1
|
Shi C, Patel VA, Mitchell DA, Zhao H. Enterolyin S, a Polythiazole-containing Hemolytic Peptide from Enterococcus caccae. Chembiochem 2024; 25:e202400212. [PMID: 38648232 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202400212] [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: 04/01/2024] [Revised: 04/19/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
The β-hemolytic factor streptolysin S (SLS) is an important linear azol(in)e-containing peptide (LAP) that contributes significantly to the virulence of Streptococcus pyogenes. Despite its discovery 85 years ago, SLS has evaded structural characterizing owing to its notoriously problematic physicochemical properties. Here, we report the discovery and characterization of a structurally analogous hemolytic peptide from Enterococcus caccae, termed enterolysin S (ELS). Through heterologous expression, site-directed mutagenesis, chemoselective modification, and high-resolution mass spectrometry, we found that ELS contains an intriguing contiguous octathiazole moiety. The discovery of ELS expands our knowledge of hemolytic LAPs by adding a new member to this virulence-promoting family of modified peptides.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chengyou Shi
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Varshal A Patel
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Douglas A Mitchell
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Huimin Zhao
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Richter D, Piel J. Novel types of RiPP-modifying enzymes. Curr Opin Chem Biol 2024; 80:102463. [PMID: 38729090 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2024.102463] [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: 02/28/2024] [Revised: 04/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/14/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
Novel discoveries in natural product biosynthesis reveal hidden bioactive compounds and expand our knowledge in enzymology. Ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs) are a rapidly growing class of natural products featuring diverse non-canonical amino acids introduced by maturation enzymes as a class-defining characteristic. Underexplored RiPP sources, such as the human microbiome, the oceans, uncultured microorganisms, and plants are rich hunting grounds for novel enzymology. Unusual α- and β-amino acids, peptide cleavages, lipidations, diverse macrocyclizations, and other features expand the range of chemical groups that are installed in RiPPs by often promiscuous enzymes. This review highlights the search for novelty in RiPP enzymology in the past two years, with respect to the discovery of new biochemical modifications but also towards novel applications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Richter
- Institute of Microbiology, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule (ETH) Zürich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 4, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Jörn Piel
- Institute of Microbiology, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule (ETH) Zürich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 4, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Nguyen DT, Zhu L, Gray DL, Woods TJ, Padhi C, Flatt KM, Mitchell DA, van der Donk WA. Biosynthesis of Macrocyclic Peptides with C-Terminal β-Amino-α-keto Acid Groups by Three Different Metalloenzymes. ACS CENTRAL SCIENCE 2024; 10:1022-1032. [PMID: 38799663 PMCID: PMC11117315 DOI: 10.1021/acscentsci.4c00088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2024] [Revised: 03/29/2024] [Accepted: 03/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Advances in genome sequencing and bioinformatics methods have identified a myriad of biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) encoding uncharacterized molecules. By mining genomes for BGCs containing a prevalent peptide-binding domain used for the biosynthesis of ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs), we uncovered a new compound class involving modifications installed by a cytochrome P450, a multinuclear iron-dependent non-heme oxidative enzyme (MNIO, formerly DUF692), a cobalamin- and radical S-adenosyl-l-methionine-dependent enzyme (B12-rSAM), and a methyltransferase. All enzymes were functionally expressed in Burkholderia sp. FERM BP-3421. Structural characterization demonstrated that the P450 enzyme catalyzed the formation of a biaryl C-C cross-link between two Tyr residues with the B12-rSAM generating β-methyltyrosine. The MNIO transformed a C-terminal Asp residue into aminopyruvic acid, while the methyltransferase acted on the β-carbon of this α-keto acid. Exciton-coupled circular dichroism spectroscopy and microcrystal electron diffraction (MicroED) were used to elucidate the stereochemical configuration of the atropisomer formed upon biaryl cross-linking. To the best of our knowledge, the MNIO featured in this pathway is the first to modify a residue other than Cys. This study underscores the utility of genome mining to isolate new macrocyclic RiPPs biosynthesized via previously undiscovered enzyme chemistry.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dinh T. Nguyen
- Department
of Chemistry, Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Lingyang Zhu
- School
of Chemical Sciences NMR Laboratory, University
of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Danielle L. Gray
- School
of Chemical Sciences George L. Clark X-Ray Facility and 3M Materials
Laboratory, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Toby J. Woods
- School
of Chemical Sciences George L. Clark X-Ray Facility and 3M Materials
Laboratory, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Chandrashekhar Padhi
- Department
of Chemistry, Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Kristen M. Flatt
- Materials
Research Laboratory, University of Illinois
at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Douglas A. Mitchell
- Department
of Chemistry, Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Wilfred A. van der Donk
- Department
of Chemistry, Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Sengupta S, Pabbaraja S, Mehta G. Natural products from the human microbiome: an emergent frontier in organic synthesis and drug discovery. Org Biomol Chem 2024; 22:4006-4030. [PMID: 38669195 DOI: 10.1039/d4ob00236a] [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: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
Often referred to as the "second genome", the human microbiome is at the epicenter of complex inter-habitat biochemical networks like the "gut-brain axis", which has emerged as a significant determinant of cognition, overall health and well-being, as well as resistance to antibiotics and susceptibility to diseases. As part of a broader understanding of the nexus between the human microbiome, diseases and microbial interactions, whether encoded secondary metabolites (natural products) play crucial signalling roles has been the subject of intense scrutiny in the recent past. A major focus of these activities involves harvesting the genomic potential of the human microbiome via bioinformatics guided genome mining and culturomics. Through these efforts, an impressive number of structurally intriguing antibiotics, with enhanced chemical diversity vis-à-vis conventional antibiotics have been isolated from human commensal bacteria, thereby generating considerable interest in their total synthesis and expanding their therapeutic space for drug discovery. These developments augur well for the discovery of new drugs and antibiotics, particularly in the context of challenges posed by mycobacterial resistance and emerging new diseases. The current landscape of various synthetic campaigns and drug discovery initiatives on antibacterial natural products from the human microbiome is captured in this review with an intent to stimulate further activities in this interdisciplinary arena among the new generation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Saumitra Sengupta
- School of Chemistry, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad-500046, India.
- Department of Organic Synthesis and Process Chemistry, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad-500007, India
| | - Srihari Pabbaraja
- Department of Organic Synthesis and Process Chemistry, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad-500007, India
- Academy of Scientific & Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India
| | - Goverdhan Mehta
- School of Chemistry, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad-500046, India.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Liu WQ, Ji X, Ba F, Zhang Y, Xu H, Huang S, Zheng X, Liu Y, Ling S, Jewett MC, Li J. Cell-free biosynthesis and engineering of ribosomally synthesized lanthipeptides. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4336. [PMID: 38773100 PMCID: PMC11109155 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48726-y] [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: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs) are a major class of natural products with diverse chemical structures and potent biological activities. A vast majority of RiPP gene clusters remain unexplored in microbial genomes, which is partially due to the lack of rapid and efficient heterologous expression systems for RiPP characterization and biosynthesis. Here, we report a unified biocatalysis (UniBioCat) system based on cell-free gene expression for rapid biosynthesis and engineering of RiPPs. We demonstrate UniBioCat by reconstituting a full biosynthetic pathway for de novo biosynthesis of salivaricin B, a lanthipeptide RiPP. Next, we delete several protease/peptidase genes from the source strain to enhance the performance of UniBioCat, which then can synthesize and screen salivaricin B variants with enhanced antimicrobial activity. Finally, we show that UniBioCat is generalizable by synthesizing and evaluating the bioactivity of ten uncharacterized lanthipeptides. We expect UniBioCat to accelerate the discovery, characterization, and synthesis of RiPPs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wan-Qiu Liu
- School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiangyang Ji
- School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Fang Ba
- School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yufei Zhang
- School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Huiling Xu
- School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Shuhui Huang
- School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiao Zheng
- School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yifan Liu
- School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Medical Materials and Devices, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China.
- Shanghai Clinical Research and Trial Center, Shanghai, China.
| | - Shengjie Ling
- School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Medical Materials and Devices, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China.
- Shanghai Clinical Research and Trial Center, Shanghai, China.
| | - Michael C Jewett
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, US.
| | - Jian Li
- School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Medical Materials and Devices, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China.
- Shanghai Clinical Research and Trial Center, Shanghai, China.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Sugrue I, Ross RP, Hill C. Bacteriocin diversity, function, discovery and application as antimicrobials. Nat Rev Microbiol 2024:10.1038/s41579-024-01045-x. [PMID: 38730101 DOI: 10.1038/s41579-024-01045-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
Bacteriocins are potent antimicrobial peptides that are produced by bacteria. Since their discovery almost a century ago, diverse peptides have been discovered and described, and some are currently used as commercial food preservatives. Many bacteriocins exhibit extensively post-translationally modified structures encoded on complex gene clusters, whereas others have simple linear structures. The molecular structures, mechanisms of action and resistance have been determined for a number of bacteriocins, but most remain incompletely characterized. These gene-encoded peptides are amenable to bioengineering strategies and heterologous expression, enabling metagenomic mining and modification of novel antimicrobials. The ongoing global antimicrobial resistance crisis demands that novel therapeutics be developed to combat infectious pathogens. New compounds that are target-specific and compatible with the resident microbiota would be valuable alternatives to current antimicrobials. As bacteriocins can be broad or narrow spectrum in nature, they are promising tools for this purpose. However, few bacteriocins have gone beyond preclinical trials and none is currently used therapeutically in humans. In this Review, we explore the broad diversity in bacteriocin structure and function, describe identification and optimization methods and discuss the reasons behind the lack of translation beyond the laboratory of these potentially valuable antimicrobials.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ivan Sugrue
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
- School of Microbiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - R Paul Ross
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
- School of Microbiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Colin Hill
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
- School of Microbiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Han SW, Won HS. Advancements in the Application of Ribosomally Synthesized and Post-Translationally Modified Peptides (RiPPs). Biomolecules 2024; 14:479. [PMID: 38672495 PMCID: PMC11048544 DOI: 10.3390/biom14040479] [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: 03/19/2024] [Revised: 04/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs) represent a significant potential for novel therapeutic applications because of their bioactive properties, stability, and specificity. RiPPs are synthesized on ribosomes, followed by intricate post-translational modifications (PTMs), crucial for their diverse structures and functions. PTMs, such as cyclization, methylation, and proteolysis, play crucial roles in enhancing RiPP stability and bioactivity. Advances in synthetic biology and bioinformatics have significantly advanced the field, introducing new methods for RiPP production and engineering. These methods encompass strategies for heterologous expression, genetic refactoring, and exploiting the substrate tolerance of tailoring enzymes to create novel RiPP analogs with improved or entirely new functions. Furthermore, the introduction and implementation of cutting-edge screening methods, including mRNA display, surface display, and two-hybrid systems, have expedited the identification of RiPPs with significant pharmaceutical potential. This comprehensive review not only discusses the current advancements in RiPP research but also the promising opportunities that leveraging these bioactive peptides for therapeutic applications presents, illustrating the synergy between traditional biochemistry and contemporary synthetic biology and genetic engineering approaches.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sang-Woo Han
- Department of Biotechnology, Research Institute (RIBHS) and College of Biomedical & Health Science, Konkuk University, Chungju 27478, Chungbuk, Republic of Korea;
| | - Hyung-Sik Won
- Department of Biotechnology, Research Institute (RIBHS) and College of Biomedical & Health Science, Konkuk University, Chungju 27478, Chungbuk, Republic of Korea;
- BK21 Project Team, Department of Applied Life Science, Graduate School, Konkuk University, Chungju 27478, Chungbuk, Republic of Korea
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Pelton JM, Hochuli JE, Sadecki PW, Katoh T, Suga H, Hicks LM, Muratov EN, Tropsha A, Bowers AA. Cheminformatics-Guided Cell-Free Exploration of Peptide Natural Products. J Am Chem Soc 2024; 146:8016-8030. [PMID: 38470819 PMCID: PMC11151186 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c11306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/14/2024]
Abstract
There have been significant advances in the flexibility and power of in vitro cell-free translation systems. The increasing ability to incorporate noncanonical amino acids and complement translation with recombinant enzymes has enabled cell-free production of peptide-based natural products (NPs) and NP-like molecules. We anticipate that many more such compounds and analogs might be accessed in this way. To assess the peptide NP space that is directly accessible to current cell-free technologies, we developed a peptide parsing algorithm that breaks down peptide NPs into building blocks based on ribosomal translation logic. Using the resultant data set, we broadly analyze the biophysical properties of these privileged compounds and perform a retrobiosynthetic analysis to predict which peptide NPs could be directly synthesized in augmented cell-free translation reactions. We then tested these predictions by preparing a library of highly modified peptide NPs. Two macrocyclases, PatG and PCY1, were used to effect the head-to-tail macrocyclization of candidate NPs. This retrobiosynthetic analysis identified a collection of high-priority building blocks that are enriched throughout peptide NPs, yet they had not previously been tested in cell-free translation. To expand the cell-free toolbox into this space, we established, optimized, and characterized the flexizyme-enabled ribosomal incorporation of piperazic acids. Overall, these results demonstrate the feasibility of cell-free translation for peptide NP total synthesis while expanding the limits of the technology. This work provides a novel computational tool for exploration of peptide NP chemical space, that could be expanded in the future to allow design of ribosomal biosynthetic pathways for NPs and NP-like molecules.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jarrett M Pelton
- Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Joshua E Hochuli
- Curriculum in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Patric W Sadecki
- Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Takayuki Katoh
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Suga
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
| | - Leslie M Hicks
- Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Eugene N Muratov
- Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Alexander Tropsha
- Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Albert A Bowers
- Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
- Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Put H, Gerstmans H, Vande Capelle H, Fauvart M, Michiels J, Masschelein J. Bacillus subtilis as a host for natural product discovery and engineering of biosynthetic gene clusters. Nat Prod Rep 2024. [PMID: 38465694 DOI: 10.1039/d3np00065f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
Covering: up to October 2023Many bioactive natural products are synthesized by microorganisms that are either difficult or impossible to cultivate under laboratory conditions, or that produce only small amounts of the desired compound. By transferring biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) into alternative host organisms that are more easily cultured and engineered, larger quantities can be obtained and new analogues with potentially improved biological activity or other desirable properties can be generated. Moreover, expression of cryptic BGCs in a suitable host can facilitate the identification and characterization of novel natural products. Heterologous expression therefore represents a valuable tool for natural product discovery and engineering as it allows the study and manipulation of their biosynthetic pathways in a controlled setting, enabling innovative applications. Bacillus is a genus of Gram-positive bacteria that is widely used in industrial biotechnology as a host for the production of proteins from diverse origins, including enzymes and vaccines. However, despite numerous successful examples, Bacillus species remain underexploited as heterologous hosts for the expression of natural product BGCs. Here, we review important advantages that Bacillus species offer as expression hosts, such as high secretion capacity, natural competence for DNA uptake, and the increasing availability of a wide range of genetic tools for gene expression and strain engineering. We evaluate different strain optimization strategies and other critical factors that have improved the success and efficiency of heterologous natural product biosynthesis in B. subtilis. Finally, future perspectives for using B. subtilis as a heterologous host are discussed, identifying research gaps and promising areas that require further exploration.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hanne Put
- Centre of Microbial and Plant Genetics, KU Leuven, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Microbiology, Flanders Institute for Biotechnology, 3001 Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Hans Gerstmans
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Microbiology, Flanders Institute for Biotechnology, 3001 Leuven, Belgium.
- Laboratory for Biomolecular Discovery & Engineering, KU Leuven, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
- Biosensors Group, KU Leuven, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Hanne Vande Capelle
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Microbiology, Flanders Institute for Biotechnology, 3001 Leuven, Belgium.
- Laboratory for Biomolecular Discovery & Engineering, KU Leuven, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Maarten Fauvart
- Centre of Microbial and Plant Genetics, KU Leuven, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Microbiology, Flanders Institute for Biotechnology, 3001 Leuven, Belgium.
- imec, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jan Michiels
- Centre of Microbial and Plant Genetics, KU Leuven, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Microbiology, Flanders Institute for Biotechnology, 3001 Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Joleen Masschelein
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Microbiology, Flanders Institute for Biotechnology, 3001 Leuven, Belgium.
- Laboratory for Biomolecular Discovery & Engineering, KU Leuven, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Eslami SM, van der Donk WA. Proteases Involved in Leader Peptide Removal during RiPP Biosynthesis. ACS BIO & MED CHEM AU 2024; 4:20-36. [PMID: 38404746 PMCID: PMC10885120 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomedchemau.3c00059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Revised: 11/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
Ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs) have received much attention in recent years because of their promising bioactivities and the portability of their biosynthetic pathways. Heterologous expression studies of RiPP biosynthetic enzymes identified by genome mining often leave a leader peptide on the final product to prevent toxicity to the host and to allow the attachment of a genetically encoded affinity purification tag. Removal of the leader peptide to produce the mature natural product is then carried out in vitro with either a commercial protease or a protease that fulfills this task in the producing organism. This review covers the advances in characterizing these latter cognate proteases from bacterial RiPPs and their utility as sequence-dependent proteases. The strategies employed for leader peptide removal have been shown to be remarkably diverse. They include one-step removal by a single protease, two-step removal by two dedicated proteases, and endoproteinase activity followed by aminopeptidase activity by the same protease. Similarly, the localization of the proteolytic step varies from cytoplasmic cleavage to leader peptide removal during secretion to extracellular leader peptide removal. Finally, substrate recognition ranges from highly sequence specific with respect to the leader and/or modified core peptide to nonsequence specific mechanisms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sara M. Eslami
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Illinois at
Urbana−Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Wilfred A. van der Donk
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Illinois at
Urbana−Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Howard
Hughes Medical Institute, University of
Illinois at Urbana−Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Luo Y, Xu S, Frerk AM, van der Donk WA. Facile Method for Determining Lanthipeptide Stereochemistry. Anal Chem 2024; 96:1767-1773. [PMID: 38232355 PMCID: PMC10831782 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.3c04958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Revised: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
Lanthipeptides make up a large group of natural products that belong to the ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs). Lanthipeptides contain lanthionine and methyllanthionine bis-amino acids that have varying stereochemistry. The stereochemistry of new lanthipeptides is often not determined because current methods require equipment that is not standard in most laboratories. In this study, we developed a facile, efficient, and user-friendly method for detecting lanthipeptide stereochemistry, utilizing advanced Marfey's analysis with detection by liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Under optimized conditions, 0.05 mg of peptide is sufficient to characterize the stereochemistry of five (methyl)lanthionines of different stereochemistry using a simple liquid chromatography setup, which is a much lower detection limit than current methods. In addition, we describe methods to readily access standards of the three different methyllanthionine stereoisomers and two different lanthionine stereoisomers that have been reported in known lanthipeptides. The developed workflow uses a commonly used nonchiral column system and offers a scalable platform to assist antimicrobial discovery. We illustrate its utility with an example of a lanthipeptide discovered by genome mining.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Youran Luo
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Illinois at
Urbana–Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Shuyun Xu
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Illinois at
Urbana–Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Autumn M. Frerk
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Illinois at
Urbana–Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Carl
R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Wilfred A. van der Donk
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Illinois at
Urbana–Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Carl
R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Howard
Hughes Medical Institute, University of
Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Nguyen DT, Zhu L, Gray DL, Woods TJ, Padhi C, Flatt KM, Mitchell DA, van der Donk WA. Biosynthesis of macrocyclic peptides with C-terminal β-amino-α-keto acid groups by three different metalloenzymes. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.10.30.564719. [PMID: 37965205 PMCID: PMC10635010 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.30.564719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2023]
Abstract
Advances in genome sequencing and bioinformatics methods have identified a myriad of biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) encoding uncharacterized molecules. By mining genomes for BGCs containing a prevalent peptide-binding domain used for the biosynthesis of ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs), we uncovered a new class involving modifications installed by a cytochrome P450, a multi-nuclear iron-dependent non-heme oxidative enzyme (MNIO, formerly DUF692), a cobalamin- and radical S-adenosyl-L-methionine-dependent enzyme (B12-rSAM), and a methyltransferase. All enzymes encoded by the BGC were functionally expressed in Burkholderia sp. FERM BP-3421. Structural characterization with 2D-NMR and Marfey's method on the resulting RiPP demonstrated that the P450 enzyme catalyzed the formation of a biaryl C-C crosslink between two Tyr residues with the B12-rSAM generating β-methyltyrosine. The MNIO transformed a C-terminal Asp residue into aminopyruvic acid while the methyltransferase acted on the β-carbon of the α-keto acid. Exciton-coupled circular dichroism spectroscopy and microcrystal electron diffraction (MicroED) were used to elucidate the stereochemical configurations of the atropisomer that formed upon biaryl crosslinking. The conserved Cys residue in the precursor peptide was not modified as in all other characterized MNIO-containing BGCs; However, mutational analyses demonstrated that it was essential for the MNIO activity on the C-terminal Asp. To the best of our knowledge, the MNIO featured in this pathway is the first to modify a residue other than Cys. This study underscores the utility of genome mining to discover new macrocyclic RiPPs and that RiPPs remain a significant source of previously undiscovered enzyme chemistry.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dinh T. Nguyen
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, 61801, USA
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, 61801, USA
| | - Lingyang Zhu
- School of Chemical Sciences NMR Laboratory, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, 61801, IL, USA
| | - Danielle L. Gray
- School of Chemical Sciences George L. Clark X-Ray Facility and 3M Materials Laboratory, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, 61801, IL, USA
| | - Toby J. Woods
- School of Chemical Sciences George L. Clark X-Ray Facility and 3M Materials Laboratory, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, 61801, IL, USA
| | - Chandrashekhar Padhi
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, 61801, USA
| | - Kristen M. Flatt
- Materials Research Laboratory, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, 61801, IL, USA
| | - Douglas A. Mitchell
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, 61801, USA
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, 61801, USA
| | - Wilfred A. van der Donk
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, 61801, USA
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, 61801, USA
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Tay DWP, Tan LL, Heng E, Zulkarnain N, Ching KC, Wibowo M, Chin EJ, Tan ZYQ, Leong CY, Ng VWP, Yang LK, Seow DCS, Lim YW, Koh W, Koduru L, Kanagasundaram Y, Ng SB, Lim YH, Wong FT. Exploring a general multi-pronged activation strategy for natural product discovery in Actinomycetes. Commun Biol 2024; 7:50. [PMID: 38184720 PMCID: PMC10771470 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05648-7] [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: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Natural products possess significant therapeutic potential but remain underutilized despite advances in genomics and bioinformatics. While there are approaches to activate and upregulate natural product biosynthesis in both native and heterologous microbial strains, a comprehensive strategy to elicit production of natural products as well as a generalizable and efficient method to interrogate diverse native strains collection, remains lacking. Here, we explore a flexible and robust integrase-mediated multi-pronged activation approach to reliably perturb and globally trigger antibiotics production in actinobacteria. Across 54 actinobacterial strains, our approach yielded 124 distinct activator-strain combinations which consistently outperform wild type. Our approach expands accessible metabolite space by nearly two-fold and increases selected metabolite yields by up to >200-fold, enabling discovery of Gram-negative bioactivity in tetramic acid analogs. We envision these findings as a gateway towards a more streamlined, accelerated, and scalable strategy to unlock the full potential of Nature's chemical repertoire.
Collapse
Grants
- NRF-CRP19-2017-05-00 National Research Foundation Singapore (National Research Foundation-Prime Minister's office, Republic of Singapore)
- NRF-CRP19-2017-05-00 National Research Foundation Singapore (National Research Foundation-Prime Minister's office, Republic of Singapore)
- NRF-CRP19-2017-05-00 National Research Foundation Singapore (National Research Foundation-Prime Minister's office, Republic of Singapore)
- NRF-CRP19-2017-05-00 National Research Foundation Singapore (National Research Foundation-Prime Minister's office, Republic of Singapore)
- NRF-CRP19-2017-05-00 National Research Foundation Singapore (National Research Foundation-Prime Minister's office, Republic of Singapore)
- NRF-CRP19-2017-05-00 National Research Foundation Singapore (National Research Foundation-Prime Minister's office, Republic of Singapore)
- NRF-CRP19-2017-05-00 National Research Foundation Singapore (National Research Foundation-Prime Minister's office, Republic of Singapore)
- NRF-CRP19-2017-05-00 National Research Foundation Singapore (National Research Foundation-Prime Minister's office, Republic of Singapore)
- C211917006 Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)
- C233017006 Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)
- C211917003 Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)
- C211917006 Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)
- C233017006 Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)
- C211917006 Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)
- National Research Foundation Singapore (National Research Foundation-Prime Minister’s office, Republic of Singapore)
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dillon W P Tay
- Institute of Sustainability for Chemicals, Energy and Environment (ISCE2), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 8 Biomedical Grove, #07-01 Neuros Building, Singapore, 138665, Republic of Singapore
| | - Lee Ling Tan
- Molecular Engineering Lab, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 61 Biopolis Drive, #07-06, Proteos, Singapore, 138673, Republic of Singapore
| | - Elena Heng
- Molecular Engineering Lab, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 61 Biopolis Drive, #07-06, Proteos, Singapore, 138673, Republic of Singapore
| | - Nadiah Zulkarnain
- Molecular Engineering Lab, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 61 Biopolis Drive, #07-06, Proteos, Singapore, 138673, Republic of Singapore
| | - Kuan Chieh Ching
- Singapore Institute of Food and Biotechnology Innovation (SIFBI), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 31 Biopolis Way, #01-02, Nanos, Singapore, 138669, Republic of Singapore
| | - Mario Wibowo
- Singapore Institute of Food and Biotechnology Innovation (SIFBI), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 31 Biopolis Way, #01-02, Nanos, Singapore, 138669, Republic of Singapore
| | - Elaine Jinfeng Chin
- Singapore Institute of Food and Biotechnology Innovation (SIFBI), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 31 Biopolis Way, #01-02, Nanos, Singapore, 138669, Republic of Singapore
| | - Zann Yi Qi Tan
- Singapore Institute of Food and Biotechnology Innovation (SIFBI), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 31 Biopolis Way, #01-02, Nanos, Singapore, 138669, Republic of Singapore
| | - Chung Yan Leong
- Singapore Institute of Food and Biotechnology Innovation (SIFBI), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 31 Biopolis Way, #01-02, Nanos, Singapore, 138669, Republic of Singapore
| | - Veronica Wee Pin Ng
- Singapore Institute of Food and Biotechnology Innovation (SIFBI), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 31 Biopolis Way, #01-02, Nanos, Singapore, 138669, Republic of Singapore
| | - Lay Kien Yang
- Singapore Institute of Food and Biotechnology Innovation (SIFBI), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 31 Biopolis Way, #01-02, Nanos, Singapore, 138669, Republic of Singapore
| | - Deborah C S Seow
- Singapore Institute of Food and Biotechnology Innovation (SIFBI), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 31 Biopolis Way, #01-02, Nanos, Singapore, 138669, Republic of Singapore
| | - Yi Wee Lim
- Institute of Sustainability for Chemicals, Energy and Environment (ISCE2), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 8 Biomedical Grove, #07-01 Neuros Building, Singapore, 138665, Republic of Singapore
| | - Winston Koh
- Bioinformatics Institute (BII), Agency of Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 30 Biopolis Street, #07-01, Matrix, Singapore, 138671, Republic of Singapore
| | - Lokanand Koduru
- Molecular Engineering Lab, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 61 Biopolis Drive, #07-06, Proteos, Singapore, 138673, Republic of Singapore
| | - Yoganathan Kanagasundaram
- Singapore Institute of Food and Biotechnology Innovation (SIFBI), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 31 Biopolis Way, #01-02, Nanos, Singapore, 138669, Republic of Singapore
| | - Siew Bee Ng
- Singapore Institute of Food and Biotechnology Innovation (SIFBI), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 31 Biopolis Way, #01-02, Nanos, Singapore, 138669, Republic of Singapore
| | - Yee Hwee Lim
- Institute of Sustainability for Chemicals, Energy and Environment (ISCE2), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 8 Biomedical Grove, #07-01 Neuros Building, Singapore, 138665, Republic of Singapore.
- Synthetic Biology Translational Research Program, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 10 Medical Drive, Singapore, 117597, Republic of Singapore.
| | - Fong Tian Wong
- Institute of Sustainability for Chemicals, Energy and Environment (ISCE2), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 8 Biomedical Grove, #07-01 Neuros Building, Singapore, 138665, Republic of Singapore.
- Molecular Engineering Lab, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 61 Biopolis Drive, #07-06, Proteos, Singapore, 138673, Republic of Singapore.
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Boob AG, Chen J, Zhao H. Enabling pathway design by multiplex experimentation and machine learning. Metab Eng 2024; 81:70-87. [PMID: 38040110 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymben.2023.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2023] [Revised: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/25/2023] [Indexed: 12/03/2023]
Abstract
The remarkable metabolic diversity observed in nature has provided a foundation for sustainable production of a wide array of valuable molecules. However, transferring the biosynthetic pathway to the desired host often runs into inherent failures that arise from intermediate accumulation and reduced flux resulting from competing pathways within the host cell. Moreover, the conventional trial and error methods utilized in pathway optimization struggle to fully grasp the intricacies of installed pathways, leading to time-consuming and labor-intensive experiments, ultimately resulting in suboptimal yields. Considering these obstacles, there is a pressing need to explore the enzyme expression landscape and identify the optimal pathway configuration for enhanced production of molecules. This review delves into recent advancements in pathway engineering, with a focus on multiplex experimentation and machine learning techniques. These approaches play a pivotal role in overcoming the limitations of traditional methods, enabling exploration of a broader design space and increasing the likelihood of discovering optimal pathway configurations for enhanced production of molecules. We discuss several tools and strategies for pathway design, construction, and optimization for sustainable and cost-effective microbial production of molecules ranging from bulk to fine chemicals. We also highlight major successes in academia and industry through compelling case studies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aashutosh Girish Boob
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, United States; Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, United States; DOE Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Junyu Chen
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, United States; Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, United States; DOE Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Huimin Zhao
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, United States; Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, United States; Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, United States; DOE Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Lee H, Park SH, Kim J, Lee J, Koh MS, Lee JH, Kim S. Evolutionary Spread of Distinct O-methyltransferases Guides the Discovery of Unique Isoaspartate-Containing Peptides, Pamtides. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024; 11:e2305946. [PMID: 37987032 PMCID: PMC10787088 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202305946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Revised: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
Ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs) are a structurally diverse class of natural products with a distinct biosynthetic logic, the enzymatic modification of genetically encoded precursor peptides. Although their structural and biosynthetic diversity remains largely underexplored, the identification of novel subclasses with unique structural motifs and biosynthetic pathways is challenging. Here, it is reported that peptide/protein L-aspartyl O-methyltransferases (PAMTs) present in several RiPP subclasses are highly homologous. Importantly, it is discovered that the apparent evolutionary transmission of the PAMT gene to unrelated RiPP subclasses can serve as a basis to identify a novel RiPP subclass. Biochemical and structural analyses suggest that homologous PAMTs convert aspartate to isoaspartate via aspartyl-O-methyl ester and aspartimide intermediates, and often require cyclic or hairpin-like structures for modification. By conducting homology-based bioinformatic analysis of PAMTs, over 2,800 biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) are identified for known RiPP subclasses in which PAMTs install a secondary modification, and over 1,500 BGCs where PAMTs function as a primary modification enzyme, thereby defining a new RiPP subclass, named pamtides. The results suggest that the genome mining of proteins with secondary biosynthetic roles can be an effective strategy for discovering novel biosynthetic pathways of RiPPs through the principle of "guilt by association".
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hyunbin Lee
- Department of Chemistry, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Sho Hee Park
- Department of Chemistry, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Jiyoon Kim
- Department of Chemistry, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Jaehak Lee
- Department of Chemistry, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Min Sun Koh
- Department of Chemistry, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Jung Ho Lee
- Department of Chemistry, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Seokhee Kim
- Department of Chemistry, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Ramírez-Rendón D, Guzmán-Chávez F, García-Ausencio C, Rodríguez-Sanoja R, Sánchez S. The untapped potential of actinobacterial lanthipeptides as therapeutic agents. Mol Biol Rep 2023; 50:10605-10616. [PMID: 37934370 PMCID: PMC10676316 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-023-08880-w] [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: 08/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/08/2023]
Abstract
The increase in bacterial resistance generated by the indiscriminate use of antibiotics in medical practice set new challenges for discovering bioactive natural products as alternatives for therapeutics. Lanthipeptides are an attractive natural product group that has been only partially explored and shows engaging biological activities. These molecules are small peptides with potential application as therapeutic agents. Some members show antibiotic activity against problematic drug-resistant pathogens and against a wide variety of viruses. Nevertheless, their biological activities are not restricted to antimicrobials, as their contribution to the treatment of cystic fibrosis, cancer, pain symptoms, control of inflammation, and blood pressure has been demonstrated. The study of biosynthetic gene clusters through genome mining has contributed to accelerating the discovery, enlargement, and diversification of this group of natural products. In this review, we provide insight into the recent advances in the development and research of actinobacterial lanthipeptides that hold great potential as therapeutics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dulce Ramírez-Rendón
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, CDMX, 04510, Mexico City, México
| | - Fernando Guzmán-Chávez
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, CDMX, 04510, Mexico City, México
| | - Carlos García-Ausencio
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, CDMX, 04510, Mexico City, México
| | - Romina Rodríguez-Sanoja
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, CDMX, 04510, Mexico City, México
| | - Sergio Sánchez
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, CDMX, 04510, Mexico City, México.
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
King AM, Zhang Z, Glassey E, Siuti P, Clardy J, Voigt CA. Systematic mining of the human microbiome identifies antimicrobial peptides with diverse activity spectra. Nat Microbiol 2023; 8:2420-2434. [PMID: 37973865 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-023-01524-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
Human-associated bacteria secrete modified peptides to control host physiology and remodel the microbiota species composition. Here we scanned 2,229 Human Microbiome Project genomes of species colonizing skin, gastrointestinal tract, urogenital tract, mouth and trachea for gene clusters encoding RiPPs (ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides). We found 218 lanthipeptides and 25 lasso peptides, 70 of which were synthesized and expressed in E. coli and 23 could be purified and functionally characterized. They were tested for activity against bacteria associated with healthy human flora and pathogens. New antibiotics were identified against strains implicated in skin, nasal and vaginal dysbiosis as well as from oral strains selectively targeting those in the gut. Extended- and narrow-spectrum antibiotics were found against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and vancomycin-resistant Enterococci. Mining natural products produced by human-associated microbes will enable the elucidation of ecological relationships and may be a rich resource for antimicrobial discovery.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrew M King
- Synthetic Biology Center, Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Zhengan Zhang
- Synthetic Biology Center, Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Emerson Glassey
- Synthetic Biology Center, Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Piro Siuti
- Synthetic Biology Group, Global Discovery Chemistry, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Jon Clardy
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Christopher A Voigt
- Synthetic Biology Center, Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Lang H, Liu Y, Duan H, Zhang W, Hu X, Zheng H. Identification of peptides from honeybee gut symbionts as potential antimicrobial agents against Melissococcus plutonius. Nat Commun 2023; 14:7650. [PMID: 38001079 PMCID: PMC10673953 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43352-6] [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: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Eusocial pollinators are crucial elements in global agriculture. The honeybees and bumblebees are associated with a simple yet host-restricted gut community, which protect the hosts against pathogen infections. Recent genome mining has led to the discovery of biosynthesis pathways of bioactive natural products mediating microbe-microbe interactions from the gut microbiota. Here, we investigate the diversity of biosynthetic gene clusters in the bee gut microbiota by analyzing 477 genomes from cultivated bacteria and metagenome-assembled genomes. We identify 744 biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) covering multiple chemical classes. While gene clusters for the post-translationally modified peptides are widely distributed in the bee guts, the distribution of the BGC classes varies significantly in different bee species among geographic locations, which is attributed to the strain-level variation of bee gut members in the chemical repertoire. Interestingly, we find that Gilliamella strains possessing a thiopeptide-like BGC show potent activity against the pathogenic Melissococcus plutonius. The spectrometry-guided genome mining reveals a RiPP-encoding BGC from Gilliamella with a 10 amino acid-long core peptide exhibiting antibacterial potentials. This study illustrates the widespread small-molecule-encoding BGCs in the bee gut symbionts and provides insights into the bacteria-derived natural products as potential antimicrobial agents against pathogenic infections.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Haoyu Lang
- College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, 100083, Beijing, China
| | - Yuwen Liu
- College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, 100083, Beijing, China
| | - Huijuan Duan
- College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, 100083, Beijing, China
| | - Wenhao Zhang
- College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, 100083, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaosong Hu
- College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, 100083, Beijing, China
| | - Hao Zheng
- College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, 100083, Beijing, China.
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Choi B, Acuna A, Koos JD, Link AJ. Large-scale Bioinformatic Study of Graspimiditides and Structural Characterization of Albusimiditide. ACS Chem Biol 2023; 18:2394-2404. [PMID: 37856788 PMCID: PMC10993234 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.3c00365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
Graspetides are a class of ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs) that exhibit an impressive diversity in patterns of side chain-to-side chain ω-ester or ω-amide linkages. Recent studies have uncovered a significant portion of graspetides to contain an additional post-translational modification involving aspartimidylation catalyzed by an O-methyltransferase, predominantly found in the genomes of actinomycetota. Here, we present a comprehensive bioinformatic analysis focused on graspetides harboring aspartimide, for which we propose the name graspimiditides. From protein BLAST results of 5000 methyltransferase sequences, we identified 962 unique putative graspimiditides, which we further classified into eight main clusters based on sequence similarity along with several smaller clusters and singletons. The previously studied graspimiditides, fuscimiditide, and amycolimiditide, are identified in this analysis; fuscimiditide is a singleton, while amycolimiditide is in the fifth largest cluster. Cluster 1, by far the largest cluster, contains 641 members, encoded almost exclusively in the Streptomyces genus. To characterize an example of a graspimiditide in Cluster 1, we conducted experimental studies on the peptide from Streptomyces albus J1074, which we named albusimiditide. By tandem mass spectrometry, hydrazinolysis, and amino acid substitution experiments, we elucidated the structure of albusimiditide to be a large tetracyclic peptide with four ω-ester linkages generating a stem-loop structure with one aspartimide. The ester cross-links form 22-, 46-, 22-, and 44-atom macrocycles, the last of which, the loop, contains the enzymatically installed aspartimide. Further in vitro experiments revealed that the aspartimide hydrolyzes in a 3:1 ratio of isoaspartate to aspartate residues. Overall, this study offers comprehensive insight into the diversity and structural features of graspimiditides, paving the way for future investigations of this unique class of natural products.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Brian Choi
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, United States
| | - Arthur Acuna
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, United States
| | - Joseph D. Koos
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, United States
| | - A. James Link
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, United States
- Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, United States
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, United States
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Stephenson A, Lastra L, Nguyen B, Chen YJ, Nivala J, Ceze L, Strauss K. Physical Laboratory Automation in Synthetic Biology. ACS Synth Biol 2023; 12:3156-3169. [PMID: 37935025 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.3c00345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2023]
Abstract
Synthetic Biology has overcome many of the early challenges facing the field and is entering a systems era characterized by adoption of Design-Build-Test-Learn (DBTL) approaches. The need for automation and standardization to enable reproducible, scalable, and translatable research has become increasingly accepted in recent years, and many of the hardware and software tools needed to address these challenges are now in place or under development. However, the lack of connectivity between DBTL modules and barriers to access and adoption remain significant challenges to realizing the full potential of lab automation. In this review, we characterize and classify the state of automation in synthetic biology with a focus on the physical automation of experimental workflows. Though fully autonomous scientific discovery is likely a long way off, impressive progress has been made toward automating critical elements of experimentation by combining intelligent hardware and software tools. It is worth questioning whether total automation that removes humans entirely from the loop should be the ultimate goal, and considerations for appropriate automation versus total automation are discussed in this light while emphasizing areas where further development is needed in both contexts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ashley Stephenson
- Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
- Microsoft Research, Redmond, Washington 98052, United States
| | - Lauren Lastra
- Microsoft Research, Redmond, Washington 98052, United States
| | - Bichlien Nguyen
- Microsoft Research, Redmond, Washington 98052, United States
| | - Yuan-Jyue Chen
- Microsoft Research, Redmond, Washington 98052, United States
| | - Jeff Nivala
- Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| | - Luis Ceze
- Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| | - Karin Strauss
- Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
- Microsoft Research, Redmond, Washington 98052, United States
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
He BB, Liu J, Cheng Z, Liu R, Zhong Z, Gao Y, Liu H, Song ZM, Tian Y, Li YX. Bacterial Cytochrome P450 Catalyzed Post-translational Macrocyclization of Ribosomal Peptides. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2023; 62:e202311533. [PMID: 37767859 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202311533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Revised: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023]
Abstract
Ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs) are a fascinating group of natural products that exhibit diverse structural features and bioactivities. P450-catalyzed RiPPs stand out as a unique but underexplored family. Herein, we introduce a rule-based genome mining strategy that harnesses the intrinsic biosynthetic principles of RiPPs, including the co-occurrence and co-conservation of precursors and P450s and interactions between them, successfully facilitating the identification of diverse P450-catalyzed RiPPs. Intensive BGC characterization revealed four new P450s, KstB, ScnB, MciB, and SgrB, that can catalyze the formation of Trp-Trp-Tyr (one C-C and two C-N bonds), Tyr-Trp (C-C bond), Trp-Trp (C-N bond), and His-His (ether bond) crosslinks, respectively, within three or four residues. KstB, ScnB, and MciB could accept non-native precursors, suggesting they could be promising starting templates for bioengineering to construct macrocycles. Our study highlights the potential of P450s to expand the chemical diversity of strained macrocyclic peptides and the range of biocatalytic tools available for peptide macrocyclization.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bei-Bei He
- Department of Chemistry and The Swire Institute of Marine Science, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, China
| | - Jing Liu
- Department of Chemistry and The Swire Institute of Marine Science, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, China
| | - Zhuo Cheng
- Department of Chemistry and The Swire Institute of Marine Science, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, China
| | - Runze Liu
- Department of Chemistry and The Swire Institute of Marine Science, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, China
| | - Zheng Zhong
- Department of Chemistry and The Swire Institute of Marine Science, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, China
| | - Ying Gao
- Department of Chemistry and The Swire Institute of Marine Science, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, China
| | - Hongyan Liu
- Department of Chemistry and The Swire Institute of Marine Science, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, China
| | - Zhi-Man Song
- Department of Chemistry and The Swire Institute of Marine Science, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, China
| | - Yongqi Tian
- Department of Chemistry and The Swire Institute of Marine Science, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, China
| | - Yong-Xin Li
- Department of Chemistry and The Swire Institute of Marine Science, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, China
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Yuan Y, Huang C, Singh N, Xun G, Zhao H. Automated, self-resistance gene-guided, and high-throughput genome mining of bioactive natural products from Streptomyces. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.10.26.564101. [PMID: 37961497 PMCID: PMC10634842 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.26.564101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Natural products (NPs) produced by bacteria, fungi and plants are a major source of drug leads. Streptomyces species are particularly important in this regard as they produce numerous natural products with prominent bioactivities. Here we report a fully a utomated, s calable and high-throughput platform for discovery of bioactive n atural p roducts in S treptomyces (FAST-NPS). This platform comprises computational prediction and prioritization of target biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) guided by self-resistance genes, highly efficient and automated direct cloning and heterologous expression of BGCs, followed by high-throughput fermentation and product extraction from Streptomyces strains. As a proof of concept, we applied this platform to clone 105 BGCs ranging from 10 to 100 kb that contain potential self-resistance genes from 11 Streptomyces strains with a success rate of 95%. Heterologous expression of all successfully cloned BGCs in Streptomyces lividans TK24 led to the discovery of 23 natural products from 12 BGCs. We selected 5 of these 12 BGCs for further characterization and found each of them could produce at least one natural product with antibacterial and/or anti-tumor activity, which resulted in a total of 8 bioactive natural products. Overall, this work would greatly accelerate the discovery of bioactive natural products for biomedical and biotechnological applications. Graphic Abstracts
Collapse
|
23
|
Eslami SM, Rahman IR, van der Donk WA. Expression of Lanthipeptides in Human Cells. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.10.19.563208. [PMID: 37961259 PMCID: PMC10634679 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.19.563208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Cyclic peptides represent a burgeoning area of interest in therapeutic and biotechnological research. In opposition to their linear counterparts, cyclic peptides, such as certain ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs), are more conformationally constrained and less susceptible to proteolytic degradation. The lanthipeptide RiPP cytolysin L forms a covalently enforced helical structure that may be used to disrupt helical interactions at protein-protein interfaces. Herein, an expression system is reported to produce lanthipeptides and structurally diverse cytolysin L derivatives in mammalian cells. Successful targeting of lanthipeptides to the nucleus is demonstrated. In vivo expression and targeting of such peptides in mammalian cells may allow for screening of lanthipeptide inhibitors of native protein-protein interactions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sara M. Eslami
- Department of Chemistry and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
| | - Imran R. Rahman
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
| | - Wilfred A. van der Donk
- Department of Chemistry and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Chen L, Kumar S, Wu H. A review of current antibiotic resistance and promising antibiotics with novel modes of action to combat antibiotic resistance. Arch Microbiol 2023; 205:356. [PMID: 37863957 DOI: 10.1007/s00203-023-03699-2] [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: 08/25/2023] [Revised: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 10/22/2023]
Abstract
The emergence and transmission of antibiotic resistance is a global public health crisis with significant burden on healthcare systems, resulting in high mortality and economic costs. In 2019, almost five million deaths were associated with drug-resistant infections, and if left unchecked, the global economy could lose $100 trillion by 2050. To effectively combat this crisis, it is essential for all countries to understand the current situation of antibiotic resistance. In this review, we examine the current driving factors leading to the crisis, impact of critical superbugs in three regions, and identify novel mechanisms of antibiotic resistance. It is crucial to monitor the phenotypic characteristics of drug-resistant pathogens and describe the mechanisms involved in preventing the emergence of cross-resistance to novel antimicrobials. Additionally, maintaining an active pipeline of new antibiotics is essential for fighting against diverse antibiotic-resistant pathogens. Developing antibacterial agents with novel mechanisms of action is a promising way to combat increasing antibiotic-resistant pathogens.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lei Chen
- Jiangsu Vocational College of Medicine, Yancheng, China
- School of Graduate Studies, Management and Science University, Shah Alam, Malaysia
| | - Suresh Kumar
- Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Management and Science University, Shah Alam, Malaysia.
| | - Hongyan Wu
- Jiangsu Vocational College of Medicine, Yancheng, China
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Yuan Y, Shi C, Zhao H. Machine Learning-Enabled Genome Mining and Bioactivity Prediction of Natural Products. ACS Synth Biol 2023; 12:2650-2662. [PMID: 37607352 PMCID: PMC10615616 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.3c00234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/24/2023]
Abstract
Natural products (NPs) produced by microorganisms and plants are a major source of drugs, herbicides, and fungicides. Thanks to recent advances in DNA sequencing, bioinformatics, and genome mining tools, a vast amount of data on NP biosynthesis has been generated over the years, which has been increasingly exploited to develop machine learning (ML) tools for NP discovery. In this review, we discuss the latest advances in developing and applying ML tools for exploring the potential NPs that can be encoded by genomic language and predicting the types of bioactivities of NPs. We also examine the technical challenges associated with the development and application of ML tools for NP research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yujie Yuan
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Chengyou Shi
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Huimin Zhao
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
- Departments of Chemistry, Biochemistry, and Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Yu T, Boob AG, Singh N, Su Y, Zhao H. In vitro continuous protein evolution empowered by machine learning and automation. Cell Syst 2023; 14:633-644. [PMID: 37224814 DOI: 10.1016/j.cels.2023.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2022] [Revised: 11/19/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Directed evolution has become one of the most successful and powerful tools for protein engineering. However, the efforts required for designing, constructing, and screening a large library of variants can be laborious, time-consuming, and costly. With the recent advent of machine learning (ML) in the directed evolution of proteins, researchers can now evaluate variants in silico and guide a more efficient directed evolution campaign. Furthermore, recent advancements in laboratory automation have enabled the rapid execution of long, complex experiments for high-throughput data acquisition in both industrial and academic settings, thus providing the means to collect a large quantity of data required to develop ML models for protein engineering. In this perspective, we propose a closed-loop in vitro continuous protein evolution framework that leverages the best of both worlds, ML and automation, and provide a brief overview of the recent developments in the field.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tianhao Yu
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA; Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, Urbana, IL, USA; NSF Molecule Maker Lab Institute, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Aashutosh Girish Boob
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA; Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, Urbana, IL, USA; DOE Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Nilmani Singh
- DOE Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Yufeng Su
- NSF Molecule Maker Lab Institute, Urbana, IL, USA; Department of Computer Science, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Huimin Zhao
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA; Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, Urbana, IL, USA; NSF Molecule Maker Lab Institute, Urbana, IL, USA; DOE Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Zdouc MM, van der Hooft JJJ, Medema MH. Metabolome-guided genome mining of RiPP natural products. Trends Pharmacol Sci 2023; 44:532-541. [PMID: 37391295 DOI: 10.1016/j.tips.2023.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Revised: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/02/2023]
Abstract
Ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs) are a chemically diverse class of metabolites. Many RiPPs show potent biological activities that make them attractive starting points for drug development. A promising approach for the discovery of new classes of RiPPs is genome mining. However, the accuracy of genome mining is hampered by the lack of signature genes shared across different RiPP classes. One way to reduce false-positive predictions is by complementing genomic information with metabolomics data. In recent years, several new approaches addressing such integrative genomics and metabolomics analyses have been developed. In this review, we provide a detailed discussion of RiPP-compatible software tools that integrate paired genomics and metabolomics data. We highlight current challenges in data integration and identify opportunities for further developments targeting new classes of bioactive RiPPs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mitja M Zdouc
- Bioinformatics Group, Wageningen University & Research, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, 6708 PB, Wageningen, the Netherlands.
| | - Justin J J van der Hooft
- Bioinformatics Group, Wageningen University & Research, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, 6708 PB, Wageningen, the Netherlands; Department of Biochemistry, University of Johannesburg, Auckland Park, Johannesburg 2006, South Africa.
| | - Marnix H Medema
- Bioinformatics Group, Wageningen University & Research, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, 6708 PB, Wageningen, the Netherlands.
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Ba F, Ji X, Huang S, Zhang Y, Liu WQ, Liu Y, Ling S, Li J. Engineering Escherichia coli to Utilize Erythritol as Sole Carbon Source. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2023; 10:e2207008. [PMID: 36938858 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202207008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Revised: 02/16/2023] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Erythritol, one of the natural sugar alcohols, is widely used as a sugar substitute sweetener in food industries. Humans themselves are not able to catabolize erythritol and their gut microbes lack related catabolic pathways either to metabolize erythritol. Here, Escherichia coli (E. coli) is engineered to utilize erythritol as sole carbon source aiming for defined applications. First, the erythritol metabolic gene cluster is isolated and the erythritol-binding transcriptional repressor and its DNA-binding site are experimentally characterized. Transcriptome analysis suggests that carbohydrate metabolism-related genes in the engineered E. coli are overall upregulated. In particular, the enzymes of transaldolase (talA and talB) and transketolase (tktA and tktB) are notably overexpressed (e.g., the expression of tktB is improved by nearly sixfold). By overexpression of the four genes, cell growth can be increased as high as three times compared to the cell cultivation without overexpression. Finally, engineered E. coli strains can be used as a living detector to distinguish erythritol-containing soda soft drinks and can grow in the simulated intestinal fluid supplemented with erythritol. This work is expected to inspire the engineering of more hosts to respond and utilize erythritol for broad applications in metabolic engineering, synthetic biology, and biomedical engineering.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fang Ba
- School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, P. R. China
| | - Xiangyang Ji
- School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, P. R. China
| | - Shuhui Huang
- School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, P. R. China
| | - Yufei Zhang
- School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, P. R. China
| | - Wan-Qiu Liu
- School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, P. R. China
| | - Yifan Liu
- School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, P. R. China
| | - Shengjie Ling
- School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, P. R. China
| | - Jian Li
- School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, P. R. China
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Mazo N, Rahman IR, Navo CD, Peregrina JM, Busto JH, van der Donk WA, Jiménez-Osés G. Synthesis of Fluorescent Lanthipeptide Cytolysin S Analogues by Late-Stage Sulfamidate Ring Opening. Org Lett 2023; 25:1431-1435. [PMID: 36849130 PMCID: PMC10012263 DOI: 10.1021/acs.orglett.3c00122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 03/01/2023]
Abstract
Nucleophilic ring opening of cyclic sulfamidates derived from amino acids is a common strategy for the synthesis of lanthionine derivatives. In this work, we report the regio-, chemo-, and stereoselective intramolecular S-alkylation of a cysteine residue with N-sulfonyl sulfamidates for the synthesis of cyclic lanthionine-containing peptides. The strategy involves the solid-phase synthesis of sulfamidate-containing peptides followed by late-stage intramolecular cyclization. This protocol allowed for the synthesis of four full-length cytolysin S (CylLS″) analogues, two α-peptides and two hybrid α/β-peptides. Their conformational preferences and biological activities were assessed and compared with those of wild-type CylLS″.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nuria Mazo
- Departamento
de Química, Centro de Investigación en Síntesis
Química, Universidad de La Rioja, 26006 Logroño, La Rioja, Spain
| | - Imran R. Rahman
- Department
of Biochemistry, University of Illinois
at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Claudio D. Navo
- Center
for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Bizkaia Technology Park, Building
800, 48160 Derio, Spain
| | - Jesús M. Peregrina
- Departamento
de Química, Centro de Investigación en Síntesis
Química, Universidad de La Rioja, 26006 Logroño, La Rioja, Spain
| | - Jesús H. Busto
- Departamento
de Química, Centro de Investigación en Síntesis
Química, Universidad de La Rioja, 26006 Logroño, La Rioja, Spain
| | - Wilfred A. van der Donk
- Department
of Chemistry and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Gonzalo Jiménez-Osés
- Center
for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Bizkaia Technology Park, Building
800, 48160 Derio, Spain
- Ikerbaske, Basque Foundation for Science, 48013 Bilbao, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Lee H, Wu C, Desormeaux EK, Sarksian R, van der Donk WA. Improved production of class I lanthipeptides in Escherichia coli. Chem Sci 2023; 14:2537-2546. [PMID: 36908960 PMCID: PMC9993889 DOI: 10.1039/d2sc06597e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Lanthipeptides are ribosomally synthesised and post-translationally modified peptides containing lanthionine (Lan) and methyllanthionine (MeLan) residues that are formed by dehydration of Ser/Thr residues followed by conjugate addition of Cys to the resulting dehydroamino acids. Class I lanthipeptide dehydratases utilize glutamyl-tRNAGlu as a co-substrate to glutamylate Ser/Thr followed by glutamate elimination. Here we report a new system to heterologously express class I lanthipeptides in Escherichia coli through co-expression of the producing organism's glutamyl-tRNA synthetase (GluRS) and tRNAGlu pair in the vector pEVOL. In contrast to the results in the absence of the pEVOL system, we observed the production of fully-dehydrated peptides, including epilancin 15X, and peptides from the Bacteroidota Chryseobacterium and Runella. A second common obstacle to production of lanthipeptides in E. coli is the formation of glutathione adducts. LanC-like (LanCL) enzymes were previously reported to add glutathione to dehydroamino-acid-containing proteins in Eukarya. Herein, we demonstrate that the LanCL enzymes can remove GSH adducts from C-glutathionylated peptides with dl- or ll-lanthionine stereochemistry. These two advances will aid synthetic biology-driven genome mining efforts to discover new lanthipeptides.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hyunji Lee
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 1206 W Gregory Drive Urbana Illinois 61801 USA
- College of Pharmacy, Kyungsung University Busan 48434 Republic of Korea
| | - Chunyu Wu
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 600 South Mathews Avenue Urbana Illinois 61801 USA
| | - Emily K Desormeaux
- Department of Chemistry, The Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 600 South Mathews Avenue Urbana Illinois 61801 USA
| | - Raymond Sarksian
- Department of Chemistry, The Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 600 South Mathews Avenue Urbana Illinois 61801 USA
| | - Wilfred A van der Donk
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 1206 W Gregory Drive Urbana Illinois 61801 USA
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 600 South Mathews Avenue Urbana Illinois 61801 USA
- Department of Chemistry, The Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 600 South Mathews Avenue Urbana Illinois 61801 USA
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Kadjo AE, Eustáquio AS. Bacterial natural product discovery by heterologous expression. J Ind Microbiol Biotechnol 2023; 50:kuad044. [PMID: 38052428 PMCID: PMC10727000 DOI: 10.1093/jimb/kuad044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023]
Abstract
Natural products have found important applications in the pharmaceutical and agricultural sectors. In bacteria, the genes that encode the biosynthesis of natural products are often colocalized in the genome, forming biosynthetic gene clusters. It has been predicted that only 3% of natural products encoded in bacterial genomes have been discovered thus far, in part because gene clusters may be poorly expressed under laboratory conditions. Heterologous expression can help convert bioinformatics predictions into products. However, challenges remain, such as gene cluster prioritization, cloning of the complete gene cluster, high level expression, product identification, and isolation of products in practical yields. Here we reviewed the literature from the past 5 years (January 2018 to June 2023) to identify studies that discovered natural products by heterologous expression. From the 50 studies identified, we present analyses of the rationale for gene cluster prioritization, cloning methods, biosynthetic class, source taxa, and host choice. Combined, the 50 studies led to the discovery of 63 new families of natural products, supporting heterologous expression as a promising way to access novel chemistry. However, the success rate of natural product detection varied from 11% to 32% based on four large-scale studies that were part of the reviewed literature. The low success rate makes it apparent that much remains to be improved. The potential reasons for failure and points to be considered to improve the chances of success are discussed. ONE-SENTENCE SUMMARY At least 63 new families of bacterial natural products were discovered using heterologous expression in the last 5 years, supporting heterologous expression as a promising way to access novel chemistry; however, the success rate is low (11-32%) making it apparent that much remains to be improved-we discuss the potential reasons for failure and points to be considered to improve the chances of success. BioRender was used to generate the graphical abstract figure.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Adjo E Kadjo
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
- Center for Biomolecular Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
| | - Alessandra S Eustáquio
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
- Center for Biomolecular Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Guo E, Fu L, Fang X, Xie W, Li K, Zhang Z, Hong Z, Si T. Robotic Construction and Screening of Lanthipeptide Variant Libraries in Escherichia coli. ACS Synth Biol 2022; 11:3900-3911. [PMID: 36379012 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.2c00344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Lanthipeptides are a major class of ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs) characterized by thioether cross-links called lanthionine (Lan) and methyllanthionine (MeLan). Previously, we developed a method to produce mature lanthipeptides in recombinant Escherichia coli, but manual steps hinder large-scale analogue screening. Here we devised an automated workflow for creating and screening variant libraries of haloduracin, a two-component class II lanthipeptide. An integrated work cell of a synthetic biology foundry was programmed to robotically execute DNA library construction, host transformation, peptide production, mass spectrometry analysis, and activity screening by agar diffusion assay. For recombinantly produced Halα peptides, the sequence-activity relationship of 380 single-residue variants and >1300 triple-residue combinatorial variants were rapidly analyzed in microplates within weeks. The peptide expression levels in E. coli were also visualized via robotic creation and analysis of GFP-lanthipeptide fusions for select peptide mutants. Following shake-flask fermentation and purification, one Halα mutant was confirmed with enhanced specific antimicrobial activity relative to the wild-type peptide. Overall, this approach may be generally applicable for the high-throughput characterization and engineering of RiPP natural products.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Erpeng Guo
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China.,BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518083, China
| | - Lihao Fu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xiaoting Fang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Wenhao Xie
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Keyi Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Zhiyu Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Zhilai Hong
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China.,BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518083, China
| | - Tong Si
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China.,BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518083, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.,Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Shenzhen 518055, China
| |
Collapse
|