1
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Xie X, Sun Y, Peng J, Zhang Z, Wang M, Wang Z, Lei C, Huang Y, Nie Z. Collagen Anchoring Protein-Nucleic Acid Chimeric Probe for In Situ In Vivo Mapping of a Tumor-Specific Protease. Anal Chem 2023; 95:18487-18496. [PMID: 38057291 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.3c03775] [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: 12/08/2023]
Abstract
In situ analysis of biomarkers in the tumor microenvironment (TME) is important to reveal their potential roles in tumor progression and early diagnosis of tumors but remains a challenge. In this work, a bottom-up modular assembly strategy was proposed for a multifunctional protein-nucleic chimeric probe (PNCP) for in situ mapping of cancer-specific proteases. PNCP, containing a collagen anchoring module and a target proteolysis-responsive isothermal amplification sensor module, can be anchored in the collagen-rich TME and respond to the target protease in situ and generate amplified signals through rolling cycle amplification of tandem fluorescent RNAs. Taking matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP-2), a tumor-associated protease, as the model, the feasibility of PNCP was demonstrated for the in situ detection of MMP-2 activity in 3D tumor spheroids. Moreover, in situ in vivo mapping of MMP-2 activity was also achieved in a metastatic solid tumor model with high sensitivity, providing a useful tool for evaluating tumor metastasis and distinguishing highly aggressive forms of tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuan Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, P. R. China
| | - Yuan Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, P. R. China
| | - Jialong Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, P. R. China
| | - Zhenhua Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, P. R. China
| | - Meixia Wang
- College of Biology, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, P. R. China
| | - Zeyuan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, P. R. China
| | - Chunyang Lei
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, P. R. China
| | - Yan Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, P. R. China
| | - Zhou Nie
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, P. R. China
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2
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Xie S, Zhu C, Yang L, Li H, Zhu H, Nie Z, Lei C. Programmable Proteolysis-Activated Transcription for Highly Sensitive Ratiometric Electrochemical Detection of Viral Protease. Anal Chem 2023. [PMID: 37410966 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.3c01720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/08/2023]
Abstract
Viral proteases play a crucial role in viral infection and are regarded as promising targets for antiviral drug development. Consequently, biosensing methods that target viral proteases have contributed to the study of virus-related diseases. This work presents a ratiometric electrochemical sensor that enables highly sensitive detection of viral proteases through the integration of target proteolysis-activated in vitro transcription and the DNA-functionalized electrochemical interface. In particular, each viral protease-mediated proteolysis triggers the transcription of multiple RNA outputs, leading to amplified ratiometric signals on the electrochemical interface. Using the NS3/4A protease of the hepatitis C virus as a model, this method achieves robust and specific NS3/4A protease sensing with sub-femtomolar sensitivity. The feasibility of this sensor was demonstrated by monitoring NS3/4A protease activities in virus-infected cell samples with varying viral loads and post-infection times. This study provides a new approach to analyzing viral proteases and holds the potential for developing direct-acting antivirals and novel therapies for viral infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiyi Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, P. R. China
| | - Cong Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, P. R. China
| | - Lijuan Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, P. R. China
| | - Huiyi Li
- Institute of Pathogen Biology and Immunology of College of Biology, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, P. R. China
| | - Haizhen Zhu
- Institute of Pathogen Biology and Immunology of College of Biology, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, P. R. China
| | - Zhou Nie
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, P. R. China
| | - Chunyang Lei
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, P. R. China
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3
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Tague EP, McMahan JB, Tague N, Dunlop MJ, Ngo JT. Controlled Protein Activities with Viral Proteases, Antiviral Peptides, and Antiviral Drugs. ACS Chem Biol 2023; 18:1228-1236. [PMID: 37140437 PMCID: PMC10501127 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.3c00138] [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: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Chemical control of protein activity is a powerful tool for scientific study, synthetic biology, and cell therapy; however, for broad use, effective chemical inducer systems must minimally crosstalk with endogenous processes and exhibit desirable drug delivery properties. Accordingly, the drug-controllable proteolytic activity of hepatitis C cis-protease NS3 and its associated antiviral drugs have been used to regulate protein activity and gene modulation. These tools advantageously exploit non-eukaryotic and non-prokaryotic proteins and clinically approved inhibitors. Here, we expand the toolkit by utilizing catalytically inactive NS3 protease as a high affinity binder to genetically encoded, antiviral peptides. Through our approach, we create NS3-peptide complexes that can be displaced by FDA-approved drugs to modulate transcription, cell signaling, and split-protein complementation. With our developed system, we invented a new mechanism to allosterically regulate Cre recombinase. Allosteric Cre regulation with NS3 ligands enables orthogonal recombination tools in eukaryotic cells and functions in divergent organisms to control prokaryotic recombinase activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elliot P Tague
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Biological Design Center, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
| | - Jeffrey B McMahan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Biological Design Center, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
| | - Nathan Tague
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Biological Design Center, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
| | - Mary J Dunlop
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Biological Design Center, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
| | - John T Ngo
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Biological Design Center, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
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4
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Tague EP, McMahan JB, Tague N, Dunlop MJ, Ngo JT. Controlled protein activities with viral proteases, antiviral peptides, and antiviral drugs. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.02.27.530290. [PMID: 36909459 PMCID: PMC10002686 DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.27.530290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/03/2023]
Abstract
Chemical control of protein activity is a powerful tool for scientific study, synthetic biology, and cell therapy; however, for broad use, effective chemical inducer systems must minimally crosstalk with endogenous processes and exhibit desirable drug delivery properties. Accordingly, the drug-controllable proteolytic activity of hepatitis C cis- protease NS3 and its associated antiviral drugs have been used to regulate protein activity and gene modulation. These tools advantageously exploit non-eukaryotic/prokaryotic proteins and clinically approved inhibitors. Here we expand the toolkit by utilizing catalytically inactive NS3 protease as a high affinity binder to genetically encoded, antiviral peptides. Through our approach, we create NS3-peptide complexes that can be displaced by FDA-approved drugs to modulate transcription, cell signaling, split-protein complementation. With our developed system, we discover a new mechanism to allosterically regulate Cre recombinase. Allosteric Cre regulation with NS3 ligands enables orthogonal recombination tools in eukaryotic cells and functions in divergent organisms to control prokaryotic recombinase activity.
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5
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Xie VC, Styles MJ, Dickinson BC. Methods for the directed evolution of biomolecular interactions. Trends Biochem Sci 2022; 47:403-416. [PMID: 35427479 PMCID: PMC9022280 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibs.2022.01.001] [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: 10/16/2021] [Revised: 12/27/2021] [Accepted: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Noncovalent interactions between biomolecules such as proteins and nucleic acids coordinate all cellular processes through changes in proximity. Tools that perturb these interactions are and will continue to be highly valuable for basic and translational scientific endeavors. By taking cues from natural systems, such as the adaptive immune system, we can design directed evolution platforms that can generate proteins that bind to biomolecules of interest. In recent years, the platforms used to direct the evolution of biomolecular binders have greatly expanded the range of types of interactions one can evolve. Herein, we review recent advances in methods to evolve protein-protein, protein-RNA, and protein-DNA interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Matthew J Styles
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Bryan C Dickinson
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
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6
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Shi K, Cao L, Liu F, Xie S, Wang S, Huang Y, Lei C, Nie Z. Amplified and label-free electrochemical detection of a protease biomarker by integrating proteolysis-triggered transcription. Biosens Bioelectron 2021; 190:113372. [PMID: 34116447 DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2021.113372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Revised: 05/14/2021] [Accepted: 05/20/2021] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Cell-free synthetic biology provides a promising strategy for developing high-performance biosensors by integrating with advanced testing technologies. However, the combination of synthetic biology with electrochemical testing techniques is still underdeveloped. Here, we proposed an electrochemical biosensor for the label-free and ultrasensitive detection of target protease biomarker by coupling a protease-responsive RNA polymerase (PR) for signal amplification. Taking tumor biomarker matrix metalloprotease-2 (MMP-2) as a model protease, we employed PR to transduce each proteolysis reaction mediated by MMP-2 into multiple programmable RNA outputs that can be captured by the DNA probes immobilized on a gold electrode. Moreover, the captured RNAs are designed to contain a guanine-rich sequence that can form G-quadruplex and bind to hemin in the presence of potassium ions. In this scenario, the activity of MMP-2 is converted and amplified into the electrochemical signals of hemin. Under the optimal conditions, this PR-based electrochemical biosensor enabled the sensitive detection of MMP-2 in a wide linear dynamic range from 10 fM to 1.0 nM, with a limit of detection of 7.1 fM. Moreover, the proposed biosensor was further applied in evaluating MMP-2 activities in different cell cultures and human tissue samples, demonstrating its potential in the analysis of protease biomarkers in complex clinical samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, PR China
| | - Lei Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, PR China
| | - Fang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, PR China
| | - Shiyi Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, PR China
| | - Shuo Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, PR China
| | - Yan Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, PR China
| | - Chunyang Lei
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, PR China.
| | - Zhou Nie
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, PR China
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7
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Liu F, Chen R, Song W, Li L, Lei C, Nie Z. Modular Combination of Proteolysis-Responsive Transcription and Spherical Nucleic Acids for Smartphone-Based Colorimetric Detection of Protease Biomarkers. Anal Chem 2021; 93:3517-3525. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.0c04894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Fang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, P. R. China
| | - Ru Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, P. R. China
| | - Wenlu Song
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, P. R. China
| | - Liangwen Li
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, P. R. China
| | - Chunyang Lei
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, P. R. China
| | - Zhou Nie
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, P. R. China
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8
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Coupling of proteolysis-triggered transcription and CRISPR-Cas12a for ultrasensitive protease detection. Sci China Chem 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s11426-020-9863-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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9
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Luo X, Zhao J, Xie X, Liu F, Zeng P, Lei C, Nie Z. Proteolysis-Responsive Rolling Circle Transcription Assay Enabling Femtomolar Sensitivity Detection of a Target Protease Biomarker. Anal Chem 2020; 92:16314-16321. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.0c04427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Xingyu Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, P. R. China
| | - Jiali Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, P. R. China
| | - Xuan Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, P. R. China
| | - Fang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, P. R. China
| | - Pan Zeng
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, P. R. China
| | - Chunyang Lei
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, P. R. China
| | - Zhou Nie
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, P. R. China
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10
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Wang K, Wang XY, Gao GJ, Ren XW, Cai XY, Yu QK, Xing S, Zhu B. Multistimuli responsive RNA amphiphilic polymeric assembly constructed by calixpyridinium-based supramolecular interactions. Tetrahedron 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tet.2020.131620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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11
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Liu F, Yang M, Song W, Luo X, Tang R, Duan Z, Kang W, Xie S, Liu Q, Lei C, Huang Y, Nie Z, Yao S. Target-activated transcription for the amplified sensing of protease biomarkers. Chem Sci 2020; 11:2993-2998. [PMID: 34122801 PMCID: PMC8157538 DOI: 10.1039/c9sc04692e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Signal amplification is an effective way to achieve sensitive analysis of biomarkers, exhibiting great promise in biomedical research and clinical diagnosis. Inspired by the transcription process, here we present a versatile strategy that enables effective amplification of proteolysis into nucleic acid signal outputs in a homogeneous system. In this strategy, a protease-activatable T7 RNA polymerase is engineered as the signal amplifier and achieves 3 orders of magnitude amplification in signal gain. The versatility of this strategy has been demonstrated by the development of sensitive and selective assays for protease biomarkers, such as matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) and thrombin, with sub-picomole sensitivity, which is 4.3 × 103-fold lower than that of the standard peptide-based method. Moreover, the proposed assay has been further applied in the detection of MMP-2 secreted by cancer cells, as well as in the assessment of MMP-2 levels in osteosarcoma tissue samples, providing a general approach for the monitoring of protease biomarkers in clinical diagnosis. A transcription-inspired signal amplification strategy that amplifies proteolysis into nucleic acid outputs is presented for the ultrasensitive sensing of protease biomarkers.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Fang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, Hunan University Changsha 410082 P. R. China
| | - Min Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, Hunan University Changsha 410082 P. R. China
| | - Wenlu Song
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, Hunan University Changsha 410082 P. R. China
| | - Xingyu Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, Hunan University Changsha 410082 P. R. China
| | - Rui Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, Hunan University Changsha 410082 P. R. China
| | - Zhixi Duan
- Department of Orthopedics, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University Changsha 410011 Hunan P. R. China
| | - Wenyuan Kang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, Hunan University Changsha 410082 P. R. China
| | - Shiyi Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, Hunan University Changsha 410082 P. R. China
| | - Qingqing Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, Hunan University Changsha 410082 P. R. China
| | - Chunyang Lei
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, Hunan University Changsha 410082 P. R. China
| | - Yan Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, Hunan University Changsha 410082 P. R. China
| | - Zhou Nie
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, Hunan University Changsha 410082 P. R. China
| | - Shouzhuo Yao
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, Hunan University Changsha 410082 P. R. China
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12
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13
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Pu J, Disare M, Dickinson BC. Evolution of C-Terminal Modification Tolerance in Full-Length and Split T7 RNA Polymerase Biosensors. Chembiochem 2019; 20:1547-1553. [PMID: 30694596 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.201800707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2018] [Revised: 01/27/2019] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
T7 RNA polymerase (RNAP) is a powerful protein scaffold for the construction of synthetic biology tools and biosensors. However, both T7 RNAP and its split variants are intolerant to C-terminal modifications or fusions, thus placing a key limitation on their engineering and deployment. Here, we use rapid continuous-evolution approaches to evolve both full-length and split T7 RNAP variants that tolerate modified C termini and fusions to entire other proteins. Moreover, we show that the evolved split C-terminal RNAP variants can function as small-molecule biosensors, even in the context of large C-terminal fusions. This work provides a panel of modified RNAP variants with robust activity and tolerance to C-terminal fusions, and provides insights into the biophysical requirements of the C-terminal carboxylic acid functional group of T7 RNAP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinyue Pu
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Chicago, 929 E. 57th Street, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Michael Disare
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Chicago, 929 E. 57th Street, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Bryan C Dickinson
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Chicago, 929 E. 57th Street, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
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14
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d’Oelsnitz S, Ellington A. Continuous directed evolution for strain and protein engineering. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2018; 53:158-163. [DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2017.12.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2017] [Revised: 12/18/2017] [Accepted: 12/19/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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15
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Tague EP, Dotson HL, Tunney SN, Sloas DC, Ngo JT. Chemogenetic control of gene expression and cell signaling with antiviral drugs. Nat Methods 2018; 15:519-522. [PMID: 29967495 DOI: 10.1038/s41592-018-0042-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2017] [Accepted: 04/24/2018] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
We developed a method in which the NS3 cis-protease from hepatitis C virus can be used as a ligand-inducible connection to control the function and localization of engineered proteins in mammalian cells. To demonstrate the versatility of this approach, we designed drug-sensitive transcription factors and transmembrane signaling proteins, the activities of which can be tightly and reversibly controlled through the use of clinically tested antiviral protease inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elliot P Tague
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Biological Design Center, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Hannah L Dotson
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Biological Design Center, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Shannon N Tunney
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Biological Design Center, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - D Christopher Sloas
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Biological Design Center, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - John T Ngo
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Biological Design Center, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA.
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16
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Pu J, Kentala K, Dickinson BC. Multidimensional Control of Cas9 by Evolved RNA Polymerase-Based Biosensors. ACS Chem Biol 2018; 13:431-437. [PMID: 28809467 PMCID: PMC5828011 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.7b00532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Systems to control Cas9 with spatial and temporal precision offer opportunities to decrease side effects, protect sensitive tissues, and create gene therapies that are only activated at defined times and places. Here, we present the design of new Cas9 controllers based on RNA polymerase (RNAP)-based biosensors that produce gRNAs, thereby regulating target knockout. After development and validation of a new abscisic acid-inducible biosensor to control Cas9, we lowered the background of the system using continuous evolution. To showcase the versatility of the approach, we designed biosensors that measure medically relevant protein-protein interactions to drive knockout. Finally, to test whether orthogonal RNAP biosensors could integrate multiple input signals to drive multiple gRNA-based outputs with a single Cas9 protein, we designed an "on-switch/off switch" controller. The addition of one input activates the "on switch" and induces knockout, while the addition of a second input activates the "off switch" and produces a gRNA that directs the Cas9 protein to degrade the "on switch" gRNA vector, thereby deactivating it. This combined activation and deactivation system displayed very low background and inducible target knockout using different combinations of small-molecule treatment. Our results establish engineered RNAP biosensors as deployable Cas9 control elements and open up new opportunities for driving genetic editing technologies by diverse input signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinyue Pu
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637
| | - Kaitlin Kentala
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637
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17
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Pu J, Dewey JA, Hadji A, LaBelle JL, Dickinson BC. RNA Polymerase Tags To Monitor Multidimensional Protein-Protein Interactions Reveal Pharmacological Engagement of Bcl-2 Proteins. J Am Chem Soc 2017; 139:11964-11972. [PMID: 28767232 PMCID: PMC5828006 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.7b06152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
We report the development of a new technology for monitoring multidimensional protein-protein interactions (PPIs) inside live mammalian cells using split RNA polymerase (RNAP) tags. In this new system, a protein-of-interest is tagged with an N-terminal split RNAP (RNAPN), and multiple potential binding partners are each fused to orthogonal C-terminal RNAPs (RNAPC). Assembly of RNAPN with each RNAPC is highly dependent on interactions between the tagged proteins. Each PPI-mediated RNAPN-RNAPC assembly transcribes from a separate promoter on a supplied DNA substrate, thereby generating a unique RNA output signal for each PPI. We develop and validate this new approach in the context of the Bcl-2 family of proteins. These key regulators of apoptosis are important cancer mediators, but are challenging to therapeutically target due to imperfect selectivity that leads to either off-target toxicity or tumor resistance. We demonstrate binary (1 × 1) and ternary (1 × 2) Bcl-2 PPI analyses by imaging fluorescent protein translation from mRNA outputs. Next, we perform a 1 × 4 PPI network analysis by direct measurement of four unique RNA signals via RT-qPCR. Finally, we use these new tools to monitor pharmacological engagement of Bcl-2 protein inhibitors, and uncover inhibitor-dependent competitive PPIs. The split RNAP tags improve upon other protein fragment complementation (PFC) approaches by offering both multidimensionality and sensitive detection using nucleic acid amplification and analysis techniques. Furthermore, this technology opens new opportunities for synthetic biology applications due to the versatility of RNA outputs for cellular engineering applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinyue Pu
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637
| | - Jeffrey A. Dewey
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637
| | - Abbas Hadji
- Section of Hematology, Oncology, Stem Cell Transplantation, Department of Pediatrics, The University of Chicago, Comer Children’s Hospital, Chicago, IL, 60637
| | - James L. LaBelle
- Section of Hematology, Oncology, Stem Cell Transplantation, Department of Pediatrics, The University of Chicago, Comer Children’s Hospital, Chicago, IL, 60637
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18
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Kuriki Y, Komatsu T, Ycas PD, Coulup SK, Carlson EJ, Pomerantz WCK. Meeting Proceedings ICBS2016-Translating the Power of Chemical Biology to Clinical Advances. ACS Chem Biol 2017; 12:869-877. [PMID: 28303709 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.7b00205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Yugo Kuriki
- Graduate School
of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Tokyo, 7-3-1, Hongo,
Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Toru Komatsu
- Graduate School
of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Tokyo, 7-3-1, Hongo,
Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
- Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), 4-1-8 Honcho Kawaguchi, Saitama 332-0012, Japan
| | - Peter D. Ycas
- Department of Chemistry, University of Minnesota, 312 Smith
Hall, 207 Pleasant St. SE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455-0431, United States
| | - Sara K. Coulup
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Minnesota, 717 Delaware Street, SE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55414, United States
| | - Erick J. Carlson
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Minnesota, 717 Delaware Street, SE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55414, United States
| | - William C. K. Pomerantz
- Department of Chemistry, University of Minnesota, 312 Smith
Hall, 207 Pleasant St. SE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455-0431, United States
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Minnesota, 717 Delaware Street, SE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55414, United States
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19
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Evolution of a split RNA polymerase as a versatile biosensor platform. Nat Chem Biol 2017; 13:432-438. [PMID: 28192413 DOI: 10.1038/nchembio.2299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2016] [Accepted: 12/05/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Biosensors that transduce target chemical and biochemical inputs into genetic outputs are essential for bioengineering and synthetic biology. Current biosensor design strategies are often limited by a low signal-to-noise ratio, the extensive optimization required for each new input, and poor performance in mammalian cells. Here we report the development of a proximity-dependent split RNA polymerase (RNAP) as a general platform for biosensor engineering. After discovering that interactions between fused proteins modulate the assembly of a split T7 RNAP, we optimized the split RNAP components for protein-protein interaction detection by phage-assisted continuous evolution (PACE). We then applied the resulting activity-responsive RNAP (AR) system to create biosensors that can be activated by light and small molecules, demonstrating the 'plug-and-play' nature of the platform. Finally, we validated that ARs can interrogate multidimensional protein-protein interactions and trigger RNA nanostructure production, protein synthesis, and gene knockdown in mammalian systems, illustrating the versatility of ARs in synthetic biology applications.
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20
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Li Z, Lau C, Lu J. Effect of the Concentration Difference between Magnesium Ions and Total Ribonucleotide Triphosphates in Governing the Specificity of T7 RNA Polymerase-Based Rolling Circle Transcription for Quantitative Detection. Anal Chem 2016; 88:6078-83. [PMID: 27167591 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.6b01460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
T7 RNA polymerase-based rolling circle transcription (RCT) is a more powerful tool than universal runoff transcription and traditional DNA polymerase-based rolling circle amplification (RCA). However, RCT is rarely employed in quantitative detection due to its poor specificity for small single-stranded DNA (ssDNA), which can be transcribed efficiently by T7 RNA polymerase even without a promoter. Herein we show that the concentration difference between Mg(2+) and total ribonucleotide triphosphates (rNTPs) radically governs the specificity of T7 RNA polymerase. Only when the total rNTP concentration is 9 mM greater than the Mg(2+) concentration can T7 RNA polymerase transcribe ssDNA specifically and efficiently. This knowledge improves our traditional understanding of T7 RNA polymerase and makes convenient application of RCT in quantitative detection possible. Subsequently, an RCT-based label-free chemiluminescence method for microRNA detection was designed to test the capability of this sensing platform. Using this simple method, microRNA as low as 20 amol could be quantitatively detected. The results reveal that the developed sensing platform holds great potential for further applications in the quantitative detection of a variety of targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiyan Li
- School of Pharmacy, Fudan University , 826 Zhangheng Road, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Choiwan Lau
- School of Pharmacy, Fudan University , 826 Zhangheng Road, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Jianzhong Lu
- School of Pharmacy, Fudan University , 826 Zhangheng Road, Shanghai 201203, China
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