1
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Birch-Price Z, Hardy FJ, Lister TM, Kohn AR, Green AP. Noncanonical Amino Acids in Biocatalysis. Chem Rev 2024; 124:8740-8786. [PMID: 38959423 PMCID: PMC11273360 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.4c00120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2024] [Revised: 06/11/2024] [Accepted: 06/12/2024] [Indexed: 07/05/2024]
Abstract
In recent years, powerful genetic code reprogramming methods have emerged that allow new functional components to be embedded into proteins as noncanonical amino acid (ncAA) side chains. In this review, we will illustrate how the availability of an expanded set of amino acid building blocks has opened a wealth of new opportunities in enzymology and biocatalysis research. Genetic code reprogramming has provided new insights into enzyme mechanisms by allowing introduction of new spectroscopic probes and the targeted replacement of individual atoms or functional groups. NcAAs have also been used to develop engineered biocatalysts with improved activity, selectivity, and stability, as well as enzymes with artificial regulatory elements that are responsive to external stimuli. Perhaps most ambitiously, the combination of genetic code reprogramming and laboratory evolution has given rise to new classes of enzymes that use ncAAs as key catalytic elements. With the framework for developing ncAA-containing biocatalysts now firmly established, we are optimistic that genetic code reprogramming will become a progressively more powerful tool in the armory of enzyme designers and engineers in the coming years.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Anthony P. Green
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology,
School of Chemistry, University of Manchester, Manchester M1 7DN, U.K.
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2
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Yi HB, Lee S, Seo K, Kim H, Kim M, Lee HS. Cellular and Biophysical Applications of Genetic Code Expansion. Chem Rev 2024; 124:7465-7530. [PMID: 38753805 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.4c00112] [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: 05/18/2024]
Abstract
Despite their diverse functions, proteins are inherently constructed from a limited set of building blocks. These compositional constraints pose significant challenges to protein research and its practical applications. Strategically manipulating the cellular protein synthesis system to incorporate novel building blocks has emerged as a critical approach for overcoming these constraints in protein research and application. In the past two decades, the field of genetic code expansion (GCE) has achieved significant advancements, enabling the integration of numerous novel functionalities into proteins across a variety of organisms. This technological evolution has paved the way for the extensive application of genetic code expansion across multiple domains, including protein imaging, the introduction of probes for protein research, analysis of protein-protein interactions, spatiotemporal control of protein function, exploration of proteome changes induced by external stimuli, and the synthesis of proteins endowed with novel functions. In this comprehensive Review, we aim to provide an overview of cellular and biophysical applications that have employed GCE technology over the past two decades.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han Bin Yi
- Department of Chemistry, Sogang University, 35 Baekbeom-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul 04107, Republic of Korea
| | - Seungeun Lee
- Department of Chemistry, Sogang University, 35 Baekbeom-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul 04107, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyungdeok Seo
- Department of Chemistry, Sogang University, 35 Baekbeom-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul 04107, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyeongjo Kim
- Department of Chemistry, Sogang University, 35 Baekbeom-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul 04107, Republic of Korea
| | - Minah Kim
- Department of Chemistry, Sogang University, 35 Baekbeom-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul 04107, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyun Soo Lee
- Department of Chemistry, Sogang University, 35 Baekbeom-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul 04107, Republic of Korea
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3
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Lee D, Kim JG, Kim TW, Choi JI. Development of orthogonal aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase mutant for incorporating a non-canonical amino acid. AMB Express 2024; 14:60. [PMID: 38782816 PMCID: PMC11116331 DOI: 10.1186/s13568-024-01706-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Genetic code expansion involves introducing non-canonical amino acids (ncAAs) with unique functional groups into proteins to broaden their applications. Orthogonal aminoacyl tRNA synthetase (aaRS), essential for genetic code expansion, facilitates the charging of ncAAs to tRNA. In this study, we developed a new aaRS mutant from Methanosaeta concilii tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase (Mc TyrRS) to incorporate para-azido-L-phenylalanine (AzF). The development involved initial site-specific mutations in Mc TyrRS, followed by random mutagenesis. The new aaRS mutant with amber suppression was isolated through fluorescence-activated cell sorting. The M. concilii aaRS mutant structure was further analyzed to interpret the effect of mutations. This research provides a novel orthogonal aaRS evolution pipeline for highly efficient ncAA incorporation that will contribute to developing novel aaRS from various organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongheon Lee
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, 61186, Republic of Korea
| | - Ja Gyung Kim
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, 61186, Republic of Korea
| | - Tae Wan Kim
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, 61186, Republic of Korea.
| | - Jong-Il Choi
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, 61186, Republic of Korea.
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4
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Hu Z, Liang J, Su T, Zhang D, Li H, Gao X, Yao W, Song X. Minimizing the Anticodon-Recognized Loop of Methanococcus jannaschii Tyrosyl-tRNA Synthetase to Improve the Efficiency of Incorporating Noncanonical Amino Acids. Biomolecules 2023; 13:biom13040610. [PMID: 37189358 DOI: 10.3390/biom13040610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2023] [Revised: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/25/2023] [Indexed: 03/31/2023] Open
Abstract
In the field of genetic code expansion (GCE), improvements in the efficiency of noncanonical amino acid (ncAA) incorporation have received continuous attention. By analyzing the reported gene sequences of giant virus species, we noticed some sequence differences at the tRNA binding interface. On the basis of the structural and activity differences between Methanococcus jannaschii Tyrosyl-tRNA Synthetase (MjTyrRS) and mimivirus Tyrosyl-tRNA Synthetase (MVTyrRS), we found that the size of the anticodon-recognized loop of MjTyrRS influences its suppression activity regarding triplet and specific quadruplet codons. Therefore, three MjTyrRS mutants with loop minimization were designed. The suppression of wild-type MjTyrRS loop-minimized mutants increased by 1.8–4.3-fold, and the MjTyrRS variants enhanced the activity of the incorporation of ncAAs by 15–150% through loop minimization. In addition, for specific quadruplet codons, the loop minimization of MjTyrRS also improves the suppression efficiency. These results suggest that loop minimization of MjTyrRS may provide a general strategy for the efficient synthesis of ncAAs-containing proteins.
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5
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Joest EF, Winter C, Wesalo JS, Deiters A, Tampé R. Efficient Amber Suppression via Ribosomal Skipping for In Situ Synthesis of Photoconditional Nanobodies. ACS Synth Biol 2022; 11:1466-1476. [PMID: 35060375 PMCID: PMC9157392 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.1c00471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Genetic code expansion is a versatile method for in situ synthesis of modified proteins. During mRNA translation, amber stop codons are suppressed to site-specifically incorporate non-canonical amino acids. Thus, nanobodies can be equipped with photocaged amino acids to control target binding on demand. The efficiency of amber suppression and protein synthesis can vary with unpredictable background expression, and the reasons are hardly understood. Here, we identified a substantial limitation that prevented synthesis of nanobodies with N-terminal modifications for light control. After systematic analyses, we hypothesized that nanobody synthesis was severely affected by ribosomal inaccuracy during the early phases of translation. To circumvent a background-causing read-through of a premature stop codon, we designed a new suppression concept based on ribosomal skipping. As an example, we generated intrabodies with photoactivated target binding in mammalian cells. The findings provide valuable insights into the genetic code expansion and describe a versatile synthesis route for the generation of modified nanobodies that opens up new perspectives for efficient site-specific integration of chemical tools. In the area of photopharmacology, our flexible intrabody concept builds an ideal platform to modulate target protein function and interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eike F Joest
- Institute of Biochemistry, Biocenter, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, 60438 Frankfurt/M, Germany
| | - Christian Winter
- Institute of Biochemistry, Biocenter, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, 60438 Frankfurt/M, Germany
| | - Joshua S Wesalo
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15260, USA
| | - Alexander Deiters
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15260, USA
| | - Robert Tampé
- Institute of Biochemistry, Biocenter, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, 60438 Frankfurt/M, Germany
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6
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Khan N, Pelletier D, McAlear TS, Croteau N, Veyron S, Bayne AN, Black C, Ichikawa M, Khalifa AAZ, Chaaban S, Kurinov I, Brouhard G, Bechstedt S, Bui KH, Trempe JF. Crystal structure of human PACRG in complex with MEIG1 reveals roles in axoneme formation and tubulin binding. Structure 2021; 29:572-586.e6. [PMID: 33529594 DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2021.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2020] [Revised: 12/16/2020] [Accepted: 01/08/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The Parkin co-regulated gene protein (PACRG) binds at the inner junction between doublet microtubules of the axoneme, a structure found in flagella and cilia. PACRG binds to the adaptor protein meiosis expressed gene 1 (MEIG1), but how they bind to microtubules is unknown. Here, we report the crystal structure of human PACRG in complex with MEIG1. PACRG adopts a helical repeat fold with a loop that interacts with MEIG1. Using the structure of the axonemal doublet microtubule from the protozoan Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and single-molecule fluorescence microscopy, we propose that PACRG binds to microtubules while simultaneously recruiting free tubulin to catalyze formation of the inner junction. We show that the homologous PACRG-like protein also mediates dual tubulin interactions but does not bind MEIG1. Our findings establish a framework to assess the function of the PACRG family of proteins and MEIG1 in regulating axoneme assembly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nimra Khan
- Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada; Centre de Recherche en Biologie Structurale - FRQS, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Dylan Pelletier
- Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada; Centre de Recherche en Biologie Structurale - FRQS, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Thomas S McAlear
- Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada; Centre de Recherche en Biologie Structurale - FRQS, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Nathalie Croteau
- Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada; Centre de Recherche en Biologie Structurale - FRQS, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Simon Veyron
- Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada; Centre de Recherche en Biologie Structurale - FRQS, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Andrew N Bayne
- Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada; Centre de Recherche en Biologie Structurale - FRQS, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Corbin Black
- Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada; Centre de Recherche en Biologie Structurale - FRQS, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Muneyoshi Ichikawa
- Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Ahmad Abdelzaher Zaki Khalifa
- Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada; Centre de Recherche en Biologie Structurale - FRQS, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Sami Chaaban
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada; Centre de Recherche en Biologie Structurale - FRQS, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Igor Kurinov
- NECAT, Cornell University, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Argonne, IL, USA
| | - Gary Brouhard
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada; Centre de Recherche en Biologie Structurale - FRQS, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Susanne Bechstedt
- Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada; Centre de Recherche en Biologie Structurale - FRQS, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Khanh Huy Bui
- Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada; Centre de Recherche en Biologie Structurale - FRQS, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Jean-François Trempe
- Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada; Centre de Recherche en Biologie Structurale - FRQS, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
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7
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Sarkar B, Jayaraman N. Glycoconjugations of Biomolecules by Chemical Methods. Front Chem 2020; 8:570185. [PMID: 33330359 PMCID: PMC7672192 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2020.570185] [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: 06/06/2020] [Accepted: 08/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Bioconjugations under benign aqueous conditions have the most promise to covalently link carbohydrates onto chosen molecular and macromolecular scaffolds. Chemical methodologies relying on C-C and C-heteroatom bond formations are the methods of choice, coupled with the reaction conditions being under aqueous milieu. A number of methods, including metal-mediated, as well as metal-free azide-alkyne cyclo-addition, photocatalyzed thiol-ene reaction, amidation, reductive amination, disulfide bond formation, conjugate addition, nucleophilic addition to vinyl sulfones and vinyl sulfoxides, native chemical ligation, Staudinger ligation, olefin metathesis, and Suzuki-Miyaura cross coupling reactions have been developed, in efforts to conduct glycoconjugation of chosen molecular and biomolecular structures. Within these, many methods require pre-functionalization of the scaffolds, whereas methods that do not require such pre-functionalization continue to be few and far between. The compilation covers synthetic methodology development for carbohydrate conjugation onto biomolecular and biomacromolecular scaffolds. The importance of such glycoconjugations on the functional properties is also covered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Biswajit Sarkar
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
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8
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Martínez-Rodríguez S, Torres JM, Sánchez P, Ortega E. Overview on Multienzymatic Cascades for the Production of Non-canonical α-Amino Acids. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2020; 8:887. [PMID: 32850740 PMCID: PMC7431475 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2020.00887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2020] [Accepted: 07/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The 22 genetically encoded amino acids (AAs) present in proteins (the 20 standard AAs together with selenocysteine and pyrrolysine), are commonly referred as proteinogenic AAs in the literature due to their appearance in ribosome-synthetized polypeptides. Beyond the borders of this key set of compounds, the rest of AAs are generally named imprecisely as non-proteinogenic AAs, even when they can also appear in polypeptide chains as a result of post-transductional machinery. Besides their importance as metabolites in life, many of D-α- and L-α-"non-canonical" amino acids (NcAAs) are of interest in the biotechnological and biomedical fields. They have found numerous applications in the discovery of new medicines and antibiotics, drug synthesis, cosmetic, and nutritional compounds, or in the improvement of protein and peptide pharmaceuticals. In addition to the numerous studies dealing with the asymmetric synthesis of NcAAs, many different enzymatic pathways have been reported in the literature allowing for the biosynthesis of NcAAs. Due to the huge heterogeneity of this group of molecules, this review is devoted to provide an overview on different established multienzymatic cascades for the production of non-canonical D-α- and L-α-AAs, supplying neophyte and experienced professionals in this field with different illustrative examples in the literature. Whereas the discovery of new or newly designed enzymes is of great interest, dusting off previous enzymatic methodologies by a "back and to the future" strategy might accelerate the implementation of new or improved multienzymatic cascades.
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9
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Pizzi A, Pigliacelli C, Bergamaschi G, Gori A, Metrangolo P. Biomimetic engineering of the molecular recognition and self-assembly of peptides and proteins via halogenation. Coord Chem Rev 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ccr.2020.213242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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10
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Rapid discovery and evolution of orthogonal aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase-tRNA pairs. Nat Biotechnol 2020; 38:989-999. [PMID: 32284585 DOI: 10.1038/s41587-020-0479-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2019] [Accepted: 03/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
A central challenge in expanding the genetic code of cells to incorporate noncanonical amino acids into proteins is the scalable discovery of aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase (aaRS)-tRNA pairs that are orthogonal in their aminoacylation specificity. Here we computationally identify candidate orthogonal tRNAs from millions of sequences and develop a rapid, scalable approach-named tRNA Extension (tREX)-to determine the in vivo aminoacylation status of tRNAs. Using tREX, we test 243 candidate tRNAs in Escherichia coli and identify 71 orthogonal tRNAs, covering 16 isoacceptor classes, and 23 functional orthogonal tRNA-cognate aaRS pairs. We discover five orthogonal pairs, including three highly active amber suppressors, and evolve new amino acid substrate specificities for two pairs. Finally, we use tREX to characterize a matrix of 64 orthogonal synthetase-orthogonal tRNA specificities. This work expands the number of orthogonal pairs available for genetic code expansion and provides a pipeline for the discovery of additional orthogonal pairs and a foundation for encoding the cellular synthesis of noncanonical biopolymers.
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11
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Ohata J, Martin SC, Ball ZT. Metallvermittelte Funktionalisierung natürlicher Peptide und Proteine: Biokonjugation mit Übergangsmetallen. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.201807536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jun Ohata
- Department of Chemistry Rice University 6100 Main Houston TX 77005 USA
| | - Samuel C. Martin
- Department of Chemistry Rice University 6100 Main Houston TX 77005 USA
| | - Zachary T. Ball
- Department of Chemistry Rice University 6100 Main Houston TX 77005 USA
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12
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Ohata J, Martin SC, Ball ZT. Metal‐Mediated Functionalization of Natural Peptides and Proteins: Panning for Bioconjugation Gold. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2019; 58:6176-6199. [DOI: 10.1002/anie.201807536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2018] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Jun Ohata
- Department of Chemistry Rice University 6100 Main Houston TX 77005 USA
| | - Samuel C. Martin
- Department of Chemistry Rice University 6100 Main Houston TX 77005 USA
| | - Zachary T. Ball
- Department of Chemistry Rice University 6100 Main Houston TX 77005 USA
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13
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Kugele A, Braun TS, Widder P, Williams L, Schmidt MJ, Summerer D, Drescher M. Site-directed spin labelling of proteins by Suzuki–Miyaura coupling via a genetically encoded aryliodide amino acid. Chem Commun (Camb) 2019; 55:1923-1926. [DOI: 10.1039/c8cc09325c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Kugele et al. report site-directed spin labelling via Suzuki–Miyaura coupling of a nitroxide boronic acid label with the genetically encoded amino acid 4-iodo-l-phenylalanine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anandi Kugele
- Department of Chemistry and Konstanz Research School Chemical Biology (KoRS-CB)
- University of Konstanz
- 78457 Konstanz
- Germany
| | - Theresa Sophie Braun
- Department of Chemistry and Konstanz Research School Chemical Biology (KoRS-CB)
- University of Konstanz
- 78457 Konstanz
- Germany
| | - Pia Widder
- Department of Chemistry and Konstanz Research School Chemical Biology (KoRS-CB)
- University of Konstanz
- 78457 Konstanz
- Germany
| | - Lara Williams
- Department of Chemistry and Konstanz Research School Chemical Biology (KoRS-CB)
- University of Konstanz
- 78457 Konstanz
- Germany
| | - Moritz Johannes Schmidt
- Department of Chemistry and Konstanz Research School Chemical Biology (KoRS-CB)
- University of Konstanz
- 78457 Konstanz
- Germany
| | - Daniel Summerer
- Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Biology
- TU Dortmund University
- 44227 Dortmund
- Germany
| | - Malte Drescher
- Department of Chemistry and Konstanz Research School Chemical Biology (KoRS-CB)
- University of Konstanz
- 78457 Konstanz
- Germany
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14
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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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15
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Transcriptional coactivator PGC-1α contains a novel CBP80-binding motif that orchestrates efficient target gene expression. Genes Dev 2018; 32:555-567. [PMID: 29654059 PMCID: PMC5959238 DOI: 10.1101/gad.309773.117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2017] [Accepted: 03/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
In this study, Cho et al. investigated how PGC-1α, a transcriptional coactivator, functions in the metabolic adaptation of mammalian cells to diverse physiological stresses. They used in vitro binding assays, X-ray crystallography, and immunoprecipitations of mouse myoblast cell lysates to define a previously unknown cap-binding protein 80 (CBP80)-binding motif (CBM) in the C terminus of PGC-1α, thus providing insight into a novel cap-binding protein surveillance mechanism. Although peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPARγ) coactivator 1α (PGC-1α) is a well-established transcriptional coactivator for the metabolic adaptation of mammalian cells to diverse physiological stresses, the molecular mechanism by which it functions is incompletely understood. Here we used in vitro binding assays, X-ray crystallography, and immunoprecipitations of mouse myoblast cell lysates to define a previously unknown cap-binding protein 80 (CBP80)-binding motif (CBM) in the C terminus of PGC-1α. We show that the CBM, which consists of a nine-amino-acid α helix, is critical for the association of PGC-1α with CBP80 at the 5′ cap of target transcripts. Results from RNA sequencing demonstrate that the PGC-1α CBM promotes RNA synthesis from promyogenic genes. Our findings reveal a new conduit between DNA-associated and RNA-associated proteins that functions in a cap-binding protein surveillance mechanism, without which efficient differentiation of myoblasts to myotubes fails to occur.
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16
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Abstract
Exciting new technological developments have pushed the boundaries of structural biology, and have enabled studies of biological macromolecules and assemblies that would have been unthinkable not long ago. Yet, the enhanced capabilities of structural biologists to pry into the complex molecular world have also placed new demands on the abilities of protein engineers to reproduce this complexity into the test tube. With this challenge in mind, we review the contents of the modern molecular engineering toolbox that allow the manipulation of proteins in a site-specific and chemically well-defined fashion. Thus, we cover concepts related to the modification of cysteines and other natural amino acids, native chemical ligation, intein and sortase-based approaches, amber suppression, as well as chemical and enzymatic bio-conjugation strategies. We also describe how these tools can be used to aid methodology development in X-ray crystallography, nuclear magnetic resonance, cryo-electron microscopy and in the studies of dynamic interactions. It is our hope that this monograph will inspire structural biologists and protein engineers alike to apply these tools to novel systems, and to enhance and broaden their scope to meet the outstanding challenges in understanding the molecular basis of cellular processes and disease.
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17
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Abstract
Due to the availability of many macromolecular models in the Protein Data Bank, the majority of crystal structures are currently solved by molecular replacement. However, truly novel structures can only be solved by one of the versions of the special-atom method. The special atoms such as sulfur, phosphorus or metals could be naturally present in the macromolecules, or could be intentionally introduced in a derivatization process. The isomorphous and/or anomalous scattering of X-rays by these special atoms is then utilized for phasing. There are many ways to obtain potentially useful derivatives, ranging from the introduction of special atoms to proteins or nucleic acids by genetic engineering or by chemical synthesis, to soaking native crystals in solutions of appropriate compounds with heavy and/or anomalously scattering atoms. No approach guarantees the ultimate success and derivatization remains largely a trial-and-error process. In practice, however, there is a very good chance that one of a wide variety of the available procedures will lead to successful structure solution.
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18
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Abstract
Efforts are underway to construct several recoded genomes anticipated to exhibit multivirus resistance, enhanced nonstandard amino acid (nsAA) incorporation, and capability for synthetic biocontainment. Although our laboratory pioneered the first genomically recoded organism (Escherichia coli strain C321.∆A), its fitness is far lower than that of its nonrecoded ancestor, particularly in defined media. This fitness deficit severely limits its utility for nsAA-linked applications requiring defined media, such as live cell imaging, metabolic engineering, and industrial-scale protein production. Here, we report adaptive evolution of C321.∆A for more than 1,000 generations in independent replicate populations grown in glucose minimal media. Evolved recoded populations significantly exceeded the growth rates of both the ancestral C321.∆A and nonrecoded strains. We used next-generation sequencing to identify genes mutated in multiple independent populations, and we reconstructed individual alleles in ancestral strains via multiplex automatable genome engineering (MAGE) to quantify their effects on fitness. Several selective mutations occurred only in recoded evolved populations, some of which are associated with altering the translation apparatus in response to recoding, whereas others are not apparently associated with recoding, but instead correct for off-target mutations that occurred during initial genome engineering. This report demonstrates that laboratory evolution can be applied after engineering of recoded genomes to streamline fitness recovery compared with application of additional targeted engineering strategies that may introduce further unintended mutations. In doing so, we provide the most comprehensive insight to date into the physiology of the commonly used C321.∆A strain.
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19
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Bryson DI, Fan C, Guo LT, Miller C, Söll D, Liu DR. Continuous directed evolution of aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases. Nat Chem Biol 2017; 13:1253-1260. [PMID: 29035361 PMCID: PMC5724969 DOI: 10.1038/nchembio.2474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 172] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2017] [Accepted: 08/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Directed evolution of orthogonal aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (AARSs) enables site-specific installation of noncanonical amino acids (ncAAs) into proteins. Traditional evolution techniques typically produce AARSs with greatly reduced activity and selectivity compared to their wild-type counterparts. We designed phage-assisted continuous evolution (PACE) selections to rapidly produce highly active and selective orthogonal AARSs through hundreds of generations of evolution. PACE of a chimeric Methanosarcina spp. pyrrolysyl-tRNA synthetase (PylRS) improved its enzymatic efficiency (kcat/KMtRNA) 45-fold compared to the parent enzyme. Transplantation of the evolved mutations into other PylRS-derived synthetases improved yields of proteins containing noncanonical residues up to 9.7-fold. Simultaneous positive and negative selection PACE over 48 h greatly improved the selectivity of a promiscuous Methanocaldococcus jannaschii tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase variant for site-specific incorporation of p-iodo-L-phenylalanine. These findings offer new AARSs that increase the utility of orthogonal translation systems and establish the capability of PACE to efficiently evolve orthogonal AARSs with high activity and amino acid specificity.
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Affiliation(s)
- David I. Bryson
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138
| | - Chenguang Fan
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, 72701
| | - Li-Tao Guo
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06520
| | - Corwin Miller
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06520
| | - Dieter Söll
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06520
- Department of Chemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06520
| | - David R. Liu
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138
- Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, 02142
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20
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Brabham R, Fascione MA. Pyrrolysine Amber Stop-Codon Suppression: Development and Applications. Chembiochem 2017; 18:1973-1983. [DOI: 10.1002/cbic.201700148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2017] [Revised: 07/28/2017] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Robin Brabham
- York Structural Biology Laboratory; Department of Chemistry; University of York; Heslington Road York YO10 5DD UK
| | - Martin A. Fascione
- York Structural Biology Laboratory; Department of Chemistry; University of York; Heslington Road York YO10 5DD UK
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21
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Scholfield MR, Ford MC, Carlsson ACC, Butta H, Mehl RA, Ho PS. Structure–Energy Relationships of Halogen Bonds in Proteins. Biochemistry 2017; 56:2794-2802. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.7b00022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew R. Scholfield
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523-1870, United States
| | - Melissa Coates Ford
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523-1870, United States
| | - Anna-Carin C. Carlsson
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523-1870, United States
| | - Hawera Butta
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523-1870, United States
| | - Ryan A. Mehl
- Department
of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331, United States
| | - P. Shing Ho
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523-1870, United States
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22
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Abstract
The halogen bond occurs when there is evidence of a net attractive interaction between an electrophilic region associated with a halogen atom in a molecular entity and a nucleophilic region in another, or the same, molecular entity. In this fairly extensive review, after a brief history of the interaction, we will provide the reader with a snapshot of where the research on the halogen bond is now, and, perhaps, where it is going. The specific advantages brought up by a design based on the use of the halogen bond will be demonstrated in quite different fields spanning from material sciences to biomolecular recognition and drug design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriella Cavallo
- Laboratory
of Nanostructured Fluorinated Materials (NFMLab), Department of Chemistry,
Materials and Chemical Engineering “Giulio Natta”, Politecnico di Milano, Via L. Mancinelli 7, I-20131 Milano, Italy
| | - Pierangelo Metrangolo
- Laboratory
of Nanostructured Fluorinated Materials (NFMLab), Department of Chemistry,
Materials and Chemical Engineering “Giulio Natta”, Politecnico di Milano, Via L. Mancinelli 7, I-20131 Milano, Italy
- VTT-Technical
Research Centre of Finland, Biologinkuja 7, 02150 Espoo, Finland
| | - Roberto Milani
- VTT-Technical
Research Centre of Finland, Biologinkuja 7, 02150 Espoo, Finland
| | - Tullio Pilati
- Laboratory
of Nanostructured Fluorinated Materials (NFMLab), Department of Chemistry,
Materials and Chemical Engineering “Giulio Natta”, Politecnico di Milano, Via L. Mancinelli 7, I-20131 Milano, Italy
| | - Arri Priimagi
- Department
of Chemistry and Bioengineering, Tampere
University of Technology, Korkeakoulunkatu 8, FI-33101 Tampere, Finland
| | - Giuseppe Resnati
- Laboratory
of Nanostructured Fluorinated Materials (NFMLab), Department of Chemistry,
Materials and Chemical Engineering “Giulio Natta”, Politecnico di Milano, Via L. Mancinelli 7, I-20131 Milano, Italy
| | - Giancarlo Terraneo
- Laboratory
of Nanostructured Fluorinated Materials (NFMLab), Department of Chemistry,
Materials and Chemical Engineering “Giulio Natta”, Politecnico di Milano, Via L. Mancinelli 7, I-20131 Milano, Italy
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23
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He J, Van Treeck B, Nguyen HB, Melançon CE. Development of an Unnatural Amino Acid Incorporation System in the Actinobacterial Natural Product Producer Streptomyces venezuelae ATCC 15439. ACS Synth Biol 2016; 5:125-32. [PMID: 26562751 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.5b00209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Many Actinobacteria, most notably Streptomyces, produce structurally diverse bioactive natural products, including ribosomally synthesized peptides, by multistep enzymatic pathways. The use of site-specific genetic incorporation of unnatural amino acids to investigate and manipulate the functions of natural product biosynthetic enzymes, enzyme complexes, and ribosomally derived peptides in these organisms would have important implications for drug discovery and development efforts. Here, we have designed, constructed, and optimized unnatural amino acid systems capable of incorporating p-iodo-l-phenylalanine and p-azido-l-phenylalanine site-specifically into proteins in the model natural product producer Streptomyces venezuelae ATCC 15439. We observed notable differences in the fidelity and efficiency of these systems between S. venezuelae and previously used hosts. Our findings serve as a foundation for using an expanded genetic code in Streptomyces to address questions related to natural product biosynthesis and mechanism of action that are relevant to drug discovery and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingxuan He
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, ‡Department of Biology, and §Center for Biomedical
Engineering, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131-0001, United States
| | - Briana Van Treeck
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, ‡Department of Biology, and §Center for Biomedical
Engineering, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131-0001, United States
| | - Han B. Nguyen
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, ‡Department of Biology, and §Center for Biomedical
Engineering, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131-0001, United States
| | - Charles E. Melançon
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, ‡Department of Biology, and §Center for Biomedical
Engineering, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131-0001, United States
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24
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Dippel AB, Olenginski GM, Maurici N, Liskov MT, Brewer SH, Phillips-Piro CM. Probing the effectiveness of spectroscopic reporter unnatural amino acids: a structural study. Acta Crystallogr D Struct Biol 2016; 72:121-30. [PMID: 26894540 PMCID: PMC4756619 DOI: 10.1107/s2059798315022858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2015] [Accepted: 11/29/2015] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
The X-ray crystal structures of superfolder green fluorescent protein (sfGFP) containing the spectroscopic reporter unnatural amino acids (UAAs) 4-cyano-L-phenylalanine (pCNF) or 4-ethynyl-L-phenylalanine (pCCF) at two unique sites in the protein have been determined. These UAAs were genetically incorporated into sfGFP in a solvent-exposed loop region and/or a partially buried site on the β-barrel of the protein. The crystal structures containing the UAAs at these two sites permit the structural implications of UAA incorporation for the native protein structure to be assessed with high resolution and permit a direct correlation between the structure and spectroscopic data to be made. The structural implications were quantified by comparing the root-mean-square deviation (r.m.s.d.) between the crystal structure of wild-type sfGFP and the protein constructs containing either pCNF or pCCF in the local environment around the UAAs and in the overall protein structure. The results suggest that the selective placement of these spectroscopic reporter UAAs permits local protein environments to be studied in a relatively nonperturbative fashion with site-specificity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew B. Dippel
- Department of Chemistry, Franklin and Marshall College, PO Box 3003, Lancaster, PA 17604-3003, USA
| | - Gregory M. Olenginski
- Department of Chemistry, Franklin and Marshall College, PO Box 3003, Lancaster, PA 17604-3003, USA
| | - Nicole Maurici
- Department of Chemistry, Franklin and Marshall College, PO Box 3003, Lancaster, PA 17604-3003, USA
| | - Melanie T. Liskov
- Department of Chemistry, Franklin and Marshall College, PO Box 3003, Lancaster, PA 17604-3003, USA
| | - Scott H. Brewer
- Department of Chemistry, Franklin and Marshall College, PO Box 3003, Lancaster, PA 17604-3003, USA
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25
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26
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Abstract
Here we provide a guide for adapting the tools developed for protein X-ray crystallography to study the structures and supramolecular assembly of peptides. Peptide crystallography involves selecting a suitable peptide, crystallizing the peptide, collecting X-ray diffraction data, processing the diffraction data, determining the crystallographic phases and generating an electron density map, building and refining models, and depositing the crystallographic structure in the Protein Data Bank (PDB). Advances in technology make this process easy for a newcomer to adopt. This paper describes techniques for determining the X-ray crystallographic structures of peptides: incorporation of amino acids containing heavy atoms for crystallographic phase determination, commercially available kits to crystallize peptides, modern techniques for X-ray crystallographic data collection, and free user-friendly software for data processing and producing a crystallographic structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan K Spencer
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, Irvine CA, 92617-2025 U.S.A. phone: +1-949-824-6091 fax:+1-949-824-9920
| | - James S Nowick
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, Irvine CA, 92617-2025 U.S.A. phone: +1-949-824-6091 fax:+1-949-824-9920
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27
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Dumas A, Lercher L, Spicer CD, Davis BG. Designing logical codon reassignment - Expanding the chemistry in biology. Chem Sci 2015; 6:50-69. [PMID: 28553457 PMCID: PMC5424465 DOI: 10.1039/c4sc01534g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 327] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2014] [Accepted: 07/14/2014] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the last decade, the ability to genetically encode unnatural amino acids (UAAs) has evolved rapidly. The programmed incorporation of UAAs into recombinant proteins relies on the reassignment or suppression of canonical codons with an amino-acyl tRNA synthetase/tRNA (aaRS/tRNA) pair, selective for the UAA of choice. In order to achieve selective incorporation, the aaRS should be selective for the designed tRNA and UAA over the endogenous amino acids and tRNAs. Enhanced selectivity has been achieved by transferring an aaRS/tRNA pair from another kingdom to the organism of interest, and subsequent aaRS evolution to acquire enhanced selectivity for the desired UAA. Today, over 150 non-canonical amino acids have been incorporated using such methods. This enables the introduction of a large variety of structures into proteins, in organisms ranging from prokaryote, yeast and mammalian cells lines to whole animals, enabling the study of protein function at a level that could not previously be achieved. While most research to date has focused on the suppression of 'non-sense' codons, recent developments are beginning to open up the possibility of quadruplet codon decoding and the more selective reassignment of sense codons, offering a potentially powerful tool for incorporating multiple amino acids. Here, we aim to provide a focused review of methods for UAA incorporation with an emphasis in particular on the different tRNA synthetase/tRNA pairs exploited or developed, focusing upon the different UAA structures that have been incorporated and the logic behind the design and future creation of such systems. Our hope is that this will help rationalize the design of systems for incorporation of unexplored unnatural amino acids, as well as novel applications for those already known.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anaëlle Dumas
- Chemistry Research Laboratory , Department of Chemistry , University of Oxford , Mansfield Road , Oxford , OX1 3TA , UK .
| | - Lukas Lercher
- Chemistry Research Laboratory , Department of Chemistry , University of Oxford , Mansfield Road , Oxford , OX1 3TA , UK .
| | - Christopher D Spicer
- Chemistry Research Laboratory , Department of Chemistry , University of Oxford , Mansfield Road , Oxford , OX1 3TA , UK .
| | - Benjamin G Davis
- Chemistry Research Laboratory , Department of Chemistry , University of Oxford , Mansfield Road , Oxford , OX1 3TA , UK .
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28
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Schiller SM. Protein Tectons in Synthetic Biology. Synth Biol (Oxf) 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-02783-8_7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022] Open
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29
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An amino acid depleted cell-free protein synthesis system for the incorporation of non-canonical amino acid analogs into proteins. J Biotechnol 2014; 178:12-22. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiotec.2014.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2013] [Revised: 02/08/2014] [Accepted: 02/14/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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30
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Tharp JM, Wang YS, Lee YJ, Yang Y, Liu WR. Genetic incorporation of seven ortho-substituted phenylalanine derivatives. ACS Chem Biol 2014; 9:884-90. [PMID: 24451054 PMCID: PMC3997995 DOI: 10.1021/cb400917a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
![]()
Seven
phenylalanine derivatives with small ortho substitutions
were genetically encoded in Escherichia coli and
mammalian cells at an amber codon using a previously reported,
rationally designed pyrrolysyl-tRNA synthetase mutant (PylRS(N346A/C348A))
coupled with tRNACUAPyl. Ortho substitutions of the phenylalanine
derivatives reported herein include three halides, methyl, methoxy,
nitro, and nitrile. These compounds have the potential for use in
multiple biochemical and biophysical applications. Specifically, we
demonstrated that o-cyano-phenylalanine could be
used as a selective sensor to probe the local environment of proteins
and applied this to study protein folding/unfolding. For six of these
compounds this constitutes the first report of their genetic incorporation
in living cells. With these compounds the total number of substrates
available for PylRS(N346A/C348A) is increased to nearly 40, which
demonstrates that PylRS(N346A/C348A) is able to recognize phenylalanine
with a substitution at any side-chain aromatic position as a substrate.
To our knowledge, PylRS(N346A/C348A) is the only aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase
with such a high substrate promiscuity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffery M. Tharp
- Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Yane-Shih Wang
- Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Yan-Jiun Lee
- Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Yanyan Yang
- Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Wenshe R. Liu
- Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
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31
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Lang K, Chin JW. Cellular incorporation of unnatural amino acids and bioorthogonal labeling of proteins. Chem Rev 2014; 114:4764-806. [PMID: 24655057 DOI: 10.1021/cr400355w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 791] [Impact Index Per Article: 79.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Kathrin Lang
- Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology , Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge CB2 0QH, United Kingdom
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32
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Abstract
Genetic code expansion and reprogramming enable the site-specific incorporation of diverse designer amino acids into proteins produced in cells and animals. Recent advances are enhancing the efficiency of unnatural amino acid incorporation by creating and evolving orthogonal ribosomes and manipulating the genome. Increasing the number of distinct amino acids that can be site-specifically encoded has been facilitated by the evolution of orthogonal quadruplet decoding ribosomes and the discovery of mutually orthogonal synthetase/tRNA pairs. Rapid progress in moving genetic code expansion from bacteria to eukaryotic cells and animals (C. elegans and D. melanogaster) and the incorporation of useful unnatural amino acids has been aided by the development and application of the pyrrolysyl-transfer RNA (tRNA) synthetase/tRNA pair for unnatural amino acid incorporation. Combining chemoselective reactions with encoded amino acids has facilitated the installation of posttranslational modifications, as well as rapid derivatization with diverse fluorophores for imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason W Chin
- Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge CB2 OQH, United Kingdom;
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33
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Xiang Z, Lacey VK, Ren H, Xu J, Burban DJ, Jennings PA, Wang L. Proximity-Enabled Protein Crosslinking through Genetically Encoding Haloalkane Unnatural Amino Acids. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2014. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.201308794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
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34
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Xiang Z, Lacey VK, Ren H, Xu J, Burban DJ, Jennings PA, Wang L. Proximity-enabled protein crosslinking through genetically encoding haloalkane unnatural amino acids. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2014; 53:2190-3. [PMID: 24449339 DOI: 10.1002/anie.201308794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2013] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The selective generation of covalent bonds between and within proteins would provide new avenues for studying protein function and engineering proteins with new properties. New covalent bonds were genetically introduced into proteins by enabling an unnatural amino acid (Uaa) to selectively react with a proximal natural residue. This proximity-enabled bioreactivity was expanded to a series of haloalkane Uaas. Orthogonal tRNA/synthetase pairs were evolved to incorporate these Uaas, which only form a covalent thioether bond with cysteine when positioned in close proximity. By using the Uaa and cysteine, spontaneous covalent bond formation was demonstrated between an affibody and its substrate Z protein, thereby leading to irreversible binding, and within the affibody to increase its thermostability. This strategy of proximity-enabled protein crosslinking (PEPC) may be generally expanded to target different natural amino acids, thus providing diversity and flexibility in covalent bond formation for protein research and protein engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zheng Xiang
- The Jack H. Skirball Center for Chemical Biology and Proteomics, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 N. Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037 (USA) http://wang.salk.edu/
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35
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Abstract
Halogens are atypical elements in biology, but are common as substituents in ligands, including thyroid hormones and inhibitors, which bind specifically to proteins and nucleic acids. The short-range, stabilizing interactions of halogens - now seen as relatively common in biology - conform generally to halogen bonds characterized in small molecule systems and as described by the σ-hole model. The unique properties of biomolecular halogen bonds (BXBs), particularly in their geometric and energetic relationship to classic hydrogen bonds, make them potentially powerful tools for inhibitor design and molecular engineering. This chapter reviews the current research on BXBs, focusing on experimental studies on their structure-energy relationships, how these studies inform the development of computational methods to model BXBs, and considers how BXBs can be applied to the rational design of more effective inhibitors against therapeutic targets and of new biological-based materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Shing Ho
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523-1870, USA,
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36
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High-yield, zero-leakage expression system with a translational switch using site-specific unnatural amino Acid incorporation. Appl Environ Microbiol 2013; 80:1718-25. [PMID: 24375139 DOI: 10.1128/aem.03417-13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Synthetic biologists construct complex biological circuits by combinations of various genetic parts. Many genetic parts that are orthogonal to one another and are independent of existing cellular processes would be ideal for use in synthetic biology. However, our toolbox is still limited with respect to the bacterium Escherichia coli, which is important for both research and industrial use. The site-specific incorporation of unnatural amino acids is a technique that incorporates unnatural amino acids into proteins using a modified exogenous aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase/tRNA pair that is orthogonal to any native pairs in a host and is independent from other cellular functions. Focusing on the orthogonality and independency that are suitable for the genetic parts, we designed novel AND gate and translational switches using the unnatural amino acid 3-iodo-l-tyrosine incorporation system in E. coli. A translational switch was turned on after addition of 3-iodo-l-tyrosine in the culture medium within minutes and allowed tuning of switchability and translational efficiency. As an application, we also constructed a gene expression system that produced large amounts of proteins under induction conditions and exhibited zero-leakage expression under repression conditions. Similar translational switches are expected to be applicable also for eukaryotes such as yeasts, nematodes, insects, mammalian cells, and plants.
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37
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Spicer CD, Davis BG. Rewriting the bacterial glycocalyx via Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling. Chem Commun (Camb) 2013; 49:2747-9. [PMID: 23338477 DOI: 10.1039/c3cc38824g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling has been used to couple novel carbohydrate-based boronic acids, site-selectively, to the surface of E. coli at an unnatural amino acid. In this way, benign metal-catalyzed cellular switching allowed modulation of interactions with biomolecular partners via prokaryotic O-glycosylation mimics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher D Spicer
- Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford, 12 Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX1 3TA, UK
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38
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Smolskaya S, Zhang ZJ, Alfonta L. Enhanced yield of recombinant proteins with site-specifically incorporated unnatural amino acids using a cell-free expression system. PLoS One 2013; 8:e68363. [PMID: 23844190 PMCID: PMC3699557 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0068363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2013] [Accepted: 06/03/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Using a commercial protein expression system, we sought the crucial elements and conditions for the expression of proteins with genetically encoded unnatural amino acids. By identifying the most important translational components, we were able to increase suppression efficiency to 55% and to increase mutant protein yields to levels higher than achieved with wild type expression (120%), reaching over 500 µg/mL of translated protein (comprising 25 µg in 50 µL of reaction mixture). To our knowledge, these results are the highest obtained for both in vivo and in vitro systems. We also demonstrated that efficiency of nonsense suppression depends greatly on the nucleotide following the stop codon. Insights gained in this thorough analysis could prove useful for augmenting in vivo expression levels as well.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sviatlana Smolskaya
- Avram and Stella Goldstein-Goren Department of Biotechnology Engineering, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
- The Ilse Katz Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Zhiwen Jonathan Zhang
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering, Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, California, United States of America
- * E-mail: (ZJZ); (LA)
| | - Lital Alfonta
- Avram and Stella Goldstein-Goren Department of Biotechnology Engineering, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
- The Ilse Katz Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
- * E-mail: (ZJZ); (LA)
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39
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Albayrak C, Swartz JR. Cell-free co-production of an orthogonal transfer RNA activates efficient site-specific non-natural amino acid incorporation. Nucleic Acids Res 2013; 41:5949-63. [PMID: 23589624 PMCID: PMC3675464 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkt226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
We describe a new cell-free protein synthesis (CFPS) method for site-specific incorporation of non-natural amino acids (nnAAs) into proteins in which the orthogonal tRNA (o-tRNA) and the modified protein (i.e. the protein containing the nnAA) are produced simultaneously. Using this method, 0.9–1.7 mg/ml of modified soluble super-folder green fluorescent protein (sfGFP) containing either p-azido-l-phenylalanine (pAzF) or p-propargyloxy-l-phenylalanine (pPaF) accumulated in the CFPS solutions; these yields correspond to 50–88% suppression efficiency. The o-tRNA can be transcribed either from a linearized plasmid or from a crude PCR product. Comparison of two different o-tRNAs suggests that the new platform is not limited by Ef-Tu recognition of the acylated o-tRNA at sufficiently high o-tRNA template concentrations. Analysis of nnAA incorporation across 12 different sites in sfGFP suggests that modified protein yields and suppression efficiencies (i.e. the position effect) do not correlate with any of the reported trends. Sites that were ineffectively suppressed with the original o-tRNA were better suppressed with an optimized o-tRNA (o-tRNAopt) that was evolved to be better recognized by Ef-Tu. This new platform can also be used to screen scissile ribozymes for improved catalysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cem Albayrak
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, 381 North-South Mall, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
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40
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Kwon I, Lim SI. Non-Natural Amino Acids for Protein Engineering and New Protein Chemistries. MACROMOL CHEM PHYS 2013. [DOI: 10.1002/macp.201200710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
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Odoi KA, Huang Y, Rezenom YH, Liu WR. Nonsense and sense suppression abilities of original and derivative Methanosarcina mazei pyrrolysyl-tRNA synthetase-tRNA(Pyl) pairs in the Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) cell strain. PLoS One 2013; 8:e57035. [PMID: 23520461 PMCID: PMC3592851 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0057035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2012] [Accepted: 01/16/2013] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Systematic studies of nonsense and sense suppression of the original and three derivative Methanosarcina mazei PylRS-tRNAPyl pairs and cross recognition between nonsense codons and various tRNAPyl anticodons in the Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) cell strain are reported. is orthogonal in E. coli and able to induce strong amber suppression when it is co-expressed with pyrrolysyl-tRNA synthetase (PylRS) and charged with a PylRS substrate, Nε-tert-butoxycarbonyl-l-lysine (BocK). Similar to, is also orthogonal in E. coli and can be coupled with PylRS to genetically incorporate BocK at an ochre mutation site. Although is expected to recognize a UAG codon based on the wobble hypothesis, the PylRS- pair does not give rise to amber suppression that surpasses the basal amber suppression level in E. coli. E. coli itself displays a relatively high opal suppression level and tryptophan (Trp) is incorporated at an opal mutation site. Although the PylRS- pair can be used to encode BocK at an opal codon, the pair fails to suppress the incorporation of Trp at the same site. fails to deliver BocK at an AGG codon when co-expressed with PylRS in E. coli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keturah A. Odoi
- Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - Ying Huang
- Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - Yohannes H. Rezenom
- Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - Wenshe R. Liu
- Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Wang YS, Fang X, Chen HY, Wu B, Wang ZU, Hilty C, Liu WR. Genetic incorporation of twelve meta-substituted phenylalanine derivatives using a single pyrrolysyl-tRNA synthetase mutant. ACS Chem Biol 2013; 8:405-15. [PMID: 23138887 DOI: 10.1021/cb300512r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
When coexpressed with its cognate amber suppressing tRNACUAPyl(CUA), a pyrrolysyltRNA synthetase mutant N346A/C348A is able to genetically incorporate 12 meta-substituted phenylalanine derivatives into proteins site-specifically at amber mutation sites in Escherichia coli. These genetically encoded noncanonical amino acids resemble phenylalanine in size and contain diverse bioorthogonal functional groups such as halide, trifluoromethyl, nitrile, nitro,ketone, alkyne, and azide moieties. The genetic installation of these functional groups in proteins provides multiple ways to site-selectively label proteins with biophysical and biochemical probes for their functional investigations. We demonstrate that a genetically incorporated trifluoromethyl group can be used as a sensitive 19F NMR probe to study protein folding/unfolding, and that genetically incorporated reactive functional groups such as ketone,alkyne, and azide moieties can be applied to site-specifically label proteins with fluorescent probes. This critical discovery allows the synthesis of proteins with diverse bioorthogonal functional groups for a variety of basic studies and biotechnology development using a single recombinant expression system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yane-Shih Wang
- Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Xinqiang Fang
- Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Hsueh-Ying Chen
- Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Bo Wu
- Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Zhiyong U. Wang
- Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Christian Hilty
- Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Wenshe R. Liu
- Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
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Morris JL, Reddington SC, Murphy DM, Jones DD, Platts JA, Tippmann EM. Aryl Azide Photochemistry in Defined Protein Environments. Org Lett 2013; 15:728-31. [DOI: 10.1021/ol3028779] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Josephine L. Morris
- Indiana University—Purdue University Fort Wayne, Department of Chemistry, Fort Wayne, Indiana 46815, United States, School of Chemistry, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AT United Kingdom, and School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AT United Kingdom
| | - Samuel C. Reddington
- Indiana University—Purdue University Fort Wayne, Department of Chemistry, Fort Wayne, Indiana 46815, United States, School of Chemistry, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AT United Kingdom, and School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AT United Kingdom
| | - Damien M. Murphy
- Indiana University—Purdue University Fort Wayne, Department of Chemistry, Fort Wayne, Indiana 46815, United States, School of Chemistry, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AT United Kingdom, and School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AT United Kingdom
| | - D. Dafydd Jones
- Indiana University—Purdue University Fort Wayne, Department of Chemistry, Fort Wayne, Indiana 46815, United States, School of Chemistry, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AT United Kingdom, and School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AT United Kingdom
| | - James A. Platts
- Indiana University—Purdue University Fort Wayne, Department of Chemistry, Fort Wayne, Indiana 46815, United States, School of Chemistry, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AT United Kingdom, and School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AT United Kingdom
| | - Eric M. Tippmann
- Indiana University—Purdue University Fort Wayne, Department of Chemistry, Fort Wayne, Indiana 46815, United States, School of Chemistry, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AT United Kingdom, and School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AT United Kingdom
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Fletcher JM, Boyle AL, Bruning M, Bartlett GJ, Vincent TL, Zaccai NR, Armstrong CT, Bromley EHC, Booth PJ, Brady RL, Thomson AR, Woolfson DN. A basis set of de novo coiled-coil peptide oligomers for rational protein design and synthetic biology. ACS Synth Biol 2012; 1:240-50. [PMID: 23651206 DOI: 10.1021/sb300028q] [Citation(s) in RCA: 185] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Protein engineering, chemical biology, and synthetic biology would benefit from toolkits of peptide and protein components that could be exchanged reliably between systems while maintaining their structural and functional integrity. Ideally, such components should be highly defined and predictable in all respects of sequence, structure, stability, interactions, and function. To establish one such toolkit, here we present a basis set of de novo designed α-helical coiled-coil peptides that adopt defined and well-characterized parallel dimeric, trimeric, and tetrameric states. The designs are based on sequence-to-structure relationships both from the literature and analysis of a database of known coiled-coil X-ray crystal structures. These give foreground sequences to specify the targeted oligomer state. A key feature of the design process is that sequence positions outside of these sites are considered non-essential for structural specificity; as such, they are referred to as the background, are kept non-descript, and are available for mutation as required later. Synthetic peptides were characterized in solution by circular-dichroism spectroscopy and analytical ultracentrifugation, and their structures were determined by X-ray crystallography. Intriguingly, a hitherto widely used empirical rule-of-thumb for coiled-coil dimer specification does not hold in the designed system. However, the desired oligomeric state is achieved by database-informed redesign of that particular foreground and confirmed experimentally. We envisage that the basis set will be of use in directing and controlling protein assembly, with potential applications in chemical and synthetic biology. To help with such endeavors, we introduce Pcomp, an on-line registry of peptide components for protein-design and synthetic-biology applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan M. Fletcher
- School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Cantocks Close, Bristol BS8
1TS, U.K
| | - Aimee L. Boyle
- School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Cantocks Close, Bristol BS8
1TS, U.K
| | - Marc Bruning
- School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Cantocks Close, Bristol BS8
1TS, U.K
| | - Gail J. Bartlett
- School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Cantocks Close, Bristol BS8
1TS, U.K
| | - Thomas L. Vincent
- School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Cantocks Close, Bristol BS8
1TS, U.K
| | - Nathan R. Zaccai
- School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, Medical Sciences Building, University
Walk, Bristol BS8 1TD, U.K
| | - Craig T. Armstrong
- School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Cantocks Close, Bristol BS8
1TS, U.K
- School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, Medical Sciences Building, University
Walk, Bristol BS8 1TD, U.K
| | | | - Paula J. Booth
- School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, Medical Sciences Building, University
Walk, Bristol BS8 1TD, U.K
| | - R. Leo Brady
- School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, Medical Sciences Building, University
Walk, Bristol BS8 1TD, U.K
| | - Andrew R. Thomson
- School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Cantocks Close, Bristol BS8
1TS, U.K
| | - Derek N. Woolfson
- School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Cantocks Close, Bristol BS8
1TS, U.K
- School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, Medical Sciences Building, University
Walk, Bristol BS8 1TD, U.K
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Designer proteins: applications of genetic code expansion in cell biology. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 2012; 13:168-82. [DOI: 10.1038/nrm3286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 271] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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Biochemical analysis with the expanded genetic lexicon. Anal Bioanal Chem 2012; 403:2089-102. [PMID: 22322380 DOI: 10.1007/s00216-012-5784-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2011] [Revised: 01/17/2012] [Accepted: 01/23/2012] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
The information used to build proteins is stored in the genetic material of every organism. In nature, ribosomes use 20 native amino acids to synthesize proteins in most circumstances. However, laboratory efforts to expand the genetic repertoire of living cells and organisms have successfully encoded more than 80 nonnative amino acids in E. coli, yeast, and other eukaryotic systems. The selectivity, fidelity, and site-specificity provided by the technology have enabled unprecedented flexibility in manipulating protein sequences and functions in cells. Various biophysical probes can be chemically conjugated or directly incorporated at specific residues in proteins, and corresponding analytical techniques can then be used to answer diverse biological questions. This review summarizes the methodology of genetic code expansion and its recent progress, and discusses the applications of commonly used analytical methods.
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Recent advances in genetic code engineering in Escherichia coli. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2012; 23:751-7. [PMID: 22237016 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2011.12.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2011] [Accepted: 12/20/2011] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
The expansion of the genetic code is gradually becoming a core discipline in Synthetic Biology. It offers the best possible platform for the transfer of numerous chemical reactions and processes from the chemical synthetic laboratory into the biochemistry of living cells. The incorporation of biologically occurring or chemically synthesized non-canonical amino acids into recombinant proteins and even proteomes via reprogrammed protein translation is in the heart of these efforts. Orthogonal pairs consisting of aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase and its cognate tRNA proved to be a general tool for the assignment of certain codons of the genetic code with a maximum degree of chemical liberty. Here, we highlight recent developments that should provide a solid basis for the development of generalist tools enabling a controlled variation of chemical composition in proteins and even proteomes. This will take place in the frame of a greatly expanded genetic code with emancipated codons liberated from the current function or with totally new coding units.
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Sawaya MR, Pentelute BL, Kent SBH, Yeates TO. Single-wavelength phasing strategy for quasi-racemic protein crystal diffraction data. ACTA CRYSTALLOGRAPHICA SECTION D: BIOLOGICAL CRYSTALLOGRAPHY 2011; 68:62-8. [PMID: 22194334 DOI: 10.1107/s0907444911049985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2011] [Accepted: 11/22/2011] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Racemic protein crystallography offers two key features: an increased probability of crystallization and the potential advantage of phasing centric diffraction data. In this study, a phasing strategy is developed for the scenario in which a crystal is grown from a mixture in which anomalous scattering atoms have been incorporated into only one enantiomeric form of the protein molecule in an otherwise racemic mixture. The structure of a protein crystallized in such a quasi-racemic form has been determined in previous work [Pentelute et al. (2008), J. Am. Chem. Soc. 130, 9695-9701] using the multiwavelength anomalous dispersion (MAD) method. Here, it is shown that although the phases from such a crystal are not strictly centric, their approximate centricity provides a powerful way to break the phase ambiguity that ordinarily arises when using the single-wavelength anomalous dispersion (SAD) method. It is shown that good phases and electron-density maps can be obtained from a quasi-racemic protein crystal based on single-wavelength data. A prerequisite problem of how to establish the origin of the anomalous scattering substructure relative to the center of pseudo-inversion is also addressed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael R Sawaya
- UCLA-DOE Institute for Genomics and Proteomics, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
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49
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Zheng S, Kwon I. Manipulation of enzyme properties by noncanonical amino acid incorporation. Biotechnol J 2011; 7:47-60. [PMID: 22121038 DOI: 10.1002/biot.201100267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2011] [Revised: 08/22/2011] [Accepted: 09/22/2011] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Since wild-type enzymes do not always have the properties needed for various applications, enzymes are often engineered to obtain desirable properties through protein engineering techniques. In the past decade, complementary to the widely used rational protein design and directed evolution techniques, noncanonical amino acid incorporation (NCAAI) has become a new and effective protein engineering technique. Recently, NCAAI has been used to improve intrinsic functions of proteins, such as enzymes and fluorescent proteins, beyond the capacities obtained with natural amino acids. Herein, recent progress on improving enzyme properties through NCAAI in vivo is reviewed and the challenges of current approaches and future directions are also discussed. To date, both NCAAI methods-residue- and site-specific incorporation-have been primarily used to improve the catalytic turnover number and substrate binding affinity of enzymes. Numerous strategies used to minimize structural perturbation and stability loss of a target enzyme upon NCAAI are also explored. Considering the generality of NCAAI incorporation, we expect its application could be expanded to improve other enzyme properties, such as substrate specificity and solvent resistance in the near future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shun Zheng
- Department of Chemical Engineering University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904, USA
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50
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Pei L, Schmidt M, Wei W. Synthetic biology: an emerging research field in China. Biotechnol Adv 2011; 29:804-14. [PMID: 21729747 PMCID: PMC3197886 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2011.06.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2011] [Revised: 05/20/2011] [Accepted: 06/11/2011] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Synthetic biology is considered as an emerging research field that will bring new opportunities to biotechnology. There is an expectation that synthetic biology will not only enhance knowledge in basic science, but will also have great potential for practical applications. Synthetic biology is still in an early developmental stage in China. We provide here a review of current Chinese research activities in synthetic biology and its different subfields, such as research on genetic circuits, minimal genomes, chemical synthetic biology, protocells and DNA synthesis, using literature reviews and personal communications with Chinese researchers. To meet the increasing demand for a sustainable development, research on genetic circuits to harness biomass is the most pursed research within Chinese researchers. The environmental concerns are driven force of research on the genetic circuits for bioremediation. The research on minimal genomes is carried on identifying the smallest number of genomes needed for engineering minimal cell factories and research on chemical synthetic biology is focused on artificial proteins and expanded genetic code. The research on protocells is more in combination with the research on molecular-scale motors. The research on DNA synthesis and its commercialisation are also reviewed. As for the perspective on potential future Chinese R&D activities, it will be discussed based on the research capacity and governmental policy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Pei
- Organisation for International Dialogue and Conflict Management, Vienna, Austria.
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