1
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Birch-Price Z, Hardy FJ, Lister TM, Kohn AR, Green AP. Noncanonical Amino Acids in Biocatalysis. Chem Rev 2024; 124:8740-8786. [PMID: 38959423 PMCID: PMC11273360 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.4c00120] [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: 02/09/2024] [Revised: 06/11/2024] [Accepted: 06/12/2024] [Indexed: 07/05/2024]
Abstract
In recent years, powerful genetic code reprogramming methods have emerged that allow new functional components to be embedded into proteins as noncanonical amino acid (ncAA) side chains. In this review, we will illustrate how the availability of an expanded set of amino acid building blocks has opened a wealth of new opportunities in enzymology and biocatalysis research. Genetic code reprogramming has provided new insights into enzyme mechanisms by allowing introduction of new spectroscopic probes and the targeted replacement of individual atoms or functional groups. NcAAs have also been used to develop engineered biocatalysts with improved activity, selectivity, and stability, as well as enzymes with artificial regulatory elements that are responsive to external stimuli. Perhaps most ambitiously, the combination of genetic code reprogramming and laboratory evolution has given rise to new classes of enzymes that use ncAAs as key catalytic elements. With the framework for developing ncAA-containing biocatalysts now firmly established, we are optimistic that genetic code reprogramming will become a progressively more powerful tool in the armory of enzyme designers and engineers in the coming years.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Anthony P. Green
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology,
School of Chemistry, University of Manchester, Manchester M1 7DN, U.K.
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2
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Yuan F, Su B, Yu Y, Wang J. Study and design of amino acid-based radical enzymes using unnatural amino acids. RSC Chem Biol 2023; 4:431-446. [PMID: 37292061 PMCID: PMC10246556 DOI: 10.1039/d2cb00250g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Radical enzymes harness the power of reactive radical species by placing them in a protein scaffold, and they are capable of catalysing many important reactions. New native radical enzymes, especially those with amino acid-based radicals, in the category of non-heme iron enzymes (including ribonucleotide reductases), heme enzymes, copper enzymes, and FAD-radical enzymes have been discovered and characterized. We discussed recent research efforts to discover new native amino acid-based radical enzymes, and to study the roles of radicals in processes such as enzyme catalysis and electron transfer. Furthermore, design of radical enzymes in a small and simple scaffold not only allows us to study the radical in a well-controlled system and test our understanding of the native enzymes, but also allows us to create powerful enzymes. In the study and design of amino acid-based radical enzymes, the use of unnatural amino acids allows precise control of pKa values and reduction potentials of the residue, as well as probing the location of the radical through spectroscopic methods, making it a powerful research tool. Our understanding of amino acid-based radical enzymes will allow us to tailor them to create powerful catalysts and better therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feiyan Yuan
- Institute of Biochemical Engineering, Key Laboratory of Medical Molecule Science and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology Beijing 102488 China
| | - Binbin Su
- Institute of Biochemical Engineering, Key Laboratory of Medical Molecule Science and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology Beijing 102488 China
| | - Yang Yu
- Institute of Biochemical Engineering, Key Laboratory of Medical Molecule Science and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology Beijing 102488 China
| | - Jiangyun Wang
- Laboratory of RNA Biology, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing 100101 China
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3
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Niu W, Guo J. Co-translational Installation of Posttranslational Modifications by Non-canonical Amino Acid Mutagenesis. Chembiochem 2023; 24:e202300039. [PMID: 36853967 PMCID: PMC10202221 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202300039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Revised: 02/26/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/02/2023]
Abstract
Protein posttranslational modifications (PTMs) play critical roles in regulating cellular activities. Here we provide a survey of genetic code expansion (GCE) methods that were applied in the co-translational installation and studies of PTMs through noncanonical amino acid (ncAA) mutagenesis. We begin by reviewing types of PTM that have been installed by GCE with a focus on modifications of tyrosine, serine, threonine, lysine, and arginine residues. We also discuss examples of applying these methods in biological studies. Finally, we end the piece with a short discussion on the challenges and the opportunities of the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Niu
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, N-68588, USA
- The Nebraska Center for Integrated Biomolecular Communication (NCIBC), University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE-68588, USA
| | - Jiantao Guo
- Department of Chemistry, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE-68588, USA
- The Nebraska Center for Integrated Biomolecular Communication (NCIBC), University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE-68588, USA
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4
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Cui C, Song DY, Drennan CL, Stubbe J, Nocera DG. Radical Transport Facilitated by a Proton Transfer Network at the Subunit Interface of Ribonucleotide Reductase. J Am Chem Soc 2023; 145:5145-5154. [PMID: 36812162 PMCID: PMC10561588 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.2c11483] [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: 02/24/2023]
Abstract
Ribonucleotide reductases (RNRs) play an essential role in the conversion of nucleotides to deoxynucleotides in all organisms. The Escherichia coli class Ia RNR requires two homodimeric subunits, α and β. The active form is an asymmetric αα'ββ' complex. The α subunit houses the site for nucleotide reduction initiated by a thiyl radical (C439•), and the β subunit houses the diferric-tyrosyl radical (Y122•) that is essential for C439• formation. The reactions require a highly regulated and reversible long-range proton-coupled electron transfer pathway involving Y122•[β] ↔ W48?[β] ↔ Y356[β] ↔ Y731[α] ↔ Y730[α] ↔ C439[α]. In a recent cryo-EM structure, Y356[β] was revealed for the first time and it, along with Y731[α], spans the asymmetric α/β interface. An E52[β] residue, which is essential for Y356 oxidation, allows access to the interface and resides at the head of a polar region comprising R331[α], E326[α], and E326[α'] residues. Mutagenesis studies with canonical and unnatural amino acid substitutions now suggest that these ionizable residues are important in enzyme activity. To gain further insights into the roles of these residues, Y356• was photochemically generated using a photosensitizer covalently attached adjacent to Y356[β]. Mutagenesis studies, transient absorption spectroscopy, and photochemical assays monitoring deoxynucleotide formation collectively indicate that the E52[β], R331[α], E326[α], and E326[α'] network plays the essential role of shuttling protons associated with Y356 oxidation from the interface to bulk solvent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chang Cui
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138
| | - David Y. Song
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138
| | - Catherine L. Drennan
- Department of Chemistr, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | - JoAnne Stubbe
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138
- Department of Chemistr, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | - Daniel G. Nocera
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138
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5
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Engineering of enzymes using non-natural amino acids. Biosci Rep 2022; 42:231590. [PMID: 35856922 PMCID: PMC9366748 DOI: 10.1042/bsr20220168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2022] [Revised: 07/05/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
In enzyme engineering, the main targets for enhancing properties are enzyme activity, stereoselective specificity, stability, substrate range, and the development of unique functions. With the advent of genetic code extension technology, non-natural amino acids (nnAAs) are able to be incorporated into proteins in a site-specific or residue-specific manner, which breaks the limit of 20 natural amino acids for protein engineering. Benefitting from this approach, numerous enzymes have been engineered with nnAAs for improved properties or extended functionality. In this review, we focus on applications and strategies for using nnAAs in enzyme engineering. Notably, approaches to computational modelling of enzymes with nnAAs are also addressed. Finally, we discuss the bottlenecks that currently need to be addressed in order to realise the broader prospects of this genetic code extension technique.
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6
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Kinetic model for reversible radical transfer in ribonucleotide reductase. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2202022119. [PMID: 35714287 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2202022119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The enzyme ribonucleotide reductase (RNR), which catalyzes the reduction of ribonucleotides to deoxynucleotides, is vital for DNA synthesis, replication, and repair in all living organisms. Its mechanism requires long-range radical translocation over ∼32 Å through two protein subunits and the intervening aqueous interface. Herein, a kinetic model is designed to describe reversible radical transfer in Escherichia coli RNR. This model is based on experimentally studied photoRNR systems that allow the photochemical injection of a radical at a specific tyrosine residue, Y356, using a photosensitizer. The radical then transfers across the interface to another tyrosine residue, Y731, and continues until it reaches a cysteine residue, C439, which is primed for catalysis. This kinetic model includes radical injection, an off-pathway sink, radical transfer between pairs of residues along the pathway, and the conformational flipping motion of Y731 at the interface. Most of the input rate constants for this kinetic model are obtained from previous experimental measurements and quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical free-energy simulations. Ranges for the rate constants corresponding to radical transfer across the interface are determined by fitting to the experimentally measured Y356 radical decay times in photoRNR systems. This kinetic model illuminates the time evolution of radical transport along the tyrosine and cysteine residues following radical injection. Further analysis identifies the individual rate constants that may be tuned to alter the timescale and probability of the injected radical reaching C439. The insights gained from this kinetic model are relevant to biochemical understanding and protein-engineering efforts with potential pharmacological implications.
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7
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Abstract
The ability to design efficient enzymes from scratch would have a profound effect on chemistry, biotechnology and medicine. Rapid progress in protein engineering over the past decade makes us optimistic that this ambition is within reach. The development of artificial enzymes containing metal cofactors and noncanonical organocatalytic groups shows how protein structure can be optimized to harness the reactivity of nonproteinogenic elements. In parallel, computational methods have been used to design protein catalysts for diverse reactions on the basis of fundamental principles of transition state stabilization. Although the activities of designed catalysts have been quite low, extensive laboratory evolution has been used to generate efficient enzymes. Structural analysis of these systems has revealed the high degree of precision that will be needed to design catalysts with greater activity. To this end, emerging protein design methods, including deep learning, hold particular promise for improving model accuracy. Here we take stock of key developments in the field and highlight new opportunities for innovation that should allow us to transition beyond the current state of the art and enable the robust design of biocatalysts to address societal needs.
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8
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Abstract
Some oxidoreductase enzymes use redox-active tyrosine, tryptophan, cysteine, and/or glycine residues as one-electron, high-potential redox (radical) cofactors. Amino-acid radical cofactors typically perform one of four tasks-they work in concert with a metallocofactor to carry out a multielectron redox process, serve as storage sites for oxidizing equivalents, activate the substrate molecules, or move oxidizing equivalents over long distances. It is challenging to experimentally resolve the thermodynamic and kinetic redox properties of a single-amino-acid residue. The inherently reactive and highly oxidizing properties of amino-acid radicals increase the experimental barriers further still. This review describes a family of stable and well-structured model proteins that was made specifically to study tyrosine and tryptophan oxidation-reduction. The so-called α3X model protein system was combined with very-high-potential protein film voltammetry, transient absorption spectroscopy, and theoretical methods to gain a comprehensive description of the thermodynamic and kinetic properties of protein tyrosine and tryptophan radicals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cecilia Tommos
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA;
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9
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Jiang XL, Dimas RP, Chan CTY, Morcos F. Coevolutionary methods enable robust design of modular repressors by reestablishing intra-protein interactions. Nat Commun 2021; 12:5592. [PMID: 34552074 PMCID: PMC8458406 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-25851-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2021] [Accepted: 09/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetic sensors with unique combinations of DNA recognition and allosteric response can be created by hybridizing DNA-binding modules (DBMs) and ligand-binding modules (LBMs) from distinct transcriptional repressors. This module swapping approach is limited by incompatibility between DBMs and LBMs from different proteins, due to the loss of critical module-module interactions after hybridization. We determine a design strategy for restoring key interactions between DBMs and LBMs by using a computational model informed by coevolutionary traits in the LacI family. This model predicts the influence of proposed mutations on protein structure and function, quantifying the feasibility of each mutation for rescuing hybrid repressors. We accurately predict which hybrid repressors can be rescued by mutating residues to reinstall relevant module-module interactions. Experimental results confirm that dynamic ranges of gene expression induction were improved significantly in these mutants. This approach enhances the molecular and mechanistic understanding of LacI family proteins, and advances the ability to design modular genetic parts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xian-Li Jiang
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, TX, USA
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Rey P Dimas
- Department of Biology, The University of Texas at Tyler, Tyler, TX, USA
| | - Clement T Y Chan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Texas, Denton, TX, USA.
- BioDiscovery Institute, University of North Texas, Denton, TX, USA.
| | - Faruck Morcos
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, TX, USA.
- Department of Bioengineering, The University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, TX, USA.
- Center for Systems Biology, The University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, TX, USA.
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10
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Meichsner SL, Kutin Y, Kasanmascheff M. In‐Cell Characterization of the Stable Tyrosyl Radical in
E. coli
Ribonucleotide Reductase Using Advanced EPR Spectroscopy. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.202102914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Shari L. Meichsner
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology TU Dortmund University Otto-Hahn-Strasse 6 44227 Dortmund Germany
| | - Yury Kutin
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology TU Dortmund University Otto-Hahn-Strasse 6 44227 Dortmund Germany
| | - Müge Kasanmascheff
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology TU Dortmund University Otto-Hahn-Strasse 6 44227 Dortmund Germany
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11
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Meichsner SL, Kutin Y, Kasanmascheff M. In-Cell Characterization of the Stable Tyrosyl Radical in E. coli Ribonucleotide Reductase Using Advanced EPR Spectroscopy. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2021; 60:19155-19161. [PMID: 33844392 PMCID: PMC8453577 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202102914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2021] [Revised: 04/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The E. coli ribonucleotide reductase (RNR), a paradigm for class Ia enzymes including human RNR, catalyzes the biosynthesis of DNA building blocks and requires a di‐iron tyrosyl radical (Y122.) cofactor for activity. The knowledge on the in vitro Y122. structure and its radical distribution within the β2 subunit has accumulated over the years; yet little information exists on the in vivo Y122.. Here, we characterize this essential radical in whole cells. Multi‐frequency EPR and electron‐nuclear double resonance (ENDOR) demonstrate that the structure and electrostatic environment of Y122. are identical under in vivo and in vitro conditions. Pulsed dipolar EPR experiments shed light on a distinct in vivo Y122. per β2 distribution, supporting the key role of Y. concentrations in regulating RNR activity. Additionally, we spectroscopically verify the generation of an unnatural amino acid radical, F3Y122., in whole cells, providing a crucial step towards unique insights into the RNR catalysis under physiological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shari L Meichsner
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, TU Dortmund University, Otto-Hahn-Strasse 6, 44227, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Yury Kutin
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, TU Dortmund University, Otto-Hahn-Strasse 6, 44227, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Müge Kasanmascheff
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, TU Dortmund University, Otto-Hahn-Strasse 6, 44227, Dortmund, Germany
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12
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Pagar AD, Patil MD, Flood DT, Yoo TH, Dawson PE, Yun H. Recent Advances in Biocatalysis with Chemical Modification and Expanded Amino Acid Alphabet. Chem Rev 2021; 121:6173-6245. [PMID: 33886302 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.0c01201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The two main strategies for enzyme engineering, directed evolution and rational design, have found widespread applications in improving the intrinsic activities of proteins. Although numerous advances have been achieved using these ground-breaking methods, the limited chemical diversity of the biopolymers, restricted to the 20 canonical amino acids, hampers creation of novel enzymes that Nature has never made thus far. To address this, much research has been devoted to expanding the protein sequence space via chemical modifications and/or incorporation of noncanonical amino acids (ncAAs). This review provides a balanced discussion and critical evaluation of the applications, recent advances, and technical breakthroughs in biocatalysis for three approaches: (i) chemical modification of cAAs, (ii) incorporation of ncAAs, and (iii) chemical modification of incorporated ncAAs. Furthermore, the applications of these approaches and the result on the functional properties and mechanistic study of the enzymes are extensively reviewed. We also discuss the design of artificial enzymes and directed evolution strategies for enzymes with ncAAs incorporated. Finally, we discuss the current challenges and future perspectives for biocatalysis using the expanded amino acid alphabet.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amol D Pagar
- Department of Systems Biotechnology, Konkuk University, 120 Neungdong-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul 05029, Korea
| | - Mahesh D Patil
- Department of Systems Biotechnology, Konkuk University, 120 Neungdong-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul 05029, Korea
| | - Dillon T Flood
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Tae Hyeon Yoo
- Department of Molecular Science and Technology, Ajou University, 206 World cup-ro, Yeongtong-gu, Suwon 16499, Korea
| | - Philip E Dawson
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Hyungdon Yun
- Department of Systems Biotechnology, Konkuk University, 120 Neungdong-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul 05029, Korea
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13
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Augustine G, Aarthy M, Thiagarajan H, Selvaraj S, Kamini NR, Shanmugam G, Ayyadurai N. Self-Assembly and Mechanical Properties of Engineered Protein Based Multifunctional Nanofiber for Accelerated Wound Healing. Adv Healthc Mater 2021; 10:e2001832. [PMID: 33480482 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202001832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2020] [Revised: 12/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The present work reports a new route for preparing tunable multifunctional biomaterials through the combination of synthetic biology and material chemistry. Genetically encoded catechol moiety is evolved in a nanofiber mat with defined surface and secondary reactive functional chemistry, which promotes self-assembly and wet adhesion property of the protein. The catechol moiety is further exploited for the controlled release of boric acid that provides a congenial cellular microenvironment for accelerated wound healing. The presence of 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine in the nanofiber mat act as a stimulus to trigger cell proliferation, migration, and vascularization to accelerate wound healing. Electron paramagnetic resonance, NMR, FTIR, and circular dichroism spectroscopy confirm the structural integrity, antioxidant property, and controlled release of boric acid. Fluorescent and scanning electron microscopy reveals the 3D architecture of nanofiber mat, which favors fibroblast growth, endothelial cell attachment, and tube formation, which are the desirable properties of a wound-healing material. Animal studies in the murine wound healing model assert that the multifunctional biomaterial significantly improve re-epithelialization and accelerate wound closure.
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Affiliation(s)
- George Augustine
- Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)—Central Leather Research Institute (CLRI) Chennai 600020 India
| | - Mayilvahanan Aarthy
- Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)—Central Leather Research Institute (CLRI) Chennai 600020 India
| | - Hemalatha Thiagarajan
- Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)—Central Leather Research Institute (CLRI) Chennai 600020 India
| | - Sowmya Selvaraj
- Inorganic and Physical Chemistry Laboratory Council of Scientific and Industrial Research—Central Leather Research Institute Adyar Chennai 600020 India
| | - Numbi Ramdu Kamini
- Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)—Central Leather Research Institute (CLRI) Chennai 600020 India
| | - Ganesh Shanmugam
- Department of Organic and Bioorganic chemistry Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)—Central Leather Research Institute (CLRI) Chennai 600020 India
| | - Niraikulam Ayyadurai
- Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)—Central Leather Research Institute (CLRI) Chennai 600020 India
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14
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Zhang S, Ai HW. A general strategy to red-shift green fluorescent protein-based biosensors. Nat Chem Biol 2020; 16:1434-1439. [PMID: 32929278 PMCID: PMC7669575 DOI: 10.1038/s41589-020-0641-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2020] [Accepted: 08/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Compared with green fluorescent protein-based biosensors, red fluorescent protein (RFP)-based biosensors are inherently advantageous because of reduced phototoxicity, decreased autofluorescence and enhanced tissue penetration. However, existing RFP-based biosensors often suffer from small dynamic ranges, mislocalization and undesired photoconversion. In addition, the choice of available RFP-based biosensors is limited, and development of each biosensor requires substantial effort. Herein, we describe a general and convenient method, which introduces a genetically encoded noncanonical amino acid, 3-aminotyrosine, to the chromophores of green fluorescent protein-like proteins and biosensors for spontaneous and efficient green-to-red conversion. We demonstrated that this method could be used to quickly expand the repertoire of RFP-based biosensors. With little optimization, the 3-aminotyrosine-modified biosensors preserved the molecular brightness, dynamic range and responsiveness of their green fluorescent predecessors. We further applied spectrally resolved biosensors for multiplexed imaging of metabolic dynamics in pancreatic β-cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shen Zhang
- Center for Membrane and Cell Physiology, Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, Department of Chemistry, and the UVA Cancer Center, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Hui-Wang Ai
- Center for Membrane and Cell Physiology, Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, Department of Chemistry, and the UVA Cancer Center, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA.
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15
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Tinzl M, Hilvert D. Trapping Transient Protein Species by Genetic Code Expansion. Chembiochem 2020; 22:92-99. [PMID: 32810341 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202000523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2020] [Revised: 08/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Nature employs a limited number of genetically encoded amino acids for the construction of functional proteins. By engineering components of the cellular translation machinery, however, it is now possible to genetically encode noncanonical building blocks with tailored electronic and structural properties. The ability to incorporate unique chemical functionality into proteins provides a powerful tool to probe mechanism and create novel function. In this minireview, we highlight several recent studies that illustrate how noncanonical amino acids have been used to capture and characterize reactive intermediates, fine-tune the catalytic properties of enzymes, and stabilize short-lived protein-protein complexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias Tinzl
- Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, ETH Zürich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1-5/10, 8093, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Donald Hilvert
- Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, ETH Zürich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1-5/10, 8093, Zürich, Switzerland
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16
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Design of fluorescent protein-based sensors through a general protection-deprotection strategy. Methods Enzymol 2020; 640:63-82. [PMID: 32560806 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2020.04.003] [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: 02/25/2023]
Abstract
Engineered fluorescent proteins have been extensively used in biological research for the study of gene expression, protein function and trafficking, and protein-protein interactions. In addition, fluorescent proteins have also been engineered to act as biosensing agents to detect intracellular signaling molecules and other small-molecule metabolites. Although they have been engineered extensively to achieve novel properties, fluorescent proteins are traditionally modified using the 20 canonical amino acids. This limits the number of functional groups that are available to the design and construction of novel fluorescent proteins. The expansion of the genetic code through the incorporation of noncanonical amino acids presents an opportunity to add new functionalities with the intent of modifying chemical and physical properties of fluorescent proteins. Herein we provide a general procedure for the site-specific incorporation of noncanonical amino acids into fluorescent proteins in live cells. We will also discuss a noncanonical amino acid-containing fluorescent protein sensor that is based on a general protection-deprotection design strategy, for the selective detection and quantification of Hg2+.
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17
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Iannuzzelli JA, Fasan R. Expanded toolbox for directing the biosynthesis of macrocyclic peptides in bacterial cells. Chem Sci 2020; 11:6202-6208. [PMID: 32953014 PMCID: PMC7480269 DOI: 10.1039/d0sc01699c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2020] [Accepted: 05/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
A new suite of unnatural amino acids is reported for directing the biosynthesis of genetically encoded macrocyclic peptides in live bacteria.
The macrocyclization of recombinant polypeptides by means of genetically encodable non-canonical amino acids has recently provided an attractive strategy for the screening and discovery of macrocyclic peptide inhibitors of protein–protein interactions. Here, we report the development of an expanded suite of electrophilic unnatural amino acids (eUAAs) useful for directing the biosynthesis of genetically encoded thioether-bridged macrocyclic peptides in bacterial cells (E. coli). These reagents are shown to provide efficient access to a broad range of macrocyclic peptide scaffolds spanning from 2 to 20 amino acid residues, with the different eUAAs offering complementary reactivity profiles toward mediating short- vs. long-range macrocyclizations. Swapping of the eUAA cyclization module in a cyclopeptide inhibitor of streptavidin and Keap1 led to compounds with markedly distinct binding affinity toward the respective target proteins, highlighting the effectiveness of this strategy toward tuning the structural and functional properties of bioactive macrocyclic peptides. The peptide cyclization strategies reported here expand opportunities for the combinatorial biosynthesis of natural product-like peptide macrocycles in bacterial cells or in combination with display platforms toward the discovery of selective agents capable of targeting proteins and protein-mediated interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob A Iannuzzelli
- Department of Chemistry , University of Rochester , Rochester , New York 14627 , USA .
| | - Rudi Fasan
- Department of Chemistry , University of Rochester , Rochester , New York 14627 , USA .
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18
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Ravichandran K, Olshansky L, Nocera DG, Stubbe J. Subunit Interaction Dynamics of Class Ia Ribonucleotide Reductases: In Search of a Robust Assay. Biochemistry 2020; 59:1442-1453. [PMID: 32186371 PMCID: PMC7160020 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.0c00001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Ribonucleotide reductases (RNRs) catalyze the conversion of nucleotides (NDP) to deoxynucleotides (dNDP), in part, by controlling the ratios and quantities of dNTPs available for DNA replication and repair. The active form of Escherichia coli class Ia RNR is an asymmetric α2β2 complex in which α2 contains the active site and β2 contains the stable diferric-tyrosyl radical cofactor responsible for initiating the reduction chemistry. Each dNDP is accompanied by disulfide bond formation. We now report that, under in vitro conditions, β2 can initiate turnover in α2 catalytically under both "one" turnover (no external reductant, though producing two dCDPs) and multiple turnover (with an external reductant) assay conditions. In the absence of reductant, rapid chemical quench analysis of a reaction of α2, substrate, and effector with variable amounts of β2 (1-, 10-, and 100-fold less than α2) yields 3 dCDP/α2 at all ratios of α2:β2 with a rate constant of 8-9 s-1, associated with a rate-limiting conformational change. Stopped-flow fluorescence spectroscopy with a fluorophore-labeled β reveals that the rate constants for subunit association (163 ± 7 μM-1 s-1) and dissociation (75 ± 10 s-1) are fast relative to turnover, consistent with catalytic β2. When assaying in the presence of an external reducing system, the turnover number is dictated by the ratio of α2:β2, their concentrations, and the concentration and nature of the reducing system; the rate-limiting step can change from the conformational gating to a step or steps involving disulfide rereduction, dissociation of the inhibited α4β4 state, or both. The issues encountered with E. coli RNR are likely of importance in all class I RNRs and are central to understanding the development of screening assays for inhibitors of these enzymes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kanchana Ravichandran
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | - Lisa Olshansky
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, 12 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138
| | - Daniel G. Nocera
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, 12 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138
| | - JoAnne Stubbe
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139
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19
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Enzymes with noncanonical amino acids. Curr Opin Chem Biol 2020; 55:136-144. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2020.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2019] [Revised: 12/10/2019] [Accepted: 01/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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20
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Offenbacher AR, Barry BA. A Proton Wire Mediates Proton Coupled Electron Transfer from Hydroxyurea and Other Hydroxamic Acids to Tyrosyl Radical in Class Ia Ribonucleotide Reductase. J Phys Chem B 2020; 124:345-354. [PMID: 31904962 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.9b08587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) is fundamental to many important biological reactions, including solar energy conversion and DNA synthesis. For example, class Ia ribonucleotide reductases (RNRs) contain a tyrosyl radical-diiron cofactor with one aspartate ligand, D84. The tyrosyl radical, Y122•, in the β2 subunit acts as a radical initiator and oxidizes an active site cysteine in the α2 subunit. A transient quaternary α2/β2 complex is induced by substrate and effector binding. The hydroxamic acid, hydroxyurea (HU), reduces Y122• in a PCET reaction involving an electron and proton. This reaction is associated with the loss of activity, a conformational change at Y122, and a change in hydrogen bonding to the Fe1 ligand, D84. Here, we use isotopic labeling, solvent isotope exchange, proton inventories, and reaction-induced Fourier transform infrared (RIFT-IR) spectroscopy to show that the PCET reactions of hydroxamic acids are associated with a characteristic spectrum, which is assignable to electrostatic changes at nonligating aspartate residues. Notably, RIFT-IR spectroscopy reveals this characteristic spectrum when the effects of HU, hydroxylamine, and N-methylhydroxylamine are compared. A large solvent isotope effect is observed for each of the hydroxamic acid reactions, and proton inventories predict that the reactions are associated with the transfer of multiple protons in the transition state. The reduction of Y122• with 4-methoxyphenol does not lead to these characteristic carboxylate shifts and is associated with only a small solvent isotope effect. In addition to studies of the effects of hydroxamic acids on β2 alone, the reactions involving the quaternary α2β2 complex were also investigated. HU treatment of the quaternary complex, α2/β2/ATP/CDP, leads to a similar carboxylate shift spectrum, as observed with β2 alone. The use of globally labeled 13C chimeras (13C α2, 13C β2) confirms the assignment. Because the spectrum is sensitive to 13C β2 labeling, but not 13C α2 labeling, the quaternary complex spectrum is assigned to electrostatic changes in β2 carboxylate groups. Examination of the β2 X-ray structure reveals a hydrogen-bonded network leading from the protein surface to Y122. This predicted network includes nonligating aspartates, glutamate ligands to the iron cluster, and predicted crystallographically resolved water molecules. The network is similar when class Ia RNR structures from Escherichia coli, human, and mouse are compared. We propose that the PCET reactions of hydroxamic acids are mediated by a hydrogen-bonded proton wire in the β2 subunit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam R Offenbacher
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and the Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience , Georgia Institute of Technology , Atlanta , Georgia 30332 , United States.,Department of Chemistry , East Carolina University , Greenville , North Carolina 27858 , United States
| | - Bridgette A Barry
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and the Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience , Georgia Institute of Technology , Atlanta , Georgia 30332 , United States
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21
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Abstract
Our understanding of the complex molecular processes of living organisms at the molecular level is growing exponentially. This knowledge, together with a powerful arsenal of tools for manipulating the structures of macromolecules, is allowing chemists to to harness and reprogram the cellular machinery in ways previously unimaged. Here we review one example in which the genetic code itself has been expanded with new building blocks that allow us to probe and manipulate the structures and functions of proteins with unprecedented precision.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douglas D. Young
- Department of Chemistry, College of William & Mary,
P.O. Box 8795, Williamsburg, VA 23187 (USA)
| | - Peter G. Schultz
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute,
La Jolla, CA 92037 (USA),
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22
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Lee W, Kasanmascheff M, Huynh M, Quartararo A, Costentin C, Bejenke I, Nocera DG, Bennati M, Tommos C, Stubbe J. Properties of Site-Specifically Incorporated 3-Aminotyrosine in Proteins To Study Redox-Active Tyrosines: Escherichia coli Ribonucleotide Reductase as a Paradigm. Biochemistry 2018; 57:3402-3415. [PMID: 29630358 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.8b00160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
3-Aminotyrosine (NH2Y) has been a useful probe to study the role of redox active tyrosines in enzymes. This report describes properties of NH2Y of key importance for its application in mechanistic studies. By combining the tRNA/NH2Y-RS suppression technology with a model protein tailored for amino acid redox studies (α3X, X = NH2Y), the formal reduction potential of NH2Y32(O•/OH) ( E°' = 395 ± 7 mV at pH 7.08 ± 0.05) could be determined using protein film voltammetry. We find that the Δ E°' between NH2Y32(O•/OH) and Y32(O•/OH) when measured under reversible conditions is ∼300-400 mV larger than earlier estimates based on irreversible voltammograms obtained on aqueous NH2Y and Y. We have also generated D6-NH2Y731-α2 of ribonucleotide reductase (RNR), which when incubated with β2/CDP/ATP generates the D6-NH2Y731•-α2/β2 complex. By multifrequency electron paramagnetic resonance (35, 94, and 263 GHz) and 34 GHz 1H ENDOR spectroscopies, we determined the hyperfine coupling (hfc) constants of the amino protons that establish RNH2• planarity and thus minimal perturbation of the reduction potential by the protein environment. The amount of Y in the isolated NH2Y-RNR incorporated by infidelity of the tRNA/NH2Y-RS pair was determined by a generally useful LC-MS method. This information is essential to the utility of this NH2Y probe to study any protein of interest and is employed to address our previously reported activity associated with NH2Y-substituted RNRs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Müge Kasanmascheff
- Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry , Am Fassberg 11 , Göttingen , 37077 Germany
| | - Michael Huynh
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology , Harvard University , 12 Oxford Street , Cambridge , Massachusetts 02138 United States
| | | | - Cyrille Costentin
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology , Harvard University , 12 Oxford Street , Cambridge , Massachusetts 02138 United States.,Laboratoire d'Electrochimie Moléculaire, Unité Mixte de Recherche Université - CNRS No 7591 , Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité , Bâtiment Lavoisier, 15 rue Jean de Baïf , 75205 Paris Cedex 13 , France
| | - Isabel Bejenke
- Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry , Am Fassberg 11 , Göttingen , 37077 Germany
| | - Daniel G Nocera
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology , Harvard University , 12 Oxford Street , Cambridge , Massachusetts 02138 United States
| | - Marina Bennati
- Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry , Am Fassberg 11 , Göttingen , 37077 Germany
| | - Cecilia Tommos
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics , University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine , Philadelphia , Pennsylvania 19104 , United States
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23
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Duan HD, Lubner CE, Tokmina-Lukaszewska M, Gauss GH, Bothner B, King PW, Peters JW, Miller AF. Distinct properties underlie flavin-based electron bifurcation in a novel electron transfer flavoprotein FixAB from Rhodopseudomonas palustris. J Biol Chem 2018; 293:4688-4701. [PMID: 29462786 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra117.000707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2017] [Revised: 02/08/2018] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
A newly recognized third fundamental mechanism of energy conservation in biology, electron bifurcation, uses free energy from exergonic redox reactions to drive endergonic redox reactions. Flavin-based electron bifurcation furnishes low-potential electrons to demanding chemical reactions, such as reduction of dinitrogen to ammonia. We employed the heterodimeric flavoenzyme FixAB from the diazotrophic bacterium Rhodopseudomonas palustris to elucidate unique properties that underpin flavin-based electron bifurcation. FixAB is distinguished from canonical electron transfer flavoproteins (ETFs) by a second FAD that replaces the AMP of canonical ETF. We exploited near-UV-visible CD spectroscopy to resolve signals from the different flavin sites in FixAB and to interrogate the putative bifurcating FAD. CD aided in assigning the measured reduction midpoint potentials (E° values) to individual flavins, and the E° values tested the accepted model regarding the redox properties required for bifurcation. We found that the higher-E° flavin displays sequential one-electron (1-e-) reductions to anionic semiquinone and then to hydroquinone, consistent with the reactivity seen in canonical ETFs. In contrast, the lower-E° flavin displayed a single two-electron (2-e-) reduction without detectable accumulation of semiquinone, consistent with unstable semiquinone states, as required for bifurcation. This is the first demonstration that a FixAB protein possesses the thermodynamic prerequisites for bifurcating activity, and the separation of distinct optical signatures for the two flavins lays a foundation for mechanistic studies to learn how electron flow can be directed in a protein environment. We propose that a novel optical signal observed at long wavelength may reflect electron delocalization between the two flavins.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Diessel Duan
- Department of Chemistry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40506
| | | | | | - George H Gauss
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana 59717
| | - Brian Bothner
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana 59717
| | - Paul W King
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado 80401
| | - John W Peters
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington 99163
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24
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Greene BL, Taguchi AT, Stubbe J, Nocera DG. Conformationally Dynamic Radical Transfer within Ribonucleotide Reductase. J Am Chem Soc 2017; 139:16657-16665. [PMID: 29037038 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.7b08192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Ribonucleotide reductases (RNR) catalyze the reduction of nucleotides to deoxynucleotides through a mechanism involving an essential cysteine based thiyl radical. In the E. coli class 1a RNR the thiyl radical (C439•) is a transient species generated by radical transfer (RT) from a stable diferric-tyrosyl radical cofactor located >35 Å away across the α2:β2 subunit interface. RT is facilitated by sequential proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) steps along a pathway of redox active amino acids (Y122β ↔ [W48β?] ↔ Y356β ↔ Y731α ↔ Y730α ↔ C439α). The mutant R411A(α) disrupts the H-bonding environment and conformation of Y731, ostensibly breaking the RT pathway in α2. However, the R411A protein retains significant enzymatic activity, suggesting Y731 is conformationally dynamic on the time scale of turnover. Installation of the radical trap 3-amino tyrosine (NH2Y) by amber codon suppression at positions Y731 or Y730 and investigation of the NH2Y• trapped state in the active α2:β2 complex by HYSCORE spectroscopy validate that the perturbed conformation of Y731 in R411A-α2 is dynamic, reforming the H-bond between Y731 and Y730 to allow RT to propagate to Y730. Kinetic studies facilitated by photochemical radical generation reveal that Y731 changes conformation on the ns-μs time scale, significantly faster than the enzymatic kcat. Furthermore, the kinetics of RT across the subunit interface were directly assessed for the first time, demonstrating conformationally dependent RT rates that increase from 0.6 to 1.6 × 104 s-1 when comparing wild type to R411A-α2, respectively. These results illustrate the role of conformational flexibility in modulating RT kinetics by targeting the PCET pathway of radical transport.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandon L Greene
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University , Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, United States
| | - Alexander T Taguchi
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology , Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - JoAnne Stubbe
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology , Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Daniel G Nocera
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University , Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, United States
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25
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Taguchi AT, O’Malley PJ, Wraight CA, Dikanov SA. Determination of the Complete Spin Density Distribution in 13C-Labeled Protein-Bound Radical Intermediates Using Advanced 2D Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Spectroscopy and Density Functional Theory. J Phys Chem B 2017; 121:10256-10268. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.7b10036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Alexander T. Taguchi
- Center
for Biophysics and Computational Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana−Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Department
of Veterinary Clinical Medicine, University of Illinois at Urbana−Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | | | - Colin A. Wraight
- Center
for Biophysics and Computational Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana−Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Department
of Biochemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana−Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Sergei A. Dikanov
- Department
of Veterinary Clinical Medicine, University of Illinois at Urbana−Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
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26
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Neese F. High-Level Spectroscopy, Quantum Chemistry, and Catalysis: Not just a Passing Fad. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2017; 56:11003-11010. [DOI: 10.1002/anie.201701163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Frank Neese
- Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion; Stiftstrasse 34-36 45470 Mülheim an der Ruhr Germany
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27
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Neese F. Kombination von hochwertiger Spektroskopie, Quantenchemie und Katalyse: nicht nur eine Modeerscheinung. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.201701163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Frank Neese
- Max-Planck-Institut für Chemische Energiekonversion; Stiftstraße 34-36 45470 Mülheim an der Ruhr Deutschland
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28
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Owens AE, Grasso KT, Ziegler CA, Fasan R. Two-Tier Screening Platform for Directed Evolution of Aminoacyl-tRNA Synthetases with Enhanced Stop Codon Suppression Efficiency. Chembiochem 2017; 18:1109-1116. [PMID: 28383180 PMCID: PMC5586079 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.201700039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2017] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Genetic code expansion through amber stop codon suppression provides a powerful tool for introducing non-proteinogenic functionalities into proteins for a broad range of applications. However, ribosomal incorporation of noncanonical amino acids (ncAAs) by means of engineered aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (aaRSs) often proceeds with significantly reduced efficiency compared to sense codon translation. Here, we report the implementation of a versatile platform for the development of engineered aaRSs with enhanced efficiency in mediating ncAA incorporation by amber stop codon suppression. This system integrates a white/blue colony screen with a plate-based colorimetric assay, thereby combining high-throughput capabilities with reliable and quantitative measurement of aaRS-dependent ncAA incorporation efficiency. This two-tier functional screening system was successfully applied to obtain a pyrrolysyl-tRNA synthetase (PylRS) variant (CrtK-RS(4.1)) with significantly improved efficiency (+250-370 %) for mediating the incorporation of Nϵ -crotonyl-lysine and other lysine analogues of relevance for the study of protein post-translational modifications into a target protein. Interestingly, the beneficial mutations accumulated by CrtK-RS(4.1) were found to localize within the noncatalytic N-terminal domain of the enzyme and could be transferred to another PylRS variant, improving the ability of the variant to incorporate its corresponding ncAA substrate. This work introduces an efficient platform for the improvement of aaRSs that could be readily extended to other members of this enzyme family and/or other target ncAAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew E Owens
- Department of Chemistry, University of Rochester, Hutchinson Hall, Rochester, NY, 14627, USA
| | - Katherine T Grasso
- Department of Chemistry, University of Rochester, Hutchinson Hall, Rochester, NY, 14627, USA
| | - Christine A Ziegler
- Department of Chemistry, University of Rochester, Hutchinson Hall, Rochester, NY, 14627, USA
| | - Rudi Fasan
- Department of Chemistry, University of Rochester, Hutchinson Hall, Rochester, NY, 14627, USA
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29
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Long-range proton-coupled electron transfer in the Escherichia coli class Ia ribonucleotide reductase. Essays Biochem 2017; 61:281-292. [PMID: 28487404 DOI: 10.1042/ebc20160072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2017] [Revised: 03/31/2017] [Accepted: 04/03/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Escherichia coli class Ia ribonucleotide reductase (RNR) catalyzes the conversion of nucleotides to 2'-deoxynucleotides using a radical mechanism. Each turnover requires radical transfer from an assembled diferric tyrosyl radical (Y•) cofactor to the enzyme active site over 35 Å away. This unprecedented reaction occurs via an amino acid radical hopping pathway spanning two protein subunits. To study the mechanism of radical transport in RNR, a suite of biochemical approaches have been developed, such as site-directed incorporation of unnatural amino acids with altered electronic properties and photochemical generation of radical intermediates. The resulting variant RNRs have been investigated using a variety of time-resolved physical techniques, including transient absorption and stopped-flow UV-Vis spectroscopy, as well as rapid freeze-quench EPR, ENDOR, and PELDOR spectroscopic methods. The data suggest that radical transport occurs via proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) and that the protein structure has evolved to manage the proton and electron transfer co-ordinates in order to prevent 'off-pathway' reactivity and build-up of oxidised intermediates. Thus, precise design and control over the factors that govern PCET is key to enabling reversible and long-range charge transport by amino acid radicals in RNR.
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30
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Choudhury P, Prasad Uday US, Bandyopadhyay TK, Ray RN, Bhunia B. Performance improvement of microbial fuel cell (MFC) using suitable electrode and Bioengineered organisms: A review. Bioengineered 2017; 8:471-487. [PMID: 28453385 DOI: 10.1080/21655979.2016.1267883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022] Open
Abstract
There is an urgent need to find an environment friendly and sustainable technology for alternative energy due to rapid depletion of fossil fuel and industrialization. Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs) have operational and functional advantages over the current technologies for energy generation from organic matter as it directly converts electricity from substrate at ambient temperature. However, MFCs are still unsuitable for high energy demands due to practical limitations. The overall performance of an MFC depends on microorganism, appropriate electrode materials, suitable MFC designs, and optimizing process parameters which would accelerate commercialization of this technology in near future. In this review, we put forth the recent developments on microorganism and electrode material that are critical for the generation of bioelectricity generation. This would give a comprehensive insight into the characteristics, options, modifications, and evaluations of these parameters and their effects on process development of MFCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Payel Choudhury
- a Department of Electrical Engineering , National Institute of Technology , Agartala , India
| | | | | | - Rup Narayan Ray
- a Department of Electrical Engineering , National Institute of Technology , Agartala , India
| | - Biswanath Bhunia
- c Department of Bio Engineering , National Institute of Technology , Agartala , India
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31
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Lin Q, Parker MJ, Taguchi AT, Ravichandran K, Kim A, Kang G, Shao J, Drennan CL, Stubbe J. Glutamate 52-β at the α/β subunit interface of Escherichia coli class Ia ribonucleotide reductase is essential for conformational gating of radical transfer. J Biol Chem 2017; 292:9229-9239. [PMID: 28377505 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m117.783092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2017] [Revised: 04/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Ribonucleotide reductases (RNRs) catalyze the conversion of nucleoside diphosphate substrates (S) to deoxynucleotides with allosteric effectors (e) controlling their relative ratios and amounts, crucial for fidelity of DNA replication and repair. Escherichia coli class Ia RNR is composed of α and β subunits that form a transient, active α2β2 complex. The E. coli RNR is rate-limited by S/e-dependent conformational change(s) that trigger the radical initiation step through a pathway of 35 Å across the subunit (α/β) interface. The weak subunit affinity and complex nucleotide-dependent quaternary structures have precluded a molecular understanding of the kinetic gating mechanism(s) of the RNR machinery. Using a docking model of α2β2 created from X-ray structures of α and β and conserved residues from a new subclassification of the E. coli Ia RNR (Iag), we identified and investigated four residues at the α/β interface (Glu350 and Glu52 in β2 and Arg329 and Arg639 in α2) of potential interest in kinetic gating. Mutation of each residue resulted in loss of activity and with the exception of E52Q-β2, weakened subunit affinity. An RNR mutant with 2,3,5-trifluorotyrosine radical (F3Y122•) replacing the stable Tyr122• in WT-β2, a mutation that partly overcomes conformational gating, was placed in the E52Q background. Incubation of this double mutant with His6-α2/S/e resulted in an RNR capable of catalyzing pathway-radical formation (Tyr356•-β2), 0.5 eq of dCDP/F3Y122•, and formation of an α2β2 complex that is isolable in pulldown assays over 2 h. Negative stain EM images with S/e (GDP/TTP) revealed the uniformity of the α2β2 complex formed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qinghui Lin
- From the Department of Pathology and Pathophysiology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China and
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Jimin Shao
- From the Department of Pathology and Pathophysiology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China and
| | - Catherine L Drennan
- the Departments of Chemistry and .,Biology, and.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139
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32
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Abstract
Fluorescent proteins of different colors are useful probes to study protein structure and function, and to investigate cellular events and conditions. Large efforts have focused on engineering new properties into fluorescent proteins via rational design and directed evolution. In addition to applications in imaging of protein expression level and subcellular localization, fluorescent proteins have been increasingly engineered to act as biosensors to track concentrations of small-molecule metabolites, enzyme activities, and protein conformational changes in living cells. Unlike small-molecule fluorescence biosensors, fluorescent proteins are genetically encodable, and thus can be expressed inside living cells. Attachment of organelle-specific signals to the proteins allows their localization to be specified. Recently, a new class of fluorescent protein biosensors has been developed to include unnatural amino acids as the sensing element. The unique chemical and physical properties of the unnatural amino acids enable sensor designs that cannot be realized by using the standard genetic code with the 20 canonical amino acids. In this chapter, we detail the general procedure for the genetic incorporation of unnatural amino acids. We further present two protocols for the in vitro and in vivo detection of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) using a fluorescent protein biosensor that contains an unnatural amino acid, p-boronophenylalanine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Niu
- University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, United States.
| | - Jiantao Guo
- University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, United States.
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33
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Ravichandran K, Minnihan EC, Lin Q, Yokoyama K, Taguchi AT, Shao J, Nocera DG, Stubbe J. Glutamate 350 Plays an Essential Role in Conformational Gating of Long-Range Radical Transport in Escherichia coli Class Ia Ribonucleotide Reductase. Biochemistry 2017; 56:856-868. [PMID: 28103007 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.6b01145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Escherichia coli class Ia ribonucleotide reductase (RNR) is composed of two subunits that form an active α2β2 complex. The nucleoside diphosphate substrates (NDP) are reduced in α2, 35 Å from the essential diferric-tyrosyl radical (Y122•) cofactor in β2. The Y122•-mediated oxidation of C439 in α2 occurs by a pathway (Y122 ⇆ [W48] ⇆ Y356 in β2 to Y731 ⇆ Y730 ⇆ C439 in α2) across the α/β interface. The absence of an α2β2 structure precludes insight into the location of Y356 and Y731 at the subunit interface. The proximity in the primary sequence of the conserved E350 to Y356 in β2 suggested its importance in catalysis and/or conformational gating. To study its function, pH-rate profiles of wild-type β2/α2 and mutants in which 3,5-difluorotyrosine (F2Y) replaces residue 356, 731, or both are reported in the presence of E350 or E350X (X = A, D, or Q) mutants. With E350, activity is maintained at the pH extremes, suggesting that protonated and deprotonated states of F2Y356 and F2Y731 are active and that radical transport (RT) can occur across the interface by proton-coupled electron transfer at low pH or electron transfer at high pH. With E350X mutants, all RNRs were inactive, suggesting that E350 could be a proton acceptor during oxidation of the interface Ys. To determine if E350 plays a role in conformational gating, the strong oxidants, NO2Y122•-β2 and 2,3,5-F3Y122•-β2, were reacted with α2, CDP, and ATP in E350 and E350X backgrounds and the reactions were monitored for pathway radicals by rapid freeze-quench electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. Pathway radicals are generated only when E350 is present, supporting its essential role in gating the conformational change(s) that initiates RT and masking its role as a proton acceptor.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Qinghui Lin
- Department of Pathology and Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Disease Proteomics of Zhejiang Province, Research Center for Air Pollution and Health, Zhejiang University School of Medicine , Hangzhou 310058, China
| | | | | | - Jimin Shao
- Department of Pathology and Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Disease Proteomics of Zhejiang Province, Research Center for Air Pollution and Health, Zhejiang University School of Medicine , Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Daniel G Nocera
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University , 12 Oxford Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, United States
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34
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Monk JW, Leonard SP, Brown CW, Hammerling MJ, Mortensen C, Gutierrez AE, Shin NY, Watkins E, Mishler DM, Barrick JE. Rapid and Inexpensive Evaluation of Nonstandard Amino Acid Incorporation in Escherichia coli. ACS Synth Biol 2017; 6:45-54. [PMID: 27648665 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.6b00192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
By introducing engineered tRNA and aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase pairs into an organism, its genetic code can be expanded to incorporate nonstandard amino acids (nsAAs). The performance of these orthogonal translation systems (OTSs) varies greatly, however, with respect to the efficiency and accuracy of decoding a reassigned codon as the nsAA. To enable rapid and systematic comparisons of these critical parameters, we developed a toolkit for characterizing any Escherichia coli OTS that reassigns the amber stop codon (TAG). It assesses OTS performance by comparing how the fluorescence of strains carrying plasmids encoding a fused RFP-GFP reading frame, either with or without an intervening TAG codon, depends on the presence of the nsAA. We used this kit to (1) examine nsAA incorporation by seven different OTSs, (2) optimize nsAA concentration in growth media, (3) define the polyspecificity of an OTS, and (4) characterize evolved variants of amberless E. coli with improved growth rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan W. Monk
- Center for Systems and Synthetic
Biology, Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Sean P. Leonard
- Center for Systems and Synthetic
Biology, Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Colin W. Brown
- Center for Systems and Synthetic
Biology, Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Michael J. Hammerling
- Center for Systems and Synthetic
Biology, Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Catherine Mortensen
- Center for Systems and Synthetic
Biology, Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Alejandro E. Gutierrez
- Center for Systems and Synthetic
Biology, Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Nathan Y. Shin
- Center for Systems and Synthetic
Biology, Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Ella Watkins
- Center for Systems and Synthetic
Biology, Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Dennis M. Mishler
- Center for Systems and Synthetic
Biology, Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Jeffrey E. Barrick
- Center for Systems and Synthetic
Biology, Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
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35
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Biosynthetic approach to modeling and understanding metalloproteins using unnatural amino acids. Sci China Chem 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s11426-016-0343-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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36
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Slyngborg M, Nielsen DA, Fojan P. The Physical Properties and Self-Assembly Potential of the RFFFR Peptide. Chembiochem 2016; 17:2083-2092. [PMID: 27581944 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.201600383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The self-assembly of fibers from peptides has attracted a tremendous amount of attention due to its many applications, such as in drug-delivery systems, in tissue engineering, and in electronic devices. Recently, the self-assembly potential of the designer peptide RFFFR has been reported. Here it is experimentally verified that the peptide forms fibers that are entangled and form solid spheres without water inside. Upon dilution below the critical fiber concentration, the fibers untangle and become totally separated prior to dissolution. These structures readily bind thioflavin T, resulting in a characteristic change in fluorescent properties consistent with β-sheet-rich amyloid structures with aromatic/hydrophobic grooves. The circular dichroism spectroscopy data are dominated by a π→π* transition, thus indicating that the fibers are stabilized by π-stacking. Contrary to what was expected, the dissolution of the spheres/fibers results in increasing fluorescence anisotropy over time. This is explained in terms of HomoFRET between phenylalanine residues with a T-shaped π-stacking mode, which was determined in another study to be the dominant mode through atomistic simulations and semiempirical calculations. Kelvin probe force microscopy measurements indicate that the spheres and fibers have a conductivity comparable to that of gold. Hence, these self-assembled structures might be applicable in organic solid-state electronic devices. The dissolution properties of the spheres further suggest that they might be used as drug-delivery systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morten Slyngborg
- Department of Physics and Nanotechnology, Aalborg University, Skjernvej 4 A, 9220, Aalborg Øst, Denmark
| | - Dennis Achton Nielsen
- Department of Physics and Nanotechnology, Aalborg University, Skjernvej 4 A, 9220, Aalborg Øst, Denmark
| | - Peter Fojan
- Department of Physics and Nanotechnology, Aalborg University, Skjernvej 4 A, 9220, Aalborg Øst, Denmark.
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37
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Ravichandran KR, Taguchi AT, Wei Y, Tommos C, Nocera DG, Stubbe J. A >200 meV Uphill Thermodynamic Landscape for Radical Transport in Escherichia coli Ribonucleotide Reductase Determined Using Fluorotyrosine-Substituted Enzymes. J Am Chem Soc 2016; 138:13706-13716. [PMID: 28068088 PMCID: PMC5224885 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.6b08200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
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Escherichia coli class Ia ribonucleotide reductase
(RNR) converts ribonucleotides to deoxynucleotides. A diferric-tyrosyl
radical (Y122•) in one subunit (β2) generates
a transient thiyl radical in another subunit (α2) via long-range
radical transport (RT) through aromatic amino acid residues (Y122 ⇆ [W48] ⇆ Y356 in β2
to Y731 ⇆ Y730 ⇆ C439 in α2). Equilibration of Y356•, Y731•, and Y730• was recently observed using
site specifically incorporated unnatural tyrosine analogs; however,
equilibration between Y122• and Y356•
has not been detected. Our recent report of Y356•
formation in a kinetically and chemically competent fashion in the
reaction of β2 containing 2,3,5-trifluorotyrosine at Y122 (F3Y122•-β2) with α2, CDP
(substrate), and ATP (effector) has now afforded the opportunity to
investigate equilibration of F3Y122•
and Y356•. Incubation of F3Y122•-β2, Y731F-α2 (or Y730F-α2),
CDP, and ATP at different temperatures (2–37 °C) provides
ΔE°′(F3Y122•–Y356•) of 20 ± 10 mV at 25
°C. The pH dependence of the F3Y122•
⇆ Y356• interconversion (pH 6.8–8.0)
reveals that the proton from Y356 is in rapid exchange
with solvent, in contrast to the proton from Y122. Insertion
of 3,5-difluorotyrosine (F2Y) at Y356 and rapid
freeze-quench EPR analysis of its reaction with Y731F-α2,
CDP, and ATP at pH 8.2 and 25 °C shows F2Y356• generation by the native Y122•. FnY-RNRs (n = 2 and 3) together
provide a model for the thermodynamic landscape of the RT pathway
in which the reaction between Y122 and C439 is
∼200 meV uphill.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Cecilia Tommos
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Pennsylvania , Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Daniel G Nocera
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University , 12 Oxford Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, United States
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38
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Xiao H, Schultz PG. At the Interface of Chemical and Biological Synthesis: An Expanded Genetic Code. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol 2016; 8:cshperspect.a023945. [PMID: 27413101 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a023945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The ability to site-specifically incorporate noncanonical amino acids (ncAAs) with novel structures into proteins in living cells affords a powerful tool to investigate and manipulate protein structure and function. More than 200 ncAAs with diverse biological, chemical, and physical properties have been genetically encoded in response to nonsense or frameshift codons in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms with high fidelity and efficiency. In this review, recent advances in the technology and its application to problems in protein biochemistry, cellular biology, and medicine are highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han Xiao
- Department of Chemistry and the Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037
| | - Peter G Schultz
- Department of Chemistry and the Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037 California Institute for Biomedical Research, La Jolla, California 92037
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39
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Frost JR, Wu Z, Lam YC, Owens AE, Fasan R. Side-chain-to-tail cyclization of ribosomally derived peptides promoted by aryl and alkyl amino-functionalized unnatural amino acids. Org Biomol Chem 2016; 14:5803-12. [PMID: 27064594 PMCID: PMC4909536 DOI: 10.1039/c6ob00192k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
A strategy for the production of side-chain-to-tail cyclic peptides from ribosomally derived polypeptide precursors is reported. Two genetically encodable unnatural amino acids, bearing either an aryl or alkyl amino group, were investigated for their efficiency toward promoting the formation of medium to large-sized peptide macrocycles via intein-mediated side-chain-to-C-terminus cyclization. While only partial cyclization was observed with precursor proteins containing para-amino-phenylalanine, efficient peptide macrocyclization could be achieved using O-2-aminoethyl-tyrosine as the reactive moiety. Conveniently, the latter was generated upon quantitative, post-translational reduction of the azido-containing counterpart, O-2-azidoethyl-tyrosine, directly in E. coli cells. This methodology could be successfully applied for the production of a 12 mer cyclic peptide with enhanced binding affinity for the model target protein streptavidin as compared to the acyclic counterpart (KD: 5.1 μM vs. 22.4 μM), thus demonstrating its utility toward the creation and investigation of novel, functional macrocyclic peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- John R Frost
- Department of Chemistry, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14627, USA.
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40
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Oyala PH, Ravichandran KR, Funk MA, Stucky PA, Stich TA, Drennan CL, Britt RD, Stubbe J. Biophysical Characterization of Fluorotyrosine Probes Site-Specifically Incorporated into Enzymes: E. coli Ribonucleotide Reductase As an Example. J Am Chem Soc 2016; 138:7951-64. [PMID: 27276098 PMCID: PMC4929525 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.6b03605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
![]()
Fluorinated tyrosines
(FnY’s, n = 2
and 3) have been site-specifically incorporated into E. coli class Ia ribonucleotide reductase (RNR) using the
recently evolved M. jannaschii Y-tRNA synthetase/tRNA
pair. Class Ia RNRs require four redox active Y’s, a stable
Y radical (Y·) in the β subunit (position 122 in E. coli), and three transiently oxidized Y’s (356
in β and 731 and 730 in α) to initiate the radical-dependent
nucleotide reduction process. FnY (3,5;
2,3; 2,3,5; and 2,3,6) incorporation in place of Y122-β
and the X-ray structures of each resulting β with a diferric
cluster are reported and compared with wt-β2 crystallized under
the same conditions. The essential diferric-FnY· cofactor is self-assembled from apo FnY-β2, Fe2+, and O2 to produce ∼1
Y·/β2 and ∼3 Fe3+/β2. The FnY· are stable and active in nucleotide
reduction with activities that vary from 5% to 85% that of wt-β2.
Each FnY·-β2 has been characterized
by 9 and 130 GHz electron paramagnetic resonance and high-field electron
nuclear double resonance spectroscopies. The hyperfine interactions
associated with the 19F nucleus provide unique signatures
of each FnY· that are readily distinguishable
from unlabeled Y·’s. The variability of the abiotic FnY pKa’s
(6.4 to 7.8) and reduction potentials (−30 to +130 mV relative
to Y at pH 7.5) provide probes of enzymatic reactions proposed to
involve Y·’s in catalysis and to investigate the importance
and identity of hopping Y·’s within redox active proteins
proposed to protect them from uncoupled radical chemistry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul H Oyala
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Davis , One Shields Avenue, Davis, California 95616, United States
| | | | | | - Paul A Stucky
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Davis , One Shields Avenue, Davis, California 95616, United States
| | - Troy A Stich
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Davis , One Shields Avenue, Davis, California 95616, United States
| | - Catherine L Drennan
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Massachusetts Institute of Technology , 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - R David Britt
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Davis , One Shields Avenue, Davis, California 95616, United States
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41
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Kasanmascheff M, Lee W, Nick TU, Stubbe J, Bennati M. Radical transfer in E. coli ribonucleotide reductase: a NH 2Y 731/R 411A-α mutant unmasks a new conformation of the pathway residue 731. Chem Sci 2016; 7:2170-2178. [PMID: 29899944 PMCID: PMC5968753 DOI: 10.1039/c5sc03460d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2015] [Accepted: 12/06/2015] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Ribonucleotide reductases (RNRs) catalyze the conversion of ribonucleotides to deoxyribonucleotides in all living organisms. The catalytic cycle of E. coli RNR involves a long-range proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) from a tyrosyl radical (Y122˙) in subunit β2 to a cysteine (C439) in the active site of subunit α2, which subsequently initiates nucleotide reduction. This oxidation occurs over 35 Å and involves a specific pathway of redox active amino acids (Y122 ↔ [W48?] ↔ Y356 in β2 to Y731 ↔ Y730 ↔ C439 in α2). The mechanisms of the PCET steps at the interface of the α2β2 complex remain puzzling due to a lack of structural information for this region. Recently, DFT calculations on the 3-aminotyrosyl radical (NH2Y731˙)-α2 trapped by incubation of NH2Y731-α2/β2/CDP(substrate)/ATP(allosteric effector) suggested that R411-α2, a residue close to the α2β2 interface, interacts with NH2Y731˙ and accounts in part for its perturbed EPR parameters. To examine its role, we further modified NH2Y731-α2 with a R411A substitution. NH2Y731˙/R411A generated upon incubation of NH2Y731/R411A-α2/β2/CDP/ATP was investigated using multi-frequency (34, 94 and 263 GHz) EPR, 34 GHz pulsed electron-electron double resonance (PELDOR) and electron-nuclear double resonance (ENDOR) spectroscopies. The data indicate a large conformational change in NH2Y731˙/R411A relative to the NH2Y731˙ single mutant. Particularly, the inter-spin distance from NH2Y731˙/R411A in one αβ pair to Y122˙ in a second αβ pair decreases by 3 Å in the presence of the R411A mutation. This is the first experimental evidence for the flexibility of pathway residue Y731-α2 in an α2β2 complex and suggests a role for R411 in the stacked Y731/Y730 conformation involved in collinear PCET. Furthermore, NH2Y731˙/R411A serves as a probe of the PCET process across the subunit interface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Müge Kasanmascheff
- Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, 37077 Göttingen, Germany.
- Department of Chemistry, University of Göttingen, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Wankyu Lee
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA.
| | - Thomas U Nick
- Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, 37077 Göttingen, Germany.
| | - JoAnne Stubbe
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA.
| | - Marina Bennati
- Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, 37077 Göttingen, Germany.
- Department of Chemistry, University of Göttingen, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
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42
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Olshansky L, Stubbe J, Nocera DG. Charge-Transfer Dynamics at the α/β Subunit Interface of a Photochemical Ribonucleotide Reductase. J Am Chem Soc 2016; 138:1196-205. [PMID: 26710997 PMCID: PMC4924928 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.5b09259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Ribonucleotide reductase (RNR) catalyzes the conversion of ribonucleotides to deoxyribonucleotides to provide the monomeric building blocks for DNA replication and repair. Nucleotide reduction occurs by way of multistep proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) over a pathway of redox active amino acids spanning ∼35 Å and two subunits (α2 and β2). Despite the fact that PCET in RNR is rapid, slow conformational changes mask examination of the kinetics of these steps. As such, we have pioneered methodology in which site-specific incorporation of a [Re(I)] photooxidant on the surface of the β2 subunit (photoβ2) allows photochemical oxidation of the adjacent PCET pathway residue β-Y356 and time-resolved spectroscopic observation of the ensuing reactivity. A series of photoβ2s capable of performing photoinitiated substrate turnover have been prepared in which four different fluorotyrosines (FnYs) are incorporated in place of β-Y356. The FnYs are deprotonated under biological conditions, undergo oxidation by electron transfer (ET), and provide a means by which to vary the ET driving force (ΔG°) with minimal additional perturbations across the series. We have used these features to map the correlation between ΔG° and kET both with and without the fully assembled photoRNR complex. The photooxidation of FnY356 within the α/β subunit interface occurs within the Marcus inverted region with a reorganization energy of λ ≈ 1 eV. We also observe enhanced electronic coupling between donor and acceptor (HDA) in the presence of an intact PCET pathway. Additionally, we have investigated the dynamics of proton transfer (PT) by a variety of methods including dependencies on solvent isotopic composition, buffer concentration, and pH. We present evidence for the role of α2 in facilitating PT during β-Y356 photooxidation; PT occurs by way of readily exchangeable positions and within a relatively "tight" subunit interface. These findings show that RNR controls ET by lowering λ, raising HDA, and directing PT both within and between individual polypeptide subunits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Olshansky
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, 12 Oxford St., Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, United States
| | - JoAnne Stubbe
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Daniel G. Nocera
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, 12 Oxford St., Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, United States
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43
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Ravichandran KR, Minnihan EC, Wei Y, Nocera DG, Stubbe J. Reverse Electron Transfer Completes the Catalytic Cycle in a 2,3,5-Trifluorotyrosine-Substituted Ribonucleotide Reductase. J Am Chem Soc 2015; 137:14387-95. [PMID: 26492582 PMCID: PMC4678968 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.5b09189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
![]()
Escherichia coli class Ia ribonucleotide reductase
is composed of two subunits (α and β), which form an α2β2
complex that catalyzes the conversion of nucleoside 5′-diphosphates
to deoxynucleotides (dNDPs). β2 contains the essential tyrosyl
radical (Y122•) that generates a thiyl
radical (C439•) in α2 where dNDPs
are made. This oxidation occurs over 35 Å through a pathway of
amino acid radical intermediates (Y122 → [W48] → Y356 in β2 to Y731 → Y730 → C439 in α2).
However, chemistry is preceded by a slow protein conformational change(s)
that prevents observation of these intermediates. 2,3,5-Trifluorotyrosine
site-specifically inserted at position 122 of β2 (F3Y•-β2) perturbs its conformation and the
driving force for radical propagation, while maintaining catalytic
activity (1.7 s–1). Rapid freeze–quench electron
paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy and rapid chemical-quench analysis
of the F3Y•-β2, α2, CDP,
and ATP (effector) reaction show generation of 0.5 equiv of Y356• and 0.5 equiv of dCDP, both at 30 s–1. In the absence of an external reducing system, Y356• reduction occurs concomitant with F3Y reoxidation (0.4 s–1) and subsequent to
oxidation of all α2s. In the presence of a reducing system,
a burst of dCDP (0.4 equiv at 22 s–1) is observed
prior to steady-state turnover (1.7 s–1). The [Y356•] does not change, consistent with rate-limiting
F3Y reoxidation. The data support a mechanism where Y122• is reduced and reoxidized on each turnover
and demonstrate for the first time the ability of a pathway radical
in an active α2β2 complex to complete the catalytic cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Daniel G Nocera
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University , 12 Oxford Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, United States
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44
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Frost JR, Jacob NT, Papa LJ, Owens AE, Fasan R. Ribosomal Synthesis of Macrocyclic Peptides in Vitro and in Vivo Mediated by Genetically Encoded Aminothiol Unnatural Amino Acids. ACS Chem Biol 2015; 10:1805-16. [PMID: 25933125 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.5b00119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
A versatile method for orchestrating the formation of side chain-to-tail cyclic peptides from ribosomally derived polypeptide precursors is reported. Upon ribosomal incorporation into intein-containing precursor proteins, designer unnatural amino acids bearing side chain 1,3- or 1,2-aminothiol functionalities are able to promote the cyclization of a downstream target peptide sequence via a C-terminal ligation/ring contraction mechanism. Using this approach, peptide macrocycles of variable size and composition could be generated in a pH-triggered manner in vitro or directly in living bacterial cells. This methodology furnishes a new platform for the creation and screening of genetically encoded libraries of conformationally constrained peptides. This strategy was applied to identify and isolate a low-micromolar streptavidin binder (KD = 1.1 μM) from a library of cyclic peptides produced in Escherichia coli, thereby illustrating its potential toward aiding the discovery of functional peptide macrocycles.
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Affiliation(s)
- John R. Frost
- Department of Chemistry, University of Rochester, Hutchinson Hall, Rochester, New York 14627, United States
| | - Nicholas T. Jacob
- Department of Chemistry, University of Rochester, Hutchinson Hall, Rochester, New York 14627, United States
| | - Louis J. Papa
- Department of Chemistry, University of Rochester, Hutchinson Hall, Rochester, New York 14627, United States
| | - Andrew E. Owens
- Department of Chemistry, University of Rochester, Hutchinson Hall, Rochester, New York 14627, United States
| | - Rudi Fasan
- Department of Chemistry, University of Rochester, Hutchinson Hall, Rochester, New York 14627, United States
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45
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Livada J, Martinie RJ, Dassama LMK, Krebs C, Bollinger JM, Silakov A. Direct Measurement of the Radical Translocation Distance in the Class I Ribonucleotide Reductase from Chlamydia trachomatis. J Phys Chem B 2015; 119:13777-84. [PMID: 26087051 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.5b04067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Ribonucleotide reductases (RNRs) catalyze conversion of ribonucleotides to deoxyribonucleotides in all organisms via a free-radical mechanism that is essentially conserved. In class I RNRs, the reaction is initiated and terminated by radical translocation (RT) between the α and β subunits. In the class Ic RNR from Chlamydia trachomatis (Ct RNR), the initiating event converts the active S = 1 Mn(IV)/Fe(III) cofactor to the S = 1/2 Mn(III)/Fe(III) "RT-product" form in the β subunit and generates a cysteinyl radical in the α active site. The radical can be trapped via the well-described decomposition reaction of the mechanism-based inactivator, 2'-azido-2'-deoxyuridine-5'-diphosphate, resulting in the generation of a long-lived, nitrogen-centered radical (N(•)) in α. In this work, we have determined the distance between the Mn(III)/Fe(III) cofactor in β and N(•) in α to be 43 ± 1 Å by using double electron-electron resonance experiments. This study provides the first structural data on the Ct RNR holoenzyme complex and the first direct experimental measurement of the inter-subunit RT distance in any class I RNR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jovan Livada
- Departments of †Chemistry and ‡Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University , University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, United States
| | - Ryan J Martinie
- Departments of †Chemistry and ‡Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University , University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, United States
| | - Laura M K Dassama
- Departments of †Chemistry and ‡Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University , University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, United States
| | - Carsten Krebs
- Departments of †Chemistry and ‡Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University , University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, United States
| | - J Martin Bollinger
- Departments of †Chemistry and ‡Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University , University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, United States
| | - Alexey Silakov
- Departments of †Chemistry and ‡Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University , University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, United States
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46
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Yu Y, Lv X, Li J, Zhou Q, Cui C, Hosseinzadeh P, Mukherjee A, Nilges MJ, Wang J, Lu Y. Defining the role of tyrosine and rational tuning of oxidase activity by genetic incorporation of unnatural tyrosine analogs. J Am Chem Soc 2015; 137:4594-7. [PMID: 25672571 PMCID: PMC4676419 DOI: 10.1021/ja5109936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2014] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
While a conserved tyrosine (Tyr) is found in oxidases, the roles of phenol ring pKa and reduction potential in O2 reduction have not been defined despite many years of research on numerous oxidases and their models. These issues represent major challenges in our understanding of O2 reduction mechanism in bioenergetics. Through genetic incorporation of unnatural amino acid analogs of Tyr, with progressively decreasing pKa of the phenol ring and increasing reduction potential, in the active site of a functional model of oxidase in myoglobin, a linear dependence of both the O2 reduction activity and the fraction of H2O formation with the pKa of the phenol ring has been established. By using these unnatural amino acids as spectroscopic probe, we have provided conclusive evidence for the location of a Tyr radical generated during reaction with H2O2, by the distinctive hyperfine splitting patterns of the halogenated tyrosines and one of its deuterated derivatives incorporated at the 33 position of the protein. These results demonstrate for the first time that enhancing the proton donation ability of the Tyr enhances the oxidase activity, allowing the Tyr analogs to augment enzymatic activity beyond that of natural Tyr.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Yu
- Center of Biophysics and Computational Biology, Department of Chemistry, Department of Biochemistry, Illinois EPR Research
Center, University of Illinois at Urbana−Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Xiaoxuan Lv
- Laboratory
of Non-Coding RNA, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, P. R. China
- University of Chinese
Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, P. R. China
| | - Jiasong Li
- Laboratory
of Non-Coding RNA, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, P. R. China
- University of Chinese
Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, P. R. China
| | - Qing Zhou
- Laboratory
of Non-Coding RNA, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, P. R. China
- University of Chinese
Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, P. R. China
| | - Chang Cui
- Center of Biophysics and Computational Biology, Department of Chemistry, Department of Biochemistry, Illinois EPR Research
Center, University of Illinois at Urbana−Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Parisa Hosseinzadeh
- Center of Biophysics and Computational Biology, Department of Chemistry, Department of Biochemistry, Illinois EPR Research
Center, University of Illinois at Urbana−Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Arnab Mukherjee
- Center of Biophysics and Computational Biology, Department of Chemistry, Department of Biochemistry, Illinois EPR Research
Center, University of Illinois at Urbana−Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Mark J. Nilges
- Center of Biophysics and Computational Biology, Department of Chemistry, Department of Biochemistry, Illinois EPR Research
Center, University of Illinois at Urbana−Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Jiangyun Wang
- Laboratory
of Non-Coding RNA, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, P. R. China
- University of Chinese
Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, P. R. China
| | - Yi Lu
- Center of Biophysics and Computational Biology, Department of Chemistry, Department of Biochemistry, Illinois EPR Research
Center, University of Illinois at Urbana−Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
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47
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Yang Y, Zhou Q, Wang L, Liu X, Zhang W, Hu M, Dong J, Li J, Xiaoxuan L, Ouyang H, Li H, Gao F, Gong W, Lu Y, Wang J. Significant Improvement of Oxidase Activity through the Genetic Incorporation of a Redox-active Unnatural Amino Acid. Chem Sci 2015; 6:3881-3885. [PMID: 26417427 PMCID: PMC4583198 DOI: 10.1039/c5sc01126d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2015] [Accepted: 04/13/2015] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Incorporation of 3-methoxytyrosine boosts the oxidase activity of the myoglobin model of oxidase, stressing the importance of the redox potential tuning of tyrosine.
While nature employs various covalent and non-covalent strategies to modulate tyrosine (Y) redox potential and pKa in order to optimize enzyme activities, such approaches have not been systematically applied for the design of functional metalloproteins. Through the genetic incorporation of 3-methoxytyrosine (OMeY) into myoglobin, we replicated important features of cytochrome c oxidase (CcO) in this small soluble protein, which exhibits selective O2 reduction activity while generating a small amount of reactive oxygen species (ROS). These results demonstrate that the electron donating ability of a tyrosine residue in the active site is important for CcO function. Moreover, we elucidated the structural basis for the genetic incorporation of OMeY into proteins by solving the X-ray structure of OMeY specific aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase complexed with OMeY.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Yang
- Center of Biophysics and Computational Biology and Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, 61801, USA
| | - Qing Zhou
- Laboratory of RNA Biology, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 15 Datun Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Li Wang
- School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230026, China ; Laboratory of RNA Biology, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 15 Datun Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Xiaohong Liu
- Laboratory of RNA Biology, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 15 Datun Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- Laboratory of RNA Biology, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 15 Datun Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Meirong Hu
- Laboratory of RNA Biology, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 15 Datun Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Jianshu Dong
- Laboratory of RNA Biology, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 15 Datun Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Jiasong Li
- School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230026, China ; Laboratory of RNA Biology, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 15 Datun Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Lv Xiaoxuan
- Laboratory of RNA Biology, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 15 Datun Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Hanlin Ouyang
- Center of Biophysics and Computational Biology and Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, 61801, USA
| | - Han Li
- Laboratory of RNA Biology, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 15 Datun Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Feng Gao
- Laboratory of RNA Biology, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 15 Datun Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Weimin Gong
- Laboratory of RNA Biology, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 15 Datun Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Yi Lu
- Center of Biophysics and Computational Biology and Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, 61801, USA
| | - Jiangyun Wang
- Laboratory of RNA Biology, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 15 Datun Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, China
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48
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Nick T, Lee W, Koßmann S, Neese F, Stubbe J, Bennati M. Hydrogen bond network between amino acid radical intermediates on the proton-coupled electron transfer pathway of E. coli α2 ribonucleotide reductase. J Am Chem Soc 2015; 137:289-98. [PMID: 25516424 PMCID: PMC4304443 DOI: 10.1021/ja510513z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2014] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Ribonucleotide reductases (RNRs) catalyze the conversion of ribonucleotides to deoxyribonucleotides in all organisms. In all Class Ia RNRs, initiation of nucleotide diphosphate (NDP) reduction requires a reversible oxidation over 35 Å by a tyrosyl radical (Y122•, Escherichia coli) in subunit β of a cysteine (C439) in the active site of subunit α. This radical transfer (RT) occurs by a specific pathway involving redox active tyrosines (Y122 ⇆ Y356 in β to Y731 ⇆ Y730 ⇆ C439 in α); each oxidation necessitates loss of a proton coupled to loss of an electron (PCET). To study these steps, 3-aminotyrosine was site-specifically incorporated in place of Y356-β, Y731- and Y730-α, and each protein was incubated with the appropriate second subunit β(α), CDP and effector ATP to trap an amino tyrosyl radical (NH2Y•) in the active α2β2 complex. High-frequency (263 GHz) pulse electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) of the NH2Y•s reported the gx values with unprecedented resolution and revealed strong electrostatic effects caused by the protein environment. (2)H electron-nuclear double resonance (ENDOR) spectroscopy accompanied by quantum chemical calculations provided spectroscopic evidence for hydrogen bond interactions at the radical sites, i.e., two exchangeable H bonds to NH2Y730•, one to NH2Y731• and none to NH2Y356•. Similar experiments with double mutants α-NH2Y730/C439A and α-NH2Y731/Y730F allowed assignment of the H bonding partner(s) to a pathway residue(s) providing direct evidence for colinear PCET within α. The implications of these observations for the PCET process within α and at the interface are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas
U. Nick
- Max
Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Wankyu Lee
- Department
of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of
Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Simone Koßmann
- Max
Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion, 45470 Mülheim an der Ruhr, Germany
| | - Frank Neese
- Max
Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion, 45470 Mülheim an der Ruhr, Germany
| | - JoAnne Stubbe
- Department
of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of
Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Marina Bennati
- Max
Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Göttingen, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
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49
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Dumas A, Lercher L, Spicer CD, Davis BG. Designing logical codon reassignment - Expanding the chemistry in biology. Chem Sci 2015; 6:50-69. [PMID: 28553457 PMCID: PMC5424465 DOI: 10.1039/c4sc01534g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 327] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2014] [Accepted: 07/14/2014] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the last decade, the ability to genetically encode unnatural amino acids (UAAs) has evolved rapidly. The programmed incorporation of UAAs into recombinant proteins relies on the reassignment or suppression of canonical codons with an amino-acyl tRNA synthetase/tRNA (aaRS/tRNA) pair, selective for the UAA of choice. In order to achieve selective incorporation, the aaRS should be selective for the designed tRNA and UAA over the endogenous amino acids and tRNAs. Enhanced selectivity has been achieved by transferring an aaRS/tRNA pair from another kingdom to the organism of interest, and subsequent aaRS evolution to acquire enhanced selectivity for the desired UAA. Today, over 150 non-canonical amino acids have been incorporated using such methods. This enables the introduction of a large variety of structures into proteins, in organisms ranging from prokaryote, yeast and mammalian cells lines to whole animals, enabling the study of protein function at a level that could not previously be achieved. While most research to date has focused on the suppression of 'non-sense' codons, recent developments are beginning to open up the possibility of quadruplet codon decoding and the more selective reassignment of sense codons, offering a potentially powerful tool for incorporating multiple amino acids. Here, we aim to provide a focused review of methods for UAA incorporation with an emphasis in particular on the different tRNA synthetase/tRNA pairs exploited or developed, focusing upon the different UAA structures that have been incorporated and the logic behind the design and future creation of such systems. Our hope is that this will help rationalize the design of systems for incorporation of unexplored unnatural amino acids, as well as novel applications for those already known.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anaëlle Dumas
- Chemistry Research Laboratory , Department of Chemistry , University of Oxford , Mansfield Road , Oxford , OX1 3TA , UK .
| | - Lukas Lercher
- Chemistry Research Laboratory , Department of Chemistry , University of Oxford , Mansfield Road , Oxford , OX1 3TA , UK .
| | - Christopher D Spicer
- Chemistry Research Laboratory , Department of Chemistry , University of Oxford , Mansfield Road , Oxford , OX1 3TA , UK .
| | - Benjamin G Davis
- Chemistry Research Laboratory , Department of Chemistry , University of Oxford , Mansfield Road , Oxford , OX1 3TA , UK .
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50
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Olshansky L, Pizano AA, Wei Y, Stubbe J, Nocera DG. Kinetics of hydrogen atom abstraction from substrate by an active site thiyl radical in ribonucleotide reductase. J Am Chem Soc 2014; 136:16210-6. [PMID: 25353063 PMCID: PMC4244835 DOI: 10.1021/ja507313w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
![]()
Ribonucleotide
reductases (RNRs) catalyze the conversion of nucleotides
to deoxynucleotides in all organisms. Active E. coli class Ia RNR is an α2β2 complex
that undergoes reversible, long-range proton-coupled electron transfer
(PCET) over a pathway of redox active amino acids (β-Y122 → [β-W48] → β-Y356 → α-Y731 → α-Y730 → α-C439) that spans ∼35 Å.
To unmask PCET kinetics from rate-limiting conformational changes,
we prepared a photochemical RNR containing a [ReI] photooxidant
site-specifically incorporated at position 355 ([Re]-β2), adjacent to PCET pathway residue Y356 in β. [Re]-β2 was further modified by replacing Y356 with 2,3,5-trifluorotyrosine
to enable photochemical generation and spectroscopic observation of
chemically competent tyrosyl radical(s). Using transient absorption
spectroscopy, we compare the kinetics of Y· decay in the presence
of substrate and wt-α2, Y731F-α2 ,or C439S-α2, as well as with
3′-[2H]-substrate and wt-α2. We
find that only in the presence of wt-α2 and the unlabeled
substrate do we observe an enhanced rate of radical decay indicative
of forward radical propagation. This observation reveals that cleavage
of the 3′-C–H bond of substrate by the transiently formed
C439· thiyl radical is rate-limiting in forward PCET
through α and has allowed calculation of a lower bound for the
rate constant associated with this step of (1.4 ± 0.4) ×
104 s–1. Prompting radical propagation
with light has enabled observation of PCET events heretofore inaccessible,
revealing active site chemistry at the heart of RNR catalysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Olshansky
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University , 12 Oxford Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, United States
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