1
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Giraldo-Castaño MC, Littlejohn KA, Avecilla ARC, Barrera-Villamizar N, Quiroz FG. Programmability and biomedical utility of intrinsically-disordered protein polymers. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2024; 212:115418. [PMID: 39094909 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2024.115418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2024] [Revised: 07/03/2024] [Accepted: 07/29/2024] [Indexed: 08/04/2024]
Abstract
Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) exhibit molecular-level conformational dynamics that are functionally harnessed across a wide range of fascinating biological phenomena. The low sequence complexity of IDPs has led to the design and development of intrinsically-disordered protein polymers (IDPPs), a class of engineered repeat IDPs with stimuli-responsive properties. The perfect repetitive architecture of IDPPs allows for repeat-level encoding of tunable protein functionality. Designer IDPPs can be modeled on endogenous IDPs or engineered de novo as protein polymers with dual biophysical and biological functionality. Their properties can be rationally tailored to access enigmatic IDP biology and to create programmable smart biomaterials. With the goal of inspiring the bioengineering of multifunctional IDP-based materials, here we synthesize recent multidisciplinary progress in programming and exploiting the bio-functionality of IDPPs and IDPP-containing proteins. Collectively, expanding beyond the traditional sequence space of extracellular IDPs, emergent sequence-level control of IDPP functionality is fueling the bioengineering of self-assembling biomaterials, advanced drug delivery systems, tissue scaffolds, and biomolecular condensates -genetically encoded organelle-like structures. Looking forward, we emphasize open challenges and emerging opportunities, arguing that the intracellular behaviors of IDPPs represent a rich space for biomedical discovery and innovation. Combined with the intense focus on IDP biology, the growing landscape of IDPPs and their biomedical applications set the stage for the accelerated engineering of high-value biotechnologies and biomaterials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Camila Giraldo-Castaño
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Kai A Littlejohn
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Alexa Regina Chua Avecilla
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Natalia Barrera-Villamizar
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Felipe Garcia Quiroz
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
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2
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Wirtz BM, Yun AG, Wick C, Gao XJ, Mai DJ. Protease-Driven Phase Separation of Elastin-Like Polypeptides. Biomacromolecules 2024; 25:4898-4904. [PMID: 38980747 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.4c00346] [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: 07/11/2024]
Abstract
Elastin-like polypeptides (ELPs) are a promising material platform for engineering stimuli-responsive biomaterials, as ELPs undergo phase separation above a tunable transition temperature. ELPs with phase behavior that is isothermally regulated by biological stimuli remain attractive for applications in biological systems. Herein, we report protease-driven phase separation of ELPs. Protease-responsive "cleavable" ELPs comprise a hydrophobic ELP block connected to a hydrophilic ELP block by a protease cleavage site linker. The hydrophilic ELP block acts as a solubility tag for the hydrophobic ELP block, creating a temperature window in which the cleavable ELP reactant is soluble and the proteolytically generated hydrophobic ELP block is insoluble. Within this temperature window, isothermal, protease-driven phase separation occurs when a critical concentration of hydrophobic cleavage product accumulates. Furthermore, protease-driven phase separation is generalizable to four compatible protease-cleavable ELP pairings. This work presents exciting opportunities to regulate ELP phase behavior in biological systems using proteases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brendan M Wirtz
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Allison G Yun
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Chloe Wick
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Xiaojing J Gao
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Danielle J Mai
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
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3
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Li P, Li H. A Handle-Free, All-Protein-Based Optical Tweezers Method to Probe Protein Folding-Unfolding Dynamics. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2024; 40:13721-13727. [PMID: 38899455 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.4c01711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
Optical tweezers (OT) have evolved into powerful single molecule force spectroscopy tools to investigate protein folding-unfolding dynamics. To stretch a protein of interest using OT, the protein must be flanked with two double stranded DNA (dsDNA) handles. However, coupling dsDNA handles to the protein is often of low yield, representing a bottleneck in OT experiments. Here, we report a handle-free, all-protein-based OT method for investigating protein folding/unfolding dynamics. In this new method, we employed disordered elastin-like polypeptides (ELPs) as a molecular linker and the mechanically stable cohesin-dockerin (Coh-Doc) pair as the prey-bait system to enable the efficient capture and stretching of individual protein molecules. This novel approach was validated by using model proteins NuG2 and RTX-v, yielding experimental results comparable to those obtained by using the dsDNA handle approach. This new method provides a streamlined and efficient OT approach to investigate the folding-unfolding dynamics of proteins at the single molecule level, thus expanding the toolbox of OT-based single molecule force spectroscopy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peiyun Li
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of British ColumbiaVancouver, BC V6T 1Z1, Canada
| | - Hongbin Li
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of British ColumbiaVancouver, BC V6T 1Z1, Canada
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4
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Tang NC, Su JC, Shmidov Y, Kelly G, Deshpande S, Sirohi P, Peterson N, Chilkoti A. Synthetic intrinsically disordered protein fusion tags that enhance protein solubility. Nat Commun 2024; 15:3727. [PMID: 38697982 PMCID: PMC11066018 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47519-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024] Open
Abstract
We report the de novo design of small (<20 kDa) and highly soluble synthetic intrinsically disordered proteins (SynIDPs) that confer solubility to a fusion partner with minimal effect on the activity of the fused protein. To identify highly soluble SynIDPs, we create a pooled gene-library utilizing a one-pot gene synthesis technology to create a large library of repetitive genes that encode SynIDPs. We identify three small (<20 kDa) and highly soluble SynIDPs from this gene library that lack secondary structure and have high solvation. Recombinant fusion of these SynIDPs to three known inclusion body forming proteins rescue their soluble expression and do not impede the activity of the fusion partner, thereby eliminating the need for removal of the SynIDP tag. These findings highlight the utility of SynIDPs as solubility tags, as they promote the soluble expression of proteins in E. coli and are small, unstructured proteins that minimally interfere with the biological activity of the fused protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas C Tang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
| | - Jonathan C Su
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
| | - Yulia Shmidov
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
| | - Garrett Kelly
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
| | - Sonal Deshpande
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
| | - Parul Sirohi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
| | - Nikhil Peterson
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
| | - Ashutosh Chilkoti
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27708, USA.
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5
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Puertas-Bartolomé M, Venegas-Bustos D, Acosta S, Rodríguez-Cabello JC. Contribution of the ELRs to the development of advanced in vitro models. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2024; 12:1363865. [PMID: 38650751 PMCID: PMC11033926 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2024.1363865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2023] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Developing in vitro models that accurately mimic the microenvironment of biological structures or processes holds substantial promise for gaining insights into specific biological functions. In the field of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, in vitro models able to capture the precise structural, topographical, and functional complexity of living tissues, prove to be valuable tools for comprehending disease mechanisms, assessing drug responses, and serving as alternatives or complements to animal testing. The choice of the right biomaterial and fabrication technique for the development of these in vitro models plays an important role in their functionality. In this sense, elastin-like recombinamers (ELRs) have emerged as an important tool for the fabrication of in vitro models overcoming the challenges encountered in natural and synthetic materials due to their intrinsic properties, such as phase transition behavior, tunable biological properties, viscoelasticity, and easy processability. In this review article, we will delve into the use of ELRs for molecular models of intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs), as well as for the development of in vitro 3D models for regenerative medicine. The easy processability of the ELRs and their rational design has allowed their use for the development of spheroids and organoids, or bioinks for 3D bioprinting. Thus, incorporating ELRs into the toolkit of biomaterials used for the fabrication of in vitro models, represents a transformative step forward in improving the accuracy, efficiency, and functionality of these models, and opening up a wide range of possibilities in combination with advanced biofabrication techniques that remains to be explored.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Puertas-Bartolomé
- Technical Proteins Nanobiotechnology, S.L. (TPNBT), Valladolid, Spain
- Bioforge Lab (Group for Advanced Materials and Nanobiotechnology), CIBER's Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), Edificio LUCIA, Universidad de Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain
| | - Desiré Venegas-Bustos
- Bioforge Lab (Group for Advanced Materials and Nanobiotechnology), CIBER's Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), Edificio LUCIA, Universidad de Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain
| | - Sergio Acosta
- Bioforge Lab (Group for Advanced Materials and Nanobiotechnology), CIBER's Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), Edificio LUCIA, Universidad de Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain
| | - José Carlos Rodríguez-Cabello
- Bioforge Lab (Group for Advanced Materials and Nanobiotechnology), CIBER's Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), Edificio LUCIA, Universidad de Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain
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6
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Nguyen MTA, Gobry MV, Sampedro Vallina N, Pothoulakis G, Andersen ES. Enzymatic Assembly of Small Synthetic Genes with Repetitive Elements. ACS Synth Biol 2024; 13:963-968. [PMID: 38437525 PMCID: PMC10949351 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.3c00665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Revised: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/06/2024]
Abstract
Gene synthesis efficiency has greatly improved in recent years but is limited when it comes to repetitive sequences, which results in synthesis failure or delays by DNA synthesis vendors. This represents a major obstacle for the development of synthetic biology since repetitive elements are increasingly being used in the design of genetic circuits and design of biomolecular nanostructures. Here, we describe a method for the assembly of small synthetic genes with repetitive elements: First, a gene of interest is split in silico into small synthons of up to 80 base pairs flanked by Golden-Gate-compatible overhangs. Then, synthons are made by oligo extension and finally assembled into a synthetic gene by Golden Gate Assembly. We demonstrate the method by constructing eight challenging genes with repetitive elements, e.g., multiple repeats of RNA aptamers and RNA origami scaffolds with multiple identical aptamers. The genes range in size from 133 to 456 base pairs and are assembled with fidelities of up to 87.5%. The method was developed to facilitate our own specific research but may be of general use for constructing challenging and repetitive genes and, thus, a valuable addition to the molecular cloning toolbox.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael T. A. Nguyen
- Interdisciplinary
Nanoscience Center (iNANO), Aarhus University, Gustav Wieds Vej 14, DK-8000 Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Martin Vincent Gobry
- Interdisciplinary
Nanoscience Center (iNANO), Aarhus University, Gustav Wieds Vej 14, DK-8000 Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Néstor Sampedro Vallina
- Interdisciplinary
Nanoscience Center (iNANO), Aarhus University, Gustav Wieds Vej 14, DK-8000 Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Georgios Pothoulakis
- Interdisciplinary
Nanoscience Center (iNANO), Aarhus University, Gustav Wieds Vej 14, DK-8000 Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Ebbe Sloth Andersen
- Interdisciplinary
Nanoscience Center (iNANO), Aarhus University, Gustav Wieds Vej 14, DK-8000 Aarhus, Denmark
- Department
of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus
University, Gustav Wieds
Vej 14, DK-8000 Aarhus, Denmark
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7
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Guo Y, Liu S, Jing D, Liu N, Luo X. The construction of elastin-like polypeptides and their applications in drug delivery system and tissue repair. J Nanobiotechnology 2023; 21:418. [PMID: 37951928 PMCID: PMC10638729 DOI: 10.1186/s12951-023-02184-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Elastin-like polypeptides (ELPs) are thermally responsive biopolymers derived from natural elastin. These peptides have a low critical solution temperature phase behavior and can be used to prepare stimuli-responsive biomaterials. Through genetic engineering, biomaterials prepared from ELPs can have unique and customizable properties. By adjusting the amino acid sequence and length of ELPs, nanostructures, such as micelles and nanofibers, can be formed. Correspondingly, ELPs have been used for improving the stability and prolonging drug-release time. Furthermore, ELPs have widespread use in tissue repair due to their biocompatibility and biodegradability. Here, this review summarizes the basic property composition of ELPs and the methods for modulating their phase transition properties, discusses the application of drug delivery system and tissue repair and clarifies the current challenges and future directions of ELPs in applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingshu Guo
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), Jinan, 250353, China.
| | - Shiwei Liu
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), Jinan, 250353, China
| | - Dan Jing
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), Jinan, 250353, China
| | - Nianzu Liu
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), Jinan, 250353, China
| | - Xiliang Luo
- Key Laboratory of Optic-Electric Sensing and Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, MOE, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266042, China.
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8
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Satapathy S, Walker H, Brown J, Gambin Y, Wilson MR. The N-end rule pathway regulates ER stress-induced clusterin release to the cytosol where it directs misfolded proteins for degradation. Cell Rep 2023; 42:113059. [PMID: 37660295 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113059] [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: 01/10/2023] [Revised: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Previous work suggests that cell stress induces release of the normally secreted chaperone clusterin (CLU) into the cytosol. We analyzed the localization of CLU in healthy and stressed cells, the mechanism of its cytosolic release, and its interactions with cytosolic misfolded proteins. Key results of this study are the following: (1) full-length CLU is released to the cytosol during stress, (2) the CLU N-terminal D1 residue is recognized by the N-end rule pathway and together with the enzyme ATE1 is essential for cytosolic release, (3) CLU can form stable complexes with cytosolic misfolded proteins and direct them to the proteasome and autophagosomes, and (4) cytosolic CLU protects cells from hypoxic stress and the cytosolic overexpression of an aggregation-prone protein. Collectively, the results suggest that enhanced cytosolic release of CLU is a stress response that can inhibit the toxicity of misfolded proteins and facilitate their targeted degradation via both autophagy and the proteasome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandeep Satapathy
- The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia; Molecular Horizons Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia
| | - Holly Walker
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia; Molecular Horizons Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia
| | - James Brown
- EMBL Australia Node in Single Molecule Science, and School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Yann Gambin
- EMBL Australia Node in Single Molecule Science, and School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Mark R Wilson
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia; Molecular Horizons Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia.
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9
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Dai Y, Farag M, Lee D, Zeng X, Kim K, Son HI, Guo X, Su J, Peterson N, Mohammed J, Ney M, Shapiro DM, Pappu RV, Chilkoti A, You L. Programmable synthetic biomolecular condensates for cellular control. Nat Chem Biol 2023; 19:518-528. [PMID: 36747054 PMCID: PMC10786170 DOI: 10.1038/s41589-022-01252-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
The formation of biomolecular condensates mediated by a coupling of associative and segregative phase transitions plays a critical role in controlling diverse cellular functions in nature. This has inspired the use of phase transitions to design synthetic systems. While design rules of phase transitions have been established for many synthetic intrinsically disordered proteins, most efforts have focused on investigating their phase behaviors in a test tube. Here, we present a rational engineering approach to program the formation and physical properties of synthetic condensates to achieve intended cellular functions. We demonstrate this approach through targeted plasmid sequestration and transcription regulation in bacteria and modulation of a protein circuit in mammalian cells. Our approach lays the foundation for engineering designer condensates for synthetic biology applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yifan Dai
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pratt School of Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Duke Center for Quantitative Biodesign, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Mina Farag
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for Biomolecular Condensates (CBC), James McKelvey School of Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Dongheon Lee
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pratt School of Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Xiangze Zeng
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for Biomolecular Condensates (CBC), James McKelvey School of Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Kyeri Kim
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pratt School of Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Hye-In Son
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pratt School of Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Xiao Guo
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pratt School of Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Jonathan Su
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pratt School of Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Nikhil Peterson
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pratt School of Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Javid Mohammed
- Department of Immunology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Max Ney
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pratt School of Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Daniel Mark Shapiro
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pratt School of Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Rohit V Pappu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for Biomolecular Condensates (CBC), James McKelvey School of Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Ashutosh Chilkoti
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pratt School of Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
- Duke Center for Quantitative Biodesign, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
| | - Lingchong You
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pratt School of Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
- Duke Center for Quantitative Biodesign, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
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10
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Jeon J, Subramani SV, Lee KZ, Jiang B, Zhang F. Microbial Synthesis of High-Molecular-Weight, Highly Repetitive Protein Polymers. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:6416. [PMID: 37047388 PMCID: PMC10094428 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24076416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Revised: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
High molecular weight (MW), highly repetitive protein polymers are attractive candidates to replace petroleum-derived materials as these protein-based materials (PBMs) are renewable, biodegradable, and have outstanding mechanical properties. However, their high MW and highly repetitive sequence features make them difficult to synthesize in fast-growing microbial cells in sufficient amounts for real applications. To overcome this challenge, various methods were developed to synthesize repetitive PBMs. Here, we review recent strategies in the construction of repetitive genes, expression of repetitive proteins from circular mRNAs, and synthesis of repetitive proteins by ligation and protein polymerization. We discuss the advantages and limitations of each method and highlight future directions that will lead to scalable production of highly repetitive PBMs for a wide range of applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juya Jeon
- Department of Energy, Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, Saint Louis, MO 63130, USA; (J.J.); (S.V.S.); (K.Z.L.); (B.J.)
| | - Shri Venkatesh Subramani
- Department of Energy, Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, Saint Louis, MO 63130, USA; (J.J.); (S.V.S.); (K.Z.L.); (B.J.)
| | - Kok Zhi Lee
- Department of Energy, Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, Saint Louis, MO 63130, USA; (J.J.); (S.V.S.); (K.Z.L.); (B.J.)
| | - Bojing Jiang
- Department of Energy, Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, Saint Louis, MO 63130, USA; (J.J.); (S.V.S.); (K.Z.L.); (B.J.)
| | - Fuzhong Zhang
- Department of Energy, Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, Saint Louis, MO 63130, USA; (J.J.); (S.V.S.); (K.Z.L.); (B.J.)
- Institute of Materials Science and Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, Saint Louis, MO 63130, USA
- Division of Biological & Biomedical Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, Saint Louis, MO 63130, USA
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11
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Ji J, Hossain MS, Krueger EN, Zhang Z, Nangia S, Carpentier B, Martel M, Nangia S, Mozhdehi D. Lipidation Alters the Structure and Hydration of Myristoylated Intrinsically Disordered Proteins. Biomacromolecules 2023; 24:1244-1257. [PMID: 36757021 PMCID: PMC10017028 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.2c01309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Revised: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2023]
Abstract
Lipidated proteins are an emerging class of hybrid biomaterials that can integrate the functional capabilities of proteins into precisely engineered nano-biomaterials with potential applications in biotechnology, nanoscience, and biomedical engineering. For instance, fatty-acid-modified elastin-like polypeptides (FAMEs) combine the hierarchical assembly of lipids with the thermoresponsive character of elastin-like polypeptides (ELPs) to form nanocarriers with emergent temperature-dependent structural (shape or size) characteristics. Here, we report the biophysical underpinnings of thermoresponsive behavior of FAMEs using computational nanoscopy, spectroscopy, scattering, and microscopy. This integrated approach revealed that temperature and molecular syntax alter the structure, contact, and hydration of lipid, lipidation site, and protein, aligning with the changes in the nanomorphology of FAMEs. These findings enable a better understanding of the biophysical consequence of lipidation in biology and the rational design of the biomaterials and therapeutics that rival the exquisite hierarchy and capabilities of biological systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingjing Ji
- Department
of Biomedical and Chemical Engineering, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York 13244, United States
| | - Md Shahadat Hossain
- Department
of Chemistry, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York 13244, United States
| | - Emily N. Krueger
- Department
of Chemistry, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York 13244, United States
| | - Zhe Zhang
- Department
of Chemistry, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York 13244, United States
| | - Shivangi Nangia
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Hartford, West Hartford, Connecticut 06117, United States
| | - Britnie Carpentier
- Department
of Biomedical and Chemical Engineering, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York 13244, United States
| | - Mae Martel
- Department
of Biomedical and Chemical Engineering, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York 13244, United States
| | - Shikha Nangia
- Department
of Biomedical and Chemical Engineering, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York 13244, United States
- BioInspired
Syracuse: Institute for Material and Living Systems, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York 13244, United States
| | - Davoud Mozhdehi
- Department
of Biomedical and Chemical Engineering, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York 13244, United States
- Department
of Chemistry, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York 13244, United States
- BioInspired
Syracuse: Institute for Material and Living Systems, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York 13244, United States
- Department
of Biology, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York 13244, United States
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12
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Tian KK, Qian ZG, Xia XX. Synthetic biology-guided design and biosynthesis of protein polymers for delivery. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2023; 194:114728. [PMID: 36791475 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2023.114728] [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: 07/23/2022] [Revised: 12/28/2022] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2023]
Abstract
Vehicles derived from genetically engineered protein polymers have gained momentum in the field of biomedical engineering due to their unique designability, remarkable biocompatibility and excellent biodegradability. However, the design and production of these protein polymers with on-demand sequences and supramolecular architectures remain underexplored, particularly from a synthetic biology perspective. In this review, we summarize the state-of-the art strategies for constructing the highly repetitive genes encoding the protein polymers, and highlight the advanced approaches for metabolically engineering expression hosts towards high-level biosynthesis of the target protein polymers. Finally, we showcase the typical protein polymers utilized to fabricate delivery vehicles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai-Kai Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, and School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhi-Gang Qian
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, and School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiao-Xia Xia
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, and School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
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13
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Park S, Chin-Hun Kuo J, Reesink HL, Paszek MJ. Recombinant mucin biotechnology and engineering. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2023; 193:114618. [PMID: 36375719 PMCID: PMC10253230 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2022.114618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2022] [Revised: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Mucins represent a largely untapped class of polymeric building block for biomaterials, therapeutics, and other biotechnology. Because the mucin polymer backbone is genetically encoded, sequence-specific mucins with defined physical and biochemical properties can be fabricated using recombinant technologies. The pendent O-glycans of mucins are increasingly implicated in immunomodulation, suppression of pathogen virulence, and other biochemical activities. Recent advances in engineered cell production systems are enabling the scalable synthesis of recombinant mucins with precisely tuned glycan side chains, offering exciting possibilities to tune the biological functionality of mucin-based products. New metabolic and chemoenzymatic strategies enable further tuning and functionalization of mucin O-glycans, opening new possibilities to expand the chemical diversity and functionality of mucin building blocks. In this review, we discuss these advances, and the opportunities for engineered mucins in biomedical applications ranging from in vitro models to therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sangwoo Park
- Field of Biophysics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Joe Chin-Hun Kuo
- Robert Frederick Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Heidi L Reesink
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Matthew J Paszek
- Field of Biophysics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA; Robert Frederick Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA; Nancy E. and Peter C. Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
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14
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Elastin-like polypeptide-based micelles as a promising platform in nanomedicine. J Control Release 2023; 353:713-726. [PMID: 36526018 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2022.12.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2022] [Revised: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
New and improved nanomaterials are constantly being developed for biomedical purposes. Nanomaterials based on elastin-like polypeptides (ELPs) have increasingly shown potential over the past two decades. These polymers are artificial proteins of which the design is based on human tropoelastin. Due to this similarity, ELP-based nanomaterials are biodegradable and therefore well suited to drug delivery. The assembly of ELP molecules into nanoparticles spontaneously occurs at temperatures above a transition temperature (Tt). The ELP sequence influences both the Tt and the physicochemical properties of the assembled nanomaterial. Nanoparticles with desired properties can hence be designed by choosing the appropriate sequence. A promising class of ELP nanoparticles are micelles assembled from amphiphilic ELP diblock copolymers. Such micelles are generally uniform and well defined. Furthermore, site-specific attachment of cargo to the hydrophobic block results in micelles with the cargo shielded inside their core, while conjugation to the hydrophilic block causes the cargo to reside in the corona where it is available for interactions. Such control over particle design is one of the main contributing factors for the potential of ELP-based micelles as a drug delivery system. Additionally, the micelles are easily loaded with protein or peptide-based cargo by expressing it as a fusion protein. Small molecule drugs and other cargo types can be either covalently conjugated to ELP domains or physically entrapped inside the micelle core. This review aims to give an overview of ELP-based micelles and their applications in nanomedicine.
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15
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Horn JM, Zhu Y, Ahn SY, Obermeyer AC. Self-assembly of globular proteins with intrinsically disordered protein polyelectrolytes and block copolymers. SOFT MATTER 2022; 18:5759-5769. [PMID: 35912826 PMCID: PMC9446422 DOI: 10.1039/d2sm00415a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Intrinsically disordered polypeptides are a versatile class of materials, combining the biocompatibility of peptides with the disordered structure and diverse phase behaviors of synthetic polymers. Synthetic polyelectrolytes are capable of complex phase behavior when mixed with oppositely charged polyelectrolytes, facilitating nanoparticle formation and bulk phase separation. However, there has been limited exploration of intrinsically disordered protein polyelectrolytes as potential bio-based replacements for synthetic polyelectrolytes. Here, we produce negatively charged, intrinsically disordered polypeptides, capable of high-yield expression in E. coli and use this intrinsically disordered peptide to produce entirely protein-based polyelectrolyte complexes. The complexes display rich phase behavior, showing sensitivity to charge density, salt concentration, temperature, and charge fraction. We characterize this behavior through a combination of turbidity assays, dynamic light scattering, and transmission electron microscopy. The robust expression profile and stimuli-responsive phase behavior of the intrinsically disordered peptides demonstrates their potential as easily producible, biocompatible substitutes for synthetic polyelectrolytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin M Horn
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA.
| | - Yuncan Zhu
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA.
| | - So Yeon Ahn
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA.
| | - Allie C Obermeyer
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA.
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16
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Thermoresponsive Polymer Assemblies: From Molecular Design to Theranostics Application. Prog Polym Sci 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.progpolymsci.2022.101578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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17
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Wang H, Wang L, Zhong B, Dai Z. Protein Splicing of Inteins: A Powerful Tool in Synthetic Biology. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 10:810180. [PMID: 35265596 PMCID: PMC8899391 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.810180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2021] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Inteins are protein segments that are capable of enabling the ligation of flanking extein into a new protein, a process known as protein splicing. Since its discovery, inteins have become powerful biotechnological tools for applications such as protein engineering. In the last 10 years, the development in synthetic biology has further endowed inteins with enhanced functions and diverse utilizations. Here we review these efforts and discuss the future directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Wang
- Materials Synthetic Biology Center, CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Lin Wang
- Materials Synthetic Biology Center, CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Baihua Zhong
- Materials Interfaces Center, Institute of Advanced Materials Science and Engineering, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Zhuojun Dai
- Materials Synthetic Biology Center, CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
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18
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Chae YK, Um Y, Kim H. A simple and sensitive detection of the binding ligands by using the receptor aggregation and NMR spectroscopy: a test case of the maltose binding protein. JOURNAL OF BIOMOLECULAR NMR 2021; 75:371-381. [PMID: 34524563 PMCID: PMC8441238 DOI: 10.1007/s10858-021-00381-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2021] [Accepted: 09/02/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Protein-ligand interaction is one of the highlights of molecular recognition. The most popular application of this type of interaction is drug development which requires a high throughput screening of a ligand that binds to the target protein. Our goal was to find a binding ligand with a simple detection, and once this type of ligand was found, other methods could then be used to measure the detailed kinetic or thermodynamic parameters. We started with the idea that the ligand NMR signal would disappear if it was bound to the non-tumbling mass. In order to create the non-tumbling mass, we tried the aggregates of a target protein, which was fused to the elastin-like polypeptide. We chose the maltose binding proteinas a test case, and we tried it with several sugars, which included maltose, glucose, sucrose, lactose, galactose, maltotriose, and β-cyclodextrin. The maltose signal in the H-1 NMR spectrum disappeared completely as hoped around the protein to ligand ratio of 1:3 at 298 K where the proteins aggregated. The protein signals also disappeared upon aggregation except for the fast-moving part, which resulted in a cleaner background than the monomeric form. Since we only needed to look for a disappearing signal amongst those from the mixture, it should be useful in high throughput screening. Other types of sugars except for the maltotriose and β-cyclodextrin, which are siblings of the maltose, did not seem to bind at all. We believe that our system would be especially more effective when dealing with a smaller target protein, so both the protein and the bound ligand would lose their signals only when the aggregates formed. We hope that our proposed method would contribute to accelerating the development of the potent drug candidates by simultaneously identifying several binders directly from a mixture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Young Kee Chae
- Department of Chemistry, Sejong University, 209 Neungdong-Ro, Gwangjin-Gu, Seoul, 05006, Korea.
| | - Yoonjin Um
- Department of Chemistry, Sejong University, 209 Neungdong-Ro, Gwangjin-Gu, Seoul, 05006, Korea
| | - Hakbeom Kim
- Department of Chemistry, Sejong University, 209 Neungdong-Ro, Gwangjin-Gu, Seoul, 05006, Korea
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19
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Chang MP, Huang W, Mai DJ. Monomer‐scale design of functional protein polymers using consensus repeat sequences. JOURNAL OF POLYMER SCIENCE 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/pol.20210506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Marina P. Chang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering Stanford University Stanford California USA
| | - Winnie Huang
- Department of Chemical Engineering Stanford University Stanford California USA
| | - Danielle J. Mai
- Department of Chemical Engineering Stanford University Stanford California USA
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20
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Bowen CH, Sargent CJ, Wang A, Zhu Y, Chang X, Li J, Mu X, Galazka JM, Jun YS, Keten S, Zhang F. Microbial production of megadalton titin yields fibers with advantageous mechanical properties. Nat Commun 2021; 12:5182. [PMID: 34462443 PMCID: PMC8405620 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-25360-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2020] [Accepted: 08/05/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Manmade high-performance polymers are typically non-biodegradable and derived from petroleum feedstock through energy intensive processes involving toxic solvents and byproducts. While engineered microbes have been used for renewable production of many small molecules, direct microbial synthesis of high-performance polymeric materials remains a major challenge. Here we engineer microbial production of megadalton muscle titin polymers yielding high-performance fibers that not only recapture highly desirable properties of natural titin (i.e., high damping capacity and mechanical recovery) but also exhibit high strength, toughness, and damping energy - outperforming many synthetic and natural polymers. Structural analyses and molecular modeling suggest these properties derive from unique inter-chain crystallization of folded immunoglobulin-like domains that resists inter-chain slippage while permitting intra-chain unfolding. These fibers have potential applications in areas from biomedicine to textiles, and the developed approach, coupled with the structure-function insights, promises to accelerate further innovation in microbial production of high-performance materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher H Bowen
- Department of Energy, Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, One Brookings Drive, Saint Louis, MO, USA
| | - Cameron J Sargent
- Division of Biological & Biomedical Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, One Brookings Drive, Saint Louis, MO, USA
| | - Ao Wang
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Yaguang Zhu
- Department of Energy, Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, One Brookings Drive, Saint Louis, MO, USA
| | - Xinyuan Chang
- Department of Energy, Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, One Brookings Drive, Saint Louis, MO, USA
| | - Jingyao Li
- Department of Energy, Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, One Brookings Drive, Saint Louis, MO, USA
| | - Xinyue Mu
- Department of Energy, Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, One Brookings Drive, Saint Louis, MO, USA
| | - Jonathan M Galazka
- Space Biosciences Division, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA, USA
| | - Young-Shin Jun
- Department of Energy, Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, One Brookings Drive, Saint Louis, MO, USA
| | - Sinan Keten
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Fuzhong Zhang
- Department of Energy, Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, One Brookings Drive, Saint Louis, MO, USA.
- Division of Biological & Biomedical Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, One Brookings Drive, Saint Louis, MO, USA.
- Institute of Materials Science & Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, One Brookings Drive, Saint Louis, MO, USA.
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21
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Vu CQ, Fukushima SI, Wazawa T, Nagai T. A highly-sensitive genetically encoded temperature indicator exploiting a temperature-responsive elastin-like polypeptide. Sci Rep 2021; 11:16519. [PMID: 34389773 PMCID: PMC8363741 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-96049-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetically encoded temperature indicators (GETIs) allow for real-time measurement of subcellular temperature dynamics in live cells. However, GETIs have suffered from poor temperature sensitivity, which may not be sufficient to resolve small heat production from a biological process. Here, we develop a highly-sensitive GETI, denoted as ELP-TEMP, comprised of a temperature-responsive elastin-like polypeptide (ELP) fused with a cyan fluorescent protein (FP), mTurquoise2 (mT), and a yellow FP, mVenus (mV), as the donor and acceptor, respectively, of Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET). At elevated temperatures, the ELP moiety in ELP-TEMP undergoes a phase transition leading to an increase in the FRET efficiency. In HeLa cells, ELP-TEMP responded to the temperature from 33 to 40 °C with a maximum temperature sensitivity of 45.1 ± 8.1%/°C, which was the highest ever temperature sensitivity among hitherto-developed fluorescent nanothermometers. Although ELP-TEMP showed sensitivity not only to temperature but also to macromolecular crowding and self-concentration, we were able to correct the output of ELP-TEMP to achieve accurate temperature measurements at a subcellular resolution. We successfully applied ELP-TEMP to accurately measure temperature changes in cells induced by a local heat spot, even if the temperature difference was as small as < 1 °C, and to visualize heat production from stimulated Ca2+ influx in live HeLa cells induced by a chemical stimulation. Furthermore, we investigated temperatures in the nucleus and cytoplasm of live HeLa cells and found that their temperatures were almost the same within the temperature resolution of our measurement. Our study would contribute to better understanding of cellular temperature dynamics, and ELP-TEMP would be a useful GETI for the investigation of cell thermobiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cong Quang Vu
- Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan.,SANKEN (The Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research), Osaka University, Ibaraki, Osaka, 567-0047, Japan
| | - Shun-Ichi Fukushima
- SANKEN (The Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research), Osaka University, Ibaraki, Osaka, 567-0047, Japan
| | - Tetsuichi Wazawa
- SANKEN (The Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research), Osaka University, Ibaraki, Osaka, 567-0047, Japan
| | - Takeharu Nagai
- Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan. .,SANKEN (The Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research), Osaka University, Ibaraki, Osaka, 567-0047, Japan.
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22
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Alvisi N, Gutiérrez-Mejía FA, Lokker M, Lin YT, de Jong AM, van Delft F, de Vries R. Self-Assembly of Elastin-like Polypeptide Brushes on Silica Surfaces and Nanoparticles. Biomacromolecules 2021; 22:1966-1979. [PMID: 33871996 PMCID: PMC8154268 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.1c00067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Control over the placement and activity of biomolecules on solid surfaces is a key challenge in bionanotechnology. While covalent approaches excel in performance, physical attachment approaches excel in ease of processing, which is equally important in many applications. We show how the precision of recombinant protein engineering can be harnessed to design and produce protein-based diblock polymers with a silica-binding and highly hydrophilic elastin-like domain that self-assembles on silica surfaces and nanoparticles to form stable polypeptide brushes that can be used as a scaffold for later biofunctionalization. From atomic force microscopy-based single-molecule force spectroscopy, we find that individual silica-binding peptides have high unbinding rates. Nevertheless, from quartz crystal microbalance measurements, we find that the self-assembled polypeptide brushes cannot easily be rinsed off. From atomic force microscopy imaging and bulk dynamic light scattering, we find that the binding to silica induces fibrillar self-assembly of the peptides. Hence, we conclude that the unexpected stability of these self-assembled polypeptide brushes is at least in part due to peptide-peptide interactions of the silica-binding blocks at the silica surface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolò Alvisi
- Physical Chemistry and Soft Matter, Wageningen University and Research, Stippeneng 4, Wageningen 6708 WE, The Netherlands
| | - Fabiola A Gutiérrez-Mejía
- Physical Chemistry and Soft Matter, Wageningen University and Research, Stippeneng 4, Wageningen 6708 WE, The Netherlands
| | - Meike Lokker
- Physical Chemistry and Soft Matter, Wageningen University and Research, Stippeneng 4, Wageningen 6708 WE, The Netherlands
| | - Yu-Ting Lin
- Department of Applied Physics and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems (ICMS), Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven 5600 MB, The Netherlands
| | - Arthur M de Jong
- Department of Applied Physics and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems (ICMS), Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven 5600 MB, The Netherlands
| | - Floris van Delft
- Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, Wageningen University and Research, Stippeneng 4, Wageningen 6708 WE, The Netherlands
| | - Renko de Vries
- Physical Chemistry and Soft Matter, Wageningen University and Research, Stippeneng 4, Wageningen 6708 WE, The Netherlands
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23
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Hartzell EJ, Lieser RM, Sullivan MO, Chen W. Modular Hepatitis B Virus-like Particle Platform for Biosensing and Drug Delivery. ACS NANO 2020; 14:12642-12651. [PMID: 32924431 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.9b08756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The hepatitis B virus-like particle (HBV VLP) is an attractive protein nanoparticle platform due to the availability of 240 modification sites for engineering purposes. Although direct protein insertion into the surface loop has been demonstrated, this decoration strategy is restricted by the size of the inserted protein moieties. Meanwhile, larger proteins can be decorated using chemical conjugations; yet these approaches perturb the integrity of more delicate proteins and can unfavorably orient the proteins, impairing active surface display. Herein, we aim to create a robust and highly modular method to produce smart HBV-based nanodevices by using the SpyCatcher/SpyTag system, which allows a wide range of peptides and proteins to be conjugated directly and simply onto the modified HBV capsids in a controlled and biocompatible manner. Our technology allows the modular surface modification of HBV VLPs with multiple components, which provides signal amplification, increased targeting avidity, and high therapeutic payload incorporation. We have achieved a yield of over 200 mg/L for these engineered HBV VLPs and demonstrated the flexibility of this platform in both biosensing and drug delivery applications. The ability to decorate over 200 nanoluciferases per VLP improved detection signal by over 1500-fold, such that low nanomolar levels of thrombin could be detected by the naked eye. Meanwhile, a dimeric prodrug-activating enzyme was loaded without cross-linking particles by coexpressing orthogonally labeled monomers. This along with a epidermal growth factor receptor-binding peptide enabled tunable uptake of HBV VLPs into inflammatory breast cancer cells, leading to efficient suicide enzyme delivery and cell killing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily J Hartzell
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, United States
| | - Rachel M Lieser
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, United States
| | - Millicent O Sullivan
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, United States
| | - Wilfred Chen
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, United States
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24
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Dzuricky M, Rogers BA, Shahid A, Cremer PS, Chilkoti A. De novo engineering of intracellular condensates using artificial disordered proteins. Nat Chem 2020; 12:814-825. [PMID: 32747754 DOI: 10.1038/s41557-020-0511-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 127] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2019] [Accepted: 06/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Phase separation of intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) is a remarkable feature of living cells to dynamically control intracellular partitioning. Despite the numerous new IDPs that have been identified, progress towards rational engineering in cells has been limited. To address this limitation, we systematically scanned the sequence space of native IDPs and designed artificial IDPs (A-IDPs) with different molecular weights and aromatic content, which exhibit variable condensate saturation concentrations and temperature cloud points in vitro and in cells. We created A-IDP puncta using these simple principles, which are capable of sequestering an enzyme and whose catalytic efficiency can be manipulated by the molecular weight of the A-IDP. These results provide a robust engineered platform for creating puncta with new, phase-separation-mediated control of biological function in living cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Dzuricky
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Bradley A Rogers
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Abdulla Shahid
- Department of Computer Science, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.,Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Paul S Cremer
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Ashutosh Chilkoti
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
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25
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Halper SM, Hossain A, Salis HM. Synthesis Success Calculator: Predicting the Rapid Synthesis of DNA Fragments with Machine Learning. ACS Synth Biol 2020; 9:1563-1571. [PMID: 32559378 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.9b00460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The synthesis and assembly of long DNA fragments has greatly accelerated synthetic biology and biotechnology research. However, long turnaround times or synthesis failures create unpredictable bottlenecks in the design-build-test-learn cycle. We developed a machine learning model, called the Synthesis Success Calculator, to predict whether a long DNA fragment can be readily synthesized with a short turnaround time. The model also identifies the sequence determinants associated with the synthesis outcome. We trained a random forest classifier using biophysical features and a compiled data set of 1076 DNA fragment sequences to achieve high predictive performance (F1 score of 0.928 on 251 unseen sequences). Feature importance analysis revealed that repetitive DNA sequences were the most important contributor to synthesis failures. We then applied the Synthesis Success Calculator across large sequence data sets and found that 84.9% of the Escherichia coli MG1655 genome, but only 34.4% of sampled plasmids in NCBI, could be readily synthesized. Overall, the Synthesis Success Calculator can be applied on its own to prevent synthesis failures or embedded within optimization algorithms to design large genetic systems that can be rapidly synthesized and assembled.
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26
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Abstract
Elastin-like polypeptides (ELPs) are stimulus-responsive biopolymers derived from human elastin. Their unique properties—including lower critical solution temperature phase behavior and minimal immunogenicity—make them attractive materials for a variety of biomedical applications. ELPs also benefit from recombinant synthesis and genetically encoded design; these enable control over the molecular weight and precise incorporation of peptides and pharmacological agents into the sequence. Because their size and sequence are defined, ELPs benefit from exquisite control over their structure and function, qualities that cannot be matched by synthetic polymers. As such, ELPs have been engineered to assemble into unique architectures and display bioactive agents for a variety of applications. This review discusses the design and representative biomedical applications of ELPs, focusing primarily on their use in tissue engineering and drug delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasia K. Varanko
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA
| | - Jonathan C. Su
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA
| | - Ashutosh Chilkoti
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA
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27
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Synthetic biology for protein-based materials. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2020; 65:197-204. [PMID: 32492515 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2020.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2020] [Revised: 04/02/2020] [Accepted: 04/17/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Recombinant protein polymers that mimic the structures and functions of natural proteins and those tailor-designed with new properties provide a family of uniquely tunable and functional materials. However, the diversity of genetically engineered protein polymers is still limited. As a powerful engine for the creation of new biological devices and systems, synthetic biology is promising to tackle the challenges that exist in conventional studies on protein polymers. Here we review the advances in design and biosynthesis of advanced protein materials by synthetic biology approaches. In particular, we highlight their roles in expanding the variety of designer protein polymers and creating programmable materials with live cells.
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28
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Ma C, Malessa A, Boersma AJ, Liu K, Herrmann A. Supercharged Proteins and Polypeptides. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2020; 32:e1905309. [PMID: 31943419 DOI: 10.1002/adma.201905309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2019] [Revised: 10/10/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Electrostatic interactions play a vital role in nature. Biomacromolecules such as proteins are orchestrated by electrostatics, among other intermolecular forces, to assemble and organize biochemistry. Natural proteins with a high net charge exist in a folded state or are unstructured and can be an inspiration for scientists to artificially supercharge other protein entities. Recent findings show that supercharging proteins allows for control of their properties such as temperature resistance and catalytic activity. One elegant method to transfer the favorable properties of supercharged proteins to other proteins is the fabrication of fusions. Genetically engineered, supercharged unstructured polypeptides (SUPs) are just one promising fusion tool. SUPs can also be complexed with artificial entities to yield thermotropic and lyotropic liquid crystals and liquids. These architectures represent novel bulk materials that are sensitive to external stimuli. Interestingly, SUPs undergo fluid-fluid phase separation to form coacervates. These coacervates can even be directly generated in living cells or can be combined with dissipative fiber assemblies that induce life-like features. Supercharged proteins and SUPs are developed into exciting classes of materials. Their synthesis, structures, and properties are summarized. Moreover, potential applications are highlighted and challenges are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Ma
- Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Anke Malessa
- Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Arnold J Boersma
- DWI - Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials, Forckenbeckstr. 50, 52056, Aachen, Germany
| | - Kai Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resource Utilization, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 130022, Changchun, China
| | - Andreas Herrmann
- Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG, Groningen, The Netherlands
- DWI - Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials, Forckenbeckstr. 50, 52056, Aachen, Germany
- Institute of Technical and Macromolecular Chemistry, RWTH Aachen University, Worringerweg 2, 52074, Aachen, Germany
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Saha S, Banskota S, Roberts S, Kirmani N, Chilkoti A. Engineering the Architecture of Elastin-Like Polypeptides: From Unimers to Hierarchical Self-Assembly. ADVANCED THERAPEUTICS 2020; 3:1900164. [PMID: 34307837 PMCID: PMC8297442 DOI: 10.1002/adtp.201900164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Well-defined tunable nanostructures formed through the hierarchical self-assembly of peptide building blocks have drawn significant attention due to their potential applications in biomedical science. Artificial protein polymers derived from elastin-like polypeptides (ELPs), which are based on the repeating sequence of tropoelastin (the water-soluble precursor to elastin), provide a promising platform for creating nanostructures due to their biocompatibility, ease of synthesis, and customizable architecture. By designing the sequence and composition of ELPs at the gene level, their physicochemical properties can be controlled to a degree that is unmatched by synthetic polymers. A variety of ELP-based nanostructures are designed, inspired by the self-assembly of elastin and other proteins in biological systems. The choice of building blocks determines not only the physical properties of the nanostructures, but also their self-assembly into architectures ranging from spherical micelles to elongated nanofibers. This review focuses on the molecular determinants of ELP and ELP-hybrid self-assembly and formation of spherical, rod-like, worm-like, fibrillar, and vesicle architectures. A brief discussion of the potential biomedical applications of these supramolecular assemblies is also included.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soumen Saha
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Samagya Banskota
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Stefan Roberts
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Nadia Kirmani
- Department of Biology, Trinity College of Arts and Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Ashutosh Chilkoti
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
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Perry SL, Sing CE. 100th Anniversary of Macromolecular Science Viewpoint: Opportunities in the Physics of Sequence-Defined Polymers. ACS Macro Lett 2020; 9:216-225. [PMID: 35638672 DOI: 10.1021/acsmacrolett.0c00002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Polymer science has been driven by ever-increasing molecular complexity, as polymer synthesis expands an already-vast palette of chemical and architectural parameter space. Copolymers represent a key example, where simple homopolymers have given rise to random, alternating, gradient, and block copolymers. Polymer physics has provided the insight needed to explore this monomer sequence parameter space. The future of polymer science, however, must contend with further increases in monomer precision, as this class of macromolecules moves ever closer to the sequence-monodisperse polymers that are the workhorses of biology. The advent of sequence-defined polymers gives rise to opportunities for material design, with increasing levels of chemical information being incorporated into long-chain molecules; however, this also raises questions that polymer physics must address. What properties uniquely emerge from sequence-definition? Is this circumstance-dependent? How do we define and think about sequence dispersity? How do we think about a hierarchy of sequence effects? Are more sophisticated characterization methods, as well as theoretical and computational tools, needed to understand this class of macromolecules? The answers to these questions touch on many difficult scientific challenges, setting the stage for a rich future for sequence-defined polymers in polymer physics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah L. Perry
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts−Amherst, 686 North Pleasant Street, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, United States
| | - Charles E. Sing
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana−Champaign, 600 South Mathews Avenue Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
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31
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Bowen CH, Reed TJ, Sargent CJ, Mpamo B, Galazka JM, Zhang F. Seeded Chain-Growth Polymerization of Proteins in Living Bacterial Cells. ACS Synth Biol 2019; 8:2651-2658. [PMID: 31742389 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.9b00362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Microbially produced protein-based materials (PBMs) are appealing due to use of renewable feedstock, low energy requirements, tunable side-chain chemistry, and biodegradability. However, high-strength PBMs typically have high molecular weights (HMW) and repetitive sequences that are difficult to microbially produce due to genetic instability and metabolic burden. We report the development of a biosynthetic strategy termed seeded chain-growth polymerization (SCP) for synthesis of HMW PBMs in living bacterial cells. SCP uses split intein (SI) chemistry to cotranslationally polymerize relatively small, genetically stable material protein subunits, effectively preventing intramolecular cyclization. We apply SCP to bioproduction of spider silk in Escherichia coli, generating HMW spider silk proteins (spidroins) up to 300 kDa, resulting in spidroin fibers of high strength, modulus, and toughness. SCP provides a modular strategy to synthesize HMW, repetitive material proteins, and may facilitate bioproduction of a variety of high-performance PBMs for broad applications.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Jonathan M. Galazka
- Space Biosciences Division, Ames Research Center, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Moffett Field, California 94035, United States
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32
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Reis AC, Halper SM, Vezeau GE, Cetnar DP, Hossain A, Clauer PR, Salis HM. Simultaneous repression of multiple bacterial genes using nonrepetitive extra-long sgRNA arrays. Nat Biotechnol 2019; 37:1294-1301. [PMID: 31591552 DOI: 10.1038/s41587-019-0286-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2018] [Accepted: 09/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Engineering cellular phenotypes often requires the regulation of many genes. When using CRISPR interference, coexpressing many single-guide RNAs (sgRNAs) triggers genetic instability and phenotype loss, due to the presence of repetitive DNA sequences. We stably coexpressed 22 sgRNAs within nonrepetitive extra-long sgRNA arrays (ELSAs) to simultaneously repress up to 13 genes by up to 3,500-fold. We applied biophysical modeling, biochemical characterization and machine learning to develop toolboxes of nonrepetitive genetic parts, including 28 sgRNA handles that bind Cas9. We designed ELSAs by combining nonrepetitive genetic parts according to algorithmic rules quantifying DNA synthesis complexity, sgRNA expression, sgRNA targeting and genetic stability. Using ELSAs, we created three highly selective phenotypes in Escherichia coli, including redirecting metabolism to increase succinic acid production by 150-fold, knocking down amino acid biosynthesis to create a multi-auxotrophic strain and repressing stress responses to reduce persister cell formation by 21-fold. ELSAs enable simultaneous and stable regulation of many genes for metabolic engineering and synthetic biology applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander C Reis
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Sean M Halper
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Grace E Vezeau
- Department of Biological Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Daniel P Cetnar
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Ayaan Hossain
- Bioinformatics and Genomics, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Phillip R Clauer
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Howard M Salis
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA.
- Department of Biological Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA.
- Bioinformatics and Genomics, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA.
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Abstract
Few approaches exist for the stable and controllable synthesis of customized mucin glycoproteins for glycocalyx editing in eukaryotic cells. Taking advantage of custom gene synthesis and a biology-by-parts approach to cDNA construction, we build a library of swappable DNA bricks for mucin leader tags, membrane anchors, cytoplasmic motifs, and optical reporters, as well as codon-optimized native mucin repeats and newly designed domains for synthetic mucins. We construct a library of over 50 mucins, each with unique chemical, structural, and optical properties and describe how additional permutations could readily be constructed. We apply the library to explore sequence-specific effects on glycosylation for engineering of mucins. We find that the extension of the immature α-GalNAc Tn-antigen to Core 1 and Core 2 glycan structures depends on the underlying peptide backbone sequence. Glycosylation could also be influenced through recycling motifs on the mucin cytoplasmic tail. We expect that the mucin parts inventory presented here can be broadly applied for glycocalyx research and mucin-based biotechnologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Pan
- Field of Biophysics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | | | - Nitin T. Supekar
- Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, United States
| | - Parastoo Azadi
- Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, United States
| | - Matthew J. Paszek
- Field of Biophysics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
- Robert Frederick Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
- Nancy E. and Peter C. Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
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Pyles H, Zhang S, De Yoreo JJ, Baker D. Controlling protein assembly on inorganic crystals through designed protein interfaces. Nature 2019; 571:251-256. [PMID: 31292559 PMCID: PMC6948101 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-019-1361-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2018] [Accepted: 05/10/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The ability of proteins and other macromolecules to interact with inorganic surfaces is critical to biological function. The proteins involved in these interactions are highly charged and often rich in carboxylic acid side chains1-5, but the structures of most protein-inorganic interfaces are unknown. We explored the possibility of systematically designing structured protein-mineral interfaces guided by the example of ice-binding proteins, which present arrays of threonine residues matched to the ice lattice that order clathrate waters into an ice-like structure6. We designed proteins displaying arrays of up to 54 carboxylate residues geometrically matched to the K+ sublattice on muscovite mica (001). At low [K+] individual molecules bind independently to mica in the designed orientations, while at high [K+], the designs form 2D liquid-crystal phases, which accentuate the inherent structural bias in the muscovite lattice to produce protein arrays ordered over tens of millimeters. Incorporation of designed protein-protein interactions preserving the match between the proteins and the K+ lattice led to extended self-assembled structures on mica: designed end-to-end interactions produced micron long single protein-diameter wires, and a designed trimeric interface yielded extensive honeycomb arrays. The nearest neighbor distances in these hexagonal arrays could be set digitally between 7.5 and 15.9 nm with 2.1 nm selectivity by changing the number of repeat units in the monomer. These results demonstrate that protein-inorganic lattice interactions can be systematically programmed and set the stage for designing protein-inorganic hybrid materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harley Pyles
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.,Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Shuai Zhang
- Physical Sciences Division, Physical and Computational Sciences Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, USA.,Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - James J De Yoreo
- Physical Sciences Division, Physical and Computational Sciences Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, USA. .,Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
| | - David Baker
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA. .,Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA. .,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
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35
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Kan A, Joshi NS. Towards the directed evolution of protein materials. MRS COMMUNICATIONS 2019; 9:441-455. [PMID: 31750012 PMCID: PMC6867688 DOI: 10.1557/mrc.2019.28] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2018] [Accepted: 02/22/2019] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Protein-based materials have emerged as a powerful instrument for a new generation of biological materials, with many chemical and mechanical capabilities. Through the manipulation of DNA, researchers can design proteins at the molecular level, engineering a vast array of structural building blocks. However, our capability to rationally design and predict the properties of such materials is limited by the vastness of possible sequence space. Directed evolution has emerged as a powerful tool to improve biological systems through mutation and selection, presenting another avenue to produce novel protein materials. In this prospective review, we discuss the application of directed evolution for protein materials, reviewing current examples and developments that could facilitate the evolution of protein for material applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anton Kan
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Neel S. Joshi
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA, United States
- John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States
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36
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Shurer CR, Wang Y, Feeney E, Head SE, Zhang VX, Su J, Cheng Z, Stark MA, Bonassar LJ, Reesink HL, Paszek MJ. Stable recombinant production of codon-scrambled lubricin and mucin in human cells. Biotechnol Bioeng 2019; 116:1292-1303. [PMID: 30684357 PMCID: PMC6764099 DOI: 10.1002/bit.26940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2018] [Revised: 01/03/2019] [Accepted: 01/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Widespread therapeutic and commercial interest in recombinant mucin technology has emerged due to the unique ability of mucin glycoproteins to hydrate, protect, and lubricate biological surfaces. However, recombinant production of the large, highly repetitive domains that are characteristic of mucins remains a challenge in biomanufacturing likely due, at least in part, to the inherent instability of DNA repeats in the cellular genome. To overcome this challenge, we exploit codon redundancy to encode desired mucin polypeptides with minimal nucleotide repetition. The codon-scrambling strategy was applied to generate synonymous genes, or "synDNAs," for two mucins of commercial interest: lubricin and mucin 1. Stable, long-term recombinant production in suspension-adapted human 293-F cells was demonstrated for the synonymous lubricin complementary DNA (cDNA), which we refer to as SynLubricin. Under optimal conditions, a 293-F subpopulation produced recombinant SynLubricin at more than 200 mg/L of media and was stable throughout 2 months of continuous culture. Functionality tests confirmed that the recombinant lubricin could effectively inhibit cell adhesion and lubricate cartilage explants. Together, our work provides a viable workflow for cDNA design and stable mucin production in mammalian host production systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolyn R. Shurer
- Robert Frederick Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
| | - Yuyan Wang
- Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
| | - Elizabeth Feeney
- Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
| | - Shelby E. Head
- Robert Frederick Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
| | - Victoria X. Zhang
- Robert Frederick Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
| | - Jin Su
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
| | - Zhu Cheng
- Robert Frederick Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
| | - Morgan A. Stark
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
| | | | - Heidi L. Reesink
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
| | - Matthew J. Paszek
- Robert Frederick Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
- Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
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37
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingqin Hou
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Key Laboratory of Polymer Chemistry and Physics of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, People’s Republic of China
| | - Hua Lu
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Key Laboratory of Polymer Chemistry and Physics of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, People’s Republic of China
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38
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Shurer CR, Head SE, Goudge MC, Paszek MJ. Mucin-coating technologies for protection and reduced aggregation of cellular production systems. Biotechnol Bioeng 2019; 116:994-1005. [PMID: 30636317 PMCID: PMC6763341 DOI: 10.1002/bit.26916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2018] [Revised: 12/10/2018] [Accepted: 01/09/2019] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Optimization of host-cell production systems with improved yield and production reliability is desired to meet the increasing demand for biologics with complex posttranslational modifications. Aggregation of suspension-adapted mammalian cells remains a significant problem that can limit the cellular density and per volume yield of bioreactors. Here, we propose a genetically encoded technology that directs the synthesis of antiadhesive and protective coatings on the cellular surface. Inspired by the natural ability of mucin glycoproteins to resist cellular adhesion and hydrate and protect cell and tissue surfaces, we genetically encode new cell-surface coatings through the fusion of engineered mucin domains to synthetic transmembrane anchors. Combined with appropriate expression systems, the mucin-coating technology directs the assembly of thick, highly hydrated barriers to strongly mitigate cell aggregation and protect cells in suspension against fluid shear stresses. The coating technology is demonstrated on suspension-adapted human 293-F cells, which resist clumping even in media formulations that otherwise would induce extreme cell aggregation and show improved performance over a commercially available anticlumping agent. The stable biopolymer coatings do not show deleterious effects on cell proliferation rate, efficiency of transient transfection with complementary DNAs, or recombinant protein expression. Overall, our mucin-coating technology and engineered cell lines have the potential to improve the single-cell growth and viability of suspended cells in bioreactors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolyn R. Shurer
- Robert Frederick Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853
| | - Shelby E. Head
- Robert Frederick Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853
| | - Marc C. Goudge
- Nancy E. and Peter C. Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853
| | - Matthew J. Paszek
- Robert Frederick Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853
- Nancy E. and Peter C. Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853
- Field of Biophysics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853
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39
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Pena-Francesch A, Demirel MC. Squid-Inspired Tandem Repeat Proteins: Functional Fibers and Films. Front Chem 2019; 7:69. [PMID: 30847338 PMCID: PMC6393770 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2019.00069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2018] [Accepted: 01/25/2019] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Production of repetitive polypeptides that comprise one or more tandem copies of a single unit with distinct amorphous and ordered regions have been an interest for the last couple of decades. Their molecular structure provides a rich architecture that can micro-phase-separate to form periodic nanostructures (e.g., lamellar and cylindrical repeating phases) with enhanced physicochemical properties via directed or natural evolution that often exceed those of conventional synthetic polymers. Here, we review programmable design, structure, and properties of functional fibers and films from squid-inspired tandem repeat proteins, with applications in soft photonics and advanced textiles among others.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdon Pena-Francesch
- Center for Research on Advanced Fiber Technologies, Materials Research Institute, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
- Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
| | - Melik C. Demirel
- Center for Research on Advanced Fiber Technologies, Materials Research Institute, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
- Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
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40
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Gates EM, LaCroix AS, Rothenberg KE, Hoffman BD. Improving Quality, Reproducibility, and Usability of FRET-Based Tension Sensors. Cytometry A 2018; 95:201-213. [PMID: 30523675 DOI: 10.1002/cyto.a.23688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2018] [Revised: 10/30/2018] [Accepted: 11/05/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Mechanobiology, the study of how mechanical forces affect cellular behavior, is an emerging field of study that has garnered broad and significant interest. Researchers are currently seeking to better understand how mechanical signals are transmitted, detected, and integrated at a subcellular level. One tool for addressing these questions is a Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based tension sensor, which enables the measurement of molecular-scale forces across proteins based on changes in emitted light. However, the reliability and reproducibility of measurements made with these sensors has not been thoroughly examined. To address these concerns, we developed numerical methods that improve the accuracy of measurements made using sensitized emission-based imaging. To establish that FRET-based tension sensors are versatile tools that provide consistent measurements, we used these methods, and demonstrated that a vinculin tension sensor is unperturbed by cell fixation, permeabilization, and immunolabeling. This suggests FRET-based tension sensors could be coupled with a variety of immuno-fluorescent labeling techniques. Additionally, as tension sensors are frequently employed in complex biological samples where large experimental repeats may be challenging, we examined how sample size affects the uncertainty of FRET measurements. In total, this work establishes guidelines to improve FRET-based tension sensor measurements, validate novel implementations of these sensors, and ensure that results are precise and reproducible. © 2018 International Society for Advancement of Cytometry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evan M Gates
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, 27708
| | - Andrew S LaCroix
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, 27708
| | - Katheryn E Rothenberg
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, 27708
| | - Brenton D Hoffman
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, 27708
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41
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Banskota S, Yousefpour P, Kirmani N, Li X, Chilkoti A. Long circulating genetically encoded intrinsically disordered zwitterionic polypeptides for drug delivery. Biomaterials 2018; 192:475-485. [PMID: 30504081 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2018.11.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2018] [Revised: 11/02/2018] [Accepted: 11/09/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
The clinical utility of many peptide and protein drugs is limited by their short in-vivo half-life. To address this limitation, we report a new class of polypeptide-based materials that have a long plasma circulation time. The design of these polypeptides is motivated by the hypothesis that incorporating a zwitterionic sequence, within an intrinsically disordered polypeptide motif, would impart "stealth" behavior to the polypeptide and increase its plasma residence time, a behavior akin to that of synthetic stealth polymers. We designed these zwitterionic polypeptides (ZIPPs) with a repetitive (VPX1X2G)n motif, where X1 and X2 are cationic and anionic amino acids, respectively, and n is the number of repeats. To test this hypothesis, we synthesized a set of ZIPPs with different pairs of cationic and anionic residues with varied chain length. We show that a combination of lysine and glutamic acid in the ZIPP confer superior pharmacokinetics, for both intravenous and subcutaneous administration, compared to uncharged control polypeptides. Finally, to demonstrate their clinical utility, we fused the best performing ZIPP sequence to glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP1), a peptide drug used for treatment of type-2 diabetes and show that the ZIPP-GLP1 fusion outperforms an uncharged polypeptide of the same molecular weight in a mouse model of type-2 diabetes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samagya Banskota
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Parisa Yousefpour
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Nadia Kirmani
- Department of Biology, Trinity College of Arts and Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Xinghai Li
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Ashutosh Chilkoti
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA.
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42
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Bowen CH, Dai B, Sargent CJ, Bai W, Ladiwala P, Feng H, Huang W, Kaplan DL, Galazka JM, Zhang F. Recombinant Spidroins Fully Replicate Primary Mechanical Properties of Natural Spider Silk. Biomacromolecules 2018; 19:3853-3860. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.8b00980] [Citation(s) in RCA: 103] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Wenwen Huang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02155, United States
| | - David L. Kaplan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02155, United States
| | - Jonathan M. Galazka
- Space Biosciences Division, Ames Research Center, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Moffett Field, California 94035, United States
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Lanier LA, Bermudez H. Living Supramolecular Polymerization of DNA. Macromol Rapid Commun 2018; 39:e1800342. [PMID: 29974538 DOI: 10.1002/marc.201800342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2018] [Revised: 05/31/2018] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Recently there have been notable synthetic successes in supramolecular polymerization. By contrast, it has long been known that DNA can undergo supramolecular polymerization (concatemerization). Concatemerization is a step-like polymerization and consequently suffers from broad molecular weight distributions and generally undesirable cyclization reactions. Here we demonstrate that another supramolecular polymerization of DNA, hybridization chain reaction (HCR), is in fact a living polymerization. After consumption of initial monomer, the polymerization can be continued with further addition of monomer, and the molecular weight can be varied by the ratio of monomer to initiator. In contrast to concatemerization, HCR produces polymers with narrow dispersity while avoiding cyclization. Identification of the living character of this supramolecular polymerization presents new opportunities in structural DNA nanotechnology and molecular biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura A Lanier
- Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, University of Massachusetts Amherst, 120 Governors Dr, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA
| | - Harry Bermudez
- Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, University of Massachusetts Amherst, 120 Governors Dr, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA
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Ott W, Jobst MA, Bauer MS, Durner E, Milles LF, Nash MA, Gaub HE. Elastin-like Polypeptide Linkers for Single-Molecule Force Spectroscopy. ACS NANO 2017; 11:6346-6354. [PMID: 28591514 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.7b02694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Single-molecule force spectroscopy (SMFS) is by now well established as a standard technique in biophysics and mechanobiology. In recent years, the technique has benefitted greatly from new approaches to bioconjugation of proteins to surfaces. Indeed, optimized immobilization strategies for biomolecules and refined purification schemes are being steadily adapted and improved, which in turn has enhanced data quality. In many previously reported SMFS studies, poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) was used to anchor molecules of interest to surfaces and/or cantilever tips. The limitation, however, is that PEG exhibits a well-known trans-trans-gauche to all-trans transition, which results in marked deviation from standard polymer elasticity models such as the worm-like chain, particularly at elevated forces. As a result, the assignment of unfolding events to protein domains based on their corresponding amino acid chain lengths is significantly obscured. Here, we provide a solution to this problem by implementing unstructured elastin-like polypeptides as linkers to replace PEG. We investigate the suitability of tailored elastin-like polypeptides linkers and perform direct comparisons to PEG, focusing on attributes that are critical for single-molecule force experiments such as linker length, monodispersity, and bioorthogonal conjugation tags. Our results demonstrate that by avoiding the ambiguous elastic response of mixed PEG/peptide systems and instead building the molecular mechanical systems with only a single bond type with uniform elastic properties, we improve data quality and facilitate data analysis and interpretation in force spectroscopy experiments. The use of all-peptide linkers allows alternative approaches for precisely defining elastic properties of proteins linked to surfaces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wolfgang Ott
- Lehrstuhl für Angewandte Physik and Center for NanoScience, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München , 80799 Munich, Germany
- Center for Integrated Protein Science Munich (CIPSM), Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München , 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Markus A Jobst
- Lehrstuhl für Angewandte Physik and Center for NanoScience, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München , 80799 Munich, Germany
| | - Magnus S Bauer
- Lehrstuhl für Angewandte Physik and Center for NanoScience, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München , 80799 Munich, Germany
| | - Ellis Durner
- Lehrstuhl für Angewandte Physik and Center for NanoScience, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München , 80799 Munich, Germany
| | - Lukas F Milles
- Lehrstuhl für Angewandte Physik and Center for NanoScience, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München , 80799 Munich, Germany
| | - Michael A Nash
- Department of Chemistry, University of Basel , 4056 Basel, Switzerland
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich) , 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Hermann E Gaub
- Lehrstuhl für Angewandte Physik and Center for NanoScience, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München , 80799 Munich, Germany
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Mata A, Azevedo HS, Botto L, Gavara N, Su L. New Bioengineering Breakthroughs and Enabling Tools in Regenerative Medicine. CURRENT STEM CELL REPORTS 2017; 3:83-97. [PMID: 28596936 PMCID: PMC5445180 DOI: 10.1007/s40778-017-0081-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW In this review, we provide a general overview of recent bioengineering breakthroughs and enabling tools that are transforming the field of regenerative medicine (RM). We focus on five key areas that are evolving and increasingly interacting including mechanobiology, biomaterials and scaffolds, intracellular delivery strategies, imaging techniques, and computational and mathematical modeling. RECENT FINDINGS Mechanobiology plays an increasingly important role in tissue regeneration and design of therapies. This knowledge is aiding the design of more precise and effective biomaterials and scaffolds. Likewise, this enhanced precision is enabling ways to communicate with and stimulate cells down to their genome. Novel imaging technologies are permitting visualization and monitoring of all these events with increasing resolution from the research stages up to the clinic. Finally, algorithmic mining of data and soft matter physics and engineering are creating growing opportunities to predict biological scenarios, device performance, and therapeutic outcomes. SUMMARY We have found that the development of these areas is not only leading to revolutionary technological advances but also enabling a conceptual leap focused on targeting regenerative strategies in a holistic manner. This approach is bringing us ever more closer to the reality of personalized and precise RM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alvaro Mata
- School of Engineering and Materials Science, Institute of Bioengineering, Queen Mary University of London, London, E1 4NS UK
| | - Helena S. Azevedo
- School of Engineering and Materials Science, Institute of Bioengineering, Queen Mary University of London, London, E1 4NS UK
| | - Lorenzo Botto
- School of Engineering and Materials Science, Institute of Bioengineering, Queen Mary University of London, London, E1 4NS UK
| | - Nuria Gavara
- School of Engineering and Materials Science, Institute of Bioengineering, Queen Mary University of London, London, E1 4NS UK
| | - Lei Su
- School of Engineering and Materials Science, Institute of Bioengineering, Queen Mary University of London, London, E1 4NS UK
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46
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Liang Y, Li L, Scott RA, Kiick KL. Polymeric Biomaterials: Diverse Functions Enabled by Advances in Macromolecular Chemistry. Macromolecules 2017; 50:483-502. [PMID: 29151616 PMCID: PMC5687278 DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.6b02389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Biomaterials have been extensively used to leverage beneficial outcomes in various therapeutic applications, such as providing spatial and temporal control over the release of therapeutic agents in drug delivery as well as engineering functional tissues and promoting the healing process in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. This perspective presents important milestones in the development of polymeric biomaterials with defined structures and properties. Contemporary studies of biomaterial design have been reviewed with focus on constructing materials with controlled structure, dynamic functionality, and biological complexity. Examples of these polymeric biomaterials enabled by advanced synthetic methodologies, dynamic chemistry/assembly strategies, and modulated cell-material interactions have been highlighted. As the field of polymeric biomaterials continues to evolve with increased sophistication, current challenges and future directions for the design and translation of these materials are also summarized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingkai Liang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, 19716, USA
| | - Linqing Li
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, 19716, USA
| | - Rebecca A. Scott
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, 19716, USA
- Nemours-Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, Department of Biomedical Research, 1600 Rockland Road, Wilmington, DE 19803, USA
| | - Kristi L. Kiick
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, 19716, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA
- Delaware Biotechnology Institute, 15 Innovation Way, Newark, DE, 19711, USA
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47
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Hughes RA, Ellington AD. Synthetic DNA Synthesis and Assembly: Putting the Synthetic in Synthetic Biology. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol 2017; 9:9/1/a023812. [PMID: 28049645 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a023812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 204] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
The chemical synthesis of DNA oligonucleotides and their assembly into synthons, genes, circuits, and even entire genomes by gene synthesis methods has become an enabling technology for modern molecular biology and enables the design, build, test, learn, and repeat cycle underpinning innovations in synthetic biology. In this perspective, we briefly review the techniques and technologies that enable the synthesis of DNA oligonucleotides and their assembly into larger DNA constructs with a focus on recent advancements that have sought to reduce synthesis cost and increase sequence fidelity. The development of lower-cost methods to produce high-quality synthetic DNA will allow for the exploration of larger biological hypotheses by lowering the cost of use and help to close the DNA read-write cost gap.
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Affiliation(s)
- Randall A Hughes
- Applied Research Laboratories, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78758
| | - Andrew D Ellington
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712
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Scholl ZN, Josephs EA, Marszalek PE. Modular, Nondegenerate Polyprotein Scaffolds for Atomic Force Spectroscopy. Biomacromolecules 2016; 17:2502-5. [PMID: 27276010 PMCID: PMC4940236 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.6b00548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Zackary N. Scholl
- Computational Biology and Bioinformatics Program, Edmund
T. Pratt, Jr. School of Engineering, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, United
States
| | - Eric A. Josephs
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials
Science, Edmund T. Pratt, Jr. School of Engineering, Duke University, Durham, North
Carolina, United States
| | - Piotr E. Marszalek
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials
Science, Edmund T. Pratt, Jr. School of Engineering, Duke University, Durham, North
Carolina, United States
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49
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Design of Self-Assembling Protein-Polymer Conjugates. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2016; 940:179-214. [PMID: 27677514 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-39196-0_9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Protein-polymer conjugates are of particular interest for nanobiotechnology applications because of the various and complementary roles that each component may play in composite hybrid-materials. This chapter focuses on the design principles and applications of self-assembling protein-polymer conjugate materials. We address the general design methodology, from both synthetic and genetic perspective, conjugation strategies, protein vs. polymer driven self-assembly and finally, emerging applications for conjugate materials. By marrying proteins and polymers into conjugated bio-hybrid materials, materials scientists, chemists, and biologists alike, have at their fingertips a vast toolkit for material design. These inherently hierarchical structures give rise to useful patterning, mechanical and transport properties that may help realize new, more efficient materials for energy generation, catalysis, nanorobots, etc.
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