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Rezhdo A, Hershman RL, Van Deventer JA. Design, Construction, and Validation of a Yeast-Displayed Chemically Expanded Antibody Library. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.29.596443. [PMID: 38853888 PMCID: PMC11160716 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.29.596443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2024]
Abstract
In vitro display technologies, exemplified by phage and yeast display, have emerged as powerful platforms for antibody discovery and engineering. However, the identification of antibodies that disrupt target functions beyond binding remains a challenge. In particular, there are very few strategies that support identification and engineering of either protein-based irreversible binders or inhibitory enzyme binders. Expanding the range of chemistries in antibody libraries has the potential to lead to efficient discovery of function-disrupting antibodies. In this work, we describe a yeast display-based platform for the discovery of chemically diversified antibodies. We constructed a billion-member antibody library that supports the presentation of a range of chemistries within antibody variable domains via noncanonical amino acid (ncAA) incorporation and subsequent bioorthogonal click chemistry conjugations. Use of a polyspecific orthogonal translation system enables introduction of chemical groups with various properties, including photo-reactive, proximity-reactive, and click chemistry-enabled functional groups for library screening. We established conjugation conditions that facilitate modification of the full library, demonstrating the feasibility of sorting the full billion-member library in "protein-small molecule hybrid" format in future work. Here, we conducted initial library screens after introducing O-(2-bromoethyl)tyrosine (OBeY), a weakly electrophilic ncAA capable of undergoing proximity-induced crosslinking to a target. Enrichments against donkey IgG and protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) each led to the identification of several OBeY-substituted clones that bind to the targets of interest. Flow cytometry analysis on the yeast surface confirmed higher retention of binding for OBeY-substituted clones compared to clones substituted with ncAAs lacking electrophilic side chains after denaturation. However, subsequent crosslinking experiments in solution with ncAA-substituted clones yielded inconclusive results, suggesting that weakly reactive OBeY side chain is not sufficient to drive robust crosslinking in the clones isolated here. Nonetheless, this work establishes a multi-modal, chemically expanded antibody library and demonstrates the feasibility of conducting discovery campaigns in chemically expanded format. This versatile platform offers new opportunities for identifying and characterizing antibodies with properties beyond what is accessible with the canonical amino acids, potentially enabling discovery of new classes of reagents, diagnostics, and even therapeutic leads.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arlinda Rezhdo
- Chemical and Biological Engineering Department, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02155, USA
| | - Rebecca L Hershman
- Chemical and Biological Engineering Department, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02155, USA
| | - James A Van Deventer
- Chemical and Biological Engineering Department, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02155, USA
- Biomedical Engineering Department, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02155, USA
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2
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Huang M, Rueda-Garcia M, Harthorn A, Hackel BJ, Van Deventer JA. Systematic Evaluation of Protein-Small Molecule Hybrids on the Yeast Surface. ACS Chem Biol 2024; 19:325-335. [PMID: 38230650 PMCID: PMC11146673 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.3c00524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2024]
Abstract
Protein-small molecule hybrids are structures that have the potential to combine the inhibitory properties of small molecules and the specificities of binding proteins. However, achieving such synergies is a substantial engineering challenge with fundamental principles yet to be elucidated. Recent work has demonstrated the power of the yeast display-based discovery of hybrids using a combination of fibronectin-binding domains and thiol-mediated conjugations to introduce small-molecule warheads. Here, we systematically study the effects of expanding the chemical diversity of these hybrids on the yeast surface by investigating a combinatorial set of fibronectins, noncanonical amino acid (ncAA) substitutions, and small-molecule pharmacophores. Our results show that previously discovered thiol-fibronectin hybrids are generally tolerant of a range of ncAA substitutions and retain binding functions to carbonic anhydrases following click chemistry-mediated assembly of hybrids with diverse linker structures. Most surprisingly, we identified several cases where replacement of a potent acetazolamide warhead with a substantially weaker benzenesulfonamide warhead still resulted in the assembly of multiple functional hybrids. In addition to these unexpected findings, we expanded the throughput of our system by validating a 96-well plate-based format to produce yeast-displayed hybrid conjugates in parallel. These efficient explorations of hybrid chemical diversity demonstrate that there are abundant opportunities to expand the functions of protein-small molecule hybrids and elucidate principles that dictate their efficient discovery and design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manjie Huang
- Chemical and Biological Engineering Department, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02155, United States
| | - Marina Rueda-Garcia
- Chemical and Biological Engineering Department, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02155, United States
| | - Abbigael Harthorn
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Benjamin J. Hackel
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
- Chemical Engineering and Materials Science Department, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - James A. Van Deventer
- Chemical and Biological Engineering Department, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02155, United States
- Biomedical Engineering Department, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02155, United States
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3
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Lopez-Morales J, Vanella R, Appelt EA, Whillock S, Paulk AM, Shusta EV, Hackel BJ, Liu CC, Nash MA. Protein Engineering and High-Throughput Screening by Yeast Surface Display: Survey of Current Methods. SMALL SCIENCE 2023; 3:2300095. [PMID: 39071103 PMCID: PMC11271970 DOI: 10.1002/smsc.202300095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Yeast surface display (YSD) is a powerful tool in biotechnology that links genotype to phenotype. In this review, the latest advancements in protein engineering and high-throughput screening based on YSD are covered. The focus is on innovative methods for overcoming challenges in YSD in the context of biotherapeutic drug discovery and diagnostics. Topics ranging from titrating avidity in YSD using transcriptional control to the development of serological diagnostic assays relying on serum biopanning and mitigation of unspecific binding are covered. Screening techniques against nontraditional cellular antigens, such as cell lysates, membrane proteins, and extracellular matrices are summarized and techniques are further delved into for expansion of the chemical repertoire, considering protein-small molecule hybrids and noncanonical amino acid incorporation. Additionally, in vivo gene diversification and continuous evolution in yeast is discussed. Collectively, these techniques enhance the diversity and functionality of engineered proteins isolated via YSD, broadening the scope of applications that can be addressed. The review concludes with future perspectives and potential impact of these advancements on protein engineering. The goal is to provide a focused summary of recent progress in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanan Lopez-Morales
- Institute for Physical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Basel, Basel 4058, Switzerland; Swiss Nanoscience Institute, University of Basel, Basel 4056, Switzerland; Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Basel 4058, Switzerland
| | - Rosario Vanella
- Institute for Physical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Basel, Basel 4058, Switzerland; Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Basel 4058, Switzerland
| | - Elizabeth A Appelt
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Sarah Whillock
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Alexandra M Paulk
- Program in Mathematical, Computational, and Systems Biology, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697-2280, USA; Center for Synthetic Biology, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Eric V Shusta
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA; Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Benjamin J Hackel
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Chang C Liu
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Center for Synthetic Biology, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Michael A Nash
- Institute for Physical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Basel, Basel 4058, Switzerland; Swiss Nanoscience Institute, University of Basel, Basel 4056, Switzerland; Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Basel 4058, Switzerland
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4
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Chang T, Ding W, Yan S, Wang Y, Zhang H, Zhang Y, Ping Z, Zhang H, Huang Y, Zhang J, Wang D, Zhang W, Xu X, Shen Y, Fu X. A robust yeast biocontainment system with two-layered regulation switch dependent on unnatural amino acid. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6487. [PMID: 37838746 PMCID: PMC10576815 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42358-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 10/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Synthetic auxotrophy in which cell viability depends on the presence of an unnatural amino acid (unAA) provides a powerful strategy to restrict unwanted propagation of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in open environments and potentially prevent industrial espionage. Here, we describe a generic approach for robust biocontainment of budding yeast dependent on unAA. By understanding escape mechanisms, we specifically optimize our strategies by introducing designed "immunity" to the generation of amber-suppressor tRNAs and developing the transcriptional- and translational-based biocontainment switch. We further develop a fitness-oriented screening method to easily obtain multiplex safeguard strains that exhibit robust growth and undetectable escape frequency (<~10-9) on solid media for 14 days. Finally, we show that employing our multiplex safeguard system could restrict the proliferation of strains of interest in a real fermentation scenario, highlighting the great potential of our yeast biocontainment strategy to protect the industrial proprietary strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiantian Chang
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China
- BGI Research, Shenzhen, 518083, China
| | - Weichao Ding
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China
- BGI Research, Shenzhen, 518083, China
- BGI Research, Changzhou, 213299, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Genome Read and Write, BGI Research, Shenzhen, 518083, China
| | - Shirui Yan
- BGI Research, Shenzhen, 518083, China
- BGI Research, Changzhou, 213299, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Genome Read and Write, BGI Research, Shenzhen, 518083, China
| | - Yun Wang
- BGI Research, Shenzhen, 518083, China
- BGI Research, Changzhou, 213299, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Genome Read and Write, BGI Research, Shenzhen, 518083, China
| | - Haoling Zhang
- BGI Research, Shenzhen, 518083, China
- BGI Research, Changzhou, 213299, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Genome Read and Write, BGI Research, Shenzhen, 518083, China
| | - Yu Zhang
- BGI Research, Shenzhen, 518083, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Genome Read and Write, BGI Research, Shenzhen, 518083, China
| | - Zhi Ping
- BGI Research, Shenzhen, 518083, China
- BGI Research, Changzhou, 213299, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Genome Read and Write, BGI Research, Shenzhen, 518083, China
| | - Huiming Zhang
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China
- BGI Research, Shenzhen, 518083, China
| | - Yijian Huang
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China
- BGI Research, Shenzhen, 518083, China
| | - Jiahui Zhang
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China
- BGI Research, Shenzhen, 518083, China
| | - Dan Wang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Interdisciplinary Research and Application for Data Science, BNU-HKBU United International College, Zhuhai, 519087, China
- BNU-HKBU United International College, Zhuhai, 519087, China
| | - Wenwei Zhang
- BGI Research, Shenzhen, 518083, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Genome Read and Write, BGI Research, Shenzhen, 518083, China
| | - Xun Xu
- BGI Research, Shenzhen, 518083, China
- BGI Research, Changzhou, 213299, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Genome Read and Write, BGI Research, Shenzhen, 518083, China
| | - Yue Shen
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China.
- BGI Research, Shenzhen, 518083, China.
- BGI Research, Changzhou, 213299, China.
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Genome Read and Write, BGI Research, Shenzhen, 518083, China.
| | - Xian Fu
- BGI Research, Shenzhen, 518083, China.
- BGI Research, Changzhou, 213299, China.
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Genome Read and Write, BGI Research, Shenzhen, 518083, China.
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5
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Lahiri P, Martin MS, Lino BR, Scheck RA, Van Deventer JA. Dual Noncanonical Amino Acid Incorporation Enabling Chemoselective Protein Modification at Two Distinct Sites in Yeast. Biochemistry 2023; 62:2098-2114. [PMID: 37377426 PMCID: PMC11146674 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.2c00711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/29/2023]
Abstract
Incorporation of more than one noncanonical amino acid (ncAA) within a single protein endows the resulting construct with multiple useful features such as augmented molecular recognition or covalent cross-linking capabilities. Herein, for the first time, we demonstrate the incorporation of two chemically distinct ncAAs into proteins biosynthesized in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. To complement ncAA incorporation in response to the amber (TAG) stop codon in yeast, we evaluated opal (TGA) stop codon suppression using three distinct orthogonal translation systems. We observed selective TGA readthrough without detectable cross-reactivity from host translation components. Readthrough efficiency at TGA was modulated by factors including the local nucleotide environment, gene deletions related to the translation process, and the identity of the suppressor tRNA. These observations facilitated systematic investigation of dual ncAA incorporation in both intracellular and yeast-displayed protein constructs, where we observed efficiencies up to 6% of wild-type protein controls. The successful display of doubly substituted proteins enabled the exploration of two critical applications on the yeast surface─(A) antigen binding functionality and (B) chemoselective modification with two distinct chemical probes through sequential application of two bioorthogonal click chemistry reactions. Lastly, by utilizing a soluble form of a doubly substituted construct, we validated the dual incorporation system using mass spectrometry and demonstrated the feasibility of conducting selective labeling of the two ncAAs sequentially using a "single-pot" approach. Overall, our work facilitates the addition of a 22nd amino acid to the genetic code of yeast and expands the scope of applications of ncAAs for basic biological research and drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priyanka Lahiri
- Chemical and Biological Engineering Department, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA
| | - Meghan S. Martin
- Chemistry Department, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02155, USA
| | - Briana R. Lino
- Chemical and Biological Engineering Department, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA
| | - Rebecca A. Scheck
- Chemistry Department, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02155, USA
| | - James A. Van Deventer
- Chemical and Biological Engineering Department, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA
- Biomedical Engineering Department, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02155, USA
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6
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Case M, Navaratna T, Vinh J, Thurber G. Rapid Evaluation of Staple Placement in Stabilized α Helices Using Bacterial Surface Display. ACS Chem Biol 2023; 18:905-914. [PMID: 37039514 PMCID: PMC10773984 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.3c00048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/12/2023]
Abstract
There are a wealth of proteins involved in disease that cannot be targeted by current therapeutics because they are inside cells, inaccessible to most macromolecules, and lack small-molecule binding pockets. Stapled peptides, where two amino acids are covalently linked, form a class of macrocycles that have the potential to penetrate cell membranes and disrupt intracellular protein-protein interactions. However, their discovery relies on solid-phase synthesis, greatly limiting queries into their complex design space involving amino acid sequence, staple location, and staple chemistry. Here, we use stabilized peptide engineering by Escherichia coli display (SPEED), which utilizes noncanonical amino acids and click chemistry for stabilization, to rapidly screen staple location and linker structure to accelerate peptide design. After using SPEED to confirm hotspots in the mdm2-p53 interaction, we evaluated different staple locations and staple chemistry to identify several novel nanomolar and sub-nanomolar antagonists. Next, we evaluated SPEED in the B cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) protein family, which is responsible for regulating apoptosis. We report that novel staple locations modified in the context of BIM, a high affinity but nonspecific naturally occurring peptide, improve its specificity against the highly homologous proteins in the Bcl-2 family. These compounds demonstrate the importance of screening linker location and chemistry in identifying high affinity and specific peptide antagonists. Therefore, SPEED can be used as a versatile platform to evaluate multiple design criteria for stabilized peptide engineering.
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7
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Lei M, Trivedi VD, Nair NU, Lee K, Van Deventer JA. Flow cytometric evaluation of yeast-bacterial cell-cell interactions. Biotechnol Bioeng 2023; 120:399-408. [PMID: 36259110 PMCID: PMC10072783 DOI: 10.1002/bit.28253] [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: 06/10/2022] [Revised: 09/23/2022] [Accepted: 10/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Synthetic cell-cell interaction systems can be useful for understanding multicellular communities or for screening binding molecules. We adapt a previously characterized set of synthetic cognate nanobody-antigen pairs to a yeast-bacteria coincubation format and use flow cytometry to evaluate cell-cell interactions mediated by binding between surface-displayed molecules. We further use fluorescence-activated cell sorting to enrich a specific yeast-displayed nanobody within a mixed yeast-display population. Finally, we demonstrate that this system supports the characterization of a therapeutically relevant nanobody-antigen interaction: a previously discovered nanobody that binds to the intimin protein expressed on the surface of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli. Overall, our findings indicate that the yeast-bacteria format supports efficient evaluation of ligand-target interactions. With further development, this format may facilitate systematic characterization and high-throughput discovery of bacterial surface-binding molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming Lei
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02155
| | - Vikas D. Trivedi
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02155
| | - Nikhil U. Nair
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02155
| | - Kyongbum Lee
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02155
| | - James A. Van Deventer
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02155
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02155
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8
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Rezhdo A, Lessard CT, Islam M, Van Deventer JA. Strategies for enriching and characterizing proteins with inhibitory properties on the yeast surface. Protein Eng Des Sel 2023; 36:gzac017. [PMID: 36648434 PMCID: PMC10365883 DOI: 10.1093/protein/gzac017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2022] [Revised: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Display technologies are powerful tools for discovering binding proteins against a broad range of biological targets. However, it remains challenging to adapt display technologies for the discovery of proteins that inhibit the enzymatic activities of targets. Here, we investigate approaches for discovering and characterizing inhibitory antibodies in yeast display format using a well-defined series of constructs and the target matrix metalloproteinase-9. Three previously reported antibodies were used to create model libraries consisting of inhibitory, non-inhibitory, and non-binding constructs. Conditions that preferentially enrich for inhibitory clones were identified for both magnetic bead-based enrichments and fluorescence-activated cell sorting. Half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) was obtained through yeast titration assays. The IC50 of the inhibitory antibody obtained in yeast display format falls within the confidence interval of the IC50 value determined in soluble form. Overall, this study identifies strategies for the discovery and characterization of inhibitory clones directly in yeast display format.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arlinda Rezhdo
- Chemical and Biological Engineering Department, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA
| | - Catherine T Lessard
- Chemical and Biological Engineering Department, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA
| | - Mariha Islam
- Chemical and Biological Engineering Department, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA
| | - James A Van Deventer
- Chemical and Biological Engineering Department, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA
- Biomedical Engineering Department, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA
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9
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Alcala-Torano R, Islam M, Cika J, Ho Lam K, Jin R, Ichtchenko K, Shoemaker CB, Van Deventer JA. Yeast Display Enables Identification of Covalent Single-Domain Antibodies against Botulinum Neurotoxin Light Chain A. ACS Chem Biol 2022; 17:3435-3449. [PMID: 36459441 PMCID: PMC10065152 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.2c00574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
While covalent drug discovery is reemerging as an important route to small-molecule therapeutic leads, strategies for the discovery and engineering of protein-based irreversible binding agents remain limited. Here, we describe the use of yeast display in combination with noncanonical amino acids (ncAAs) to identify irreversible variants of single-domain antibodies (sdAbs), also called VHHs and nanobodies, targeting botulinum neurotoxin light chain A (LC/A). Starting from a series of previously described, structurally characterized sdAbs, we evaluated the properties of antibodies substituted with reactive ncAAs capable of forming covalent bonds with nearby groups after UV irradiation (when using 4-azido-l-phenylalanine) or spontaneously (when using O-(2-bromoethyl)-l-tyrosine). Systematic evaluations in yeast display format of more than 40 ncAA-substituted variants revealed numerous clones that retain binding function while gaining either UV-mediated or spontaneous crosslinking capabilities. Solution-based analyses indicate that ncAA-substituted clones exhibit site-dependent target specificity and crosslinking capabilities uniquely conferred by ncAAs. Interestingly, not all ncAA substitution sites resulted in crosslinking events, and our data showed no apparent correlation between detected crosslinking levels and distances between sdAbs and LC/A residues. Our findings highlight the power of yeast display in combination with genetic code expansion in the discovery of binding agents that covalently engage their targets. This platform streamlines the discovery and characterization of antibodies with therapeutically relevant properties that cannot be accessed in the conventional genetic code.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael Alcala-Torano
- Chemical and Biological Engineering Department, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02155, United States of America
| | - Mariha Islam
- Chemical and Biological Engineering Department, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02155, United States of America
| | - Jaclyn Cika
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York 10016, United States of America
| | - Kwok Ho Lam
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, United States of America
| | - Rongsheng Jin
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, United States of America
| | - Konstantin Ichtchenko
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York 10016, United States of America
| | - Charles B. Shoemaker
- Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, North Grafton, Massachusetts 01536, United States of America
| | - James A. Van Deventer
- Chemical and Biological Engineering Department, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02155, United States of America
- Biomedical Engineering Department, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02155, United States of America
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10
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Zackin MT, Stieglitz JT, Van Deventer JA. Genome-Wide Screen for Enhanced Noncanonical Amino Acid Incorporation in Yeast. ACS Synth Biol 2022; 11:3669-3680. [PMID: 36346914 PMCID: PMC10065164 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.2c00267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Numerous applications of noncanonical amino acids (ncAAs) in basic biology and therapeutic development require efficient protein biosynthesis using an expanded genetic code. However, achieving such incorporation at repurposed stop codons in cells is generally inefficient and limited by complex cellular processes that preserve the fidelity of protein synthesis. A more comprehensive understanding of the processes that contribute to ncAA incorporation would aid in the development of genomic engineering strategies for augmenting genetic code manipulation. In this work, we used a series of fluorescent reporters to screen a pooled Saccharomyces cerevisiae molecular barcoded yeast knockout (YKO) collection. Fluorescence-activated cell sorting enabled isolation of strains encoding single-gene deletions exhibiting improved ncAA incorporation efficiency in response to the amber (TAG) stop codon; 55 unique candidate deletions were identified. The deleted genes encoded for proteins that participate in diverse cellular processes, including many genes that have no known connection with protein translation. We then verified that two knockouts, yil014c-aΔ and alo1Δ, exhibited improved ncAA incorporation efficiency starting from independently acquired strains possessing the knockouts. Using additional orthogonal translation systems and ncAAs, we determined that yil014c-aΔ and alo1Δ enhance ncAA incorporation efficiency without loss of fidelity over a wide range of conditions. Our findings highlight opportunities for further modulating gene expression with genetic, genomic, and synthetic biology approaches to improve ncAA incorporation efficiency. In addition, these discoveries have the potential to enhance our fundamental understanding of protein translation. Ultimately, cells that efficiently biosynthesize ncAA-containing proteins will streamline the realization of applications utilizing expanded genetic codes ranging from basic biology to drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew T. Zackin
- Chemical and Biological Engineering Department, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02155, USA
| | - Jessica T. Stieglitz
- Chemical and Biological Engineering Department, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02155, USA
| | - James A. Van Deventer
- Chemical and Biological Engineering Department, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02155, USA
- Biomedical Engineering Department, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02155, USA
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11
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Zhang H, Fu X, Gong X, Wang Y, Zhang H, Zhao Y, Shen Y. Systematic dissection of key factors governing recombination outcomes by GCE-SCRaMbLE. Nat Commun 2022; 13:5836. [PMID: 36192484 PMCID: PMC9530153 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-33606-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
With the completion of Sc2.0 chromosomes, synthetic chromosome rearrangement and modification by loxP-mediated evolution (SCRaMbLE) becomes more critical for in-depth investigation of fundamental biological questions and screening of industrially valuable characteristics. Further applications, however, are hindered due to the lack of facile and tight regulation of the SCRaMbLE process, and limited understanding of key factors that may affect the rearrangement outcomes. Here we propose an approach to precisely regulate SCRaMbLE recombination in a dose-dependent manner using genetic code expansion (GCE) technology with low basal activity. By systematically analyzing 1380 derived strains and six yeast pools subjected to GCE-SCRaMbLE, we find that Cre enzyme abundance, genome ploidy and chromosome conformation play key roles in recombination frequencies and determine the SCRaMbLE outcomes. With these insights, the GCE-SCRaMbLE system will serve as a powerful tool in the future exploitation and optimization of the Sc2.0-related technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huiming Zhang
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
- BGI Research-Shenzhen, BGI, Shenzhen, 518083, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Genome Read and Write, Shenzhen, 518120, China
| | - Xian Fu
- BGI Research-Shenzhen, BGI, Shenzhen, 518083, China.
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Genome Read and Write, Shenzhen, 518120, China.
- BGI Research-Changzhou, BGI, Changzhou, 213000, China.
| | - Xuemei Gong
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
- BGI Research-Shenzhen, BGI, Shenzhen, 518083, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Genome Read and Write, Shenzhen, 518120, China
| | - Yun Wang
- BGI Research-Shenzhen, BGI, Shenzhen, 518083, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Genome Read and Write, Shenzhen, 518120, China
- BGI Research-Changzhou, BGI, Changzhou, 213000, China
| | - Haolin Zhang
- BGI Research-Shenzhen, BGI, Shenzhen, 518083, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Genome Read and Write, Shenzhen, 518120, China
| | - Yu Zhao
- Institute for Systems Genetics and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, 10016, USA
| | - Yue Shen
- BGI Research-Shenzhen, BGI, Shenzhen, 518083, China.
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Genome Read and Write, Shenzhen, 518120, China.
- BGI Research-Changzhou, BGI, Changzhou, 213000, China.
- Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
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12
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Wu D, Zhang Y, Tang Z, Chen X, Ling X, Li L, Cao W, Zheng W, Wu J, Tang H, Liu X, Luo X, Liu T. Creation of a Yeast Strain with Co‐Translationally Acylated Nucleosomes. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2022; 61:e202205570. [DOI: 10.1002/anie.202205570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Dan Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs Chemical Biology Center Department of Molecular and Cellular, Pharmacology, Pharmaceutical Sciences Peking University 38 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District Beijing 100191 China
| | - Yunfeng Zhang
- Center for Synthetic Biochemistry Institute of Synthetic Biology Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology Chinese Academy of Sciences Shenzhen 518055 China
| | - Zhiheng Tang
- Department of Microbiology School of Basic Medical Sciences Peking University 38 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District Beijing 100191 China
| | - Xiaoxu Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs Chemical Biology Center Department of Molecular and Cellular, Pharmacology, Pharmaceutical Sciences Peking University 38 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District Beijing 100191 China
| | - Xinyu Ling
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs Chemical Biology Center Department of Molecular and Cellular, Pharmacology, Pharmaceutical Sciences Peking University 38 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District Beijing 100191 China
| | - Longtu Li
- Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research School of Life Sciences and Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Science Peking University Beijing 100871 China
| | - Wenbing Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs Chemical Biology Center Department of Molecular and Cellular, Pharmacology, Pharmaceutical Sciences Peking University 38 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District Beijing 100191 China
| | - Wei Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs Chemical Biology Center Department of Molecular and Cellular, Pharmacology, Pharmaceutical Sciences Peking University 38 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District Beijing 100191 China
| | - Jiale Wu
- Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research School of Life Sciences and Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Science Peking University Beijing 100871 China
| | - Hongting Tang
- Center for Synthetic Biochemistry Institute of Synthetic Biology Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology Chinese Academy of Sciences Shenzhen 518055 China
| | - Xiaoyun Liu
- Department of Microbiology School of Basic Medical Sciences Peking University 38 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District Beijing 100191 China
| | - Xiaozhou Luo
- Center for Synthetic Biochemistry Institute of Synthetic Biology Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology Chinese Academy of Sciences Shenzhen 518055 China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology Institute of Synthetic Biology Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology Chinese Academy of Sciences Shenzhen 518055 China
| | - Tao Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs Chemical Biology Center Department of Molecular and Cellular, Pharmacology, Pharmaceutical Sciences Peking University 38 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District Beijing 100191 China
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13
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Stieglitz JT, Van Deventer JA. High-Throughput Aminoacyl-tRNA Synthetase Engineering for Genetic Code Expansion in Yeast. ACS Synth Biol 2022; 11:2284-2299. [PMID: 35793554 PMCID: PMC10065163 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.1c00626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Protein expression with genetically encoded noncanonical amino acids (ncAAs) benefits a broad range of applications, from the discovery of biological therapeutics to fundamental biological studies. A major factor limiting the use of ncAAs is the lack of orthogonal translation systems (OTSs) that support efficient genetic code expansion at repurposed stop codons. Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (aaRSs) have been extensively evolved in Escherichia coli but are not always orthogonal in eukaryotes. In this work, we use a yeast display-based ncAA incorporation reporter platform with fluorescence-activated cell sorting to screen libraries of aaRSs in high throughput for (1) the incorporation of ncAAs not previously encoded in yeast; (2) the improvement of the performance of an existing aaRS; (3) highly selective OTSs capable of discriminating between closely related ncAA analogues; and (4) OTSs exhibiting enhanced polyspecificity to support translation with structurally diverse sets of ncAAs. The number of previously undiscovered aaRS variants we report in this work more than doubles the total number of translationally active aaRSs available for genetic code manipulation in yeast. The success of myriad screening strategies has important implications related to the fundamental properties and evolvability of aaRSs. Furthermore, access to OTSs with diverse activities and specific or polyspecific properties is invaluable for a range of applications within chemical biology, synthetic biology, and protein engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica T Stieglitz
- Chemical and Biological Engineering Department, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02155, United States
| | - James A Van Deventer
- Chemical and Biological Engineering Department, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02155, United States
- Biomedical Engineering Department, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02155, United States
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14
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Wu D, Zhang Y, Tang Z, Chen X, Ling X, Li L, Cao W, Zheng W, Wu J, Tang H, Liu X, Luo X, Liu T. Creation of a Yeast Strain with Co‐Translationally Acylated Nucleosomes. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.202205570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Dan Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs Chemical Biology Center Department of Molecular and Cellular, Pharmacology, Pharmaceutical Sciences Peking University 38 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District Beijing 100191 China
| | - Yunfeng Zhang
- Center for Synthetic Biochemistry Institute of Synthetic Biology Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology Chinese Academy of Sciences Shenzhen 518055 China
| | - Zhiheng Tang
- Department of Microbiology School of Basic Medical Sciences Peking University 38 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District Beijing 100191 China
| | - Xiaoxu Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs Chemical Biology Center Department of Molecular and Cellular, Pharmacology, Pharmaceutical Sciences Peking University 38 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District Beijing 100191 China
| | - Xinyu Ling
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs Chemical Biology Center Department of Molecular and Cellular, Pharmacology, Pharmaceutical Sciences Peking University 38 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District Beijing 100191 China
| | - Longtu Li
- Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research School of Life Sciences and Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Science Peking University Beijing 100871 China
| | - Wenbing Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs Chemical Biology Center Department of Molecular and Cellular, Pharmacology, Pharmaceutical Sciences Peking University 38 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District Beijing 100191 China
| | - Wei Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs Chemical Biology Center Department of Molecular and Cellular, Pharmacology, Pharmaceutical Sciences Peking University 38 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District Beijing 100191 China
| | - Jiale Wu
- Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research School of Life Sciences and Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Science Peking University Beijing 100871 China
| | - Hongting Tang
- Center for Synthetic Biochemistry Institute of Synthetic Biology Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology Chinese Academy of Sciences Shenzhen 518055 China
| | - Xiaoyun Liu
- Department of Microbiology School of Basic Medical Sciences Peking University 38 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District Beijing 100191 China
| | - Xiaozhou Luo
- Center for Synthetic Biochemistry Institute of Synthetic Biology Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology Chinese Academy of Sciences Shenzhen 518055 China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology Institute of Synthetic Biology Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology Chinese Academy of Sciences Shenzhen 518055 China
| | - Tao Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs Chemical Biology Center Department of Molecular and Cellular, Pharmacology, Pharmaceutical Sciences Peking University 38 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District Beijing 100191 China
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15
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Stieglitz JT, Lahiri P, Stout MI, Van Deventer JA. Exploration of Methanomethylophilus alvus Pyrrolysyl-tRNA Synthetase Activity in Yeast. ACS Synth Biol 2022; 11:1824-1834. [PMID: 35417129 PMCID: PMC10112046 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.2c00001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Archaeal pyrrolysyl-tRNA synthetases (PylRSs) have been used to genetically encode over 200 distinct noncanonical amino acids (ncAAs) in proteins in Escherichia coli and mammalian cells. This vastly expands the range of chemical functionality accessible within proteins produced in these organisms. Despite these clear successes, explorations of PylRS function in yeast remain limited. In this work, we demonstrate that the Methanomethylophilus alvus PylRS (MaPylRS) and its cognate tRNACUAMaPyl support the incorporation of ncAAs into proteins produced in Saccharomyces cerevisiae using stop codon suppression methodologies. Additionally, we prepared three MaPylRS mutants originally engineered in E. coli and determined that all three were active with one or more ncAAs, although with low efficiencies of ncAA incorporation in comparison to the parent MaPylRS. Alongside MaPylRS variants, we evaluated the activity of previously reported Methanosarcina mazei, Methanosarcina barkeri, and chimeric M. mazei and M. barkeri PylRSs. Using S. cerevisiae RJY100 and pairing these PylRSs with the M. mazei tRNACUA, we did not observe any detectable stop codon suppression activity under the same conditions that produced moderately efficient ncAA incorporation with MaPylRS. The addition of MaPylRS/tRNACUAMaPyl to the orthogonal translation machinery toolkit in S. cerevisiae potentially opens the door to hundreds of ncAAs that have not previously been genetically encodable using other aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase/tRNA pairs. Extending the scope of ncAA incorporation in yeast could powerfully advance chemical and biological research for applications ranging from basic biological discovery to enzyme engineering and therapeutic protein lead discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica T. Stieglitz
- Chemical and Biological Engineering Department, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02155, United States
| | - Priyanka Lahiri
- Chemical and Biological Engineering Department, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02155, United States
| | - Matthew I. Stout
- Chemical and Biological Engineering Department, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02155, United States
| | - James A. Van Deventer
- Chemical and Biological Engineering Department, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02155, United States
- Biomedical Engineering Department, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02155, United States
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16
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Engineering Proteins Containing Noncanonical Amino Acids on the Yeast Surface. METHODS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY (CLIFTON, N.J.) 2022; 2491:491-559. [PMID: 35482204 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2285-8_23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Yeast display has been used to advance many critical research areas, including the discovery of unique protein binders and biological therapeutics. In parallel, noncanonical amino acids (ncAAs) have been used to tailor antibody-drug conjugates and enable discovery of therapeutic leads. Together, these two technologies have allowed for generation of synthetic antibody libraries, where the introduction of ncAAs in yeast-displayed proteins allows for library screening for therapeutically relevant targets. The combination of yeast display with genetically encoded ncAAs increases the available chemistry in proteins and advances applications that require high-throughput strategies. In this chapter, we discuss methods for displaying proteins containing ncAAs on the yeast surface, generating and screening libraries of proteins containing ncAAs, preparing bioconjugates on the yeast surface in large scale, generating and screening libraries of aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (aaRSs) for encoding ncAAs by using reporter constructs, and characterizing ncAA-containing proteins secreted from yeast. The experimental designs laid out in this chapter are generalizable for discovery of protein binders to a variety of targets and aaRS evolution to continue expanding the genetic code beyond what is currently available in yeast.
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17
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Krebs SK, Rakotoarinoro N, Stech M, Zemella A, Kubick S. A CHO-Based Cell-Free Dual Fluorescence Reporter System for the Straightforward Assessment of Amber Suppression and scFv Functionality. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 10:873906. [PMID: 35573244 PMCID: PMC9098822 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.873906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2022] [Accepted: 03/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Incorporation of noncanonical amino acids (ncAAs) with bioorthogonal reactive groups by amber suppression allows the generation of synthetic proteins with desired novel properties. Such modified molecules are in high demand for basic research and therapeutic applications such as cancer treatment and in vivo imaging. The positioning of the ncAA-responsive codon within the protein’s coding sequence is critical in order to maintain protein function, achieve high yields of ncAA-containing protein, and allow effective conjugation. Cell-free ncAA incorporation is of particular interest due to the open nature of cell-free systems and their concurrent ease of manipulation. In this study, we report a straightforward workflow to inquire ncAA positions in regard to incorporation efficiency and protein functionality in a Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell-free system. As a model, the well-established orthogonal translation components Escherichia coli tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase (TyrRS) and tRNATyrCUA were used to site-specifically incorporate the ncAA p-azido-l-phenylalanine (AzF) in response to UAG codons. A total of seven ncAA sites within an anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) single-chain variable fragment (scFv) N-terminally fused to the red fluorescent protein mRFP1 and C-terminally fused to the green fluorescent protein sfGFP were investigated for ncAA incorporation efficiency and impact on antigen binding. The characterized cell-free dual fluorescence reporter system allows screening for ncAA incorporation sites with high incorporation efficiency that maintain protein activity. It is parallelizable, scalable, and easy to operate. We propose that the established CHO-based cell-free dual fluorescence reporter system can be of particular interest for the development of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs).
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon K. Krebs
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Potsdam, Germany
- Institute for Biotechnology, Technical University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Nathanaël Rakotoarinoro
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Potsdam, Germany
- Institute of Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Marlitt Stech
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Potsdam, Germany
| | - Anne Zemella
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Potsdam, Germany
| | - Stefan Kubick
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Potsdam, Germany
- Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Joint Faculty of the Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus - Senftenberg, the Brandenburg Medical School Theodor Fontane and the University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
- *Correspondence: Stefan Kubick,
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18
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Incorporating, Quantifying, and Leveraging Noncanonical Amino Acids in Yeast. METHODS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY (CLIFTON, N.J.) 2022; 2394:377-432. [PMID: 35094338 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1811-0_21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Genetic code expansion has allowed for extraordinary advances in enhancing protein chemical diversity and functionality, but there remains a critical need for understanding and engineering genetic code expansion systems for improved efficiency. Incorporation of noncanonical amino acids (ncAAs) at stop codons provides a site-specific method for introducing unique chemistry into proteins, though often at reduced yields compared to wild-type proteins. A powerful platform for ncAA incorporation supports both the expression and evaluation of chemically diverse proteins for a broad range of applications. In yeast, ncAAs have been used to study dynamic cellular processes such as protein-protein interactions and also allow for exploration of eukaryotic-specific biology such as epigenetics. Furthermore, yeast display is an advantageous technology for engineering and screening the properties of proteins in high throughput. The protocols presented in this chapter describe detailed methods for the yeast-based genetic encoding of ncAAs in proteins intracellularly or on the yeast surface. In addition, methods are presented for modifying proteins on the yeast surface using bioorthogonal chemical reactions and evaluating reaction efficiency. Finally, protocols are included for the preparation of libraries that involve genetic code expansion. Libraries of proteins that contain ncAAs or libraries of the cellular machinery required to encode ncAAs can be constructed and screened in high throughput for many biological and chemical applications. Efficient incorporation of ncAAs facilitates elucidation of fundamental eukaryotic biology and advances tools for enzyme and genome engineering to evolve host cells that are better able to accommodate alternative genetic codes.
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19
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Raeeszadeh-Sarmazdeh M, Boder ET. Yeast Surface Display: New Opportunities for a Time-Tested Protein Engineering System. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2491:3-25. [PMID: 35482182 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2285-8_1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Yeast surface display has proven to be a powerful tool for the discovery of antibodies and other novel binding proteins and for engineering the affinity and selectivity of existing proteins for their targets. In the decades since the first demonstrations of the approach, the range of yeast display applications has greatly expanded to include many different protein targets and has grown to encompass methods for rapid protein characterization. Here, we briefly summarize the development of yeast display methodologies and highlight several selected examples of recent applications to timely and challenging protein engineering and characterization problems.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Eric T Boder
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA.
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20
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Hershman RL, Li Y, Ma F, Xu Q, Van Deventer J. Intracellular Delivery of Antibodies for Selective Cell Signaling Interference. ChemMedChem 2021; 17:e202100678. [PMID: 34890114 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.202100678] [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: 10/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Many intracellular signaling events remain poorly characterized due to a general lack of tools to interfere with "undruggable" targets. Antibodies have the potential to elucidate intracellular mechanisms via targeted disruption of cell signaling cascades because of their ability to bind to a target with high specificity and affinity. However, due to their size and chemical composition, antibodies cannot innately cross the cell membrane, and thus access to the cytosol with these macromolecules has been limited. Here, we describe strategies for accessing the intracellular space with recombinant antibodies mediated by cationic lipid nanoparticles to selectively disrupt intracellular signaling events. Together, our results demonstrate the use of recombinantly produced antibodies, delivered at concentrations of 10 nM, to selectively interfere with signaling driven by a single posttranslational modification. Efficient intracellular delivery of engineered antibodies opens up possibilities for modulation of previously "undruggable" targets, including for potential therapeutic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yamin Li
- Tufts University, Biomedical Engineering, UNITED STATES
| | - Feihe Ma
- Tufts University, Biomedical Engineering, UNITED STATES
| | - Qioabing Xu
- Tufts University, Biomedical Engineering, UNITED STATES
| | - James Van Deventer
- Tufts University, Chemical and Biological Engineering, 4 Colby St. Room 148, 02155, Medford, UNITED STATES
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21
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Stieglitz JT, Potts KA, Van Deventer JA. Broadening the Toolkit for Quantitatively Evaluating Noncanonical Amino Acid Incorporation in Yeast. ACS Synth Biol 2021; 10:3094-3104. [PMID: 34730946 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.1c00370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Genetic code expansion is a powerful approach for advancing critical fields such as biological therapeutic discovery. However, the machinery for genetically encoding noncanonical amino acids (ncAAs) is only available in limited plasmid formats, constraining potential applications. In extreme cases, the introduction of two separate plasmids, one containing an orthogonal translation system (OTS) to facilitate ncAA incorporation and a second for expressing a ncAA-containing protein of interest, is not possible due to a lack of the available selection markers. One strategy to circumvent this challenge is to express the OTS and protein of interest from a single vector. For what we believe is the first time in yeast, we describe here several sets of single plasmid systems (SPSs) for performing genetic code manipulation and compare the ncAA incorporation capabilities of these plasmids against the capabilities of previously described dual plasmid systems (DPSs). For both dual fluorescent protein reporters and yeast display reporters tested with multiple OTSs and ncAAs, measured ncAA incorporation efficiencies with SPSs were determined to be equal to efficiencies determined with DPSs. Click chemistry on yeast cells displaying ncAA-containing proteins was also shown to be feasible in both formats, although differences in reactivity between formats suggest the need for caution when using such approaches. Additionally, we investigated whether these reporters would support the separation of yeast strains known to exhibit distinct ncAA incorporation efficiencies. Model sorts conducted with mixtures of two strains transformed with the same SPS or DPS both led to the enrichment of a strain known to support a higher efficiency ncAA incorporation, suggesting that these reporters will be suitable for conducting screens for strains exhibiting enhanced ncAA incorporation efficiencies. Overall, our results confirm that SPSs are well behaved in yeast and provide a convenient alternative to DPSs. SPSs are expected to be invaluable for conducting high-throughput investigations of the effects of genetic or genomic changes on ncAA incorporation efficiency and, more fundamentally, the eukaryotic translation apparatus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica T. Stieglitz
- Chemical and Biological Engineering Department, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02155, United States
| | - Kelly A. Potts
- Chemical and Biological Engineering Department, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02155, United States
| | - James A. Van Deventer
- Chemical and Biological Engineering Department, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02155, United States
- Biomedical Engineering Department, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02155, United States
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22
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Jaroszewicz W, Morcinek-Orłowska J, Pierzynowska K, Gaffke L, Węgrzyn G. Phage display and other peptide display technologies. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2021; 46:6407522. [PMID: 34673942 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuab052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Phage display technology, which is based on the presentation of peptide sequences on the surface of bacteriophage virions, was developed over 30 years ago. Improvements in phage display systems have allowed us to employ this method in numerous fields of biotechnology, as diverse as immunological and biomedical applications, the formation of novel materials and many others. The importance of phage display platforms was recognized by awarding the Nobel Prize in 2018 "for the phage display of peptides and antibodies". In contrast to many review articles concerning specific applications of phage display systems published in recent years, we present an overview of this technology, including a comparison of various display systems, their advantages and disadvantages, and examples of applications in various fields of science, medicine, and the broad sense of biotechnology. Other peptide display technologies, which employ bacterial, yeast and mammalian cells, as well as eukaryotic viruses and cell-free systems, are also discussed. These powerful methods are still being developed and improved; thus, novel sophisticated tools based on phage display and other peptide display systems are constantly emerging, and new opportunities to solve various scientific, medical and technological problems can be expected to become available in the near future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weronika Jaroszewicz
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Gdansk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308 Gdansk, Poland
| | | | - Karolina Pierzynowska
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Gdansk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308 Gdansk, Poland
| | - Lidia Gaffke
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Gdansk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308 Gdansk, Poland
| | - Grzegorz Węgrzyn
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Gdansk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308 Gdansk, Poland
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23
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Bartoschek MD, Ugur E, Nguyen TA, Rodschinka G, Wierer M, Lang K, Bultmann S. Identification of permissive amber suppression sites for efficient non-canonical amino acid incorporation in mammalian cells. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 49:e62. [PMID: 33684219 PMCID: PMC8216290 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkab132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2020] [Revised: 02/16/2021] [Accepted: 02/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The genetic code of mammalian cells can be expanded to allow the incorporation of non-canonical amino acids (ncAAs) by suppressing in-frame amber stop codons (UAG) with an orthogonal pyrrolysyl-tRNA synthetase (PylRS)/tRNAPylCUA (PylT) pair. However, the feasibility of this approach is substantially hampered by unpredictable variations in incorporation efficiencies at different stop codon positions within target proteins. Here, we apply a proteomics-based approach to quantify ncAA incorporation rates at hundreds of endogenous amber stop codons in mammalian cells. With these data, we compute iPASS (Identification of Permissive Amber Sites for Suppression; available at www.bultmannlab.eu/tools/iPASS), a linear regression model to predict relative ncAA incorporation efficiencies depending on the surrounding sequence context. To verify iPASS, we develop a dual-fluorescence reporter for high-throughput flow-cytometry analysis that reproducibly yields context-specific ncAA incorporation efficiencies. We show that nucleotides up- and downstream of UAG synergistically influence ncAA incorporation efficiency independent of cell line and ncAA identity. Additionally, we demonstrate iPASS-guided optimization of ncAA incorporation rates by synonymous exchange of codons flanking the amber stop codon. This combination of in silico analysis followed by validation in living mammalian cells substantially simplifies identification as well as adaptation of sites within a target protein to confer high ncAA incorporation rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael D Bartoschek
- Department of Biology II and Center for Molecular Biosystems (BioSysM), Human Biology and BioImaging, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich 81377, Germany
| | - Enes Ugur
- Department of Biology II and Center for Molecular Biosystems (BioSysM), Human Biology and BioImaging, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich 81377, Germany.,Department of Proteomics and Signal Transduction, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried 82152, Germany
| | - Tuan-Anh Nguyen
- Department of Chemistry, Synthetic Biochemistry, Technical University of Munich, Garching 85748, Germany
| | - Geraldine Rodschinka
- Department of Biology II and Center for Molecular Biosystems (BioSysM), Human Biology and BioImaging, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich 81377, Germany
| | - Michael Wierer
- Department of Proteomics and Signal Transduction, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried 82152, Germany
| | - Kathrin Lang
- Department of Chemistry, Synthetic Biochemistry, Technical University of Munich, Garching 85748, Germany
| | - Sebastian Bultmann
- Department of Biology II and Center for Molecular Biosystems (BioSysM), Human Biology and BioImaging, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich 81377, Germany
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24
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Ekanayake AI, Sobze L, Kelich P, Youk J, Bennett NJ, Mukherjee R, Bhardwaj A, Wuest F, Vukovic L, Derda R. Genetically Encoded Fragment-Based Discovery from Phage-Displayed Macrocyclic Libraries with Genetically Encoded Unnatural Pharmacophores. J Am Chem Soc 2021; 143:5497-5507. [PMID: 33784084 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.1c01186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Genetically encoded macrocyclic peptide libraries with unnatural pharmacophores are valuable sources for the discovery of ligands for many targets of interest. Traditionally, generation of such libraries employs "early stage" incorporation of unnatural building blocks into the chemically or translationally produced macrocycles. Here, we describe a divergent late-stage approach to such libraries starting from readily available starting material: genetically encoded libraries of peptides. A diketone linchpin 1,5-dichloropentane-2,4-dione converts peptide libraries displayed on phage to 1,3-diketone bearing macrocyclic peptides (DKMP): shelf-stable precursors for Knorr pyrazole synthesis. Ligation of diverse hydrazine derivatives onto DKMP libraries displayed on phage that carries silent DNA-barcodes yields macrocyclic libraries in which the amino acid sequence and the pharmacophore are encoded by DNA. Selection of this library against carbonic anhydrase enriched macrocycles with benzenesulfonamide pharmacophore and nanomolar Kd. The methodology described in this manuscript can graft diverse pharmacophores into many existing genetically encoded phage libraries and significantly increase the value of such libraries in molecular discoveries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arunika I Ekanayake
- Department of Chemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2G2, Canada
| | - Lena Sobze
- Department of Chemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2G2, Canada
| | - Payam Kelich
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, Texas 79968, United States
| | - Jihea Youk
- Department of Chemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2G2, Canada
| | - Nicholas J Bennett
- Department of Chemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2G2, Canada
| | - Raja Mukherjee
- Department of Chemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2G2, Canada
| | - Atul Bhardwaj
- Cross Cancer Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 1Z2, Canada
| | - Frank Wuest
- Department of Chemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2G2, Canada
- Cross Cancer Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 1Z2, Canada
| | - Lela Vukovic
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, Texas 79968, United States
| | - Ratmir Derda
- Department of Chemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2G2, Canada
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25
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Islam M, Kehoe HP, Lissoos JB, Huang M, Ghadban CE, Sánchez GB, Lane HZ, Van Deventer JA. Chemical Diversification of Simple Synthetic Antibodies. ACS Chem Biol 2021; 16:344-359. [PMID: 33482061 PMCID: PMC8096149 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.0c00865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Antibodies possess properties that make them valuable as therapeutics, diagnostics, and basic research tools. However, antibody chemical reactivity and covalent antigen binding are constrained, or even prevented, by the narrow range of chemistries encoded in canonical amino acids. In this work, we investigate strategies for leveraging an expanded range of chemical functionality using yeast displayed antibodies containing noncanonical amino acids (ncAAs) in or near antibody complementarity determining regions (CDRs). To enable systematic characterization of the effects of ncAA incorporation on antibody function, we first investigated whether diversification of a single antibody loop would support the isolation of binding clones against immunoglobulins from three species. We constructed and screened a billion-member library containing canonical amino acid diversity and loop length diversity only within the third complementarity determining region of the heavy chain (CDR-H3). Isolated clones exhibited moderate affinities (double- to triple-digit nanomolar affinities) and, in several cases, single-species specificity, confirming that antibody specificity can be mediated by a single CDR. This constrained diversity enabled the utilization of additional CDRs for the installation of chemically reactive and photo-cross-linkable ncAAs. Binding studies of ncAA-substituted antibodies revealed that ncAA incorporation is reasonably well tolerated, with observed changes in affinity occurring as a function of ncAA side chain identity, substitution site, and the ncAA incorporation machinery used. Multiple azide-containing ncAAs supported copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) and strain-promoted azide-alkyne cycloaddition (SPAAC) without the abrogation of binding function. Similarly, several alkyne substitutions facilitated CuAAC without the apparent disruption of binding. Finally, antibodies substituted with a photo-cross-linkable ncAA were evaluated for ultraviolet-mediated cross-linking on the yeast surface. Competition-based assays revealed position-dependent covalent linkages, strongly suggesting successful cross-linking. Key findings regarding CuAAC reactions and photo-cross-linking on the yeast surface were confirmed using soluble forms of ncAA-substituted clones. The consistency of findings on the yeast surface and in solution suggest that chemical diversification can be incorporated into yeast display screening approaches. Taken together, our results highlight the power of integrating the use of yeast display and ncAAs in search of proteins with "chemically augmented" binding functions. This includes strategies for systematically introducing small molecule functionality within binding protein structures and evaluating protein-based covalent target binding. The efficient preparation and chemical diversification of antibodies on the yeast surface open up new possibilities for discovering "drug-like" protein leads in high throughput.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariha Islam
- Chemical and Biological Engineering Department, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02155, United States
| | - Haixing P. Kehoe
- Chemical and Biological Engineering Department, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02155, United States
| | - Jacob B. Lissoos
- Chemical and Biological Engineering Department, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02155, United States
| | - Manjie Huang
- Chemical and Biological Engineering Department, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02155, United States
| | - Christopher E. Ghadban
- Chemical and Biological Engineering Department, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02155, United States
| | - Greg B. Sánchez
- Chemical and Biological Engineering Department, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02155, United States
| | - Hanan Z. Lane
- Chemical and Biological Engineering Department, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02155, United States
| | - James A. Van Deventer
- Chemical and Biological Engineering Department, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02155, United States
- Biomedical Engineering Department, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02155, United States
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26
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Ros E, Torres AG, Ribas de Pouplana L. Learning from Nature to Expand the Genetic Code. Trends Biotechnol 2020; 39:460-473. [PMID: 32896440 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2020.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2020] [Revised: 07/29/2020] [Accepted: 08/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
The genetic code is the manual that cells use to incorporate amino acids into proteins. It is possible to artificially expand this manual through cellular, molecular, and chemical manipulations to improve protein functionality. Strategies for in vivo genetic code expansion are under the same functional constraints as natural protein synthesis. Here, we review the approaches used to incorporate noncanonical amino acids (ncAAs) into designer proteins through the manipulation of the translation machinery and draw parallels between these methods and natural adaptations that improve translation in extant organisms. Following this logic, we propose new nature-inspired tactics to improve genetic code expansion (GCE) in synthetic organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enric Ros
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Catalonia, 08028, Spain
| | - Adrian Gabriel Torres
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Catalonia, 08028, Spain
| | - Lluís Ribas de Pouplana
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Catalonia, 08028, Spain; Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies, Barcelona, Catalonia, 08010, Spain.
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27
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Potts KA, Stieglitz JT, Lei M, Van Deventer JA. Reporter system architecture affects measurements of noncanonical amino acid incorporation efficiency and fidelity. MOLECULAR SYSTEMS DESIGN & ENGINEERING 2020; 5:573-588. [PMID: 33791108 PMCID: PMC8009230 DOI: 10.1039/c9me00107g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
The ability to genetically encode noncanonical amino acids (ncAAs) within proteins supports a growing number of applications ranging from fundamental biological studies to enhancing the properties of biological therapeutics. Currently, our quantitative understanding of ncAA incorporation systems is confounded by the diverse set of characterization and analysis approaches used to quantify ncAA incorporation events. While several effective reporter systems support such measurements, it is not clear how quantitative results from different reporters relate to one another, or which details influence measurements most strongly. Here, we evaluate the quantitative performance of single-fluorescent protein reporters, dual-fluorescent protein reporters, and cell surface-displayed protein reporters of ncAA insertion in response to the TAG (amber) codon in yeast. While different reporters support varying levels of apparent readthrough efficiencies, flow cytometry-based evaluations with dual reporters yielded measurements exhibiting consistent quantitative trends and precision across all evaluated conditions. Further investigations of dual-fluorescent protein reporter architecture revealed that quantitative outputs are influenced by stop codon location and N- and C-terminal fluorescent protein identity. Both dual-fluorescent protein reporters and a "drop-in" version of yeast display support quantification of ncAA incorporation in several single-gene knockout strains, revealing strains that enhance ncAA incorporation efficiency without compromising fidelity. Our studies reveal critical details regarding reporter system performance in yeast and how to effectively deploy such reporters. These findings have substantial implications for how to engineer ncAA incorporation systems-and protein translation apparatuses-to better accommodate alternative genetic codes for expanding the chemical diversity of biosynthesized proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- K A Potts
- Chemical and Biological Engineering Department, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02155, United States
| | - J T Stieglitz
- Chemical and Biological Engineering Department, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02155, United States
| | - M Lei
- Chemical and Biological Engineering Department, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02155, United States
| | - J A Van Deventer
- Chemical and Biological Engineering Department, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02155, United States
- Biomedical Engineering Department, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02155, United States
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28
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Navaratna T, Atangcho L, Mahajan M, Subramanian V, Case M, Min A, Tresnak D, Thurber GM. Directed Evolution Using Stabilized Bacterial Peptide Display. J Am Chem Soc 2020; 142:1882-1894. [PMID: 31880439 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.9b10716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Chemically stabilized peptides have attracted intense interest by academics and pharmaceutical companies due to their potential to hit currently "undruggable" targets. However, engineering an optimal sequence, stabilizing linker location, and physicochemical properties is a slow and arduous process. By pairing non-natural amino acid incorporation and cell surface click chemistry in bacteria with high-throughput sorting, we developed a method to quantitatively select high affinity ligands and applied the Stabilized Peptide Evolution by E. coli Display technique to develop disrupters of the therapeutically relevant MDM2-p53 interface. Through in situ stabilization on the bacterial surface, we demonstrate rapid isolation of stabilized peptides with improved affinity and novel structures. Several peptides evolved a second loop including one sequence (Kd = 1.8 nM) containing an i, i+4 disulfide bond. NMR structural determination indicated a bent helix in solution and bound to MDM2. The bicyclic peptide had improved protease stability, and we demonstrated that protease resistance could be measured both on the bacterial surface and in solution, enabling the method to test and/or screen for additional drug-like properties critical for biologically active compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tejas Navaratna
- Department of Chemical Engineering , University of Michigan , Ann Arbor , Michigan 48109 , United States
| | - Lydia Atangcho
- Department of Chemical Engineering , University of Michigan , Ann Arbor , Michigan 48109 , United States
| | - Mukesh Mahajan
- Department of Chemical Engineering , University of Michigan , Ann Arbor , Michigan 48109 , United States
| | | | - Marshall Case
- Department of Chemical Engineering , University of Michigan , Ann Arbor , Michigan 48109 , United States
| | - Andrew Min
- Department of Chemical Engineering , University of Michigan , Ann Arbor , Michigan 48109 , United States
| | - Daniel Tresnak
- Department of Chemical Engineering , University of Michigan , Ann Arbor , Michigan 48109 , United States
| | - Greg M Thurber
- Department of Chemical Engineering , University of Michigan , Ann Arbor , Michigan 48109 , United States.,Department of Biomedical Engineering , University of Michigan , Ann Arbor , Michigan 48109 , United States
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29
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Linciano S, Pluda S, Bacchin A, Angelini A. Molecular evolution of peptides by yeast surface display technology. MEDCHEMCOMM 2019; 10:1569-1580. [PMID: 31803399 PMCID: PMC6836575 DOI: 10.1039/c9md00252a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2019] [Accepted: 06/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Genetically encoded peptides possess unique properties, such as a small molecular weight and ease of synthesis and modification, that make them suitable to a large variety of applications. However, despite these favorable qualities, naturally occurring peptides are often limited by intrinsic weak binding affinities, poor selectivity and low stability that ultimately restrain their final use. To overcome these limitations, a large variety of in vitro display methodologies have been developed over the past few decades to evolve genetically encoded peptide molecules with superior properties. Phage display, mRNA display, ribosome display, bacteria display, and yeast display are among the most commonly used methods to engineer peptides. While most of these in vitro methodologies have already been described in detail elsewhere, this review describes solely the yeast surface display technology and its valuable use for the evolution of a wide range of peptide formats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Linciano
- Department of Molecular Sciences and Nanosystems , Ca' Foscari University of Venice , Via Torino 155 , Venezia Mestre 30172 , Italy
| | - Stefano Pluda
- Department of Molecular Sciences and Nanosystems , Ca' Foscari University of Venice , Via Torino 155 , Venezia Mestre 30172 , Italy
- Fidia Farmaceutici S.p.A , Via Ponte della Fabbrica 3/A , Abano Terme 35031 , Italy
| | - Arianna Bacchin
- Department of Molecular Sciences and Nanosystems , Ca' Foscari University of Venice , Via Torino 155 , Venezia Mestre 30172 , Italy
| | - Alessandro Angelini
- Department of Molecular Sciences and Nanosystems , Ca' Foscari University of Venice , Via Torino 155 , Venezia Mestre 30172 , Italy
- European Centre for Living Technology (ECLT) , Ca' Bottacin, Dorsoduro 3911, Calle Crosera , Venice 30123 , Italy .
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30
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Rezhdo A, Islam M, Huang M, Van Deventer JA. Future prospects for noncanonical amino acids in biological therapeutics. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2019; 60:168-178. [PMID: 30974337 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2019.02.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2019] [Accepted: 02/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
There is growing evidence that noncanonical amino acids (ncAAs) can be utilized in the creation of biological therapeutics ranging from protein conjugates to cell-based therapies. However, when does genetically encoding ncAAs yield biologics with unique properties compared to other approaches? In this review, we attempt to answer this question in the broader context of therapeutic development, emphasizing advances within the past two years. In several areas, ncAAs add valuable routes to therapeutically relevant entities, but application-specific needs ultimately determine whether ncAA-mediated or alternative solutions are preferred. Looking forward, using ncAAs to perform 'protein medicinal chemistry,' in which atomic-level changes to proteins dramatically enhance therapeutic properties, is a promising emerging area. Further upgrades to the performance of ncAA incorporation technologies will be essential to realizing the full potential of ncAAs in biological therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arlinda Rezhdo
- Chemical and Biological Engineering Department, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, United States
| | - Mariha Islam
- Chemical and Biological Engineering Department, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, United States
| | - Manjie Huang
- Chemical and Biological Engineering Department, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, United States
| | - James A Van Deventer
- Chemical and Biological Engineering Department, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, United States; Biomedical Engineering Department, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, United States.
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