1
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Jann C, Giofré S, Bhattacharjee R, Lemke EA. Cracking the Code: Reprogramming the Genetic Script in Prokaryotes and Eukaryotes to Harness the Power of Noncanonical Amino Acids. Chem Rev 2024. [PMID: 39120726 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.3c00878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/10/2024]
Abstract
Over 500 natural and synthetic amino acids have been genetically encoded in the last two decades. Incorporating these noncanonical amino acids into proteins enables many powerful applications, ranging from basic research to biotechnology, materials science, and medicine. However, major challenges remain to unleash the full potential of genetic code expansion across disciplines. Here, we provide an overview of diverse genetic code expansion methodologies and systems and their final applications in prokaryotes and eukaryotes, represented by Escherichia coli and mammalian cells as the main workhorse model systems. We highlight the power of how new technologies can be first established in simple and then transferred to more complex systems. For example, whole-genome engineering provides an excellent platform in bacteria for enabling transcript-specific genetic code expansion without off-targets in the transcriptome. In contrast, the complexity of a eukaryotic cell poses challenges that require entirely new approaches, such as striving toward establishing novel base pairs or generating orthogonally translating organelles within living cells. We connect the milestones in expanding the genetic code of living cells for encoding novel chemical functionalities to the most recent scientific discoveries, from optimizing the physicochemical properties of noncanonical amino acids to the technological advancements for their in vivo incorporation. This journey offers a glimpse into the promising developments in the years to come.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cosimo Jann
- Biocenter, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, 55128 Mainz, Germany
- IMB Postdoc Programme (IPPro), 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Sabrina Giofré
- Biocenter, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, 55128 Mainz, Germany
- IMB Postdoc Programme (IPPro), 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Rajanya Bhattacharjee
- Biocenter, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, 55128 Mainz, Germany
- IMB International PhD Programme (IPP), 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Edward A Lemke
- Biocenter, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, 55128 Mainz, Germany
- Institute of Molecular Biology (IMB), 55128 Mainz, Germany
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2
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Soni C, Prywes N, Hall M, Nair MA, Savage DF, Schepartz A, Chatterjee A. A Translation-Independent Directed Evolution Strategy to Engineer Aminoacyl-tRNA Synthetases. ACS CENTRAL SCIENCE 2024; 10:1211-1220. [PMID: 38947215 PMCID: PMC11212135 DOI: 10.1021/acscentsci.3c01557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2023] [Revised: 05/07/2024] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 07/02/2024]
Abstract
Using directed evolution, aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (aaRSs) have been engineered to incorporate numerous noncanonical amino acids (ncAAs). Until now, the selection of such novel aaRS mutants has relied on the expression of a selectable reporter protein. However, such translation-dependent selections are incompatible with exotic monomers that are suboptimal substrates for the ribosome. A two-step solution is needed to overcome this limitation: (A) engineering an aaRS to charge the exotic monomer, without ribosomal translation; (B) subsequent engineering of the ribosome to accept the resulting acyl-tRNA for translation. Here, we report a platform for aaRS engineering that directly selects tRNA-acylation without ribosomal translation (START). In START, each distinct aaRS mutant is correlated to a cognate tRNA containing a unique sequence barcode. Acylation by an active aaRS mutant protects the corresponding barcode-containing tRNAs from oxidative treatment designed to damage the 3'-terminus of the uncharged tRNAs. Sequencing of these surviving barcode-containing tRNAs is then used to reveal the identity of the aaRS mutants that acylated the correlated tRNA sequences. The efficacy of START was demonstrated by identifying novel mutants of the Methanomethylophilus alvus pyrrolysyl-tRNA synthetase from a naïve library that enables incorporation of ncAAs into proteins in living cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chintan Soni
- Department
of Chemistry, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts 02467, United States
| | - Noam Prywes
- Innovative
Genomics Institute, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Howard
Hughes Medical Institute, University of
California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Matthew Hall
- Department
of Biology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts 02467, United States
| | - Malavika A. Nair
- Department
of Chemistry, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts 02467, United States
| | - David F. Savage
- Innovative
Genomics Institute, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Howard
Hughes Medical Institute, University of
California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Department
of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University
of California, Berkeley, California 94720 United States
| | - Alanna Schepartz
- Department
of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University
of California, Berkeley, California 94720 United States
- Department
of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- California
Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Chan Zuckerberg
Biohub, San Francisco, California 94158, United States
- ARC Institute, Palo Alto, California 94304, United States
| | - Abhishek Chatterjee
- Department
of Chemistry, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts 02467, United States
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3
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Hamlish NX, Abramyan AM, Shah B, Zhang Z, Schepartz A. Incorporation of Multiple β 2-Hydroxy Acids into a Protein In Vivo Using an Orthogonal Aminoacyl-tRNA Synthetase. ACS CENTRAL SCIENCE 2024; 10:1044-1053. [PMID: 38799653 PMCID: PMC11117724 DOI: 10.1021/acscentsci.3c01366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2023] [Revised: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
The programmed synthesis of sequence-defined biomaterials whose monomer backbones diverge from those of canonical α-amino acids represents the next frontier in protein and biomaterial evolution. Such next-generation molecules provide otherwise nonexistent opportunities to develop improved biologic therapies, bioremediation tools, and biodegradable plastic-like materials. One monomer family of particular interest for biomaterials includes β-hydroxy acids. Many natural products contain isolated β-hydroxy acid monomers, and polymers of β-hydroxy acids (β-esters) are found in polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) polyesters under development as bioplastics and drug encapsulation/delivery systems. Here we report that β2-hydroxy acids possessing both (R) and (S) absolute configuration are substrates for pyrrolysyl-tRNA synthetase (PylRS) enzymes in vitro and that (S)-β2-hydroxy acids are substrates in cellulo. Using the orthogonal MaPylRS/MatRNAPyl synthetase/tRNA pair, in conjunction with wild-type E. coli ribosomes and EF-Tu, we report the cellular synthesis of model proteins containing two (S)-β2-hydroxy acid residues at internal positions. Metadynamics simulations provide a rationale for the observed preference for the (S)-β2-hydroxy acid and provide mechanistic insights that inform future engineering efforts. As far as we know, this finding represents the first example of an orthogonal synthetase that acylates tRNA with a β2-hydroxy acid substrate and the first example of a protein hetero-oligomer containing multiple expanded-backbone monomers produced in cellulo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noah X. Hamlish
- Department
of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University
of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Ara M. Abramyan
- Schrödinger,
Inc., San Diego, California 92121, United States
| | - Bhavana Shah
- Process
Development, Attribute Sciences, Amgen Inc., Thousand Oaks, California 91320, United
States
| | - Zhongqi Zhang
- Process
Development, Attribute Sciences, Amgen Inc., Thousand Oaks, California 91320, United
States
| | - Alanna Schepartz
- Department
of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University
of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Department
of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, Calfornia 94720, United States
- California
Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Chan Zuckerberg
Biohub, San Francisco, California 94158, United States
- ARC
Institute, Palo Alto, California 94304, United States
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4
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Musiejuk M, Kafarski P. Engineering of Nisin as a Means for Improvement of Its Pharmacological Properties: A Review. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2023; 16:1058. [PMID: 37630973 PMCID: PMC10459688 DOI: 10.3390/ph16081058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Revised: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Lantibiotics are believed to have a conceivable potential to be used as therapeutics, especially against clinically resistant bacterial strains. However, their low solubility and poor stability under physiological conditions limit their availability for clinical studies and further pharmaceutical commercialization. Nisin is a readily available and cheap lanthipeptide and thus serves as a good model in the search for the tools to engineer lantibiotics with improved pharmacological properties. This review aims to address technologies that can be applied to alter and enhance the antimicrobial activity, antibacterial spectrum and physicochemical properties (solubility, solution stability and protease resistance) of nisin. There are basically two general means to obtain nisin analogs-protein engineering and chemical functionalization of this antibiotic. Although bioengineering techniques have been well developed and enable the creation of nisin mutants of variable structures and properties, they are lacking spectacular effects so far. Chemical modifications of nisin based on utilization of the reactivity of its free amino and carboxylic moieties, as well as reactivity of the double bonds of its dehydroamino acids, are in their infancy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Paweł Kafarski
- Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, University of Warmia and Mazury, pl. Łódzki 4, 10-957 Olsztyn, Poland;
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5
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Beattie AT, Dunkelmann DL, Chin JW. Quintuply orthogonal pyrrolysyl-tRNA synthetase/tRNA Pyl pairs. Nat Chem 2023; 15:948-959. [PMID: 37322102 PMCID: PMC7615293 DOI: 10.1038/s41557-023-01232-y] [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] [Received: 08/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Mutually orthogonal aminoacyl transfer RNA synthetase/transfer RNA pairs provide a foundation for encoding non-canonical amino acids into proteins, and encoded non-canonical polymer and macrocycle synthesis. Here we discover quintuply orthogonal pyrrolysyl-tRNA synthetase (PylRS)/pyrrolysyl-tRNA (tRNAPyl) pairs. We discover empirical sequence identity thresholds for mutual orthogonality and use these for agglomerative clustering of PylRS and tRNAPyl sequences; this defines numerous sequence clusters, spanning five classes of PylRS/tRNAPyl pairs (the existing classes +N, A and B, and newly defined classes C and S). Most of the PylRS clusters belong to classes that were unexplored for orthogonal pair generation. By testing pairs from distinct clusters and classes, and pyrrolysyl-tRNAs with unusual structures, we resolve 80% of the pairwise specificities required to make quintuply orthogonal PylRS/tRNAPyl pairs; we control the remaining specificities by engineering and directed evolution. Overall, we create 924 mutually orthogonal PylRS/tRNAPyl pairs, 1,324 triply orthogonal pairs, 128 quadruply orthogonal pairs and 8 quintuply orthogonal pairs. These advances may provide a key foundation for encoded polymer synthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam T Beattie
- Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Jason W Chin
- Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK.
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6
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Majumdar C, Walker JA, Francis MB, Schepartz A, Cate JHD. Aminobenzoic Acid Derivatives Obstruct Induced Fit in the Catalytic Center of the Ribosome. ACS CENTRAL SCIENCE 2023; 9:1160-1169. [PMID: 37396857 PMCID: PMC10311655 DOI: 10.1021/acscentsci.3c00153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
The Escherichia coli (E. coli) ribosome can incorporate a variety of non-l-α-amino acid monomers into polypeptide chains in vitro but with poor efficiency. Although these monomers span a diverse set of compounds, there exists no high-resolution structural information regarding their positioning within the catalytic center of the ribosome, the peptidyl transferase center (PTC). Thus, details regarding the mechanism of amide bond formation and the structural basis for differences and defects in incorporation efficiency remain unknown. Within a set of three aminobenzoic acid derivatives-3-aminopyridine-4-carboxylic acid (Apy), ortho-aminobenzoic acid (oABZ), and meta-aminobenzoic acid (mABZ)-the ribosome incorporates Apy into polypeptide chains with the highest efficiency, followed by oABZ and then mABZ, a trend that does not track with the nucleophilicity of the reactive amines. Here, we report high-resolution cryo-EM structures of the ribosome with each of these three aminobenzoic acid derivatives charged on tRNA bound in the aminoacyl-tRNA site (A-site). The structures reveal how the aromatic ring of each monomer sterically blocks the positioning of nucleotide U2506, thereby preventing rearrangement of nucleotide U2585 and the resulting induced fit in the PTC required for efficient amide bond formation. They also reveal disruptions to the bound water network that is believed to facilitate formation and breakdown of the tetrahedral intermediate. Together, the cryo-EM structures reported here provide a mechanistic rationale for differences in reactivity of aminobenzoic acid derivatives relative to l-α-amino acids and each other and identify stereochemical constraints on the size and geometry of non-monomers that can be accepted efficiently by wild-type ribosomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chandrima Majumdar
- Department
of Molecular and Cell Biology, University
of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Joshua A. Walker
- Department
of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Matthew B. Francis
- Department
of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Molecular
Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Alanna Schepartz
- Department
of Molecular and Cell Biology, University
of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Department
of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Molecular
Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Chan
Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, California 94158, United States
| | - Jamie H. D. Cate
- Department
of Molecular and Cell Biology, University
of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Department
of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Molecular
Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Innovative
Genomics Institute, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
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7
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Fricke R, Swenson CV, Roe LT, Hamlish NX, Shah B, Zhang Z, Ficaretta E, Ad O, Smaga S, Gee CL, Chatterjee A, Schepartz A. Expanding the substrate scope of pyrrolysyl-transfer RNA synthetase enzymes to include non-α-amino acids in vitro and in vivo. Nat Chem 2023:10.1038/s41557-023-01224-y. [PMID: 37264106 DOI: 10.1038/s41557-023-01224-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
The absence of orthogonal aminoacyl-transfer RNA (tRNA) synthetases that accept non-L-α-amino acids is a primary bottleneck hindering the in vivo translation of sequence-defined hetero-oligomers and biomaterials. Here we report that pyrrolysyl-tRNA synthetase (PylRS) and certain PylRS variants accept α-hydroxy, α-thio and N-formyl-L-α-amino acids, as well as α-carboxy acid monomers that are precursors to polyketide natural products. These monomers are accommodated and accepted by the translation apparatus in vitro; those with reactive nucleophiles are incorporated into proteins in vivo. High-resolution structural analysis of the complex formed between one PylRS enzyme and a m-substituted 2-benzylmalonic acid derivative revealed an active site that discriminates prochiral carboxylates and accommodates the large size and distinct electrostatics of an α-carboxy substituent. This work emphasizes the potential of PylRS-derived enzymes for acylating tRNA with monomers whose α-substituent diverges substantially from the α-amine of proteinogenic amino acids. These enzymes or derivatives thereof could synergize with natural or evolved ribosomes and/or translation factors to generate diverse sequence-defined non-protein heteropolymers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Riley Fricke
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Center for Genetically Encoded Materials, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Cameron V Swenson
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Center for Genetically Encoded Materials, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Leah Tang Roe
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Center for Genetically Encoded Materials, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Noah Xue Hamlish
- Center for Genetically Encoded Materials, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Bhavana Shah
- Process Development, Amgen, Thousand Oaks, CA, USA
| | | | - Elise Ficaretta
- Center for Genetically Encoded Materials, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, USA
| | - Omer Ad
- Department of Chemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Sarah Smaga
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Center for Genetically Encoded Materials, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Christine L Gee
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
- California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences (QB3), University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Abhishek Chatterjee
- Center for Genetically Encoded Materials, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, USA
| | - Alanna Schepartz
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA.
- Center for Genetically Encoded Materials, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA.
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA.
- California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences (QB3), University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA.
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA.
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub-San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
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8
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Spinck M, Piedrafita C, Robertson WE, Elliott TS, Cervettini D, de la Torre D, Chin JW. Genetically programmed cell-based synthesis of non-natural peptide and depsipeptide macrocycles. Nat Chem 2023; 15:61-69. [PMID: 36550233 PMCID: PMC9836938 DOI: 10.1038/s41557-022-01082-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2021] [Accepted: 09/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The direct genetically encoded cell-based synthesis of non-natural peptide and depsipeptide macrocycles is an outstanding challenge. Here we programme the encoded synthesis of 25 diverse non-natural macrocyclic peptides, each containing two non-canonical amino acids, in Syn61Δ3-derived cells; these cells contain a synthetic Escherichia coli genome in which the annotated occurrences of two sense codons and a stop codon, and the cognate transfer RNAs (tRNAs) and release factor that normally decode these codons, have been removed. We further demonstrate that pyrrolysyl-tRNA synthetase/tRNA pairs from distinct classes can be engineered to direct the co-translational incorporation of diverse alpha hydroxy acids, with both aliphatic and aromatic side chains. We define 49 engineered mutually orthogonal pairs that recognize distinct non-canonical amino acids or alpha hydroxy acids and decode distinct codons. Finally, we combine our advances to programme Syn61Δ3-derived cells for the encoded synthesis of 12 diverse non-natural depsipeptide macrocycles, which contain two non-canonical side chains and either one or two ester bonds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Spinck
- grid.42475.300000 0004 0605 769XMedical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
| | - Carlos Piedrafita
- grid.42475.300000 0004 0605 769XMedical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
| | - Wesley E. Robertson
- grid.42475.300000 0004 0605 769XMedical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
| | - Thomas S. Elliott
- grid.42475.300000 0004 0605 769XMedical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
| | - Daniele Cervettini
- grid.42475.300000 0004 0605 769XMedical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
| | - Daniel de la Torre
- grid.42475.300000 0004 0605 769XMedical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
| | - Jason W. Chin
- grid.42475.300000 0004 0605 769XMedical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
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9
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Ongpipattanakul C, Desormeaux EK, DiCaprio A, van der Donk WA, Mitchell DA, Nair SK. Mechanism of Action of Ribosomally Synthesized and Post-Translationally Modified Peptides. Chem Rev 2022; 122:14722-14814. [PMID: 36049139 PMCID: PMC9897510 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.2c00210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs) are a natural product class that has undergone significant expansion due to the rapid growth in genome sequencing data and recognition that they are made by biosynthetic pathways that share many characteristic features. Their mode of actions cover a wide range of biological processes and include binding to membranes, receptors, enzymes, lipids, RNA, and metals as well as use as cofactors and signaling molecules. This review covers the currently known modes of action (MOA) of RiPPs. In turn, the mechanisms by which these molecules interact with their natural targets provide a rich set of molecular paradigms that can be used for the design or evolution of new or improved activities given the relative ease of engineering RiPPs. In this review, coverage is limited to RiPPs originating from bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chayanid Ongpipattanakul
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 600 South Mathews Avenue, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
| | - Emily K. Desormeaux
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 600 South Mathews Avenue, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
| | - Adam DiCaprio
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 600 South Mathews Avenue, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
| | - Wilfred A. van der Donk
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 600 South Mathews Avenue, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA.,Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 600 South Mathews Avenue, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA.,Department of Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 600 South Mathews Avenue, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA.,Departments of Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1206 West Gregory Drive, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA.,Corresponding authors Wilfred A. van der Donk, , 217-244-5360, Douglas A. Mitchell, , 217-333-1345, Satish K. Nair, , 217-333-0641
| | - Douglas A. Mitchell
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 600 South Mathews Avenue, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA.,Department of Microbiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 600 South Mathews Avenue, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA.,Departments of Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1206 West Gregory Drive, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA.,Corresponding authors Wilfred A. van der Donk, , 217-244-5360, Douglas A. Mitchell, , 217-333-1345, Satish K. Nair, , 217-333-0641
| | - Satish K. Nair
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 600 South Mathews Avenue, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA.,Departments of Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1206 West Gregory Drive, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA.,Corresponding authors Wilfred A. van der Donk, , 217-244-5360, Douglas A. Mitchell, , 217-333-1345, Satish K. Nair, , 217-333-0641
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10
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Zheng Y, Du Y, Qiu Z, Liu Z, Qiao J, Li Y, Caiyin Q. Nisin Variants Generated by Protein Engineering and Their Properties. Bioengineering (Basel) 2022; 9:bioengineering9060251. [PMID: 35735494 PMCID: PMC9219921 DOI: 10.3390/bioengineering9060251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2022] [Revised: 05/28/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Nisin, a typical lantibiotic, has robust antimicrobial activity combined with limited cytotoxicity, and the development of resistance to it is slow. These properties make nisin a promising antimicrobial agent to control pathogenic microorganisms in dairy foods. However, its low solubility, poor stability and short half-life at neutral pH limit its application within the dairy industry. Protein engineering technology has revealed the potential of modifying nisin to improve its properties, and many valuable variants have emerged. This review summarizes progress in the generation of nisin variants for the dairy industry and for other purposes. These nisin variants with additional modification have improved properties and can even expand the inhibition spectrum range of nisin. Nisin, as the most thoroughly studied lantibiotic, and its variants can also guide the modification of other lantibiotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Zheng
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China; (Y.Z.); (Z.Q.); (Z.L.); (J.Q.); (Y.L.)
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering, Tianjin 300072, China
- Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Yuhui Du
- MOE International Joint Research Laboratory on Synthetic Biology and Medicines, School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China;
| | - Zekai Qiu
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China; (Y.Z.); (Z.Q.); (Z.L.); (J.Q.); (Y.L.)
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering, Tianjin 300072, China
- Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Ziming Liu
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China; (Y.Z.); (Z.Q.); (Z.L.); (J.Q.); (Y.L.)
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering, Tianjin 300072, China
- Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Jianjun Qiao
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China; (Y.Z.); (Z.Q.); (Z.L.); (J.Q.); (Y.L.)
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering, Tianjin 300072, China
- Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Yanni Li
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China; (Y.Z.); (Z.Q.); (Z.L.); (J.Q.); (Y.L.)
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering, Tianjin 300072, China
- Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Qinggele Caiyin
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China; (Y.Z.); (Z.Q.); (Z.L.); (J.Q.); (Y.L.)
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering, Tianjin 300072, China
- Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, Tianjin 300072, China
- Correspondence:
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11
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Lateef OM, Akintubosun MO, Olaoba OT, Samson SO, Adamczyk M. Making Sense of "Nonsense" and More: Challenges and Opportunities in the Genetic Code Expansion, in the World of tRNA Modifications. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:938. [PMID: 35055121 PMCID: PMC8779196 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23020938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Revised: 01/10/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The evolutional development of the RNA translation process that leads to protein synthesis based on naturally occurring amino acids has its continuation via synthetic biology, the so-called rational bioengineering. Genetic code expansion (GCE) explores beyond the natural translational processes to further enhance the structural properties and augment the functionality of a wide range of proteins. Prokaryotic and eukaryotic ribosomal machinery have been proven to accept engineered tRNAs from orthogonal organisms to efficiently incorporate noncanonical amino acids (ncAAs) with rationally designed side chains. These side chains can be reactive or functional groups, which can be extensively utilized in biochemical, biophysical, and cellular studies. Genetic code extension offers the contingency of introducing more than one ncAA into protein through frameshift suppression, multi-site-specific incorporation of ncAAs, thereby increasing the vast number of possible applications. However, different mediating factors reduce the yield and efficiency of ncAA incorporation into synthetic proteins. In this review, we comment on the recent advancements in genetic code expansion to signify the relevance of systems biology in improving ncAA incorporation efficiency. We discuss the emerging impact of tRNA modifications and metabolism in protein design. We also provide examples of the latest successful accomplishments in synthetic protein therapeutics and show how codon expansion has been employed in various scientific and biotechnological applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olubodun Michael Lateef
- Faculty of Chemistry, Warsaw University of Technology, 00-664 Warsaw, Poland; (O.M.L.); (M.O.A.); (S.O.S.)
| | | | - Olamide Tosin Olaoba
- Laboratory of Functional and Structural Biochemistry, Federal University of Sao Carlos, Sao Carlos 13565-905, SP, Brazil;
| | - Sunday Ocholi Samson
- Faculty of Chemistry, Warsaw University of Technology, 00-664 Warsaw, Poland; (O.M.L.); (M.O.A.); (S.O.S.)
| | - Malgorzata Adamczyk
- Faculty of Chemistry, Warsaw University of Technology, 00-664 Warsaw, Poland; (O.M.L.); (M.O.A.); (S.O.S.)
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12
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Tang H, Zhang P, Luo X. Recent Technologies for Genetic Code Expansion and their Implications on Synthetic Biology Applications. J Mol Biol 2021; 434:167382. [PMID: 34863778 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2021.167382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2021] [Revised: 11/18/2021] [Accepted: 11/24/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Genetic code expansion (GCE) enables the site-specific incorporation of non-canonical amino acids as novel building blocks for the investigation and manipulation of proteins. The advancement of genetic code expansion has been benefited from the development of synthetic biology, while genetic code expansion also helps to create more synthetic biology tools. In this review, we summarize recent advances in genetic code expansion brought by synthetic biology progresses, including engineering of the translation machinery, genome-wide codon reassignment, and the biosynthesis of non-canonical amino acids. We highlight the emerging application of this technology in construction of new synthetic biology parts, circuits, chassis, and products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongting Tang
- Center for Synthetic Biochemistry, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Pan Zhang
- Center for Synthetic Biochemistry, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Xiaozhou Luo
- Center for Synthetic Biochemistry, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China.
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13
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Liu D, Rubin GM, Dhakal D, Chen M, Ding Y. Biocatalytic synthesis of peptidic natural products and related analogues. iScience 2021; 24:102512. [PMID: 34041453 PMCID: PMC8141463 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.102512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Peptidic natural products (PNPs) represent a rich source of lead compounds for the discovery and development of therapeutic agents for the treatment of a variety of diseases. However, the chemical synthesis of PNPs with diverse modifications for drug research is often faced with significant challenges, including the unavailability of constituent nonproteinogenic amino acids, inefficient cyclization protocols, and poor compatibility with other functional groups. Advances in the understanding of PNP biosynthesis and biocatalysis provide a promising, sustainable alternative for the synthesis of these compounds and their analogues. Here we discuss current progress in using native and engineered biosynthetic enzymes for the production of both ribosomally and nonribosomally synthesized peptides. In addition, we highlight new in vitro and in vivo approaches for the generation and screening of PNP libraries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dake Liu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Center for Natural Products, Drug Discovery and Development (CNPD3), University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Garret M. Rubin
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Center for Natural Products, Drug Discovery and Development (CNPD3), University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Dipesh Dhakal
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Center for Natural Products, Drug Discovery and Development (CNPD3), University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Manyun Chen
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Center for Natural Products, Drug Discovery and Development (CNPD3), University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Yousong Ding
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Center for Natural Products, Drug Discovery and Development (CNPD3), University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
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14
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Manandhar M, Chun E, Romesberg FE. Genetic Code Expansion: Inception, Development, Commercialization. J Am Chem Soc 2021; 143:4859-4878. [DOI: 10.1021/jacs.0c11938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Miglena Manandhar
- Synthorx, a Sanofi Company, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Eugene Chun
- Synthorx, a Sanofi Company, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
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15
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Montalbán-López M, Scott TA, Ramesh S, Rahman IR, van Heel AJ, Viel JH, Bandarian V, Dittmann E, Genilloud O, Goto Y, Grande Burgos MJ, Hill C, Kim S, Koehnke J, Latham JA, Link AJ, Martínez B, Nair SK, Nicolet Y, Rebuffat S, Sahl HG, Sareen D, Schmidt EW, Schmitt L, Severinov K, Süssmuth RD, Truman AW, Wang H, Weng JK, van Wezel GP, Zhang Q, Zhong J, Piel J, Mitchell DA, Kuipers OP, van der Donk WA. New developments in RiPP discovery, enzymology and engineering. Nat Prod Rep 2021; 38:130-239. [PMID: 32935693 PMCID: PMC7864896 DOI: 10.1039/d0np00027b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 393] [Impact Index Per Article: 131.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Covering: up to June 2020Ribosomally-synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs) are a large group of natural products. A community-driven review in 2013 described the emerging commonalities in the biosynthesis of RiPPs and the opportunities they offered for bioengineering and genome mining. Since then, the field has seen tremendous advances in understanding of the mechanisms by which nature assembles these compounds, in engineering their biosynthetic machinery for a wide range of applications, and in the discovery of entirely new RiPP families using bioinformatic tools developed specifically for this compound class. The First International Conference on RiPPs was held in 2019, and the meeting participants assembled the current review describing new developments since 2013. The review discusses the new classes of RiPPs that have been discovered, the advances in our understanding of the installation of both primary and secondary post-translational modifications, and the mechanisms by which the enzymes recognize the leader peptides in their substrates. In addition, genome mining tools used for RiPP discovery are discussed as well as various strategies for RiPP engineering. An outlook section presents directions for future research.
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16
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Karbalaei-Heidari HR, Budisa N. Combating Antimicrobial Resistance With New-To-Nature Lanthipeptides Created by Genetic Code Expansion. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:590522. [PMID: 33250877 PMCID: PMC7674664 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.590522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2020] [Accepted: 10/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Due to the rapid emergence of multi-resistant bacterial strains in recent decades, the commercially available effective antibiotics are becoming increasingly limited. On the other hand, widespread antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) such as the lantibiotic nisin has been used worldwide for more than 40 years without the appearance of significant bacterial resistance. Lantibiotics are ribosomally synthesized antimicrobials generated by posttranslational modifications. Their biotechnological production is of particular interest to redesign natural scaffolds improving their pharmaceutical properties, which has great potential for therapeutic use in human medicine and other areas. However, conventional protein engineering methods are limited to 20 canonical amino acids prescribed by the genetic code. Therefore, the expansion of the genetic code as the most advanced approach in Synthetic Biology allows the addition of new amino acid building blocks (non-canonical amino acids, ncAAs) during protein translation. We now have solid proof-of-principle evidence that bioexpression with these novel building blocks enabled lantibiotics with chemical properties transcending those produced by natural evolution. The unique scaffolds with novel structural and functional properties are the result of this bioengineering. Here we will critically examine and evaluate the use of the expanded genetic code and its alternatives in lantibiotics research over the last 7 years. We anticipate that Synthetic Biology, using engineered lantibiotics and even more complex scaffolds will be a promising tool to address an urgent problem of antibiotic resistance, especially in a class of multi-drug resistant microbes known as superbugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hamid Reza Karbalaei-Heidari
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran
- Department of Chemistry, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Nediljko Budisa
- Department of Chemistry, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
- Institute of Chemistry, Technical University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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17
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Rahman IR, Acedo JZ, Liu XR, Zhu L, Arrington J, Gross ML, van der Donk WA. Substrate Recognition by the Class II Lanthipeptide Synthetase HalM2. ACS Chem Biol 2020; 15:1473-1486. [PMID: 32293871 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.0c00127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Class II lanthipeptides belong to a diverse group of natural products known as ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs). Most RiPP precursor peptides contain an N-terminal recognition sequence known as the leader peptide, which is typically recognized by biosynthetic enzymes that catalyze modifications on the C-terminal core peptide. For class II lanthipeptides, these are carried out by a bifunctional lanthipeptide synthetase (LanM) that catalyzes dehydration and cyclization reactions on peptidic substrates to generate thioether-containing, macrocyclic molecules. Some lanthipeptide synthetases are extraordinarily substrate tolerant, making them promising candidates for biotechnological applications such as combinatorial biosynthesis and cyclic peptide library construction. In this study, we characterized the mode of leader peptide recognition by HalM2, the lanthipeptide synthetase responsible for the production of the antimicrobial peptide haloduracin β. Using NMR spectroscopic techniques, in vitro binding assays, and enzyme activity assays, we identified substrate residues that are important for binding to HalM2 and for post-translational modification of the peptide substrates. Additionally, we provide evidence of the binding site on the enzyme using binding assays with truncated enzyme variants, hydrogen-deuterium exchange mass spectrometry, and photoaffinity labeling. Understanding the mechanism by which lanthipeptide synthetases recognize their substrate will facilitate their use in biotechnology, as well as further our general understanding of how RiPP enzymes recognize their substrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Imran R. Rahman
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana−Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Jeella Z. Acedo
- Department of Chemistry and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana−Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Xiaoran Roger Liu
- Department of Chemistry, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri 63130, United States
| | - Lingyang Zhu
- School of Chemical Sciences NMR Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana−Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Justine Arrington
- Roy J. Carver Biotechnology Center, University of Illinois at Urbana−Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Michael L. Gross
- Department of Chemistry, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri 63130, United States
| | - Wilfred A. van der Donk
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana−Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Department of Chemistry and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana−Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
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18
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Gladysz JA, Kabes CQ, Gunn JH, Selbst MA, Lucas RF. Syntheses of Enantiopure 1,2-Ethylenediamines with Tethered Secondary Amines of the Formula H2NCH2CH[(CH2)
n
NHMe]NH2 (n = 1–4) from α-Amino Acids: New Agents for Asymmetric Catalysis. SYNTHESIS-STUTTGART 2020. [DOI: 10.1055/s-0040-1707146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Tris(hydrochloride) adducts of the title compounds are prepared from the inexpensive α-amino acids H2N(C=O)CH2CH(NH2)CO2H, HO(C=O)(CH2)
n′CH(NH2)CO2H (n′ = 1, 2), and H2N(CH2)4CH(NH2)CO2H, respectively (steps/overall yield = 5/32%, 7/30%, 7/33%, 5/38%). The NH2 group that is remote from the secondary amine is installed via BH3 reduction of an amide [–(C=O)NR2] derived from an α-amino carboxylic acid. The MeNHCH2 units are introduced by BH3 reductions of alkyl carbamate [RO(C=O)NHCH2–; R = Et, t-Bu] or amide [MeHN(C=O)–] moieties.
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19
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Goto Y, Suga H. Engineering of RiPP pathways for the production of artificial peptides bearing various non-proteinogenic structures. Curr Opin Chem Biol 2018; 46:82-90. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2018.06.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2018] [Revised: 06/04/2018] [Accepted: 06/08/2018] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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20
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Pyrrolysyl-tRNA Synthetase with a Unique Architecture Enhances the Availability of Lysine Derivatives in Synthetic Genetic Codes. Molecules 2018; 23:molecules23102460. [PMID: 30261594 PMCID: PMC6222415 DOI: 10.3390/molecules23102460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2018] [Revised: 09/25/2018] [Accepted: 09/25/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetic code expansion has largely relied on two types of the tRNA—aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase pairs. One involves pyrrolysyl-tRNA synthetase (PylRS), which is used to incorporate various lysine derivatives into proteins. The widely used PylRS from Methanosarcinaceae comprises two distinct domains while the bacterial molecules consist of two separate polypeptides. The recently identified PylRS from Candidatus Methanomethylophilus alvus (CMaPylRS) is a single-domain, one-polypeptide enzyme that belongs to a third category. In the present study, we showed that the PylRS—tRNAPyl pair from C. M. alvus can incorporate lysine derivatives much more efficiently (up to 14-times) than Methanosarcinaceae PylRSs in Escherichia coli cell-based and cell-free systems. Then we investigated the tRNA and amino-acid recognition by CMaPylRS. The cognate tRNAPyl has two structural idiosyncrasies: no connecting nucleotide between the acceptor and D stems and an additional nucleotide in the anticodon stem and it was found that these features are hardly recognized by CMaPylRS. Lastly, the Tyr126Ala and Met129Leu substitutions at the amino-acid binding pocket were shown to allow CMaPylRS to recognize various derivatives of the bulky Nε-benzyloxycarbonyl-l-lysine (ZLys). With the high incorporation efficiency and the amenability to engineering, CMaPylRS would enhance the availability of lysine derivatives in expanded codes.
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21
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Ohtake K, Mukai T, Iraha F, Takahashi M, Haruna KI, Date M, Yokoyama K, Sakamoto K. Engineering an Automaturing Transglutaminase with Enhanced Thermostability by Genetic Code Expansion with Two Codon Reassignments. ACS Synth Biol 2018; 7:2170-2176. [PMID: 30063837 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.8b00157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
In the present study, we simultaneously incorporated two types of synthetic components into microbial transglutaminase (MTG) from Streptoverticillium mobaraense to enhance the utility of this industrial enzyme. The first amino acid, 3-chloro-l-tyrosine, was incorporated into MTG in response to in-frame UAG codons to substitute for the 15 tyrosine residues separately. The two substitutions at positions 20 and 62 were found to each increase thermostability of the enzyme, while the seven substitutions at positions 24, 34, 75, 146, 171, 217, and 310 exhibited neutral effects. Then, these two stabilizing chlorinations were combined with one of the neutral ones, and the most stabilized variant was found to contain 3-chlorotyrosines at positions 20, 62, and 171, exhibiting a half-life 5.1-fold longer than that of the wild-type enzyme at 60 °C. Next, this MTG variant was further modified by incorporating the α-hydroxy acid analogue of Nε-allyloxycarbonyl-l-lysine (AlocKOH), specified by the AGG codon, at the end of the N-terminal inhibitory peptide. We used an Escherichia coli strain previously engineered to have a synthetic genetic code with two codon reassignments for synthesizing MTG variants containing both 3-chlorotyrosine and AlocKOH. The ester bond, thus incorporated into the main chain, efficiently self-cleaved under alkaline conditions (pH 11.0), achieving the autonomous maturation of the thermostabilized MTG. The results suggested that synthetic genetic codes with multiple codon reassignments would be useful for developing the novel designs of enzymes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Ken-ichi Haruna
- Institute for Innovation, Ajinomoto Co., Inc., 1-1 Suzuki-cho, Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki 210-8681, Japan
| | - Masayo Date
- Institute for Innovation, Ajinomoto Co., Inc., 1-1 Suzuki-cho, Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki 210-8681, Japan
| | - Keiichi Yokoyama
- Institute for Innovation, Ajinomoto Co., Inc., 1-1 Suzuki-cho, Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki 210-8681, Japan
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22
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Si T, Tian Q, Min Y, Zhang L, Sweedler JV, van der Donk WA, Zhao H. Rapid Screening of Lanthipeptide Analogs via In-Colony Removal of Leader Peptides in Escherichia coli. J Am Chem Soc 2018; 140:11884-11888. [PMID: 30183279 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.8b05544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Most native producers of ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs) utilize N-terminal leader peptides to avoid potential cytotoxicity of mature products to the hosts. Unfortunately, the native machinery of leader peptide removal is often difficult to reconstitute in heterologous hosts. Here we devised a general method to produce bioactive lanthipeptides, a major class of RiPP molecules, in Escherichia coli colonies using synthetic biology principles, where leader peptide removal is programmed temporally by protease compartmentalization and inducible cell autolysis. We demonstrated the method for producing two lantibiotics, haloduracin and lacticin 481, and performed analog screening for haloduracin. This method enables facile, high throughput discovery, characterization, and engineering of RiPPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tong Si
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology , University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana , Illinois 61801 , United States
| | - Qiqi Tian
- Department of Biochemistry , University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana , Illinois 61801 , United States
| | - Yuhao Min
- Department of Chemistry , University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana , Illinois 61801 , United States
| | - Linzixuan Zhang
- Department of Chemistry , University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana , Illinois 61801 , United States
| | - Jonathan V Sweedler
- 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.,Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology , University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana , Illinois 61801 , United States
| | - Wilfred A van der Donk
- 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.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute , University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana , Illinois 61801 , United States
| | - Huimin Zhao
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology , University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana , Illinois 61801 , United States.,Department of Biochemistry , University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana , Illinois 61801 , United States.,Department of Chemistry , 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 Bioengineering , University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana , Illinois 61801 , United States
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23
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Huang Y, Liu T. Therapeutic applications of genetic code expansion. Synth Syst Biotechnol 2018; 3:150-158. [PMID: 30345400 PMCID: PMC6190509 DOI: 10.1016/j.synbio.2018.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2018] [Revised: 09/16/2018] [Accepted: 09/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
In nature, a limited, conservative set of amino acids are utilized to synthesize proteins. Genetic code expansion technique reassigns codons and incorporates noncanonical amino acids (ncAAs) through orthogonal aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase (aaRS)/tRNA pairs. The past decade has witnessed the rapid growth in diversity and scope for therapeutic applications of this technology. Here, we provided an update on the recent progress using genetic code expansion in the following areas: antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), bispecific antibodies (BsAb), immunotherapies, long-lasting protein therapeutics, biosynthesized peptides, engineered viruses and cells, as well as other therapeutic related applications, where the technique was used to elucidate the mechanisms of biotherapeutics and drug targets.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Tao Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China
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24
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Zhang Y, Chen M, Bruner SD, Ding Y. Heterologous Production of Microbial Ribosomally Synthesized and Post-translationally Modified Peptides. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:1801. [PMID: 30135682 PMCID: PMC6092494 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.01801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2018] [Accepted: 07/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides, or RiPPs, which have mainly isolated from microbes as well as plants and animals, are an ever-expanding group of peptidic natural products with diverse chemical structures and biological activities. They have emerged as a major category of secondary metabolites partly due to a myriad of microbial genome sequencing endeavors and the availability of genome mining software in the past two decades. Heterologous expression of RiPP gene clusters mined from microbial genomes, which are often silent in native producers, in surrogate hosts such as Escherichia coli and Streptomyces strains can be an effective way to elucidate encoded peptides and produce novel derivatives. Emerging strategies have been developed to facilitate the success of the heterologous expression by targeting multiple synthetic biology levels, including individual proteins, pathways, metabolic flux and hosts. This review describes recent advances in heterologous production of RiPPs, mainly from microbes, with a focus on E. coli and Streptomyces strains as the surrogate hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Zhang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Center for Natural Products, Drug Discovery and Development, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Manyun Chen
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Center for Natural Products, Drug Discovery and Development, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Steven D Bruner
- Department of Chemistry, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Yousong Ding
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Center for Natural Products, Drug Discovery and Development, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
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25
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Kakkar N, Perez JG, Liu WR, Jewett MC, van der Donk WA. Incorporation of Nonproteinogenic Amino Acids in Class I and II Lantibiotics. ACS Chem Biol 2018; 13:951-957. [PMID: 29439566 PMCID: PMC5910287 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.7b01024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Lantibiotics are ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptide natural products that contain thioether cross-links formed by lanthionine and methyllanthionine residues. They exert potent antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive bacteria. We herein report production of analogues of two lantibiotics, lacticin 481 and nisin, that contain nonproteinogenic amino acids using two different strategies involving amber stop codon suppression technology. These methods complement recent alternative approaches to incorporate nonproteinogenic amino acids into lantibiotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nidhi Kakkar
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Roger Adams Laboratory, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, 600 South Mathews Avenue, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Jessica G. Perez
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, 600 South Mathews Avenue, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Wenshe R. Liu
- Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843m United States
| | - Michael C. Jewett
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, 600 South Mathews Avenue, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Wilfred A. van der Donk
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Roger Adams Laboratory, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, 600 South Mathews Avenue, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
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26
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Abstract
Our understanding of the complex molecular processes of living organisms at the molecular level is growing exponentially. This knowledge, together with a powerful arsenal of tools for manipulating the structures of macromolecules, is allowing chemists to to harness and reprogram the cellular machinery in ways previously unimaged. Here we review one example in which the genetic code itself has been expanded with new building blocks that allow us to probe and manipulate the structures and functions of proteins with unprecedented precision.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douglas D. Young
- Department of Chemistry, College of William & Mary,
P.O. Box 8795, Williamsburg, VA 23187 (USA)
| | - Peter G. Schultz
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute,
La Jolla, CA 92037 (USA),
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27
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Lopatniuk M, Myronovskyi M, Luzhetskyy A. Streptomyces albus: A New Cell Factory for Non-Canonical Amino Acids Incorporation into Ribosomally Synthesized Natural Products. ACS Chem Biol 2017; 12:2362-2370. [PMID: 28758722 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.7b00359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
The incorporation of noncanonical amino acids (ncAAs) with different side chains into a peptide is a promising technique for changing the functional properties of that peptide. Of particular interest is the incorporation of ncAAs into peptide-derived natural products to optimize their biophysical properties for medical and industrial applications. Here, we present the first instance of ncAA incorporation into the natural product cinnamycin in streptomycetes using the orthogonal pyrrolysyl-tRNA synthetase/tRNAPyl pair from Methanosarcina barkeri. This approach allows site-specific incorporation of ncAAs via the read-through of a stop codon by the suppressor tRNAPyl, which can carry different pyrrolysine analogues. Five new deoxycinnamycin derivatives were obtained with three distinct pyrrolysine analogues incorporated into diverse positions of the antibiotic. The combination of partial hydrolysis and MS/MS fragmentation analysis was used to verify the exact position of the incorporation events. The introduction of ncAAs into different positions of the peptide had opposite effects on the peptide's biological activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariia Lopatniuk
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Saarland University, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Maksym Myronovskyi
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Saarland University, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Andriy Luzhetskyy
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Saarland University, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany
- Helmholtz-Institute for Pharmaceutical Research, Saarland Campus, Building C2.3, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany
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28
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Zambaldo C, Luo X, Mehta AP, Schultz PG. Recombinant Macrocyclic Lanthipeptides Incorporating Non-Canonical Amino Acids. J Am Chem Soc 2017; 139:11646-11649. [PMID: 28809560 PMCID: PMC5847277 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.7b04159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Nisin is a complex lanthipeptide that has broad spectrum antibacterial activity. In efforts to broaden the structural diversity of this ribosomally synthesized lantibiotic, we now report the recombinant expression of Nisin variants that incorporate noncanonical amino acids (ncAAs) at discrete positions. This is achieved by expressing the nisA structural gene, cyclase (nisC) and dehydratase (nisB), together with an orthogonal nonsense suppressor tRNA/aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase pair in Escherichia coli. A number of ncAAs with novel chemical reactivity were genetically incorporated into NisA, including an α-chloroacetamide-containing ncAA that allowed for the expression of Nisin variants with novel macrocyclic topologies. This methodology should allow for the exploration of lanthipeptide variants with new or enhanced activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudio Zambaldo
- The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 N Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA - 92037
| | - Xiaozhou Luo
- The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 N Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA - 92037
| | - Angad P. Mehta
- The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 N Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA - 92037
| | - Peter G. Schultz
- The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 N Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA - 92037
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29
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Baumann T, Nickling JH, Bartholomae M, Buivydas A, Kuipers OP, Budisa N. Prospects of In vivo Incorporation of Non-canonical Amino Acids for the Chemical Diversification of Antimicrobial Peptides. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:124. [PMID: 28210246 PMCID: PMC5288337 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.00124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2016] [Accepted: 01/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The incorporation of non-canonical amino acids (ncAA) is an elegant way for the chemical diversification of recombinantly produced antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). Residue- and site-specific installation methods in several bacterial production hosts hold great promise for the generation of new-to-nature AMPs, and can contribute to tackle the ongoing emergence of antibiotic resistance in pathogens. Especially from a pharmacological point of view, desirable improvements span pH and protease resistance, solubility, oral availability and circulation half-life. Although the primary focus of this report is on ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs), we have included selected cases of peptides produced by solid phase peptide synthesis to comparatively show the potential and impact of ncAA introduction. Generally speaking, the introduction of ncAAs in recombinant AMPs delivers novel levels of chemical diversification. Cotranslationally incorporated, they can take part in AMP biogenesis either through direction interaction with elements of the post-translational modification (PTM) machinery or as untargeted sites with unique physicochemical properties and chemical handles for further modification. Together with genetic libraries, genome mining and processing by PTM machineries, ncAAs present not a mere addition to this process, but a highly diverse pool of building blocks to significantly broaden the chemical space of this valuable class of molecules. This perspective summarizes new developments of ncAA containing peptides. Challenges to be resolved in order to reach large-scale pharmaceutical production of these promising compounds and prospects for future developments are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias Baumann
- Biocatalysis Group, Department of Chemistry, Technische Universität Berlin (Berlin Institute of Technology) Berlin, Germany
| | - Jessica H Nickling
- Biocatalysis Group, Department of Chemistry, Technische Universität Berlin (Berlin Institute of Technology) Berlin, Germany
| | - Maike Bartholomae
- Molecular Genetics Group, Department of Molecular Genetics, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen (University of Groningen) Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Andrius Buivydas
- Molecular Genetics Group, Department of Molecular Genetics, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen (University of Groningen) Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Oscar P Kuipers
- Molecular Genetics Group, Department of Molecular Genetics, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen (University of Groningen) Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Nediljko Budisa
- Biocatalysis Group, Department of Chemistry, Technische Universität Berlin (Berlin Institute of Technology) Berlin, Germany
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30
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Clark KM, Tian S, van der Donk WA, Lu Y. Probing the role of the backbone carbonyl interaction with the Cu A center in azurin by replacing the peptide bond with an ester linkage. Chem Commun (Camb) 2016; 53:224-227. [PMID: 27918029 PMCID: PMC5253137 DOI: 10.1039/c6cc07274g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
The role of a backbone carbonyl interaction with an engineered CuA center in azurin was investigated by developing a method of synthesis and incorporation of a depsipeptide where one of the amide bonds in azurin is replaced by an ester bond using expressed protein ligation. Studies by electronic absorption and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopic techniques indicate that, while the substitution does not significantly alter the geometry of the site, it weakens the axial interaction to the CuA center and strengthens the Cu-Cu bond, as evidenced by the blue shift of the near-IR absorption that has been assigned to the Cu-Cu ψ → ψ* transition. Interestingly, the changes in the electronic structure from the replacement did not result in a change in the reduction potential of the CuA center, suggesting that the diamond core structure of Cu2SCys2 is resistant to variations in axial interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin M Clark
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 600 South Mathews Avenue Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
| | - Shiliang Tian
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 600 South Mathews Avenue Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Wilfred A van der Donk
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 600 South Mathews Avenue Urbana, IL 61801, USA. and Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 600 South Mathews Avenue Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Yi Lu
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 600 South Mathews Avenue Urbana, IL 61801, USA. and Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 600 South Mathews Avenue Urbana, IL 61801, USA
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31
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Montalbán-López M, van Heel AJ, Kuipers OP. Employing the promiscuity of lantibiotic biosynthetic machineries to produce novel antimicrobials. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2016; 41:5-18. [PMID: 27591436 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuw034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Revised: 03/07/2016] [Accepted: 07/28/2016] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
As the number of new antibiotics that reach the market is decreasing and the demand for them is rising, alternative sources of novel antimicrobials are needed. Lantibiotics are potent peptide antimicrobials that are ribosomally synthesized and stabilized by post-translationally introduced lanthionine rings. Their ribosomal synthesis and enzymatic modifications provide excellent opportunities to design and engineer a large variety of novel antimicrobial compounds. The research conducted in this area demonstrates that the modularity present in both the peptidic rings as well as in the combination of promiscuous modification enzymes can be exploited to further increase the diversity of lantibiotics. Various approaches, where the modifying enzymes and corresponding leader peptides are decoupled from their natural core peptide and integrated in designed plug-and-play production systems, enable the production of modified peptides that are either derived from vast genomic data or designed using functional parts from a wide diversity of core peptides. These approaches constitute a powerful discovery platform to develop novel antimicrobials with high therapeutic potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel Montalbán-López
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747AG Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Auke J van Heel
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747AG Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Oscar P Kuipers
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747AG Groningen, the Netherlands
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32
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Himes PM, Allen SE, Hwang S, Bowers AA. Production of Sactipeptides in Escherichia coli: Probing the Substrate Promiscuity of Subtilosin A Biosynthesis. ACS Chem Biol 2016; 11:1737-44. [PMID: 27019323 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.6b00042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Sactipeptides are peptide-derived natural products that are processed by remarkable, radical-mediated cysteine sulfur to α-carbon coupling reactions. The resulting sactionine thioether linkages give rise to the unique defined structures and concomitant biological activities of sactipeptides. An E. coli heterologous expression system, based on the biosynthesis of one such sactipeptide, subtilosin A, is described and this expression system is exploited to probe the promiscuity of the subtilosin A sactionine bond-forming enzyme, AlbA. These efforts allowed the facile expression and isolation of a small library of mutant sactipeptides based on the subtilosin A precursor peptide, demonstrating broad substrate promiscuity where none was previously known. Importantly, we show that the positions of the sactionine linkages can be moved, giving rise to new, unnatural sactipeptide structures. E. coli heterologous expression also allowed incorporation of unnatural amino acids into sactipeptides by means of amber-suppression technology, potentially opening up new chemistry and new applications for unnatural sactipeptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul M. Himes
- Division of Chemical Biology
and Medicinal Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States
| | - Scott E. Allen
- Division of Chemical Biology
and Medicinal Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States
| | - Sungwon Hwang
- Division of Chemical Biology
and Medicinal Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States
| | - Albert A. Bowers
- Division of Chemical Biology
and Medicinal Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States
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33
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Ongey EL, Neubauer P. Lanthipeptides: chemical synthesis versus in vivo biosynthesis as tools for pharmaceutical production. Microb Cell Fact 2016; 15:97. [PMID: 27267232 PMCID: PMC4897893 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-016-0502-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2016] [Accepted: 06/01/2016] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Lanthipeptides (also called lantibiotics for those with antibacterial activities) are ribosomally synthesized post-translationally modified peptides having thioether cross-linked amino acids, lanthionines, as a structural element. Lanthipeptides have conceivable potentials to be used as therapeutics, however, the lack of stable, high-yield, well-characterized processes for their sustainable production limit their availability for clinical studies and further pharmaceutical commercialization. Though many reviews have discussed the various techniques that are currently employed to produce lanthipeptides, a direct comparison between these methods to assess industrial applicability has not yet been described. In this review we provide a synoptic comparison of research efforts on total synthesis and in vivo biosynthesis aimed at fostering lanthipeptides production. We further examine current applications and propose measures to enhance product yields. Owing to their elaborate chemical structures, chemical synthesis of these biomolecules is economically less feasible for large-scale applications, and hence biological production seems to be the only realistic alternative.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elvis Legala Ongey
- Chair of Bioprocess Engineering, Department of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, Ackerstraße 76, ACK24, 13355, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Peter Neubauer
- Chair of Bioprocess Engineering, Department of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, Ackerstraße 76, ACK24, 13355, Berlin, Germany
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34
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Liutkus M, Fraser SA, Caron K, Stigers DJ, Easton CJ. Peptide Synthesis through Cell-Free Expression of Fusion Proteins Incorporating Modified Amino Acids as Latent Cleavage Sites for Peptide Release. Chembiochem 2016; 17:908-12. [PMID: 26918308 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.201600091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2016] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Chlorinated analogues of Leu and Ile are incorporated during cell-free expression of peptides fused to protein, by exploiting the promiscuity of the natural biosynthetic machinery. They then act as sites for clean and efficient release of the peptides simply by brief heat treatment. Dehydro analogues of Leu and Ile are similarly incorporated as latent sites for peptide release through treatment with iodine under cold conditions. These protocols complement enzyme-catalyzed methods and have been used to prepare calcitonin, gastrin-releasing peptide, cholecystokinin-7, and prolactin-releasing peptide prohormones, as well as analogues substituted with unusual amino acids, thus illustrating their practical utility as alternatives to more traditional chemical peptide synthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mantas Liutkus
- Research School of Chemistry, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Samuel A Fraser
- Research School of Chemistry, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Karine Caron
- Research School of Chemistry, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Dannon J Stigers
- Research School of Chemistry, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Christopher J Easton
- Research School of Chemistry, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia.
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35
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Arjomandi OK, Hussein WM, Vella P, Yusof Y, Sidjabat HE, Schenk G, McGeary RP. Design, synthesis, and in vitro and biological evaluation of potent amino acid-derived thiol inhibitors of the metallo-β-lactamase IMP-1. Eur J Med Chem 2016; 114:318-27. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2016.03.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2015] [Revised: 03/04/2016] [Accepted: 03/05/2016] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
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36
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Abstract
Thiopeptides are a subclass of ribosomally synthesized and posttranslationally modified peptides (RiPPs) with complex molecular architectures and an array of biological activities, including potent antimicrobial activity. Here we report the generation of thiopeptides containing noncanonical amino acids (ncAAs) by introducing orthogonal amber suppressor aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase/tRNA pairs into a thiocillin producer strain of Bacillus cereus .We demonstrate that thiopeptide variants containing ncAAs with bioorthogonal chemical reactivity can be further postbiosynthetically modified with biophysical probes, including fluorophores and photo-cross-linkers. This work allows the site-specific incorporation of ncAAs into thiopeptides to increase their structural diversity and probe their biological activity; similar approaches can likely be applied to other classes of RiPPs.
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