | - Chirlmin Joo
- Department
of Bionanoscience, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft University of Technology, van der Maasweg 9, 2629 HZ Delft, The Netherlands
- E-mail:
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