1
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Wu J, Chu T, Hao J, Lin L. SpSrtA-Catalyzed Isopeptide Ligation on Lysine Residues. Microorganisms 2024; 12:179. [PMID: 38258005 PMCID: PMC10818881 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12010179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2023] [Revised: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Sortase-mediated ligation (SML) is widely used for protein bioconjugation. However, the sortase used in this strategy typically recognizes only the N-terminal oligoglycine, which is absent in most natural proteins. To broaden the spectrum of substrates compatible with SML, we focus on a novel sortase, sortase A from Streptococcus pneumoniae (SpSrtA), known for its expanded substrate specificity (N-terminal glycine, alanine, and serine). We present the first evidence showing that the reported SpSrtA mutant (SpSrtA*) can modify lysine residues in itself and other proteins. The modification sites of SpSrtA* were identified through LC-MS/MS analysis. Moreover, we discovered an optimal lysine-containing peptide tag by fusing it onto sfGFP, resulting in a labeling efficiency of 57%. Inspired by this, we applied the method to modify proteins on microorganism surfaces up to 13.5-fold. To enhance labeling efficiency, we fused the SpSrtA* onto a surface protein and achieved a 2.64-fold improvement. We further developed a high-throughput yeast display screening method for the directed evolution of SpSrtA*, achieving a 10-fold improvement in the labeling efficiency of this surface protein. Our study provides a novel strategy for modifying the lysine residues that will be a powerful addition to the protein bioconjugation toolbox.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiajia Wu
- Department of Chemistry, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Tianyu Chu
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Jian Hao
- Department of Chemistry, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China
| | - Liang Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China
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2
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Radley E, Davidson J, Foster J, Obexer R, Bell EL, Green AP. Engineering Enzymes for Environmental Sustainability. ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2023; 135:e202309305. [PMID: 38516574 PMCID: PMC10952289 DOI: 10.1002/ange.202309305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2024]
Abstract
The development and implementation of sustainable catalytic technologies is key to delivering our net-zero targets. Here we review how engineered enzymes, with a focus on those developed using directed evolution, can be deployed to improve the sustainability of numerous processes and help to conserve our environment. Efficient and robust biocatalysts have been engineered to capture carbon dioxide (CO2) and have been embedded into new efficient metabolic CO2 fixation pathways. Enzymes have been refined for bioremediation, enhancing their ability to degrade toxic and harmful pollutants. Biocatalytic recycling is gaining momentum, with engineered cutinases and PETases developed for the depolymerization of the abundant plastic, polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Finally, biocatalytic approaches for accessing petroleum-based feedstocks and chemicals are expanding, using optimized enzymes to convert plant biomass into biofuels or other high value products. Through these examples, we hope to illustrate how enzyme engineering and biocatalysis can contribute to the development of cleaner and more efficient chemical industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Radley
- Department of Chemistry & Manchester Institute of Biotechnology The University of Manchester 131 Princess Street Manchester M1 7DN UK
| | - John Davidson
- Department of Chemistry & Manchester Institute of Biotechnology The University of Manchester 131 Princess Street Manchester M1 7DN UK
| | - Jake Foster
- Department of Chemistry & Manchester Institute of Biotechnology The University of Manchester 131 Princess Street Manchester M1 7DN UK
| | - Richard Obexer
- Department of Chemistry & Manchester Institute of Biotechnology The University of Manchester 131 Princess Street Manchester M1 7DN UK
| | - Elizabeth L Bell
- Renewable Resources and Enabling Sciences Center National Renewable Energy Laboratory Golden CO USA
- BOTTLE Consortium Golden CO USA
| | - Anthony P Green
- Department of Chemistry & Manchester Institute of Biotechnology The University of Manchester 131 Princess Street Manchester M1 7DN UK
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3
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Radley E, Davidson J, Foster J, Obexer R, Bell EL, Green AP. Engineering Enzymes for Environmental Sustainability. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2023; 62:e202309305. [PMID: 37651344 PMCID: PMC10952156 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202309305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Revised: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
The development and implementation of sustainable catalytic technologies is key to delivering our net-zero targets. Here we review how engineered enzymes, with a focus on those developed using directed evolution, can be deployed to improve the sustainability of numerous processes and help to conserve our environment. Efficient and robust biocatalysts have been engineered to capture carbon dioxide (CO2 ) and have been embedded into new efficient metabolic CO2 fixation pathways. Enzymes have been refined for bioremediation, enhancing their ability to degrade toxic and harmful pollutants. Biocatalytic recycling is gaining momentum, with engineered cutinases and PETases developed for the depolymerization of the abundant plastic, polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Finally, biocatalytic approaches for accessing petroleum-based feedstocks and chemicals are expanding, using optimized enzymes to convert plant biomass into biofuels or other high value products. Through these examples, we hope to illustrate how enzyme engineering and biocatalysis can contribute to the development of cleaner and more efficient chemical industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Radley
- Department of Chemistry & Manchester Institute of BiotechnologyThe University of Manchester131 Princess StreetManchesterM1 7DNUK
| | - John Davidson
- Department of Chemistry & Manchester Institute of BiotechnologyThe University of Manchester131 Princess StreetManchesterM1 7DNUK
| | - Jake Foster
- Department of Chemistry & Manchester Institute of BiotechnologyThe University of Manchester131 Princess StreetManchesterM1 7DNUK
| | - Richard Obexer
- Department of Chemistry & Manchester Institute of BiotechnologyThe University of Manchester131 Princess StreetManchesterM1 7DNUK
| | - Elizabeth L. Bell
- Renewable Resources and Enabling Sciences CenterNational Renewable Energy LaboratoryGoldenCOUSA
- BOTTLE ConsortiumGoldenCOUSA
| | - Anthony P. Green
- Department of Chemistry & Manchester Institute of BiotechnologyThe University of Manchester131 Princess StreetManchesterM1 7DNUK
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4
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Huang KH, Morato NM, Feng Y, Cooks RG. High-Throughput Diversification of Complex Bioactive Molecules by Accelerated Synthesis in Microdroplets. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2023; 62:e202300956. [PMID: 36941213 PMCID: PMC10182919 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202300956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Revised: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2023]
Abstract
Late-stage diversification of drug molecules is an important strategy in drug discovery that can be facilitated by reaction screening using high-throughput experimentation. Here we present a rapid method for functionalizing bioactive molecules based on accelerated reactions in microdroplets. Reaction mixtures are nebulized at throughputs better than 1 reaction/second and the accelerated reactions occurring in the microdroplets are followed by desorption electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (DESI-MS). Because the accelerated reactions occur on the millisecond timescale, they allow an overall screening throughput of 1 Hz working at the low nanogram scale. Using this approach, an opioid agonist (PZM21) and an antagonist (naloxone) were diversified using three reactions important in medicinal chemistry: sulfur fluoride exchange (SuFEx) click reactions, imine formation reactions, and ene-type click reactions. Some 269 functionalized analogs of naloxone and PZM21 were generated and characterized by tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) after screening over 500 reactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai-Hung Huang
- Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Nicolás M Morato
- Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Yunfei Feng
- Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - R Graham Cooks
- Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
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5
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Jiang J, Yang G, Ma F. Fluorescence coupling strategies in fluorescence-activated droplet sorting (FADS) for ultrahigh-throughput screening of enzymes, metabolites, and antibodies. Biotechnol Adv 2023; 66:108173. [PMID: 37169102 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2023.108173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Revised: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Fluorescence-activated droplet sorting (FADS) has emerged as a powerful tool for ultrahigh-throughput screening of enzymes, metabolites, and antibodies. Fluorescence coupling strategies (FCSs) are key to the development of new FADS methods through their coupling of analyte properties such as concentration, activities, and affinity with fluorescence signals. Over the last decade, a series of FCSs have been developed, greatly expanding applications of FADS. Here, we review recent advances in FCS for different analyte types, providing a critical comparison of the available FCSs and further classification into four categories according to their principles. We also summarize successful FADS applications employing FCSs in enzymes, metabolites, and antibodies. Further, we outline possible future developments in this area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingjie Jiang
- Medical Enzyme Engineering Center, CAS Key Lab of Bio-Medical Diagnostics, Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215163, China
| | - Guangyu Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic and Developmental Sciences, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China.
| | - Fuqiang Ma
- Medical Enzyme Engineering Center, CAS Key Lab of Bio-Medical Diagnostics, Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215163, China.
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6
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Zhou S, Fatma Z, Xue P, Mishra S, Cao M, Zhao H, Sweedler JV. Mass Spectrometry-Based High-Throughput Quantification of Bioproducts in Liquid Culture. Anal Chem 2023; 95:4067-4076. [PMID: 36790390 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.2c04845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/16/2023]
Abstract
To meet the ever-increasing need for high-throughput screening in metabolic engineering, information-rich, fast screening methods are needed. Mass spectrometry (MS) provides an efficient and general approach for metabolite screening and offers the capability of characterizing a broad range of analytes in a label-free manner, but often requires a range of sample clean-up and extraction steps. Liquid extraction surface analysis (LESA) coupled MS is an image-guided MS surface analysis approach that directly samples and introduces metabolites from a surface to MS. Here, we combined the advantages of LESA-MS and an acoustic liquid handler with stable isotope-labeled internal standards. This approach provides absolute quantitation of target chemicals from liquid culture-dried droplets and enables high-throughput quantitative screening for microbial metabolites. In this study, LESA-MS was successfully applied to quantify several different metabolites (itaconic acid, triacetic acid lactone, and palmitic acid) from different yeast strains in different mediums, demonstrating its versatility, accuracy, and efficiency across a range of microbial engineering applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuaizhen Zhou
- Department of Energy Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Zia Fatma
- Department of Energy Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Pu Xue
- Department of Energy Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Shekhar Mishra
- Department of Energy Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Mingfeng Cao
- Department of Energy Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Huimin Zhao
- Department of Energy Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, 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.,Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Jonathan V Sweedler
- Department of Energy Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
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7
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Sellés Vidal L, Isalan M, Heap JT, Ledesma-Amaro R. A primer to directed evolution: current methodologies and future directions. RSC Chem Biol 2023; 4:271-291. [PMID: 37034405 PMCID: PMC10074555 DOI: 10.1039/d2cb00231k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
This review summarises the methods available for directed evolution, including mutagenesis and variant selection techniques. The advantages and disadvantages of each technique are presented, and future challenges in the field are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lara Sellés Vidal
- Imperial College Centre for Synthetic Biology, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Mark Isalan
- Imperial College Centre for Synthetic Biology, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - John T. Heap
- Imperial College Centre for Synthetic Biology, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
- School of Life Sciences, The University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK
| | - Rodrigo Ledesma-Amaro
- Imperial College Centre for Synthetic Biology, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
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8
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Zabed HM, Akter S, Rupani PF, Akor J, Zhang Y, Zhao M, Zhang C, Ragauskas AJ, Qi X. Biocatalytic gateway to convert glycerol into 3-hydroxypropionic acid in waste-based biorefineries: Fundamentals, limitations, and potential research strategies. Biotechnol Adv 2023; 62:108075. [PMID: 36502965 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2022.108075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2022] [Revised: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Microbial conversion of bioenergy-derived waste glycerol into value-added chemicals has emerged as an important bioprocessing technology due to its eco-friendliness, feasible technoeconomics, and potential to provide sustainability in biodiesel and bioethanol production. Glycerol is an abundant liquid waste from bioenergy plants with a projected volume of 6 million tons by 2025, accounting for about 10% of biodiesel and 2.5% of bioethanol yields. 3-Hydroxypropionic acid (3-HP) is a major product of glycerol bioconversion, which is the third largest biobased platform compound with expected market size and value of 3.6 million tons/year and USD 10 billion/year, respectively. Despite these biorefinery values, 3-HP biosynthesis from glycerol is still at an immature stage of commercial exploitation. The main challenges behind this immaturity are the toxic effects of 3-HPA on cells, the distribution of carbon flux to undesirable pathways, low tolerance of cells to glycerol and 3-HP, co-factor dependence of enzymes, low enzyme activity and stability, and the problems of substrate inhibition and specificity of enzymes. To address these challenges, it is necessary to understand the fundamentals of glycerol bioconversion and 3-HP production in terms of metabolic pathways, related enzymes, cell factories, midstream process configurations, and downstream 3-HP recovery, as discussed in this review critically and comprehensively. It is equally important to know the current challenges and limitations in 3-HP production, which are discussed in detail along with recent research efforts and remaining gaps. Finally, possible research strategies are outlined considering the recent technological advances in microbial biosynthesis, aiming to attract further research efforts to achieve a sustainable and industrially exploitable 3-HP production technology. By discussing the use of advanced tools and strategies to overcome the existing challenges in 3-HP biosynthesis, this review will attract researchers from many other similar biosynthesis technologies and provide a common gateway for their further development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hossain M Zabed
- School of Food & Biological Engineering, Jiangsu University, 301 Xuefu Road, Zhenjiang 212013, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Suely Akter
- School of Food & Biological Engineering, Jiangsu University, 301 Xuefu Road, Zhenjiang 212013, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Parveen Fatemah Rupani
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Ku Luven, Jan De Nayerlaan 5, 2860 Sint-Katelijne-Waver, Belgium
| | - Joseph Akor
- School of Food & Biological Engineering, Jiangsu University, 301 Xuefu Road, Zhenjiang 212013, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Yufei Zhang
- School of Food & Biological Engineering, Jiangsu University, 301 Xuefu Road, Zhenjiang 212013, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Mei Zhao
- School of Food & Biological Engineering, Jiangsu University, 301 Xuefu Road, Zhenjiang 212013, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Cunsheng Zhang
- School of Food & Biological Engineering, Jiangsu University, 301 Xuefu Road, Zhenjiang 212013, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Arthur J Ragauskas
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Tennessee Knoxville, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA; Department of Forestry, Wildlife, and Fisheries, Center for Renewable Carbon, The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA; UTK-ORNL Joint Institute for Biological Science, Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA.
| | - Xianghui Qi
- School of Food & Biological Engineering, Jiangsu University, 301 Xuefu Road, Zhenjiang 212013, Jiangsu Province, China; School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510,006, Guangdong Province, China.
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9
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Ramos De Dios SM, Tiwari VK, McCune CD, Dhokale RA, Berkowitz DB. Biomacromolecule-Assisted Screening for Reaction Discovery and Catalyst Optimization. Chem Rev 2022; 122:13800-13880. [PMID: 35904776 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.2c00213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Reaction discovery and catalyst screening lie at the heart of synthetic organic chemistry. While there are efforts at de novo catalyst design using computation/artificial intelligence, at its core, synthetic chemistry is an experimental science. This review overviews biomacromolecule-assisted screening methods and the follow-on elaboration of chemistry so discovered. All three types of biomacromolecules discussed─enzymes, antibodies, and nucleic acids─have been used as "sensors" to provide a readout on product chirality exploiting their native chirality. Enzymatic sensing methods yield both UV-spectrophotometric and visible, colorimetric readouts. Antibody sensors provide direct fluorescent readout upon analyte binding in some cases or provide for cat-ELISA (Enzyme-Linked ImmunoSorbent Assay)-type readouts. DNA biomacromolecule-assisted screening allows for templation to facilitate reaction discovery, driving bimolecular reactions into a pseudo-unimolecular format. In addition, the ability to use DNA-encoded libraries permits the barcoding of reactants. All three types of biomacromolecule-based screens afford high sensitivity and selectivity. Among the chemical transformations discovered by enzymatic screening methods are the first Ni(0)-mediated asymmetric allylic amination and a new thiocyanopalladation/carbocyclization transformation in which both C-SCN and C-C bonds are fashioned sequentially. Cat-ELISA screening has identified new classes of sydnone-alkyne cycloadditions, and DNA-encoded screening has been exploited to uncover interesting oxidative Pd-mediated amido-alkyne/alkene coupling reactions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Virendra K Tiwari
- Department of Chemistry, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska 68588, United States
| | - Christopher D McCune
- Department of Chemistry, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska 68588, United States
| | - Ranjeet A Dhokale
- Higuchi Biosciences Center, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas 66047, United States
| | - David B Berkowitz
- Department of Chemistry, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska 68588, United States
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10
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Zhang S, Zhu J, Fan S, Xie W, Yang Z, Si T. Directed evolution of a cyclodipeptide synthase with new activities via label-free mass spectrometric screening. Chem Sci 2022; 13:7581-7586. [PMID: 35872818 PMCID: PMC9241961 DOI: 10.1039/d2sc01637k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Accepted: 06/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Directed evolution is a powerful approach to engineer enzymes via iterative creation and screening of variant libraries. However, assay development for high-throughput mutant screening remains challenging, particularly for new catalytic activities. Mass spectrometry (MS) analysis is label-free and well suited for untargeted discovery of new enzyme products but is traditionally limited by slow speed. Here we report an automated workflow for directed evolution of new enzymatic activities via high-throughput library creation and label-free MS screening. For a proof of concept, we chose to engineer a cyclodipeptide synthase (CDPS) that synthesizes diketopiperazine (DKP) compounds with therapeutic potential. In recombinant Escherichia coli, site-saturation mutagenesis (SSM) and error-prone PCR (epPCR) libraries expressing CDPS mutants were automatically created and cultivated on an integrated work cell. Culture supernatants were then robotically processed for matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-ToF) MS analysis at a rate of 5 s per sample. The resulting mass spectral data were processed via custom computational algorithms, which performed a multivariant analysis of 108 theoretical mass-to-charge (m/z) values of 190 possible DKP molecules within a mass window of 115–373 Da. An F186L CDPS mutant was isolated to produce cyclo(l-Phe–l-Val), which is undetectable in the product profile of the wild-type enzyme. This robotic, label-free MS screening approach may be generally applicable to engineering other enzymes with new activities in high throughput. A robotic workflow for directed evolution of new enzymatic activities via high-throughput library creation and label-free MS screening.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Songya Zhang
- CAS Key Lib Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Shenzhen 518055 China
| | - Jing Zhu
- CAS Key Lib Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Shenzhen 518055 China
| | - Shuai Fan
- The Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College Beijing 1000050 China
| | - Wenhao Xie
- CAS Key Lib Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Shenzhen 518055 China
| | - Zhaoyong Yang
- The Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College Beijing 1000050 China
| | - Tong Si
- CAS Key Lib Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Shenzhen 518055 China
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11
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Towards one sample per second for mass spectrometric screening of engineered microbial strains. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2022; 76:102725. [PMID: 35489307 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2022.102725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2021] [Revised: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 03/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Microbial cell factories convert renewable feedstocks into desirable chemicals and materials. Due to the lack of predictive modeling, high-throughput screening remains essential for microbial strain engineering. Mass spectrometry (MS) is a label-free modality with superior sensitivity and chemical specificity. Critical advances in improving the throughput of MS assays on complex microbial samples include massively parallel cultivation, robotic sample preparation, and chromatography-free instrumentation. Here, we review the recent development and application of rapid MS assays in screening microbial libraries, achieving or approaching a rate of one sample per second. We conclude with unique challenges associated with MS screening of strain libraries and discuss future solutions.
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12
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Yang A, Tao H, Szymczak LC, Lin L, Song J, Wang Y, Bai S, Modica J, Huang SY, Mrksich M, Feng X. Efficient Enzymatic Incorporation of Dehydroalanine Based on SAMDI-Assisted Identification of Optimized Tags for OspF/SpvC. ACS Chem Biol 2022; 17:414-425. [PMID: 35129954 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.1c00866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Site-specific modification of proteins has important applications in biological research and drug development. Reactive tags such as azide, alkyne, and tetrazine have been used extensively to achieve the abovementioned goal. However, bulky side-chain "ligation scars" are often left after the labeling and may hinder the biological application of such engineered protein products. Conjugation chemistry via dehydroalanine (Dha) may provide an opportunity for "traceless" ligation because the activated alkene moiety on Dha can then serve as an electrophile to react with radicalophile, thiol/amine nucleophile, and reactive phosphine probe to introduce a minimal linker in the protein post-translational modifications. In this report, we present a mild and highly efficient enzymatic approach to incorporate Dha with phosphothreonine/serine lyases, OspF and SpvC. These lyases originally catalyze an irreversible elimination reaction that converts a doubly phosphorylated substrate with phosphothreonine (pT) or phosphoserine (pS) to dehydrobutyrine (Dhb) or Dha. To generate a simple monophosphorylated tag for these lyases, we conducted a systematic approach to profile the substrate specificity of OspF and SpvC using peptide arrays and self-assembled monolayers for matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry. The optimized tag, [F/Y/W]-pT/pS-[F/Y/W] (where [F/Y/W] indicates an aromatic residue), results in a ∼10-fold enhancement of the overall peptide labeling efficiency via Dha chemistry and enables the first demonstration of protein labeling as well as live cell labeling with a minimal ligation linker via enzyme-mediated incorporation of Dha.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anming Yang
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Nanomedicine, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, and Department of Chemistry, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, China
| | - Huanyu Tao
- School of Physics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, China
| | - Lindsey C. Szymczak
- Departments of Chemistry and Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Liang Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Bio-organic and Natural Products Chemistry, Center for Excellence in Molecular Synthesis, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Junfeng Song
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Nanomedicine, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, and Department of Chemistry, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, China
| | - Yi Wang
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Nanomedicine, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, and Department of Chemistry, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, China
| | - Silei Bai
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Nanomedicine, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, and Department of Chemistry, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, China
| | - Justin Modica
- Departments of Chemistry and Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Sheng-You Huang
- School of Physics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, China
| | - Milan Mrksich
- Departments of Chemistry and Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Xinxin Feng
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Nanomedicine, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, and Department of Chemistry, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, China
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13
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Robinson SL, Piel J, Sunagawa S. A roadmap for metagenomic enzyme discovery. Nat Prod Rep 2021; 38:1994-2023. [PMID: 34821235 PMCID: PMC8597712 DOI: 10.1039/d1np00006c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Covering: up to 2021Metagenomics has yielded massive amounts of sequencing data offering a glimpse into the biosynthetic potential of the uncultivated microbial majority. While genome-resolved information about microbial communities from nearly every environment on earth is now available, the ability to accurately predict biocatalytic functions directly from sequencing data remains challenging. Compared to primary metabolic pathways, enzymes involved in secondary metabolism often catalyze specialized reactions with diverse substrates, making these pathways rich resources for the discovery of new enzymology. To date, functional insights gained from studies on environmental DNA (eDNA) have largely relied on PCR- or activity-based screening of eDNA fragments cloned in fosmid or cosmid libraries. As an alternative, shotgun metagenomics holds underexplored potential for the discovery of new enzymes directly from eDNA by avoiding common biases introduced through PCR- or activity-guided functional metagenomics workflows. However, inferring new enzyme functions directly from eDNA is similar to searching for a 'needle in a haystack' without direct links between genotype and phenotype. The goal of this review is to provide a roadmap to navigate shotgun metagenomic sequencing data and identify new candidate biosynthetic enzymes. We cover both computational and experimental strategies to mine metagenomes and explore protein sequence space with a spotlight on natural product biosynthesis. Specifically, we compare in silico methods for enzyme discovery including phylogenetics, sequence similarity networks, genomic context, 3D structure-based approaches, and machine learning techniques. We also discuss various experimental strategies to test computational predictions including heterologous expression and screening. Finally, we provide an outlook for future directions in the field with an emphasis on meta-omics, single-cell genomics, cell-free expression systems, and sequence-independent methods.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jörn Piel
- Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule (ETH), Zürich, Switzerland.
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14
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Morato NM, Le MT, Holden DT, Graham Cooks R. Automated High-Throughput System Combining Small-Scale Synthesis with Bioassays and Reaction Screening. SLAS Technol 2021; 26:555-571. [PMID: 34697962 DOI: 10.1177/24726303211047839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
The Purdue Make It system is a unique automated platform capable of small-scale in situ synthesis, screening small-molecule reactions, and performing direct label-free bioassays. The platform is based on desorption electrospray ionization (DESI), an ambient ionization method that allows for minimal sample workup and is capable of accelerating reactions in secondary droplets, thus conferring unique advantages compared with other high-throughput screening technologies. By combining DESI with liquid handling robotics, the system achieves throughputs of more than 1 sample/s, handling up to 6144 samples in a single run. As little as 100 fmol/spot of analyte is required to perform both initial analysis by mass spectrometry (MS) and further MSn structural characterization. The data obtained are processed using custom software so that results are easily visualized as interactive heatmaps of reaction plates based on the peak intensities of m/z values of interest. In this paper, we review the system's capabilities as described in previous publications and demonstrate its utilization in two new high-throughput campaigns: (1) the screening of 188 unique combinatorial reactions (24 reaction types, 188 unique reaction mixtures) to determine reactivity trends and (2) label-free studies of the nicotinamide N-methyltransferase enzyme directly from the bioassay buffer. The system's versatility holds promise for several future directions, including the collection of secondary droplets containing the products from successful reaction screening measurements, the development of machine learning algorithms using data collected from compound library screening, and the adaption of a variety of relevant bioassays to high-throughput MS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolás M Morato
- Department of Chemistry and Center for Analytical Instrumentation Development, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - MyPhuong T Le
- Department of Chemistry and Center for Analytical Instrumentation Development, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Dylan T Holden
- Department of Chemistry and Center for Analytical Instrumentation Development, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - R Graham Cooks
- Department of Chemistry and Center for Analytical Instrumentation Development, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
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15
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Dominique NL, Strausser SL, Olson JE, Boggess WC, Jenkins DM, Camden JP. Probing N-Heterocyclic Carbene Surfaces with Laser Desorption Ionization Mass Spectrometry. Anal Chem 2021; 93:13534-13538. [PMID: 34582180 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.1c02401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The proliferation of N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on gold surfaces stems from their exceptional stability compared to conventional thiol-SAMs. The prospect of biological applications for NHC-SAMs on gold shows the need for biocompatible techniques (e.g., large biomolecule detection and high throughput) that assesses SAM molecular composition. Herein, we demonstrate that laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry (LDI-MS) is a powerful and facile probe of NHC surface chemistry. LDI-MS of prototypical imidazole-NHC- and benzimidazole-NHC-functionalized AuNPs yields exclusively [NHC2Au]+ ions and not larger gold clusters. Employing benzimidazole-NHC isotopologues, we explore how monolayers pack on a single AuNP and the lability of the NHCs once ligated. Quantitative analysis of the homoleptic and heteroleptic [NHC2Au]+ ions is performed by comparing to a binomial model representative of a randomized monolayer. Lastly, the reduction of nitro-NHC-AuNPs to amine-NHC-AuNPs is tracked via LDI-MS signals, illustrating the ability of LDI-MS to probe postsynthetic modifications of the anchored NHCs, which is critical for current and future applications of NHC surfaces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathaniel L Dominique
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, United States
| | - Shelby L Strausser
- Department of Chemistry, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, United States
| | - Jacob E Olson
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, United States
| | - William C Boggess
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, United States
| | - David M Jenkins
- Department of Chemistry, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, United States
| | - Jon P Camden
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, United States
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