1
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Eltokhy MA, Saad BT, Eltayeb WN, Alshahrani MY, Radwan SMR, Aboshanab KM, Ashour MSE. Metagenomic nanopore sequencing for exploring the nature of antimicrobial metabolites of Bacillus haynesii. AMB Express 2024; 14:52. [PMID: 38704474 PMCID: PMC11069495 DOI: 10.1186/s13568-024-01701-8] [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: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogens are a rising global health worry that imposes an urgent need for the discovery of novel antibiotics particularly those of natural origin. In this context, we aimed to use the metagenomic nanopore sequence analysis of soil microbiota coupled with the conventional phenotypic screening and genomic analysis for identifying the antimicrobial metabolites produced by promising soil isolate(s). In this study, whole metagenome analysis of the soil sample(s) was performed using MinION™ (Oxford Nanopore Technologies). Aligning and analysis of sequences for probable secondary metabolite gene clusters were extracted and analyzed using the antiSMASH version 2 and DeepBGC. Results of the metagenomic analysis showed the most abundant taxa were Bifidobacterium, Burkholderia, and Nocardiaceae (99.21%, followed by Sphingomonadaceae (82.03%) and B. haynesii (34%). Phenotypic screening of the respective soil samples has resulted in a promising Bacillus isolate that exhibited broad-spectrum antibacterial activities against various MDR pathogens. It was identified using microscopical, cultural, and molecular methods as Bacillus (B.) haynesii isolate MZ922052. The secondary metabolite gene analysis revealed the conservation of seven biosynthetic gene clusters of antibacterial metabolites namely, siderophore lichenicidin VK21-A1/A2 (95% identity), lichenysin (100%), fengycin (53%), terpenes (100%), bacteriocin (100%), Lasso peptide (95%) and bacillibactin (53%). In conclusion, metagenomic nanopore sequence analysis of soil samples coupled with conventional screening helped identify B. haynesii isolate MZ922052 harboring seven biosynthetic gene clusters of promising antimicrobial metabolites. This is the first report for identifying the bacteriocin, lichenysin, and fengycin biosynthetic gene clusters in B. haynesii MZ922052.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed A Eltokhy
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Misr International University (MIU), Cairo, 19648, Egypt
| | - Bishoy T Saad
- Department of Bioinformatics, HITS Solutions Co., Cairo, 11765, Egypt
| | - Wafaa N Eltayeb
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Misr International University (MIU), Cairo, 19648, Egypt
| | - Mohammad Y Alshahrani
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Khalid University, P.O. Box 61413, Abha, 9088, Saudi Arabia
| | - Sahar M R Radwan
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Al-Azhar University (Girls), Organization of African Unity St., Cairo, 11651, Egypt
| | - Khaled M Aboshanab
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Organization of African Unity St, Ain Shams University, Organization of African Unity St., Cairo, 11566, Egypt.
| | - Mohamed S E Ashour
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Al-Azhar University (Boys), Cairo, 11651, Egypt
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2
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Dash R, Jabbari E. A Structure Independent Molecular Fragment Interfuse Model for Mesoscale Dissipative Particle Dynamics Simulation of Peptides. ACS OMEGA 2024; 9:18001-18022. [PMID: 38680324 PMCID: PMC11044228 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c09534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2023] [Revised: 03/07/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024]
Abstract
There is a need to develop robust computational models for mesoscale simulation of the structure of peptides over large length scales toward the discovery of novel peptides for medical applications to address the issues of peptide aggregation, enzymatic degradation, and short half-life. The primary objective was to predict the structure and conformation of peptides whose native structures are not known. This work presents a new model for computation of interaction parameters between the beads in coarse-grained dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) simulation that is properly calibrated for amino acids, supports compressibility requirement of water molecules, and accounts for subtle differences in the structure of amino acids and the charge in the side chain of charged amino acids. This new model is referred to as Structure Independent Molecular Fragment Interfuse Model, abbreviated as SIMFIM, because it accounts for specific interactions between different beads, which represent molecular fragments of the amino acids, in calculating nonbonded interaction parameters in the absence of knowing the actual peptide structure. The electrostatic interactions are incorporated in this model by using a normal distribution of charges around the center of the beads to prevent the collapse of oppositely charged soft beads. The uniquely parameterized DPD force field in the SIMFIM model is optimized for a given peptide with respect to the degree of coarse-grained graining for simulating the peptide over long times and length scales. The SIMFIM model was tested in this work using four peptides, namely, TrpZip2, Rubrivinodin, Lihuanodin, and IC3-CB1/Gai peptides, whose structures were sourced from the Protein Data Bank. The SIMFIM model predicted radius of gyration (Rg) values for the peptides closer to the actual structures as compared to the conventional model, and there was less deviation between the predicted and actual structures of the peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ricky
Anshuman Dash
- Biomimetic Materials and
Tissue Engineering Laboratory, Chemical Engineering Department, University of South Carolina, 301 Main Street, Columbia, South Carolina 29208, United States
| | - Esmaiel Jabbari
- Biomimetic Materials and
Tissue Engineering Laboratory, Chemical Engineering Department, University of South Carolina, 301 Main Street, Columbia, South Carolina 29208, United States
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3
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Harris LA, Saad H, Shelton K, Zhu L, Guo X, Mitchell DA. Tryptophan-Centric Bioinformatics Identifies New Lasso Peptide Modifications. Biochemistry 2024; 63:865-879. [PMID: 38498885 PMCID: PMC11197979 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.4c00035] [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: 03/20/2024]
Abstract
Lasso peptides are a class of ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs) defined by a macrolactam linkage between the N-terminus and the side chain of an internal aspartic acid or glutamic acid residue. Instead of adopting a branched-cyclic conformation, lasso peptides are "threaded", with the C-terminal tail passing through the macrocycle to present a kinetically trapped rotaxane conformation. The availability of enhanced bioinformatics methods has led to a significant increase in the number of secondary modifications found on lasso peptides. To uncover new ancillary modifications in a targeted manner, a bioinformatic strategy was developed to discover lasso peptides with modifications to tryptophan. This effort identified numerous putative lasso peptide biosynthetic gene clusters with core regions of the precursor peptides enriched in tryptophan. Parsing of these tryptophan (Trp)-rich biosynthetic gene clusters uncovered several putative ancillary modifying enzymes, including halogenases and dimethylallyltransferases expected to act upon Trp. Characterization of two gene products yielded a lasso peptide with two 5-Cl-Trp modifications (chlorolassin) and another bearing 5-dimethylallyl-Trp and 2,3-didehydro-Tyr modifications (wygwalassin). Bioinformatic analysis of the requisite halogenase and dimethylallyltransferase revealed numerous other putative Trp-modified lasso peptides that remain uncharacterized. We anticipate that the Trp-centric strategy reported herein may be useful in discovering ancillary modifications for other RiPP classes and, more generally, guide the functional prediction of enzymes that act on specific amino acids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lonnie A. Harris
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
| | - Hamada Saad
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
| | - Kyle Shelton
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
| | - Lingyang Zhu
- School of Chemical Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
| | - Xiaorui Guo
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
| | - Douglas A. Mitchell
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
- Department of Microbiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
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4
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Baquero F, Beis K, Craik DJ, Li Y, Link AJ, Rebuffat S, Salomón R, Severinov K, Zirah S, Hegemann JD. The pearl jubilee of microcin J25: thirty years of research on an exceptional lasso peptide. Nat Prod Rep 2024; 41:469-511. [PMID: 38164764 DOI: 10.1039/d3np00046j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
Covering: 1992 up to 2023Since their discovery, lasso peptides went from peculiarities to be recognized as a major family of ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptide (RiPP) natural products that were shown to be spread throughout the bacterial kingdom. Microcin J25 was first described in 1992, making it one of the earliest known lasso peptides. No other lasso peptide has since then been studied to such an extent as microcin J25, yet, previous review articles merely skimmed over all the research done on this exceptional lasso peptide. Therefore, to commemorate the 30th anniversary of its first report, we give a comprehensive overview of all literature related to microcin J25. This review article spans the early work towards the discovery of microcin J25, its biosynthetic gene cluster, and the elucidation of its three-dimensional, threaded lasso structure. Furthermore, the current knowledge about the biosynthesis of microcin J25 and lasso peptides in general is summarized and a detailed overview is given on the biological activities associated with microcin J25, including means of self-immunity, uptake into target bacteria, inhibition of the Gram-negative RNA polymerase, and the effects of microcin J25 on mitochondria. The in vitro and in vivo models used to study the potential utility of microcin J25 in a (veterinary) medicine context are discussed and the efforts that went into employing the microcin J25 scaffold in bioengineering contexts are summed up.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando Baquero
- Department of Microbiology, Ramón y Cajal University Hospital and Ramón y Cajal Institute for Health Research (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain
- Network Center for Research in Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBER-ESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Konstantinos Beis
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
- Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Research Complex at Harwell, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 0FA, UK
| | - David J Craik
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Queensland, 4072 Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Yanyan Li
- Laboratoire Molécules de Communication et Adaptation des Microorganismes (MCAM), UMR 7245, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle (MNHN), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Paris, France
| | - A James Link
- Departments of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Chemistry, and Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Sylvie Rebuffat
- Laboratoire Molécules de Communication et Adaptation des Microorganismes (MCAM), UMR 7245, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle (MNHN), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Paris, France
| | - Raúl Salomón
- Instituto de Química Biológica "Dr Bernabé Bloj", Facultad de Bioquímica, Química y Farmacia, Instituto Superior de Investigaciones Biológicas (INSIBIO), CONICET-UNT, San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Konstantin Severinov
- Waksman Institute for Microbiology, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - Séverine Zirah
- Laboratoire Molécules de Communication et Adaptation des Microorganismes (MCAM), UMR 7245, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle (MNHN), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Paris, France
| | - Julian D Hegemann
- Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Saarland University Campus, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany.
- Department of Pharmacy, Campus E8 1, Saarland University, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany
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5
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Lee H, Park SH, Kim J, Lee J, Koh MS, Lee JH, Kim S. Evolutionary Spread of Distinct O-methyltransferases Guides the Discovery of Unique Isoaspartate-Containing Peptides, Pamtides. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024; 11:e2305946. [PMID: 37987032 PMCID: PMC10787088 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202305946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Revised: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
Ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs) are a structurally diverse class of natural products with a distinct biosynthetic logic, the enzymatic modification of genetically encoded precursor peptides. Although their structural and biosynthetic diversity remains largely underexplored, the identification of novel subclasses with unique structural motifs and biosynthetic pathways is challenging. Here, it is reported that peptide/protein L-aspartyl O-methyltransferases (PAMTs) present in several RiPP subclasses are highly homologous. Importantly, it is discovered that the apparent evolutionary transmission of the PAMT gene to unrelated RiPP subclasses can serve as a basis to identify a novel RiPP subclass. Biochemical and structural analyses suggest that homologous PAMTs convert aspartate to isoaspartate via aspartyl-O-methyl ester and aspartimide intermediates, and often require cyclic or hairpin-like structures for modification. By conducting homology-based bioinformatic analysis of PAMTs, over 2,800 biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) are identified for known RiPP subclasses in which PAMTs install a secondary modification, and over 1,500 BGCs where PAMTs function as a primary modification enzyme, thereby defining a new RiPP subclass, named pamtides. The results suggest that the genome mining of proteins with secondary biosynthetic roles can be an effective strategy for discovering novel biosynthetic pathways of RiPPs through the principle of "guilt by association".
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyunbin Lee
- Department of Chemistry, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Sho Hee Park
- Department of Chemistry, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Jiyoon Kim
- Department of Chemistry, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Jaehak Lee
- Department of Chemistry, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Min Sun Koh
- Department of Chemistry, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Jung Ho Lee
- Department of Chemistry, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Seokhee Kim
- Department of Chemistry, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
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6
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Carson DV, Zhang Y, So L, Cheung-Lee WL, Cartagena AJ, Darst SA, Link AJ. Discovery, Characterization, and Bioactivity of the Achromonodins: Lasso Peptides Encoded by Achromobacter. JOURNAL OF NATURAL PRODUCTS 2023; 86:2448-2456. [PMID: 37870195 PMCID: PMC10949989 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jnatprod.3c00536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2023]
Abstract
Through genome mining efforts, two lasso peptide biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) within two different species of Achromobacter, a genus that contains pathogenic organisms that can infect patients with cystic fibrosis, were discovered. Using gene-refactored BGCs in E. coli, these lasso peptides, which were named achromonodin-1 and achromonodin-2, were heterologously expressed. Achromonodin-1 is naturally encoded by certain isolates from the sputum of patients with cystic fibrosis. The NMR structure of achromonodin-1 was determined, demonstrating that it is a threaded lasso peptide with a large loop and short tail structure, reminiscent of previously characterized lasso peptides that inhibit RNA polymerase (RNAP). Achromonodin-1 inhibits RNAP in vitro and has potent, focused activity toward Achromobacter pulmonis, another isolate from the sputum of a cystic fibrosis patient. These efforts expand the repertoire of antimicrobial lasso peptides and provide insights into how Achromobacter isolates from certain ecological niches interact with each other.
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Affiliation(s)
- Drew V. Carson
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, United States
| | - Yi Zhang
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, United States
| | - Larry So
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, United States
| | - Wai Ling Cheung-Lee
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, United States
| | - Alexis Jaramillo Cartagena
- Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics and Tri-Institutional Training Program in Chemical Biology, Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, United States
| | - Seth A. Darst
- Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics and Tri-Institutional Training Program in Chemical Biology, Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, United States
| | - A. James Link
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, United States
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, United States
- Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, United States
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7
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Saad H, Majer T, Bhattarai K, Lampe S, Nguyen DT, Kramer M, Straetener J, Brötz-Oesterhelt H, Mitchell DA, Gross H. Bioinformatics-guided discovery of biaryl-linked lasso peptides. Chem Sci 2023; 14:13176-13183. [PMID: 38023510 PMCID: PMC10664482 DOI: 10.1039/d3sc02380j] [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: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Lasso peptides are a class of ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs) that feature an isopeptide bond and a distinct lariat fold. A growing number of secondary modifications have been described that further decorate lasso peptide scaffolds. Using genome mining, we have discovered a pair of lasso peptide biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) that include cytochrome P450 genes. Using mass spectrometry, stable isotope incorporation, and extensive 2D-NMR spectrometry, we report the structural characterization of two unique examples of (C-N) biaryl-linked lasso peptides. Nocapeptin A, from Nocardia terpenica, is tailored with a Trp-Tyr crosslink, while longipepetin A, from Longimycelium tulufanense, features a Trp-Trp linkage. Besides the unusual bicyclic frame, a Met of longipepetin A undergoes S-methylation to yield a trivalent sulfonium, a heretofore unprecedented RiPP modification. A bioinformatic survey revealed additional lasso peptide BGCs containing P450 enzymes which await future characterization. Lastly, nocapeptin A bioactivity was assessed against a panel of human and bacterial cell lines with modest growth-suppression activity detected towards Micrococcus luteus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hamada Saad
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biology, Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Tübingen Auf der Morgenstelle 8 72076 Tübingen Germany
- Department of Chemistry and the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Urbana Illinois 61801 USA
| | - Thomas Majer
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biology, Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Tübingen Auf der Morgenstelle 8 72076 Tübingen Germany
| | - Keshab Bhattarai
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biology, Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Tübingen Auf der Morgenstelle 8 72076 Tübingen Germany
| | - Sarah Lampe
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biology, Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Tübingen Auf der Morgenstelle 8 72076 Tübingen Germany
| | - Dinh T Nguyen
- Department of Chemistry and the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Urbana Illinois 61801 USA
| | - Markus Kramer
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, University of Tübingen Auf der Morgenstelle 18 72076 Tübingen Germany
| | - Jan Straetener
- Department of Microbial Bioactive Compounds, Interfaculty Institute of Microbiology and Infection Medicine, University of Tübingen Auf der Morgenstelle 28 72076 Tübingen Germany
| | - Heike Brötz-Oesterhelt
- Department of Microbial Bioactive Compounds, Interfaculty Institute of Microbiology and Infection Medicine, University of Tübingen Auf der Morgenstelle 28 72076 Tübingen Germany
- Cluster of Excellence: EXC 2124: Controlling Microbes to Fight Infection, University of Tübingen Tübingen Germany
| | - Douglas A Mitchell
- Department of Chemistry and the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Urbana Illinois 61801 USA
| | - Harald Gross
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biology, Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Tübingen Auf der Morgenstelle 8 72076 Tübingen Germany
- Cluster of Excellence: EXC 2124: Controlling Microbes to Fight Infection, University of Tübingen Tübingen Germany
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8
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Choi B, Acuna A, Koos JD, Link AJ. Large-scale Bioinformatic Study of Graspimiditides and Structural Characterization of Albusimiditide. ACS Chem Biol 2023; 18:2394-2404. [PMID: 37856788 PMCID: PMC10993234 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.3c00365] [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: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
Graspetides are a class of ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs) that exhibit an impressive diversity in patterns of side chain-to-side chain ω-ester or ω-amide linkages. Recent studies have uncovered a significant portion of graspetides to contain an additional post-translational modification involving aspartimidylation catalyzed by an O-methyltransferase, predominantly found in the genomes of actinomycetota. Here, we present a comprehensive bioinformatic analysis focused on graspetides harboring aspartimide, for which we propose the name graspimiditides. From protein BLAST results of 5000 methyltransferase sequences, we identified 962 unique putative graspimiditides, which we further classified into eight main clusters based on sequence similarity along with several smaller clusters and singletons. The previously studied graspimiditides, fuscimiditide, and amycolimiditide, are identified in this analysis; fuscimiditide is a singleton, while amycolimiditide is in the fifth largest cluster. Cluster 1, by far the largest cluster, contains 641 members, encoded almost exclusively in the Streptomyces genus. To characterize an example of a graspimiditide in Cluster 1, we conducted experimental studies on the peptide from Streptomyces albus J1074, which we named albusimiditide. By tandem mass spectrometry, hydrazinolysis, and amino acid substitution experiments, we elucidated the structure of albusimiditide to be a large tetracyclic peptide with four ω-ester linkages generating a stem-loop structure with one aspartimide. The ester cross-links form 22-, 46-, 22-, and 44-atom macrocycles, the last of which, the loop, contains the enzymatically installed aspartimide. Further in vitro experiments revealed that the aspartimide hydrolyzes in a 3:1 ratio of isoaspartate to aspartate residues. Overall, this study offers comprehensive insight into the diversity and structural features of graspimiditides, paving the way for future investigations of this unique class of natural products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian Choi
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, United States
| | - Arthur Acuna
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, United States
| | - Joseph D. Koos
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, United States
| | - A. James Link
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, United States
- Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, United States
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, United States
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9
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Cao L, Do T, Zhu A, Duan J, Alam N, Link AJ. Genome Mining and Discovery of Imiditides, a Family of RiPPs with a Class-Defining Aspartimide Modification. J Am Chem Soc 2023; 145:18834-18845. [PMID: 37595015 PMCID: PMC10947588 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c03991] [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: 08/20/2023]
Abstract
Ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs) are a large and diverse class of natural products of ribosomal origin. In the past decade, various sophisticated machine-learning-based software packages have been established to discover novel RiPPs that do not resemble the known families. Here, we show that tailoring enzymes that cluster with various RiPP families can serve as effective bioinformatic seeds, providing a complementary approach for novel RiPP discovery. Leveraging the fact that O-methyltransferases homologous to protein isoaspartyl methyltransferases (PIMTs) are associated with lasso peptide, graspetide, and lanthipeptide biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs), we utilized a C-terminal motif unique to RiPP-associated O-methyltransferases as the search query to discover a novel family of RiPPs, the imiditides. Our genome-mining algorithm reveals a total of 670 imiditide BGCs, distributed across Gram-positive bacterial genomes. In addition, we demonstrate the heterologous production of the founding member of the imiditide family, mNmaAM, encoded in the genome of Nonomuraea maritima. In contrast to other RiPP-associated PIMTs that recognize constrained peptides as substrates, the PIMT homologue in the mNmaAM BGC, NmaM, methylates a specific Asp residue on the linear precursor peptide, NmaA. The methyl ester is then turned into an aspartimide spontaneously. Substrate specificity is achieved by extensive charge-charge interactions between the precursor NmaA and the modifying enzyme NmaM suggested by both experiments and an AlphaFold model prediction. Our study shows that PIMT-mediated aspartimide formation is an emerging backbone modification strategy in the biosynthesis of multiple RiPP families.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Cao
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, United States
| | - Truc Do
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, United States
| | - Angela Zhu
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, United States
| | - Jianshu Duan
- Department of Geosciences, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, United States
| | - Nathan Alam
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, United States
| | - A. James Link
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, United States
- Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, United States
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, United States
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10
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Choi B, Link AJ. Discovery, Function, and Engineering of Graspetides. TRENDS IN CHEMISTRY 2023; 5:620-633. [PMID: 37614740 PMCID: PMC10443899 DOI: 10.1016/j.trechm.2023.04.003] [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] [Indexed: 08/25/2023]
Abstract
Graspetides are a class of RiPPs (ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides) defined by the presence of ester or amide side chain-side chain linkages resulting in peptide macrocycles. The graspetide name comes from the ATP-grasp enzymes that install the side chain-side chain linkages. This review covers the early, activity-based isolation of the first graspetides, marinostatins and microviridins, as well as the key genomics-driven experiments that established graspetide as RiPPs. The mechanism and structure of graspetide-associated ATP-grasp enzymes is discussed. Genome mining methods to discover new graspetides as well as the analytical techniques used to determine the linkages in graspetides are described. Extant knowledge on the bioactivity of graspetides as protease inhibitors is reviewed. Further chemical modifications to graspetides as well graspetide engineering studies are also described. We conclude with several suggestions about future directions of graspetide research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian Choi
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, United States
| | - A. James Link
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, United States
- Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, United States
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, United States
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11
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Cao L, Do T, Zhu AD, Alam N, Link AJ. Genome Mining and Discovery of Imiditides, a Novel Family of RiPPs with a Class-defining Aspartimide Modification. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.04.07.536058. [PMID: 37066262 PMCID: PMC10104114 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.07.536058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/18/2023]
Abstract
Ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs) are a fascinating class of natural products of ribosomal origins. In the past decade, various sophisticated machine learning-based software packages have been established to discover novel RiPPs that do not resemble the known families. Instead, we argue that tailoring enzymes that cluster with various RiPP families can serve as effective bioinformatic seeds for novel RiPP discovery. Leveraging that O -methyltransferases homologous to protein isoaspartyl methyltransferases (PIMTs) are associated with lasso peptide, graspetide, and lanthipeptide biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs), we utilized the C-terminal motif unique to RiPP-associated O -methyltransferases as the search query to discover a novel family of RiPPs, imiditides. Our genome-mining algorithm reveals a total of 670 imiditide BGCs, widely distributed in Gram-positive bacterial genomes. In addition, we demonstrate the heterologous production of the founding member of the imiditide family, mNmaA M , encoded in the genome of Nonomuraea maritima . In contrast to other RiPP associated PIMTs that recognize constrained peptides as substrates, the PIMT homolog in mNmaA M BGC, NmaM, methylates a specific Asp residue on the linear precursor peptide, NmaA. The methyl ester is then turned into an aspartimide spontaneously. The aspartimide moiety formed is unusually stable, leading to the accumulation of the aspartimidylated product in vivo . The substrate specificity is achieved by extensive charge-charge interactions between the precursor NmaA and the modifying enzyme NmaM suggested by both experimental validations as well as an AlphaFold model prediction. Our study suggests that PIMT-mediated aspartimide formation is an underappreciated backbone modification strategy in RiPP biosynthesis, compared to the well-studied backbone rigidification chemistries, such as thiazol(in)e and oxazol(in)e formations. Additionally, our findings suggest that aspartimide formation in Gram-positive bacterial proteomes are not limited to spontaneous protein aging and degradation. TOC Figure
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12
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Saad H, Majer T, Bhattarai K, Lampe S, Nguyen DT, Kramer M, Straetener J, Brötz-Oesterhelt H, Mitchell DA, Gross H. Bioinformatics-Guided Discovery of Biaryl-Tailored Lasso Peptides. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.06.531328. [PMID: 36945544 PMCID: PMC10028836 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.06.531328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/11/2023]
Abstract
Lasso peptides are a class of ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs) that feature an isopeptide bond and a distinct lariat fold. A growing number of secondary modifications have been described that further decorate lasso peptide scaffolds. Using genome mining, we have discovered a pair of lasso peptide biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) that include cytochrome P450 genes. Here, we report the structural characterization of two unique examples of (C-N) biaryl-containing lasso peptides. Nocapeptin A, from Nocardia terpenica, is tailored with Trp-Tyr crosslink while longipepetin A, from Longimycelium tulufanense, features Trp-Trp linkage. Besides the unusual bicyclic frame, longipepetin A receives an S-methylation by a new Met methyltransferase resulting in unprecedented sulfonium-bearing RiPP. Our bioinformatic survey revealed P450(s) and further maturating enzyme(s)-containing lasso BGCs awaiting future characterization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hamada Saad
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biology, Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 8, 72076 Tübingen (Germany)
- Department of Chemistry and the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801 (United States)
| | - Thomas Majer
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biology, Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 8, 72076 Tübingen (Germany)
| | - Keshab Bhattarai
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biology, Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 8, 72076 Tübingen (Germany)
| | - Sarah Lampe
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biology, Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 8, 72076 Tübingen (Germany)
| | - Dinh T. Nguyen
- Department of Chemistry and the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801 (United States)
| | - Markus Kramer
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, University of Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 18, 72076 Tübingen (Germany)
| | - Jan Straetener
- Department of Microbial Bioactive Compounds, Interfaculty Institute of Microbiology and Infection Medicine, University of Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 28, 72076 Tübingen (Germany)
| | - Heike Brötz-Oesterhelt
- Department of Microbial Bioactive Compounds, Interfaculty Institute of Microbiology and Infection Medicine, University of Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 28, 72076 Tübingen (Germany)
| | - Douglas A. Mitchell
- Department of Chemistry and the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801 (United States)
| | - Harald Gross
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biology, Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 8, 72076 Tübingen (Germany)
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13
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Kadjo AE, Eustáquio AS. Bacterial natural product discovery by heterologous expression. J Ind Microbiol Biotechnol 2023; 50:kuad044. [PMID: 38052428 PMCID: PMC10727000 DOI: 10.1093/jimb/kuad044] [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: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023]
Abstract
Natural products have found important applications in the pharmaceutical and agricultural sectors. In bacteria, the genes that encode the biosynthesis of natural products are often colocalized in the genome, forming biosynthetic gene clusters. It has been predicted that only 3% of natural products encoded in bacterial genomes have been discovered thus far, in part because gene clusters may be poorly expressed under laboratory conditions. Heterologous expression can help convert bioinformatics predictions into products. However, challenges remain, such as gene cluster prioritization, cloning of the complete gene cluster, high level expression, product identification, and isolation of products in practical yields. Here we reviewed the literature from the past 5 years (January 2018 to June 2023) to identify studies that discovered natural products by heterologous expression. From the 50 studies identified, we present analyses of the rationale for gene cluster prioritization, cloning methods, biosynthetic class, source taxa, and host choice. Combined, the 50 studies led to the discovery of 63 new families of natural products, supporting heterologous expression as a promising way to access novel chemistry. However, the success rate of natural product detection varied from 11% to 32% based on four large-scale studies that were part of the reviewed literature. The low success rate makes it apparent that much remains to be improved. The potential reasons for failure and points to be considered to improve the chances of success are discussed. ONE-SENTENCE SUMMARY At least 63 new families of bacterial natural products were discovered using heterologous expression in the last 5 years, supporting heterologous expression as a promising way to access novel chemistry; however, the success rate is low (11-32%) making it apparent that much remains to be improved-we discuss the potential reasons for failure and points to be considered to improve the chances of success. BioRender was used to generate the graphical abstract figure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adjo E Kadjo
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
- Center for Biomolecular Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
| | - Alessandra S Eustáquio
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
- Center for Biomolecular Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
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14
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Cao L, Elashal HE, Link AJ. Kinetics of Aspartimide Formation and Hydrolysis in Lasso Peptide Lihuanodin. Biochemistry 2023; 62:695-699. [PMID: 36701287 PMCID: PMC10038108 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.2c00707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Aspartimides are notorious as undesired side products in solid-phase peptide synthesis and in pharmaceutical formulations. However, we have discovered several ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs) in which aspartimide is installed intentionally via enzymatic activity of protein l-isoaspartyl methyltransferase (PIMT) homologues. In the case of the lasso peptide lihuanodin, the methyltransferase LihM recognizes the lassoed substrate pre-lihuanodin, specifically methylating the side chain of an l-Asp residue in the ring portion of the lasso peptide. The subsequent nucleophilic attack from the adjacent amide leads to the formation of an aspartimide. The resulting aspartimide hydrolyzes regioselectively to l-Asp in buffers above pH 7. Here we report the first Michaelis-Menten kinetic measurements of such a RiPP-associated PIMT homologue, LihM, acting on its cognate substrate pre-lihuanodin. Additionally, we measured the rate of aspartimide hydrolysis, which allowed us to deduce the kinetics of the entire reaction network. The relative magnitudes of these rates explain the accumulation and relative stability of aspartimide-containing lihuanodin. We also demonstrate that the residue C-terminal to the aspartimide controls the regioselectivity of hydrolysis and thus the threadedness of the peptide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Cao
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, United States
| | - Hader E. Elashal
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, United States
| | - A. James Link
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, United States
- Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, United States
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, United States
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15
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Juarez RJ, Jiang Y, Tremblay M, Shao Q, Link AJ, Yang ZJ. LassoHTP: A High-Throughput Computational Tool for Lasso Peptide Structure Construction and Modeling. J Chem Inf Model 2023; 63:522-530. [PMID: 36594886 PMCID: PMC10117200 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.2c00945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Lasso peptides are a subclass of ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides with a slipknot conformation. With superior thermal stability, protease resistance, and antimicrobial activity, lasso peptides are promising candidates for bioengineering and pharmaceutical applications. To enable high-throughput computational prediction and design of lasso peptides, we developed a software, LassoHTP, for automatic lasso peptide structure construction and modeling. LassoHTP consists of three modules, including the scaffold constructor, mutant generator, and molecular dynamics (MD) simulator. With a user-provided sequence and conformational annotation, LassoHTP can either generate the structure and conformational ensemble as is or conduct random mutagenesis. We used LassoHTP to construct eight known lasso peptide structures de novo and to simulate their conformational ensembles for 100 ns MD simulations. For benchmarking, we calculated the root mean square deviation (RMSD) of these ensembles with reference to their experimental crystal or NMR PDB structures; we also compared these RMSD values against those of the MD ensembles that are initiated from the PDB structures. Dihedral principal component analysis was also conducted. The results show that the LassoHTP-initiated ensembles are similar to those of the PDB-initiated ensembles. LassoHTP offers a computational platform to develop strategies for lasso peptide prediction and design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reecan J. Juarez
- Chemical and Physical Biology Program, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235, United States
| | - Yaoyukun Jiang
- Department of Chemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235, United States
| | - Matthew Tremblay
- Department of Chemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235, United States
| | - Qianzhen Shao
- Department of Chemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235, United States
| | - A. James Link
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Chemistry and Molecular Biology, Princeton University, 207 Hoyt Laboratory, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, United States
| | - Zhongyue J. Yang
- Department of Chemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235, United States
- Center for Structural Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235, United States
- Vanderbilt Institute of Chemical Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235, United States
- Data Science Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235, United States
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235, United States
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16
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Choi B, Elashal HE, Cao L, Link AJ. Mechanistic Analysis of the Biosynthesis of the Aspartimidylated Graspetide Amycolimiditide. J Am Chem Soc 2022; 144:21628-21639. [PMID: 36394830 PMCID: PMC10038102 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.2c09004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Several classes of ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs) are composed of multiple macrocycles. The enzymes that assemble these macrocycles must surmount the challenge of installing a single specific set of linkages out of dozens of distinct possibilities. One class of RiPPs that includes multiple macrocycles are the graspetides, named after the ATP-grasp enzymes that install ester or amide linkages between pairs of nucleophilic and electrophilic side chains. Here, using heterologous expression and NMR spectroscopy, we characterize the connectivity and structure of amycolimiditide, a 29 aa graspetide with a stem-loop structure. The stem includes four esters and extends over 20 Å. The loop of amycolimiditide is distinguished by the presence of an aspartimide moiety, installed by a dedicated O-methyltransferase enzyme. We further characterize the biosynthesis of amycolimiditide in vitro, showing that the amycolimiditide ATP-grasp enzyme AmdB operates in a strict vectorial manner, installing esters starting at the loop and proceeding down the stem. Surprisingly, the O-methyltransferase AmdM that aspartimidylates amycolimiditide prefers a substrate with all four esters installed, despite the fact that the most distal ester is ∼30 Å away from the site of aspartimidylation. This study provides insights into the structure and diversity of aspartimidylated graspetides and also provides fresh insights into how RiPP biosynthetic enzymes engage their peptide substrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian Choi
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, United States
| | - Hader E. Elashal
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, United States
| | - Li Cao
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, United States
| | - A. James Link
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, United States
- Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, United States
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, United States
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17
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Elashal HE, Koos JD, Cheung-Lee WL, Choi B, Cao L, Richardson MA, White HL, Link AJ. Biosynthesis and characterization of fuscimiditide, an aspartimidylated graspetide. Nat Chem 2022; 14:1325-1334. [PMID: 35982233 PMCID: PMC10078976 DOI: 10.1038/s41557-022-01022-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2021] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Microviridins and other ω-ester-linked peptides, collectively known as graspetides, are characterized by side-chain-side-chain linkages installed by ATP-grasp enzymes. Here we report the discovery of a family of graspetides, the gene clusters of which also encode an O-methyltransferase with homology to the protein repair catalyst protein L-isoaspartyl methyltransferase. Using heterologous expression, we produced fuscimiditide, a ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptide (RiPP). NMR analysis of fuscimiditide revealed that the peptide contains two ester cross-links forming a stem-loop macrocycle. Furthermore, an unusually stable aspartimide moiety is found within the loop macrocycle. We fully reconstituted fuscimiditide biosynthesis in vitro including formation of the ester and aspartimide moieties. The aspartimide moiety embedded in fuscimiditide hydrolyses regioselectively to isoaspartate. Surprisingly, this isoaspartate-containing peptide is also a substrate for the L-isoaspartyl methyltransferase homologue, thus driving any hydrolysis products back to the aspartimide form. Whereas an aspartimide is often considered a nuisance product in protein formulations, our data suggest that some RiPPs have aspartimide residues intentionally installed via enzymatic activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hader E Elashal
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Joseph D Koos
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Wai Ling Cheung-Lee
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Brian Choi
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Li Cao
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Michelle A Richardson
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Heather L White
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - A James Link
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.
- Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.
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18
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Unusual Post-Translational Modifications in the Biosynthesis of Lasso Peptides. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23137231. [PMID: 35806232 PMCID: PMC9266682 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23137231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2022] [Revised: 06/27/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Lasso peptides are a subclass of ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs) and feature the threaded, lariat knot-like topology. The basic post-translational modifications (PTMs) of lasso peptide contain two steps, including the leader peptide removal of the ribosome-derived linear precursor peptide by an ATP-dependent cysteine protease, and the macrolactam cyclization by an ATP-dependent macrolactam synthetase. Recently, advanced bioinformatic tools combined with genome mining have paved the way to uncover a rapidly growing number of lasso peptides as well as a series of PTMs other than the general class-defining processes. Despite abundant reviews focusing on lasso peptide discoveries, structures, properties, and physiological functionalities, few summaries concerned their unique PTMs. In this review, we summarized all the unique PTMs of lasso peptides uncovered to date, shedding light on the related investigations in the future.
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19
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Hills E, Woodward TJ, Fields S, Brandsen BM. Comprehensive Mutational Analysis of the Lasso Peptide Klebsidin. ACS Chem Biol 2022; 17:998-1010. [PMID: 35315272 PMCID: PMC9976627 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.2c00148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Antibiotic resistance is a growing threat to public health, making the development of antibiotics of critical importance. One promising class of potential new antibiotics are ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs), which include klebsidin, a lasso peptide from Klebsiella pneumoniae that inhibits certain bacterial RNA polymerases. We develop a high-throughput assay based on growth inhibition of Escherichia coli to analyze the mutational tolerance of klebsidin. We transform a library of klebsidin variants into E. coli and use next-generation DNA sequencing to count the frequency of each variant before and after its expression, thereby generating functional scores for 320 of 361 single amino acid changes. We identify multiple positions in the macrocyclic ring and the C-terminal tail region of klebsidin that are intolerant to mutation, as well as positions in the loop region that are highly tolerant to mutation. Characterization of selected peptide variants scored as active reveals that each adopts a threaded lasso conformation; active loop variants applied extracellularly as peptides slow the growth of E. coli and K. pneumoniae. We generate an E. coli strain with a mutation in RNA polymerase that confers resistance to klebsidin and similarly carry out a selection with the klebsidin library. We identify a single variant, klebsidin F9Y, that maintains activity against the resistant E. coli when expressed intracellularly. This finding supports the utility of this method and suggests that comprehensive mutational analysis of lasso peptides can identify unique and potentially improved variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ethan Hills
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| | - Tyler J. Woodward
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska 68178, United States
| | - Stanley Fields
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States,Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| | - Benjamin M. Brandsen
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States,Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska 68178, United States,Correspondence: Benjamin M. Brandsen, , ph. 402 280-2153
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20
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Xiu H, Wang M, Fage CD, He Y, Niu X, Han M, Li F, An X, Fan H, Song L, Zheng G, Zhu S, Tong Y. Discovery and Characterization of Rubrinodin Provide Clues into the Evolution of Lasso Peptides. Biochemistry 2022; 61:595-607. [PMID: 35298141 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.2c00029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Lasso peptides are unique natural products that comprise a class of ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides. Their defining three-dimensional structure is a lariat knot, in which the C-terminal tail is threaded through a macrolactam ring formed between the N-terminal amino group and an Asp or Glu side chain (i.e., an isopeptide bond). Recent genome mining strategies have revealed various types of lasso peptide biosynthetic gene clusters and have thus redefined the known chemical space of lasso peptides. To date, over 20 different types of these gene clusters have been discovered, including several different clades from Proteobacteria. Despite the diverse architectures of these gene clusters, which may or may not encode various tailoring enzymes, most currently known lasso peptides are synthesized by two discrete clades defined by the presence of an ATP-binding cassette transporter or its absence and (sometimes) concurrent appearance of an isopeptidase, raising questions about their evolutionary history. Herein, we discovered and characterized the lasso peptide rubrinodin, which is assembled by a gene cluster encoding both an ATP-binding cassette transporter and an isopeptidase. Our bioinformatics analyses of this and other representative cluster types provided new clues into the evolutionary history of lasso peptides. Furthermore, our structural and biochemical investigations of rubrinodin permitted the conversion of this thermolabile lasso peptide into a more thermostable scaffold.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huanhuan Xiu
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, People's Republic of China
| | - Mengjiao Wang
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, People's Republic of China
| | | | - Yile He
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaogang Niu
- Beijing Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Center, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Meng Han
- MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, People's Republic of China
| | - Fei Li
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaoping An
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, People's Republic of China
| | - Huahao Fan
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, People's Republic of China
| | - Lihua Song
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, People's Republic of China
| | - Guojun Zheng
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, People's Republic of China
| | - Shaozhou Zhu
- National Institutes for Food and Drug Control, Beijing 102629, People's Republic of China
| | - Yigang Tong
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, People's Republic of China
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21
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Schröder HV, Stadlmeier M, Wühr M, Link AJ. The Shuttling Cascade in Lasso Peptide Benenodin-1 is Controlled by Non-Covalent Interactions. Chemistry 2022; 28:e202103615. [PMID: 34797593 PMCID: PMC8792204 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202103615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
The lasso peptide benenodin-1, a naturally occurring and bacterially produced [1]rotaxane, undergoes a reversible zip tie-like motion under heat activation, in which a peptidic wheel stepwise translates along a molecular thread in a cascade of "tail/loop pulling" equilibria. Conformational and structural analyses of four translational isomers, in solution and in the gas phase, reveal that the equilibrium distribution is controlled by mechanical and non-covalent forces within the lasso peptide. Furthermore, each dynamic pulling step is accompanied by a major restructuring of the intramolecular hydrogen bonding network between wheel and thread, which affects the peptide's physico-chemical properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hendrik V. Schröder
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544
| | - Michael Stadlmeier
- Department of Molecular Biology and Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544
| | - Martin Wühr
- Department of Molecular Biology and Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544
| | - A. James Link
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544,Department of Chemistry and Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544
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22
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Ramesh S, Guo X, DiCaprio AJ, De Lio AM, Harris LA, Kille BL, Pogorelov TV, Mitchell DA. Bioinformatics-Guided Expansion and Discovery of Graspetides. ACS Chem Biol 2021; 16:2787-2797. [PMID: 34766760 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.1c00672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Graspetides are a class of ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptide natural products featuring ATP-grasp ligase-dependent formation of macrolactones/macrolactams. These modifications arise from serine, threonine, or lysine donor residues linked to aspartate or glutamate acceptor residues. Characterized graspetides include serine protease inhibitors such as the microviridins and plesiocin. Here, we report an update to Rapid ORF Description and Evaluation Online (RODEO) for the automated detection of graspetides, which identified 3,923 high-confidence graspetide biosynthetic gene clusters. Sequence and co-occurrence analyses doubled the number of graspetide groups from 12 to 24, defined based on core consensus sequence and putative secondary modification. Bioinformatic analyses of the ATP-grasp ligase superfamily suggest that extant graspetide synthetases diverged once from an ancestral ATP-grasp ligase and later evolved to introduce a variety of ring connectivities. Furthermore, we characterized thatisin and iso-thatisin, two graspetides related by conformational stereoisomerism from Lysobacter antibioticus. Derived from a newly identified graspetide group, thatisin and iso-thatisin feature two interlocking macrolactones with identical ring connectivity, as determined by a combination of tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS), methanolytic, and mutational analyses. NMR spectroscopy of thatisin revealed a cis conformation for a key proline residue, while molecular dynamics simulations, solvent-accessible surface area calculations, and partial methanolytic analysis coupled with MS/MS support a trans conformation for iso-thatisin at the same position. Overall, this work provides a comprehensive overview of the graspetide landscape, and the improved RODEO algorithm will accelerate future graspetide discoveries by enabling open-access analysis of existing and emerging genomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sangeetha Ramesh
- Department of Microbiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 600 South Mathews Avenue, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1206 West Gregory Drive, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Xiaorui Guo
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1206 West Gregory Drive, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 600 South Mathews Avenue, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Adam J. DiCaprio
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1206 West Gregory Drive, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 600 South Mathews Avenue, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Ashley M. De Lio
- School of Chemical Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 505 South Mathews Avenue, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- National Center for Supercomputing Applications, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1205 West Clark Street, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Lonnie A. Harris
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 600 South Mathews Avenue, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Bryce L. Kille
- Department of Computer Science, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 201 North Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Taras V. Pogorelov
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 600 South Mathews Avenue, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- School of Chemical Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 505 South Mathews Avenue, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- National Center for Supercomputing Applications, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1205 West Clark Street, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 600 South Mathews Avenue, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 405 North Mathews Avenue, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Douglas A. Mitchell
- Department of Microbiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 600 South Mathews Avenue, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1206 West Gregory Drive, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 600 South Mathews Avenue, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
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Rebuffat S. Ribosomally synthesized peptides, foreground players in microbial interactions: recent developments and unanswered questions. Nat Prod Rep 2021; 39:273-310. [PMID: 34755755 DOI: 10.1039/d1np00052g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
It is currently well established that multicellular organisms live in tight association with complex communities of microorganisms including a large number of bacteria. These are immersed in complex interaction networks reflecting the relationships established between them and with host organisms; yet, little is known about the molecules and mechanisms involved in these mutual interactions. Ribosomally synthesized peptides, among which bacterial antimicrobial peptides called bacteriocins and microcins have been identified as contributing to host-microbe interplays, are either unmodified or post-translationally modified peptides. This review will unveil current knowledge on these ribosomal peptide-based natural products, their interplay with the host immune system, and their roles in microbial interactions and symbioses. It will include their major structural characteristics and post-translational modifications, the main rules of their maturation pathways, and the principal ecological functions they ensure (communication, signalization, competition), especially in symbiosis, taking select examples in various organisms. Finally, we address unanswered questions and provide a framework for deciphering big issues inspiring future directions in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvie Rebuffat
- Laboratory Molecules of Communication and Adaptation of Microorganisms (MCAM, UMR 7245 CNRS-MNHN), National Museum of Natural History (MNHN), National Centre of Scientific Research (CNRS), CP 54, 57 rue Cuvier 75005, Paris, France.
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