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Romero‐Casañas A, García‐Lizarribar A, Castro J, Vilanova M, Benito A, Ribó M. Ligation of multiple protein domains using orthogonal inteins with non-native splice junctions. Protein Sci 2024; 33:e5070. [PMID: 38864750 PMCID: PMC11168065 DOI: 10.1002/pro.5070] [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: 10/06/2023] [Revised: 05/20/2024] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024]
Abstract
Protein splicing is a self-catalyzed process in which an internal protein domain (the intein) is excised from its flanking sequences, linking them together with a canonical peptide bond. Trans-inteins are separated in two different precursor polypeptide chains that must assemble to catalytically self-excise and ligate the corresponding flanking exteins to join even when expressed separately either in vitro or in vivo. They are very interesting to construct full proteins from separate domains because their common small size favors chemical synthesis approaches. Therefore, trans-inteins have multiple applications such as protein modification and purification, structural characterization of protein domains or production of intein-based biosensors, among others. For many of these applications, when using more than one trans-intein, orthogonality between them is a critical issue to ensure the proper ligation of the exteins. Here, we confirm the orthogonality (lack of cross-reactivity) of four different trans- or split inteins, gp41-1, gp41-8, IMPDH-1 and NrdJ-1 both in vivo and in vitro, and built different constructs that allow for the sequential fusion of up to four protein fragments into one final spliced product. We have characterized the splicing efficiency of these constructs. All harbor non-native extein residues at the splice junction between the trans-intein and the neighboring exteins, except for the essential Ser + 1. Our results show that it is possible to ligate four different protein domains using inteins gp41-1, IMPDH-1 and NrdJ-1 with non-native extein residues to obtain a final four-domain spliced product with a not negligible yield that keeps its native sequence.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jessica Castro
- Laboratori d'Enginyeria de Proteïnes, Departament de BiologiaUniversitat de GironaGironaSpain
- Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica de Girona Josep Trueta (IdIBGi)SaltSpain
| | - Maria Vilanova
- Laboratori d'Enginyeria de Proteïnes, Departament de BiologiaUniversitat de GironaGironaSpain
- Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica de Girona Josep Trueta (IdIBGi)SaltSpain
| | - Antoni Benito
- Laboratori d'Enginyeria de Proteïnes, Departament de BiologiaUniversitat de GironaGironaSpain
- Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica de Girona Josep Trueta (IdIBGi)SaltSpain
| | - Marc Ribó
- Laboratori d'Enginyeria de Proteïnes, Departament de BiologiaUniversitat de GironaGironaSpain
- Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica de Girona Josep Trueta (IdIBGi)SaltSpain
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2
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Anastassov S, Filo M, Khammash M. Inteins: A Swiss army knife for synthetic biology. Biotechnol Adv 2024; 73:108349. [PMID: 38552727 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2024.108349] [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: 12/18/2023] [Revised: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 03/23/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024]
Abstract
Inteins are proteins found in nature that execute protein splicing. Among them, split inteins stand out for their versatility and adaptability, presenting creative solutions for addressing intricate challenges in various biological applications. Their exquisite attributes, including compactness, reliability, orthogonality, low toxicity, and irreversibility, make them of interest to various fields including synthetic biology, biotechnology and biomedicine. In this review, we delve into the inherent challenges of using inteins, present approaches for overcoming these challenges, and detail their reliable use for specific cellular tasks. We will discuss the use of conditional inteins in areas like cancer therapy, drug screening, patterning, infection treatment, diagnostics and biocontainment. Additionally, we will underscore the potential of inteins in executing basic logical operations with practical implications. We conclude by showcasing their potential in crafting complex genetic circuits for performing computations and feedback control that achieves robust perfect adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stanislav Anastassov
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zürich, Basel 4056, Switzerland
| | - Maurice Filo
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zürich, Basel 4056, Switzerland
| | - Mustafa Khammash
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zürich, Basel 4056, Switzerland.
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3
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Pasch T, Bäumer N, Bäumer S, Buchholz F, Mootz HD. Towards targeted Cas9 (CRISPR-Cas) delivery: Preparation of IgG antibody-Cas9 conjugates using a split intein. J Pept Sci 2024; 30:e3592. [PMID: 38447547 DOI: 10.1002/psc.3592] [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: 02/13/2024] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024]
Abstract
The CRISPR-Cas9 system has revolutionized the field of genetic engineering, but targeted cellular delivery remains a central problem. The delivery of the preformed ribonuclease-protein (RNP) complex has the advantages of fewer side effects and avoidance of potential permanent effects. We reasoned that an internalizing IgG antibody as a targeting device could address the delivery of Cas9-RNP. We opted for protein trans-splicing mediated by a split intein to facilitate posttranslational conjugation of the two large protein entities. We recently described the cysteine-less CL split intein that efficiently performs under oxidizing conditions and does not interfere with disulfide bonds or thiol bioconjugation chemistries. Using the CL split intein, we report for the first time the ligation of monoclonal IgG antibody precursors, expressed in mammalian cells, and a Cas9 precursor, obtained from bacterial expression. A purified IgG-Cas9 conjugate was loaded with sgRNA to form the active RNP complex and introduced a double-strand break in its target DNA in vitro. Furthermore, a synthetic peptide variant of the short N-terminal split intein precursor proved useful for chemical modification of Cas9. The split intein ligation procedure reported here for IgG-Cas9 provides the first step towards a novel CRISPR-Cas9 targeting approach involving the preformed RNP complex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim Pasch
- Institute of Biochemistry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Nicole Bäumer
- Department of Medicine A, Hematology/Oncology, University Hospital of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Sebastian Bäumer
- Department of Medicine A, Hematology/Oncology, University Hospital of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Frank Buchholz
- Medical Systems Biology, University Cancer Center (UCC), TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Henning D Mootz
- Institute of Biochemistry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
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4
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Gharios R, Li A, Kopyeva I, Francis RM, DeForest CA. One-Step Purification and N-Terminal Functionalization of Bioactive Proteins via Atypically Split Inteins. Bioconjug Chem 2024; 35:750-757. [PMID: 38815180 DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.4c00223] [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: 06/01/2024]
Abstract
Site-specific installation of non-natural functionality onto proteins has enabled countless applications in biotechnology, chemical biology, and biomaterials science. Though the N-terminus is an attractive derivatization location, prior methodologies targeting this site have suffered from low selectivity, a limited selection of potential chemical modifications, and/or challenges associated with divergent protein purification/modification steps. In this work, we harness the atypically split VidaL intein to simultaneously N-functionalize and purify homogeneous protein populations in a single step. Our method─referred to as VidaL-tagged expression and protein ligation (VEPL)─enables modular and scalable production of N-terminally modified proteins with native bioactivity. Demonstrating its flexibility and ease of use, we employ VEPL to combinatorially install 4 distinct (multi)functional handles (e.g., biotin, alkyne, fluorophores) to the N-terminus of 4 proteins that span three different classes: fluorescent (Enhanced Green Fluorescent Protein, mCherry), enzymatic (β-lactamase), and growth factor (epidermal growth factor). Moving forward, we anticipate that VEPL's ability to rapidly generate and isolate N-modified proteins will prove useful across the growing fields of applied chemical biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan Gharios
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98105, United States
| | - Annabella Li
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98105, United States
| | - Irina Kopyeva
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98105, United States
| | - Ryan M Francis
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98105, United States
| | - Cole A DeForest
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98105, United States
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98105, United States
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98105, United States
- Institute of Stem Cell & Regenerative Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98105, United States
- Molecular Engineering & Sciences Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98105, United States
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle ,Washington 98105, United States
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5
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Clifford R, Lindman S, Zhu J, Luo E, Delmar J, Tao Y, Ren K, Lara A, Cayatte C, McTamney P, O'Connor E, Öhman J. Production of native recombinant proteins using a novel split intein affinity technology. J Chromatogr A 2024; 1724:464908. [PMID: 38669943 DOI: 10.1016/j.chroma.2024.464908] [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: 01/11/2024] [Revised: 04/09/2024] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
Affinity tags are frequently engineered into recombinant proteins to facilitate purification. Although this technique is powerful, removal of the tag is desired because the tag can interfere with biological activity and can potentially increase the immunogenicity of therapeutic proteins. Tag removal is complex, as it requires adding expensive protease enzymes. To overcome this limitation, split intein based affinity purification systems have been developed in which a CC-intein tag is engineered into a protein of interest for binding to a NC-intein peptide ligand fixed to a chromatographic support. Tag removal in these systems is achieved by creating an active intein-complex during protein capture, which triggers a precise self-cleavage reaction. In this work, we show applications of a new split intein system, Cytiva™ ProteinSelect™. One advantage of the new system is that the NC-intein ligand can be robustly produced and conjugated to large volumes of resin for production of gram scale proteins. SARS-CoV-2 spike protein receptor binding domain and a Bispecific T Cell Engager in this work were successfully captured on the affinity resin and scaled 10-fold. Another advantage of this system is the ability to sanitize the resin with sodium hydroxide without loosing the 10-20 g/L binding capacity. Binding studies with IL-1b and IFNAR-1 ECD showed that the resin can be regenerated and sanitized for up to 50 cycles without loosing binding capacity. Additionally, after several cycles of sanitization, binding capacity was retained for the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein receptor binding domain and a Bispecific T Cell Engager. As with other split intein systems, optimization was needed to achieve ideal expression and recovery. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of the protein of interest required engineering to enable the cleavage reaction. Additionally, ensuring the stability of the CC-intein tag was important to prevent premature cleavage or truncation. Controlling the hold time of the expression product and the prevention of protease activity prior to purification was needed. These results demonstrate the feasibility of the Cytiva™ ProteinSelect™ system to be used in academic and industrial research and development laboratories for the purification of novel proteins expressed in either bacterial or mammalian systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Clifford
- Purification Process Sciences, Process and Analytical Sciences, R&D Biopharmaceuticals, AstraZeneca LLC, One Medimmune Way, Gaithersburg, MD 20878, USA
| | | | - Jie Zhu
- Cell Culture & Fermentation Sciences, R&D Biopharmaceuticals, AstraZeneca LLC, One Medimmune Way, Gaithersburg, MD 20878, USA
| | - Ethan Luo
- Cell Culture & Fermentation Sciences, R&D Biopharmaceuticals, AstraZeneca LLC, One Medimmune Way, Gaithersburg, MD 20878, USA
| | - Jared Delmar
- Physicochemical Development, Process and Analytical Sciences, R&D Biopharmaceuticals, AstraZeneca LLC, One Medimmune Way, Gaithersburg, MD 20878, USA
| | - Yeqing Tao
- Physicochemical Development, Process and Analytical Sciences, R&D Biopharmaceuticals, AstraZeneca LLC, One Medimmune Way, Gaithersburg, MD 20878, USA
| | - Kuishu Ren
- Virology and Targeted Therapeutics, Virology and Vaccine Discovery, Vaccines & Immune Therapies Unit, AstraZeneca LLC, One Medimmune Way, Gaithersburg, MD 20878, USA
| | - Abigail Lara
- Immune Engagers, Early ICC Discovery, R&D Oncology, AstraZeneca LLC, One Medimmune Way, Gaithersburg, MD 20878, USA
| | - Corinne Cayatte
- Immune Engagers, Early ICC Discovery, R&D Oncology, AstraZeneca LLC, One Medimmune Way, Gaithersburg, MD 20878, USA
| | - Patrick McTamney
- Virology and Targeted Therapeutics, Virology and Vaccine Discovery, Vaccines & Immune Therapies Unit, AstraZeneca LLC, One Medimmune Way, Gaithersburg, MD 20878, USA
| | - Ellen O'Connor
- Purification Process Sciences, Process and Analytical Sciences, R&D Biopharmaceuticals, AstraZeneca LLC, One Medimmune Way, Gaithersburg, MD 20878, USA.
| | - Johan Öhman
- Cytiva, Björkgatan 30, Uppsala, 753 23, Sweden
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6
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Hua Y, Tay NES, Ye X, Owen JA, Liu H, Thompson RE, Muir TW. Protein Editing using a Concerted Transposition Reaction. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.03.597171. [PMID: 38895383 PMCID: PMC11185735 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.03.597171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
Protein engineering through the chemical or enzymatic ligation of polypeptide fragments has proven enormously powerful for studying countless biochemical processes in vitro . In general, this strategy necessitates a protein folding step following ligation of the unstructured fragments, a requirement that constrains the types of systems amenable to the approach. Here, we report an in vitro strategy that allows internal regions of target proteins to be replaced in a single operation. Conceptually, our system is analogous to a DNA transposition reaction, but employs orthogonal pairs of split inteins to swap out a designated region of a host protein with an exogenous molecular cassette. We show using isotopic labeling experiments that this 'protein transposition' reaction is concerted when the kinetics for the embedded intein pairs are suitably matched. Critically, this feature allows for efficient manipulation of protein primary structure in the context of a native fold. The utility of this method is illustrated using several protein systems including the multi-subunit chromatin remodeling complex, ACF, where we also show protein transposition can occur in situ within the cell nucleus. By carrying out a molecular 'cut and paste' on a protein or protein complex under native folding conditions, our approach dramatically expands the scope of protein semisynthesis.
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7
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Schmitz M, Ballestin JB, Liang J, Tomas F, Freist L, Voigt K, Di Ventura B, Öztürk MA. Int&in: A machine learning-based web server for active split site identification in inteins. Protein Sci 2024; 33:e4985. [PMID: 38717278 PMCID: PMC11078102 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2023] [Revised: 03/06/2024] [Accepted: 03/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
Inteins are proteins that excise themselves out of host proteins and ligate the flanking polypeptides in an auto-catalytic process called protein splicing. In nature, inteins are either contiguous or split. In the case of split inteins, the two fragments must first form a complex for the splicing to occur. Contiguous inteins have previously been artificially split in two fragments because split inteins allow for distinct applications than contiguous ones. Even naturally split inteins have been split at unnatural split sites to obtain fragments with reduced affinity for one another, which are useful to create conditional inteins or to study protein-protein interactions. So far, split sites in inteins have been heuristically identified. We developed Int&in, a web server freely available for academic research (https://intein.biologie.uni-freiburg.de) that runs a machine learning model using logistic regression to predict active and inactive split sites in inteins with high accuracy. The model was trained on a dataset of 126 split sites generated using the gp41-1, Npu DnaE and CL inteins and validated using 97 split sites extracted from the literature. Despite the limited data size, the model, which uses various protein structural features, as well as sequence conservation information, achieves an accuracy of 0.79 and 0.78 for the training and testing sets, respectively. We envision Int&in will facilitate the engineering of novel split inteins for applications in synthetic and cell biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mirko Schmitz
- BIOSS and CIBSS Research Signalling Centers, University of FreiburgFreiburgGermany
- Institute of Biology II, University of FreiburgFreiburgGermany
- 4HF Biotec GmbHFreiburgGermany
| | - Jara Ballestin Ballestin
- BIOSS and CIBSS Research Signalling Centers, University of FreiburgFreiburgGermany
- Institute of Biology II, University of FreiburgFreiburgGermany
- Bioprocess Innovation Unit, ViraTherapeutics GmbHRumAustria
| | - Junsheng Liang
- BIOSS and CIBSS Research Signalling Centers, University of FreiburgFreiburgGermany
- Institute of Biology II, University of FreiburgFreiburgGermany
| | - Franziska Tomas
- BIOSS and CIBSS Research Signalling Centers, University of FreiburgFreiburgGermany
- Institute of Biology II, University of FreiburgFreiburgGermany
- Department of Molecular Life SciencesUniversity of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Leon Freist
- Institute of Biology III, University of FreiburgFreiburgGermany
| | - Karsten Voigt
- Institute of Biology III, University of FreiburgFreiburgGermany
| | - Barbara Di Ventura
- BIOSS and CIBSS Research Signalling Centers, University of FreiburgFreiburgGermany
- Institute of Biology II, University of FreiburgFreiburgGermany
| | - Mehmet Ali Öztürk
- BIOSS and CIBSS Research Signalling Centers, University of FreiburgFreiburgGermany
- Institute of Biology II, University of FreiburgFreiburgGermany
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8
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Jo WS, Curtis BJ, Rehan M, Adrover-Castellano ML, Sherman DH, Healy AR. N-to- S Acyl Transfer as an Enabling Strategy in Asymmetric and Chemoenzymatic Synthesis. JACS AU 2024; 4:2058-2066. [PMID: 38818054 PMCID: PMC11134368 DOI: 10.1021/jacsau.4c00257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2024] [Revised: 05/01/2024] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024]
Abstract
The observation of thioester-mediated acyl transfer processes in nature has inspired the development of novel protein synthesis and functionalization methodologies. The chemoselective transfer of an acyl group from S-to-N is the basis of several powerful ligation strategies. In this work, we sought to apply the reverse process, the transfer of an acyl group from N-to-S, as a method to convert stable chiral amides into more reactive thioesters. To this end, we developed a novel cysteine-derived oxazolidinone that serves as both a chiral imide auxiliary and an acyl transfer agent. This auxiliary combines the desirable features of rigid chiral imides as templates for asymmetric transformations with the synthetic applicability of thioesters. We demonstrate that the auxiliary can be applied in a range of highly selective asymmetric transformations. Subsequent intramolecular N-to-S acyl transfer of the chiral product and in situ trapping of the resulting thioester provides access to diverse carboxylic acid derivatives under mild conditions. The oxazolidinone thioester products can also be isolated and used in Pd-mediated transformations to furnish highly valuable chiral scaffolds, such as noncanonical amino acids, cyclic ketones, tetrahydropyrones, and dihydroquinolinones. Finally, we demonstrate that the oxazolidinone thioesters can also serve as a surrogate for SNAC-thioesters, enabling their seamless use as non-native substrates in biocatalytic transformations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Woonkee S Jo
- Chemistry Program, New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD), Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi 129188, United Arab Emirates (UAE)
| | - Brian J Curtis
- Life Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, 210 Washtenaw Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Mohammad Rehan
- Chemistry Program, New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD), Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi 129188, United Arab Emirates (UAE)
| | | | - David H Sherman
- Life Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, 210 Washtenaw Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- Departments of Medicinal Chemistry, Chemistry, and Microbiology & Immunology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109USA
| | - Alan R Healy
- Chemistry Program, New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD), Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi 129188, United Arab Emirates (UAE)
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9
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Rehm FBH, Tyler TJ, Zhou Y, Huang YH, Wang CK, Lawrence N, Craik DJ, Durek T. Repurposing a plant peptide cyclase for targeted lysine acylation. Nat Chem 2024:10.1038/s41557-024-01520-1. [PMID: 38789555 DOI: 10.1038/s41557-024-01520-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2022] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024]
Abstract
Transpeptidases are powerful tools for protein engineering but are largely restricted to acting at protein backbone termini. Alternative enzymatic approaches for internal protein labelling require bulky recognition motifs or non-proteinogenic reaction partners, potentially restricting which proteins can be modified or the types of modification that can be installed. Here we report a strategy for labelling lysine side chain ε-amines by repurposing an engineered asparaginyl ligase, which naturally catalyses peptide head-to-tail cyclization, for versatile isopeptide ligations that are compatible with peptidic substrates. We find that internal lysines with an adjacent leucine residue mimic the conventional N-terminal glycine-leucine substrate. This dipeptide motif enables efficient intra- or intermolecular ligation through internal lysine side chains, minimally leaving an asparagine C-terminally linked to the lysine side chain via an isopeptide bond. The versatility of this approach is demonstrated by the chemoenzymatic synthesis of peptides with non-native C terminus-to-side chain topology and the conjugation of chemically modified peptides to recombinant proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabian B H Rehm
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
| | - Tristan J Tyler
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Yan Zhou
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Yen-Hua Huang
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Conan K Wang
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Nicole Lawrence
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - David J Craik
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
| | - Thomas Durek
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
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10
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Sarkar D, Galleano I, Heusser SA, Ou SY, Uzun GR, Khoo KK, van der Heden van Noort GJ, Harrison JS, Pless SA. Protein semisynthesis underscores the role of a conserved lysine in activation and desensitization of acid-sensing ion channels. Cell Chem Biol 2024; 31:1000-1010.e6. [PMID: 38113885 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2023.11.013] [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: 01/24/2023] [Revised: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
Acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) are trimeric ion channels that open a cation-conducting pore in response to proton binding. Excessive ASIC activation during prolonged acidosis in conditions such as inflammation and ischemia is linked to pain and stroke. A conserved lysine in the extracellular domain (Lys211 in mASIC1a) is suggested to play a key role in ASIC function. However, the precise contributions are difficult to dissect with conventional mutagenesis, as replacement of Lys211 with naturally occurring amino acids invariably changes multiple physico-chemical parameters. Here, we study the contribution of Lys211 to mASIC1a function using tandem protein trans-splicing (tPTS) to incorporate non-canonical lysine analogs. We conduct optimization efforts to improve splicing and functionally interrogate semisynthetic mASIC1a. In combination with molecular modeling, we show that Lys211 charge and side-chain length are crucial to activation and desensitization, thus emphasizing that tPTS can enable atomic-scale interrogations of membrane proteins in live cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debayan Sarkar
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Iacopo Galleano
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark; Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | | | - Sofie Yuewei Ou
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Gül Refika Uzun
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Keith K Khoo
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | | | - Stephan Alexander Pless
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark.
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11
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Diao F, Vasudevan D, Heckscher ES, White BH. Hox gene-specific cellular targeting using split intein Trojan exons. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2317083121. [PMID: 38602904 PMCID: PMC11047080 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2317083121] [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: 10/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024] Open
Abstract
The Trojan exon method, which makes use of intronically inserted T2A-Gal4 cassettes, has been widely used in Drosophila to create thousands of gene-specific Gal4 driver lines. These dual-purpose lines provide genetic access to specific cell types based on their expression of a native gene while simultaneously mutating one allele of the gene to enable loss-of-function analysis in homozygous animals. While this dual use is often an advantage, the truncation mutations produced by Trojan exons are sometimes deleterious in heterozygotes, perhaps by creating translation products with dominant negative effects. Such mutagenic effects can cause developmental lethality as has been observed with genes encoding essential transcription factors. Given the importance of transcription factors in specifying cell type, alternative techniques for generating specific Gal4 lines that target them are required. Here, we introduce a modified Trojan exon method that retains the targeting fidelity and plug-and-play modularity of the original method but mitigates its mutagenic effects by exploiting the self-splicing capabilities of split inteins. "Split Intein Trojan exons" (siTrojans) ensure that the two truncation products generated from the interrupted allele of the native gene are trans-spliced to create a full-length native protein. We demonstrate the efficacy of siTrojans by generating a comprehensive toolkit of Gal4 and Split Gal4 lines for the segmentally expressed Hox transcription factors and illustrate their use in neural circuit mapping by targeting neurons according to their position along the anterior-posterior axis. Both the method and the Hox gene-specific toolkit introduced here should be broadly useful.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fengqiu Diao
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Section on Neural Function, National Institute of Mental Health, NIH, Bethesda, MD20892
| | - Deeptha Vasudevan
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL60637
| | - Ellie S. Heckscher
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL60637
| | - Benjamin H. White
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Section on Neural Function, National Institute of Mental Health, NIH, Bethesda, MD20892
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12
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Tang J, Hao M, Liu J, Chen Y, Wufuer G, Zhu J, Zhang X, Zheng T, Fang M, Zhang S, Li T, Ge S, Zhang J, Xia N. Design of a recombinant asparaginyl ligase for site-specific modification using efficient recognition and nucleophile motifs. Commun Chem 2024; 7:87. [PMID: 38637620 PMCID: PMC11026461 DOI: 10.1038/s42004-024-01173-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Asparaginyl ligases have been extensively utilized as valuable tools for site-specific bioconjugation or surface-modification. However, the application is hindered by the laborious and poorly reproducible preparation processes, unstable activity and ambiguous substrate requirements. To address these limitations, this study employed a structure-based rational approach to obtain a high-yield and high-activity protein ligase called OaAEP1-C247A-aa55-351. It was observed that OaAEP1-C247A-aa55-351 exhibits appreciable catalytic activities across a wide pH range, and the addition of the Fe3+ metal ion effectively enhances the catalytic power. Importantly, this study provides insight into the recognition and nucleophile peptide profiles of OaAEP1-C247A-aa55-351. The ligase demonstrates a higher recognition ability for the "Asn-Ala-Leu" motif and an N-terminus "Arg-Leu" as nucleophiles, which significantly increases the reaction yield. Consequently, the catalytic activity of OaAEP1-C247A-aa55-351 with highly efficient recognition and nucleophile motif, "Asn-Ala-Leu" and "Arg-Leu" under the buffer containing Fe3+ is 70-fold and 2-fold higher than previously reported OaAEP1-C247A and the most efficient butelase-1, respectively. Thus, the designed OaAEP1-C247A-aa55-351, with its highly efficient recognition and alternative nucleophile options, holds promising potential for applications in protein engineering, chemo-enzymatic modification, and the development of drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiabao Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Vaccines for Infectious Diseases, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China
- National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China
- National Innovation Platform for Industry-Education Integration in Vaccine Research, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Infectious Disease Diagnostic Technology, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China
- Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, 361102, Xiamen, China
| | - Mengling Hao
- State Key Laboratory of Vaccines for Infectious Diseases, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China
- National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China
- National Innovation Platform for Industry-Education Integration in Vaccine Research, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Infectious Disease Diagnostic Technology, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China
- Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, 361102, Xiamen, China
| | - Junxian Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Vaccines for Infectious Diseases, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China
- National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China
- National Innovation Platform for Industry-Education Integration in Vaccine Research, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Infectious Disease Diagnostic Technology, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China
- Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, 361102, Xiamen, China
| | - Yaling Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Vaccines for Infectious Diseases, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China
- National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China
- National Innovation Platform for Industry-Education Integration in Vaccine Research, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Infectious Disease Diagnostic Technology, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China
- Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, 361102, Xiamen, China
| | - Gulimire Wufuer
- State Key Laboratory of Vaccines for Infectious Diseases, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China
- National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China
- National Innovation Platform for Industry-Education Integration in Vaccine Research, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Infectious Disease Diagnostic Technology, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China
- Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, 361102, Xiamen, China
| | - Jie Zhu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Advanced Catalytic Materials and Technology, School of Petrochemical Engineering, Changzhou University, 213164, Changzhou, China
| | - Xuejie Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Vaccines for Infectious Diseases, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China
- National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China
- National Innovation Platform for Industry-Education Integration in Vaccine Research, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Infectious Disease Diagnostic Technology, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China
- Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, 361102, Xiamen, China
| | - Tingquan Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Vaccines for Infectious Diseases, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China
- National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China
- National Innovation Platform for Industry-Education Integration in Vaccine Research, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Infectious Disease Diagnostic Technology, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China
- Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, 361102, Xiamen, China
| | - Mujin Fang
- State Key Laboratory of Vaccines for Infectious Diseases, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China
- National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China
- National Innovation Platform for Industry-Education Integration in Vaccine Research, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Infectious Disease Diagnostic Technology, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China
- Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, 361102, Xiamen, China
| | - Shiyin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Vaccines for Infectious Diseases, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China
- National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China
- National Innovation Platform for Industry-Education Integration in Vaccine Research, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Infectious Disease Diagnostic Technology, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China
- Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, 361102, Xiamen, China
| | - Tingdong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Vaccines for Infectious Diseases, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China.
- National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China.
- National Innovation Platform for Industry-Education Integration in Vaccine Research, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China.
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Infectious Disease Diagnostic Technology, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China.
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China.
- Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, 361102, Xiamen, China.
| | - Shengxiang Ge
- State Key Laboratory of Vaccines for Infectious Diseases, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China.
- National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China.
- National Innovation Platform for Industry-Education Integration in Vaccine Research, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China.
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Infectious Disease Diagnostic Technology, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China.
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China.
- Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, 361102, Xiamen, China.
| | - Jun Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Vaccines for Infectious Diseases, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China
- National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China
- National Innovation Platform for Industry-Education Integration in Vaccine Research, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Infectious Disease Diagnostic Technology, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China
- Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, 361102, Xiamen, China
| | - Ningshao Xia
- State Key Laboratory of Vaccines for Infectious Diseases, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China
- National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China
- National Innovation Platform for Industry-Education Integration in Vaccine Research, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Infectious Disease Diagnostic Technology, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China
- Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, 361102, Xiamen, China
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13
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Datta P, Rhee KD, Staudt RJ, Thompson JM, Hsu Y, Hassan S, Drack AV, Seo S. Delivering large genes using adeno-associated virus and the CRE-lox DNA recombination system. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.10.588864. [PMID: 38645107 PMCID: PMC11030439 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.10.588864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/23/2024]
Abstract
Adeno-associated virus (AAV) is a safe and efficient gene delivery vehicle for gene therapies. However, its relatively small packaging capacity limits its use as a gene transfer vector. Here, we describe a strategy to deliver large genes that exceed the AAV's packaging capacity using up to four AAV vectors and the CRE-lox DNA recombination system. We devised novel lox sites by combining non-compatible and reaction equilibrium-modifying lox site variants. These lox sites facilitate sequence-specific and near-unidirectional recombination of AAV vector genomes, enabling efficient reconstitution of up to 16 kb of therapeutic genes in a pre-determined configuration. Using this strategy, we have developed AAV gene therapy vectors to deliver IFT140 , PCDH15 , CEP290 , and CDH23 and demonstrate efficient production of full-length proteins in cultured mammalian cells and mouse retinas. Notably, this approach significantly surpasses the trans-splicing and split-intein-based reconstitution methods in efficiency, requiring lower doses, minimizing or eliminating the production of truncated protein products, and offering flexibility in selecting splitting positions. The CRE-lox approach described here provides a simple and effective platform for producing AAV gene therapy vectors beyond AAV's packaging capacity.
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14
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Wralstad EC, Raines RT. Sensitive detection of SARS-CoV-2 main protease 3CL pro with an engineered ribonuclease zymogen. Protein Sci 2024; 33:e4916. [PMID: 38501598 PMCID: PMC10949392 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4916] [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: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 01/13/2024] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024]
Abstract
Alongside vaccines and antiviral therapeutics, diagnostic tools are a crucial aid in combating the COVID-19 pandemic caused by the etiological agent SARS-CoV-2. All common assays for infection rely on the detection of viral sub-components, including structural proteins of the virion or fragments of the viral genome. Selective pressure imposed by human intervention of COVID-19 can, however, induce viral mutations that decrease the sensitivity of diagnostic assays based on biomolecular structure, leading to an increase in false-negative results. In comparison, mutations are unlikely to alter the function of viral proteins, and viral machinery is under less selective pressure from vaccines and therapeutics. Accordingly, diagnostic assays that rely on biomolecular function can be more robust than ones that rely on biopolymer structure. Toward this end, we used a split intein to create a circular ribonuclease zymogen that is activated by the SARS-CoV-2 main protease, 3CLpro . Zymogen activation by 3CLpro leads to a >300-fold increase in ribonucleolytic activity, which can be detected with a highly sensitive fluorogenic substrate. This coupled assay can detect low nanomolar concentrations of 3CLpro within a timeframe comparable to that of common antigen-detection protocols. More generally, the concept of detecting a protease by activating a ribonuclease could be the basis of diagnostic tools for other indications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evans C. Wralstad
- Department of ChemistryMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeMassachusettsUSA
| | - Ronald T. Raines
- Department of ChemistryMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeMassachusettsUSA
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15
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Chioti VT, Clark KA, Ganley JG, Han EJ, Seyedsayamdost MR. N-Cα Bond Cleavage Catalyzed by a Multinuclear Iron Oxygenase from a Divergent Methanobactin-like RiPP Gene Cluster. J Am Chem Soc 2024; 146:7313-7323. [PMID: 38452252 PMCID: PMC11062405 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c11740] [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: 03/09/2024]
Abstract
DUF692 multinuclear iron oxygenases (MNIOs) are an emerging family of tailoring enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs). Three members, MbnB, TglH, and ChrH, have been characterized to date and shown to catalyze unusual and complex transformations. Using a co-occurrence-based bioinformatic search strategy, we recently generated a sequence similarity network of MNIO-RiPP operons that encode one or more MNIOs adjacent to a transporter. The network revealed >1000 unique gene clusters, evidence of an unexplored biosynthetic landscape. Herein, we assess an MNIO-RiPP cluster from this network that is encoded in Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria. The cluster, which we have termed mov (for methanobactin-like operon in Vibrio), encodes a 23-residue precursor peptide, two MNIOs, a RiPP recognition element, and a transporter. Using both in vivo and in vitro methods, we show that one MNIO, homologous to MbnB, installs an oxazolone-thioamide at a Thr-Cys dyad in the precursor. Subsequently, the second MNIO catalyzes N-Cα bond cleavage of the penultimate Asn to generate a C-terminally amidated peptide. This transformation expands the reaction scope of the enzyme family, marks the first example of an MNIO-catalyzed modification that does not involve Cys, and sets the stage for future exploration of other MNIO-RiPPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vasiliki T Chioti
- Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, United States
| | - Kenzie A Clark
- Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, United States
| | - Jack G Ganley
- Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, United States
| | - Esther J Han
- Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, United States
| | - Mohammad R Seyedsayamdost
- Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, United States
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, United States
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16
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Fallahee I, Hawiger D. Episomal Vectors for Stable Production of Recombinant Proteins and Engineered Antibodies. Antibodies (Basel) 2024; 13:18. [PMID: 38534208 PMCID: PMC10967652 DOI: 10.3390/antib13010018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2024] [Revised: 02/27/2024] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024] Open
Abstract
There is tremendous interest in the production of recombinant proteins, particularly bispecific antibodies and antibody-drug conjugates for research and therapeutic use. Here, we demonstrate a highly versatile plasmid system that allows the rapid generation of stable Expi293 cell pools by episomal retention of transfected DNA. By linking protein expression to puromycin resistance through an attenuated internal ribosome entry site, we achieve stable cell pools producing proteins of interest. In addition, split intein-split puromycin-mediated selection of two separate protein expression cassettes allows the stable production of bispecific antibody-like molecules or antibodies with distinct C-terminal heavy chain modifications, such as an antigen on one chain and a sortase tag on the other chain. We also use this novel expression system to generate stable Expi293 cell pools that secrete sortase A Δ59 variant Srt4M. Using these reagents, we prepared a site-specific drug-to-antibody ratio of 1 antibody-siRNA conjugate. We anticipate the simple, robust, and rapid stable protein expression systems described here being useful for a wide variety of applications.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Daniel Hawiger
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63104, USA
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17
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Mariano A, Di Cristofano S, Raimondo D, Scotto d'Abusco A. Split Gp41-1 intein splicing as a model to evaluate the cellular location of the oncosuppressor Maspin in an in vitro model of osteosarcoma. Cell Biochem Funct 2024; 42:e3987. [PMID: 38509770 DOI: 10.1002/cbf.3987] [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: 01/23/2024] [Revised: 03/06/2024] [Accepted: 03/10/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
Inteins are proteins involved in the protein splicing mechanism, an autoprocessing event, where sequences (exteins) separated by inteins become ligated each other after recombination. Two kinds of inteins have been described, contiguous inteins and split inteins. The former ones are transcribed and translated as a single peptide along with their exteins, while the latter are fragmented between two different genes and are transcribed and translated separately. The aim of this study is to establish a method to obtain a fluorescent eukaryotic protein to analyze its cellular localization, using the natural split gp41-1 inteins. We chose natural split inteins due to their distribution in all three domains of life. Two constructs were prepared, one containing the N-terminal split intein along with the N-moiety of the Red Fluorescent Protein (RFP) and a second construct containing the C-terminal of split intein, the C-moiety of RFP and the gene coding for Maspin, a tumor suppressor protein. The trans-splicing was verified by transfecting both N-terminal and C-terminal constructs into mammalian cells. The success of the recombination event was highlighted through the fluorescence produced by reconstituted RFP after recombination, along with the overlap of the red fluorescence produced by recombined RFP and the green fluorescence produced by the hybridization of the recombinant Maspin with a specific antibody. In conclusion, we opted to use this mechanism of recombination to obtain a fluorescent Maspin instead to express a large fusion protein, considering that it could interfere with Maspin's structure and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessia Mariano
- Department. of Biochemical Sciences, Sapienza University of Roma, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Domenico Raimondo
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
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18
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Benson CW, Sheltra MR, Huff DR. The genome of Salmacisia buchloëana, the parasitic puppet master pulling strings of sexual phenotypic monstrosities in buffalograss. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2024; 14:jkad238. [PMID: 37847611 PMCID: PMC10849329 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkad238] [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: 05/28/2023] [Revised: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023]
Abstract
To complete its parasitic lifecycle, Salmacisia buchloëana, a biotrophic fungus, manipulates reproductive organ development, meristem determinacy, and resource allocation in its dioecious plant host, buffalograss (Bouteloua dactyloides; Poaceae). To gain insight into S. buchloëana's ability to manipulate its host, we sequenced and assembled the 20.1 Mb genome of S. buchloëana into 22 chromosome-level pseudomolecules. Phylogenetic analysis suggests that S. buchloëana is nested within the genus Tilletia and diverged from Tilletia caries and Tilletia walkeri ∼40 MYA. We find that S. buchloëana contains a novel chromosome arm with no syntenic relationship to other publicly available Tilletia genomes, and that genes on the novel arm are upregulated upon infection, suggesting that this unique chromosomal segment may have played a critical role in S. buchloëana's evolution and host specificity. Salmacisia buchloëana has one of the largest fractions of serine peptidases (1.53% of the proteome) and one of the highest GC contents (62.3%) in all classified fungi. Analysis of codon base composition indicated that GC content is controlled more by selective constraints than directional mutation, and that S. buchloëana has a unique bias for the serine codon UCG. Finally, we identify 3 inteins within the S. buchloëana genome, 2 of which are located in a gene often used in fungal taxonomy. The genomic and transcriptomic resources generated here will aid plant pathologists and breeders by providing insight into the extracellular components contributing to sex determination in dioecious grasses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher W Benson
- Department of Plant Science, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16801, USA
- Intercollegiate Graduate Degree Program in Plant Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16801, USA
| | - Matthew R Sheltra
- Department of Plant Science, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16801, USA
- Intercollegiate Graduate Degree Program in Plant Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16801, USA
| | - David R Huff
- Department of Plant Science, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16801, USA
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Fallahee I, Hawiger D. EPISOMAL VECTORS FOR STABLE PRODUCTION OF RECOMBINANT PROTEINS AND ENGINEERED ANTIBODIES. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.03.574076. [PMID: 38260603 PMCID: PMC10802304 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.03.574076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
There is tremendous interest in the production of recombinant proteins, particularly bispecific antibodies and antibody-drug conjugates for research and therapeutic use. Here, we demonstrate a highly versatile plasmid system that allows rapid generation of stable Expi293 cell pools by episomal retention of transfected DNA. By linking protein expression to puromycin resistance though an attenuated internal ribosome entry site, we achieve stable cell pools producing proteins of interest. In addition, split intein-split puromycin-mediated selection of two separate protein expression cassettes allows the stable production of bispecific antibody-like molecules or antibodies with distinct C-terminal heavy chain modifications, such as an antigen on one chain and a sortase tag on the other chain. We also use this novel expression system to generate stable Expi293 cell pools that secrete sortase A Δ59 variant Srt4M. Using these reagents, we prepared a site-specific drug-to-antibody ratio of 1 antibody-siRNA conjugate. We anticipate the simple, robust, and rapid stable protein expression systems described here being useful for a wide variety of applications.
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20
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Kofoed C, Tay NES, Ye X, Erkalo G, Muir TW. Cell surface sculpting using logic-gated protein actuators. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.12.18.572113. [PMID: 38187604 PMCID: PMC10769198 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.18.572113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
Cell differentiation and tissue specialization lead to unique cellular surface landscapes and exacerbated or loss of expression patterns can result in further heterogenicity distinctive of pathological phenotypes1-3. Immunotherapies and emerging protein therapeutics seek to exploit such differences by engaging cell populations selectively based on their surface markers. Since a single surface antigen rarely defines a specific cell type4,5, the development of programmable molecular systems that integrate multiple cell surface features to convert on-target inputs to user-defined outputs is highly desirable. Here, we describe an autonomous decision-making protein device driven by proximity-gated protein trans-splicing that allows local generation of an active protein from two otherwise inactive fragments. We show that this protein actuator platform can perform various Boolean logic operations on cell surfaces, allowing highly selective recruitment of enzymatic and cytotoxic activities to specific cells within mixed populations. Due to its intrinsic modularity and tunability, this technology is expected to be compatible with different types of inputs, targeting modalities and functional outputs, and as such will have broad application in the synthetic biology and biotechnology areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Kofoed
- Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | | | - Xuanjia Ye
- Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Girum Erkalo
- Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Tom W. Muir
- Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
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21
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Gharios R, Francis RM, DeForest CA. Chemical and Biological Engineering Strategies to Make and Modify Next-Generation Hydrogel Biomaterials. MATTER 2023; 6:4195-4244. [PMID: 38313360 PMCID: PMC10836217 DOI: 10.1016/j.matt.2023.10.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2024]
Abstract
There is a growing interest in the development of technologies to probe and direct in vitro cellular function for fundamental organoid and stem cell biology, functional tissue and metabolic engineering, and biotherapeutic formulation. Recapitulating many critical aspects of the native cellular niche, hydrogel biomaterials have proven to be a defining platform technology in this space, catapulting biological investigation from traditional two-dimensional (2D) culture into the 3D world. Seeking to better emulate the dynamic heterogeneity characteristic of all living tissues, global efforts over the last several years have centered around upgrading hydrogel design from relatively simple and static architectures into stimuli-responsive and spatiotemporally evolvable niches. Towards this end, advances from traditionally disparate fields including bioorthogonal click chemistry, chemoenzymatic synthesis, and DNA nanotechnology have been co-opted and integrated to construct 4D-tunable systems that undergo preprogrammed functional changes in response to user-defined inputs. In this Review, we highlight how advances in synthetic, semisynthetic, and bio-based chemistries have played a critical role in the triggered creation and customization of next-generation hydrogel biomaterials. We also chart how these advances stand to energize the translational pipeline of hydrogels from bench to market and close with an outlook on outstanding opportunities and challenges that lay ahead.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan Gharios
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle WA 98105, USA
| | - Ryan M. Francis
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle WA 98105, USA
| | - Cole A. DeForest
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle WA 98105, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle WA 98105, USA
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle WA 98105, USA
- Institute of Stem Cell & Regenerative Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle WA 98109, USA
- Molecular Engineering & Sciences Institute, University of Washington, Seattle WA 98105, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle WA 98105, USA
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22
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Wood DW, Belfort M, Lennon CW. Inteins-mechanism of protein splicing, emerging regulatory roles, and applications in protein engineering. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1305848. [PMID: 38029209 PMCID: PMC10663303 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1305848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Protein splicing is a posttranslational process in which an intein segment excises itself from two flanking peptides, referred to as exteins. In the native context, protein splicing results in two separate protein products coupled to the activation of the intein-containing host protein. Inteins are generally described as either full-length inteins, mini-inteins or split inteins, which are differentiated by their genetic structure and features. Inteins can also be divided into three classes based on their splicing mechanisms, which differ in the location of conserved residues that mediate the splicing pathway. Although inteins were once thought to be selfish genetic elements, recent evidence suggests that inteins may confer a genetic advantage to their host cells through posttranslational regulation of their host proteins. Finally, the ability of modified inteins to splice and cleave their fused exteins has enabled many new applications in protein science and synthetic biology. In this review, we briefly cover the mechanisms of protein splicing, evidence for some inteins as environmental sensors, and intein-based applications in protein engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- David W. Wood
- William G. Lowrie Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Marlene Belfort
- Department of Biological Sciences and RNA Institute, University at Albany, Albany, NY, United States
| | - Christopher W. Lennon
- Department of Biological Sciences, Murray State University, Murray, KY, United States
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23
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Zeng Y, Shi W, Liu Z, Xu H, Liu L, Hang J, Wang Y, Lu M, Zhou W, Huang W, Tang F. C-terminal modification and functionalization of proteins via a self-cleavage tag triggered by a small molecule. Nat Commun 2023; 14:7169. [PMID: 37935692 PMCID: PMC10630284 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42977-x] [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: 03/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 11/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The precise modification or functionalization of the protein C-terminus is essential but full of challenges. Herein, a chemical approach to modify the C-terminus is developed by fusing a cysteine protease domain on the C-terminus of the protein of interest, which could achieve the non-enzymatic C-terminal functionalization by InsP6-triggered cysteine protease domain self-cleavage. This method demonstrates a highly efficient way to achieve protein C-terminal functionalization and is compatible with a wide range of amine-containing molecules and proteins. Additionally, a reversible C-terminal de-functionalization is found by incubating the C-terminal modified proteins with cysteine protease domain and InsP6, providing a tool for protein functionalization and de-functionalization. Last, various applications of protein C-terminal functionalization are provided in this work, as demonstrated by the site-specific assembly of nanobody drug conjugates, the construction of a bifunctional antibody, the C-terminal fluorescent labeling, and the C-terminal transpeptidation and glycosylation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Zeng
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Center for Biotherapeutics Discovery Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.555 Zuchongzhi Rd, Pudong, Shanghai, 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.19A Yuquan Road, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Wei Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Center for Biotherapeutics Discovery Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.555 Zuchongzhi Rd, Pudong, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Zhi Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Center for Biotherapeutics Discovery Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.555 Zuchongzhi Rd, Pudong, Shanghai, 201203, China
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, No. 138 Xianlin Rd, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Hao Xu
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, No. 138 Xianlin Rd, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Liya Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Center for Biotherapeutics Discovery Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.555 Zuchongzhi Rd, Pudong, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Jiaying Hang
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Center for Biotherapeutics Discovery Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.555 Zuchongzhi Rd, Pudong, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Yongqin Wang
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Hangzhou Institute of Advanced Study, Hangzhou, 310024, China
| | - Mengru Lu
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Hangzhou Institute of Advanced Study, Hangzhou, 310024, China
| | - Wei Zhou
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Hangzhou Institute of Advanced Study, Hangzhou, 310024, China
| | - Wei Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Center for Biotherapeutics Discovery Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.555 Zuchongzhi Rd, Pudong, Shanghai, 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.19A Yuquan Road, Beijing, 100049, China
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, No. 138 Xianlin Rd, Nanjing, 210023, China
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Hangzhou Institute of Advanced Study, Hangzhou, 310024, China
| | - Feng Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Center for Biotherapeutics Discovery Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.555 Zuchongzhi Rd, Pudong, Shanghai, 201203, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.19A Yuquan Road, Beijing, 100049, China.
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Hangzhou Institute of Advanced Study, Hangzhou, 310024, China.
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24
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Riedmayr LM, Hinrichsmeyer KS, Thalhammer SB, Mittas DM, Karguth N, Otify DY, Böhm S, Weber VJ, Bartoschek MD, Splith V, Brümmer M, Ferreira R, Boon N, Wögenstein GM, Grimm C, Wijnholds J, Mehlfeld V, Michalakis S, Fenske S, Biel M, Becirovic E. mRNA trans-splicing dual AAV vectors for (epi)genome editing and gene therapy. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6578. [PMID: 37852949 PMCID: PMC10584818 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42386-0] [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: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Large genes including several CRISPR-Cas modules like gene activators (CRISPRa) require dual adeno-associated viral (AAV) vectors for an efficient in vivo delivery and expression. Current dual AAV vector approaches have important limitations, e.g., low reconstitution efficiency, production of alien proteins, or low flexibility in split site selection. Here, we present a dual AAV vector technology based on reconstitution via mRNA trans-splicing (REVeRT). REVeRT is flexible in split site selection and can efficiently reconstitute different split genes in numerous in vitro models, in human organoids, and in vivo. Furthermore, REVeRT can functionally reconstitute a CRISPRa module targeting genes in various mouse tissues and organs in single or multiplexed approaches upon different routes of administration. Finally, REVeRT enabled the reconstitution of full-length ABCA4 after intravitreal injection in a mouse model of Stargardt disease. Due to its flexibility and efficiency REVeRT harbors great potential for basic research and clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Maria Riedmayr
- Department of Pharmacy - Center for Drug Research, LMU Munich, Munich, 81377, Germany
| | | | | | - David Manuel Mittas
- Department of Pharmacy - Center for Drug Research, LMU Munich, Munich, 81377, Germany
| | - Nina Karguth
- Department of Pharmacy - Center for Drug Research, LMU Munich, Munich, 81377, Germany
| | - Dina Yehia Otify
- Department of Pharmacy - Center for Drug Research, LMU Munich, Munich, 81377, Germany
| | | | - Valentin Johannes Weber
- Laboratory for Retinal Gene Therapy, Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Schlieren, 8952, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Manuela Brümmer
- Department of Pharmacy - Center for Drug Research, LMU Munich, Munich, 81377, Germany
| | - Raphael Ferreira
- Genetics Department, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Nanda Boon
- Department of Ophthalmology, Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), 2333 ZA, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Gabriele Maria Wögenstein
- Laboratory for Retinal Cell Biology, Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Schlieren, 8952, Switzerland
| | - Christian Grimm
- Laboratory for Retinal Cell Biology, Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Schlieren, 8952, Switzerland
| | - Jan Wijnholds
- Department of Ophthalmology, Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), 2333 ZA, Leiden, Netherlands
- Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW), 1105 BA, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Verena Mehlfeld
- Department of Pharmacy - Center for Drug Research, LMU Munich, Munich, 81377, Germany
| | - Stylianos Michalakis
- Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, 80336, Munich, Germany
| | - Stefanie Fenske
- Department of Pharmacy - Center for Drug Research, LMU Munich, Munich, 81377, Germany
- German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), partner site Munich Heart Alliance, Munich, 81377, Germany
| | - Martin Biel
- Department of Pharmacy - Center for Drug Research, LMU Munich, Munich, 81377, Germany
| | - Elvir Becirovic
- Laboratory for Retinal Gene Therapy, Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Schlieren, 8952, Switzerland.
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25
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Yamada R, Nakahara I, Kumagai I, Asano R, Nakanishi T, Makabe K. Construction of IgG-Fab 2 bispecific antibody via intein-mediated protein trans-splicing reaction. Sci Rep 2023; 13:15961. [PMID: 37749185 PMCID: PMC10520027 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-43110-0] [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: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023] Open
Abstract
A bispecific antibody (bsAb) is a class of engineered antibody molecules that simultaneously binds to two different antigens by having two kinds of antigen-binding domains. One of the major obstacles for the bsAb production is the incorrect chain-pairing problem, wherein each heavy and light chain should form pairings with the correct counterpart's chains, but the structural similarity of the incorrect partners also forms the incorrect pairings. This study aimed to demonstrate a bsAb construction method using intein-mediated protein trans-splicing to create IgG-Fab2-type bsAbs, which is a modified antibody with a structure in which two additional Fabs are linked to the N-terminus of the heavy chain of an IgG molecule. The chain-paring problem between a heavy chain and a light chain is circumvented by separate expression and purification of the IgG part and the Fab part. We found that the deletion of a possible glycosylation residue improved the reaction yield and side-reaction cleavage in the protein ligation step. The resulting bsAb, IgG-Fab2 (Her2/CD3), demonstrated target binding activity and cytotoxicity mediated by activated T cells. These results indicate that the use of the protein ligation to produce the IgG-Fab2 type bsAb will expand the bsAb production method.
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Affiliation(s)
- Risa Yamada
- Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Yamagata University, 4-3-16 Jyonan, Yonezawa, Yamagata, 992-8510, Japan
| | - Ishin Nakahara
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, Graduate School of Engineering, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-16 Naka-cho, Koganei, Tokyo, 183-8538, Japan
| | - Izumi Kumagai
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, Graduate School of Engineering, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-16 Naka-cho, Koganei, Tokyo, 183-8538, Japan
| | - Ryutaro Asano
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, Graduate School of Engineering, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-16 Naka-cho, Koganei, Tokyo, 183-8538, Japan
| | - Takeshi Nakanishi
- Division of Science and Engineering for Materials, Chemistry and Biology, Department of Chemistry and Bioengineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka Metropolitan University, Sugimoto 3-3-138, Sumiyoshi-ku, Osaka, 558-8585, Japan
| | - Koki Makabe
- Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Yamagata University, 4-3-16 Jyonan, Yonezawa, Yamagata, 992-8510, Japan.
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26
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Przybyszewska-Podstawka A, Czapiński J, Kałafut J, Rivero-Müller A. Synthetic circuits based on split Cas9 to detect cellular events. Sci Rep 2023; 13:14988. [PMID: 37696879 PMCID: PMC10495424 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-41367-z] [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: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Synthetic biology involves the engineering of logic circuit gates that process different inputs to produce specific outputs, enabling the creation or control of biological functions. While CRISPR has become the tool of choice in molecular biology due to its RNA-guided targetability to other nucleic acids, it has not been frequently applied to logic gates beyond those controlling the guide RNA (gRNA). In this study, we present an adaptation of split Cas9 to generate logic gates capable of sensing biological events, leveraging a Cas9 reporter (EGxxFP) to detect occurrences such as cancer cell origin, epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT), and cell-cell fusion. First, we positioned the complementing halves of split Cas9 under different promoters-one specific to cancer cells of epithelial origin (phCEA) and the other a universal promoter. The use of self-assembling inteins facilitated the reconstitution of the Cas9 halves. Consequently, only cancer cells with an epithelial origin activated the reporter, exhibiting green fluorescence. Subsequently, we explored whether this system could detect biological processes such as epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT). To achieve this, we designed a logic gate where one half of Cas9 is expressed under the phCEA, while the other is activated by TWIST1. The results showed that cells undergoing EMT effectively activated the reporter. Next, we combined the two inputs (epithelial origin and EMT) to create a new logic gate, where only cancer epithelial cells undergoing EMT activated the reporter. Lastly, we applied the split-Cas9 logic gate as a sensor of cell-cell fusion, both in induced and naturally occurring scenarios. Each cell type expressed one half of split Cas9, and the induction of fusion resulted in the appearance of multinucleated syncytia and the fluorescent reporter. The simplicity of the split Cas9 system presented here allows for its integration into various cellular processes, not only as a sensor but also as an actuator.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jakub Czapiński
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical University of Lublin, 20-093, Lublin, Poland
| | - Joanna Kałafut
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical University of Lublin, 20-093, Lublin, Poland
| | - Adolfo Rivero-Müller
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical University of Lublin, 20-093, Lublin, Poland.
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27
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Cheng YM, Ma C, Jin K, Jin ZB. Retinal organoid and gene editing for basic and translational research. Vision Res 2023; 210:108273. [PMID: 37307693 DOI: 10.1016/j.visres.2023.108273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2023] [Revised: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The rapid evolution of two technologies has greatly transformed the basic, translational, and clinical research in the mammalian retina. One is the retinal organoid (RO) technology. Various induction methods have been created or adapted to generate species-specific, disease-specific, and experimental-targeted retinal organoids (ROs). The process of generating ROs can highly mimic the in vivo retinal development, and consequently, the ROs resemble the retina in many aspects including the molecular and cellular profiles. The other technology is the gene editing, represented by the classical CRISPR-Cas9 editing and its derivatives such as prime editing, homology independent targeted integration (HITI), base editing and others. The combination of ROs and gene editing has opened up countless possibilities in the study of retinal development, pathogenesis, and therapeutics. We review recent advances in the ROs, gene editing methodologies, delivery vectors, and related topics that are particularly relevant to retinal studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- You-Min Cheng
- Beijing Institute of Ophthalmology, Beijing Tongren Eye Center, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100730 China
| | - Chao Ma
- Beijing Institute of Ophthalmology, Beijing Tongren Eye Center, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100730 China
| | - Kangxin Jin
- Beijing Institute of Ophthalmology, Beijing Tongren Eye Center, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100730 China.
| | - Zi-Bing Jin
- Beijing Institute of Ophthalmology, Beijing Tongren Eye Center, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100730 China.
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28
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Wang Y, Shi Y, Hellinga HW, Beese LS. Thermally controlled intein splicing of engineered DNA polymerases provides a robust and generalizable solution for accurate and sensitive molecular diagnostics. Nucleic Acids Res 2023; 51:5883-5894. [PMID: 37166959 PMCID: PMC10287962 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Revised: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 05/12/2023] Open
Abstract
DNA polymerases are essential for nucleic acid synthesis, cloning, sequencing and molecular diagnostics technologies. Conditional intein splicing is a powerful tool for controlling enzyme reactions. We have engineered a thermal switch into thermostable DNA polymerases from two structurally distinct polymerase families by inserting a thermally activated intein domain into a surface loop that is integral to the polymerase active site, thereby blocking DNA or RNA template access. The fusion proteins are inactive, but retain their structures, such that the intein excises during a heat pulse delivered at 70-80°C to generate spliced, active polymerases. This straightforward thermal activation step provides a highly effective, one-component 'hot-start' control of PCR reactions that enables accurate target amplification by minimizing unwanted by-products generated by off-target reactions. In one engineered enzyme, derived from Thermus aquaticus DNA polymerase, both DNA polymerase and reverse transcriptase activities are controlled by the intein, enabling single-reagent amplification of DNA and RNA under hot-start conditions. This engineered polymerase provides high-sensitivity detection for molecular diagnostics applications, amplifying 5-6 copies of the tested DNA and RNA targets with >95% certainty. The design principles used to engineer the inteins can be readily applied to construct other conditionally activated nucleic acid processing enzymes.
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Affiliation(s)
- You Wang
- Department of Biochemistry, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Yuqian Shi
- Department of Biochemistry, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Homme W Hellinga
- Department of Biochemistry, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Lorena S Beese
- Department of Biochemistry, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
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29
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Yuan G, Lu H, De K, Hassan MM, Liu Y, Islam MT, Muchero W, Tuskan GA, Yang X. Split selectable marker systems utilizing inteins facilitate gene stacking in plants. Commun Biol 2023; 6:567. [PMID: 37237044 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-04950-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The ability to stack multiple genes in plants is of great importance in the development of crops with desirable traits but can be challenging due to limited selectable marker options. Here we establish split selectable marker systems using protein splicing elements called "inteins" for Agrobacterium-mediated co-transformation in plants. First, we show that such a split selectable marker system can be used effectively in plants to reconstitute a visible marker, RUBY, from two non-functional fragments through tobacco leaf infiltration. Next, to determine the general applicability of our split selectable marker systems, we demonstrate the utility of these systems in the model plants Arabidopsis and poplar by successfully stacking two reporters eYGFPuv and RUBY, using split Kanamycin or Hygromycin resistance markers. In conclusion, this method enables robust plant co-transformation, providing a valuable tool for the simultaneous insertion of multiple genes into both herbaceous and woody plants efficiently.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guoliang Yuan
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 37831, USA
- The Center for Bioenergy Innovation, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 37831, USA
- Chemical and Biological Process Development Group, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, 902 Battelle Boulevard, Richland, WA, 99352, USA
| | - Haiwei Lu
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 37831, USA
- Department of Academic Education, Central Community College-Hastings, Hastings, NE, 68902, USA
| | - Kuntal De
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 37831, USA
| | - Md Mahmudul Hassan
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 37831, USA
- The Center for Bioenergy Innovation, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 37831, USA
- Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Patuakhali Science and Technology University, Dumki, Patuakhali, 8602, Bangladesh
| | - Yang Liu
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 37831, USA
| | - Md Torikul Islam
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 37831, USA
| | - Wellington Muchero
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 37831, USA
- The Center for Bioenergy Innovation, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 37831, USA
| | - Gerald A Tuskan
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 37831, USA.
- The Center for Bioenergy Innovation, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 37831, USA.
| | - Xiaohan Yang
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 37831, USA.
- The Center for Bioenergy Innovation, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 37831, USA.
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30
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Mamahit YP, Maki Y, Okamoto R, Kajihara Y. Semisynthesis of homogeneous misfolded glycoprotein interleukin-8. Carbohydr Res 2023; 531:108847. [PMID: 37354703 DOI: 10.1016/j.carres.2023.108847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2023] [Revised: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/26/2023]
Abstract
To uncover how cells distinguish between misfolded and correctly-folded glycoproteins, homogeneous misfolded glycoproteins are needed as a probe for analysis of their structure and chemical characteristic nature. In this study, we have synthesized misfolded glycosyl interleukin-8 (IL-8) by combining E. coli expression and chemical synthesis to improve the synthetic efficiency. In order to prepare N-terminal peptide-thioester segment (1-33), we prepared an E. coli expressed peptide and then activated the C-terminal Cys by using an intramolecular N-to-S acyl shift reaction, followed by trans-thioesterification of the Cys-thioester with an external bis(2-sulfanylethyl)amine (SEA). The glycopeptide segment (34-49) was prepared by solid phase peptide synthesis and the C-terminal peptide (50-72) was prepared in E. coli. These peptide and glycopeptide segments were successfully coupled by sequential native chemical ligation. To obtain homogeneous misfolded glycoproteins by shuffling the disulfide bond pattern, folding conditions were optimized to maximize the yield of individual homogeneous misfolded glycoproteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yugoviandi P Mamahit
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, 1-1 Machikaneyama, Toyonaka, Osaka, 560-0043, Japan
| | - Yuta Maki
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, 1-1 Machikaneyama, Toyonaka, Osaka, 560-0043, Japan; Forefront Research Center, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, 1-1 Machikaneyama, Toyonaka, Osaka, 560-0043, Japan
| | - Ryo Okamoto
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, 1-1 Machikaneyama, Toyonaka, Osaka, 560-0043, Japan; Forefront Research Center, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, 1-1 Machikaneyama, Toyonaka, Osaka, 560-0043, Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Kajihara
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, 1-1 Machikaneyama, Toyonaka, Osaka, 560-0043, Japan; Forefront Research Center, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, 1-1 Machikaneyama, Toyonaka, Osaka, 560-0043, Japan.
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31
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Pasch T, Schröder A, Kattelmann S, Eisenstein M, Pietrokovski S, Kümmel D, Mootz HD. Structural and biochemical analysis of a novel atypically split intein reveals a conserved histidine specific to cysteine-less inteins. Chem Sci 2023; 14:5204-5213. [PMID: 37206380 PMCID: PMC10189870 DOI: 10.1039/d3sc01200j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2023] [Accepted: 04/23/2023] [Indexed: 05/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Protein trans-splicing mediated by a split intein reconstitutes a protein backbone from two parts. This virtually traceless autoprocessive reaction provides the basis for numerous protein engineering applications. Protein splicing typically proceeds through two thioester or oxyester intermediates involving the side chains of cysteine or serine/threonine residues. A cysteine-less split intein has recently attracted particular interest as it can splice under oxidizing conditions and is orthogonal to disulfide or thiol bioconjugation chemistries. Here, we report the split PolB16 OarG intein, a second such cysteine-independent intein. As a unique trait, it is atypically split with a short intein-N precursor fragment of only 15 amino acids, the shortest characterized to date, which was chemically synthesized to enable protein semi-synthesis. By rational engineering we obtained a high-yielding, improved split intein mutant. Structural and mutational analysis revealed the dispensability of the usually crucial conserved motif N3 (block B) histidine as an obvious peculiar property. Unexpectedly, we identified a previously unnoticed histidine in hydrogen-bond forming distance to the catalytic serine 1 as critical for splicing. This histidine has been overlooked so far in multiple sequence alignments and is highly conserved only in cysteine-independent inteins as a part of a newly discovered motif NX. The motif NX histidine is thus likely of general importance to the specialized environment in the active site required in this intein subgroup. Together, our study advances the toolbox as well as the structural and mechanistic understanding of cysteine-less inteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim Pasch
- Institute of Biochemistry, University of Münster Corrensstr. 36 48149 Münster Germany
| | - Alexander Schröder
- Institute of Biochemistry, University of Münster Corrensstr. 36 48149 Münster Germany
| | - Sabrina Kattelmann
- Institute of Biochemistry, University of Münster Corrensstr. 36 48149 Münster Germany
| | - Miriam Eisenstein
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science Rehovot 76100 Israel
| | - Shmuel Pietrokovski
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science Rehovot 76100 Israel
| | - Daniel Kümmel
- Institute of Biochemistry, University of Münster Corrensstr. 36 48149 Münster Germany
| | - Henning D Mootz
- Institute of Biochemistry, University of Münster Corrensstr. 36 48149 Münster Germany
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32
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Wyatt J, Chan YK, Hess M, Tavassoli M, Müller MM. Semisynthesis reveals apoptin as a tumour-selective protein prodrug that causes cytoskeletal collapse. Chem Sci 2023; 14:3881-3892. [PMID: 37035694 PMCID: PMC10074440 DOI: 10.1039/d2sc04481a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Apoptin is a small viral protein capable of inducing cell death selectively in cancer cells. Despite its potential as an anticancer agent, relatively little is known about its mechanism of toxicity and cancer-selectivity. Previous experiments suggest that cancer-selective phosphorylation modulates apoptin toxicity, although a lack of chemical tools has hampered the dissection of underlying mechanisms. Here, we describe structure-function studies with site-specifically phosphorylated apoptin (apoptin-T108ph) in living cells which revealed that Thr108 phosphorylation is the selectivity switch for apoptin toxicity. Mechanistic investigations link T108ph to actin binding, cytoskeletal disruption and downstream inhibition of anoikis-resistance as well as cancer cell invasion. These results establish apoptin as a protein pro-drug, selectively activated in cancer cells by phosphorylation, which disrupts the cytoskeleton and promotes cell death. We anticipate that this mechanism provides a framework for the design of next generation anticancer proteins with enhanced selectivity and potency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasmine Wyatt
- Department of Molecular Oncology, King's College London Guy's Hospital Campus, Hodgkin Building London SE1 1UL UK
- Department of Chemistry, King's College London Britannia House, 7 Trinity Street London SE1 1DB UK
| | - Yuen Ka Chan
- Department of Molecular Oncology, King's College London Guy's Hospital Campus, Hodgkin Building London SE1 1UL UK
| | - Mateusz Hess
- Department of Chemistry, King's College London Britannia House, 7 Trinity Street London SE1 1DB UK
| | - Mahvash Tavassoli
- Department of Molecular Oncology, King's College London Guy's Hospital Campus, Hodgkin Building London SE1 1UL UK
| | - Manuel M Müller
- Department of Chemistry, King's College London Britannia House, 7 Trinity Street London SE1 1DB UK
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33
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Lamer T, Vederas JC. Simplified cloning and isolation of peptides from "sandwiched" SUMO-peptide-intein fusion proteins. BMC Biotechnol 2023; 23:11. [PMID: 37020212 PMCID: PMC10074672 DOI: 10.1186/s12896-023-00779-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 04/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Some peptides are targets for degradation when heterologously expressed as fusion proteins in E. coli, which can limit yields after isolation and purification. We recently reported that peptide degradation may be prevented by production of a "sandwiched" SUMO-peptide-intein (SPI) fusion protein, which protects the target peptide sequence from truncation and improves yield. This initial system required cloning with two commercially available vectors. It used an N-terminal polyhistidine tagged small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) protein and a C-terminal engineered Mycobacterium xenopii DNA Gyrase A intein with an inserted chitin binding domain (CBD) to create "sandwiched" fusion proteins of the form: His6-SUMO-peptide-intein-CBD. However, the major drawback of this previously reported fusion protein "sandwich" approach is the increased time and number of steps required to complete the cloning and isolation procedures, relative to the simple procedures to produce recombinant peptides in E. coli from a single (non-"sandwiched") fusion protein system. RESULTS In this work we generate the plasmid pSPIH6, which improves upon the previous system by encoding both the SUMO and intein proteins and allows facile construction of a SPI protein in a single cloning step. Additionally, the Mxe GyrA intein encoded in pSPIH6 contains a C-terminal polyhistidine tag, resulting in SPI fusion proteins of the form: His6-SUMO-peptide-intein-CBD-His6. The dual polyhistidine tags greatly simplify isolation procedures compared to the original SPI system, which we have here demonstrated with two linear bacteriocin peptides: leucocin A and lactococcin A. The yields obtained for both peptides after purification were also improved compared to the previous SPI system as a result of this streamlined protocol. CONCLUSIONS This modified SPI system and its simplified cloning and purification procedures described here may be generally useful as a heterologous E. coli expression system to obtain pure peptides in high yield, especially when degradation of the target peptide is an issue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tess Lamer
- Department of Chemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2G2, Canada
| | - John C Vederas
- Department of Chemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2G2, Canada.
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Abstract
The ability to manipulate the chemical composition of proteins and peptides has been central to the development of improved polypeptide-based therapeutics and has enabled researchers to address fundamental biological questions that would otherwise be out of reach. Protein ligation, in which two or more polypeptides are covalently linked, is a powerful strategy for generating semisynthetic products and for controlling polypeptide topology. However, specialized tools are required to efficiently forge a peptide bond in a chemoselective manner with fast kinetics and high yield. Fortunately, nature has addressed this challenge by evolving enzymatic mechanisms that can join polypeptides using a diverse set of chemical reactions. Here, we summarize how such nature-inspired protein ligation strategies have been repurposed as chemical biology tools that afford enhanced control over polypeptide composition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rasmus Pihl
- Chemical Biology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Qingfei Zheng
- Department of Radiation Oncology, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
- Center for Cancer Metabolism, James Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Pharmacology, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
| | - Yael David
- Chemical Biology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
- Department of Physiology, Biophysics and Systems Biology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
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35
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Jeon J, Subramani SV, Lee KZ, Jiang B, Zhang F. Microbial Synthesis of High-Molecular-Weight, Highly Repetitive Protein Polymers. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:6416. [PMID: 37047388 PMCID: PMC10094428 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24076416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Revised: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
High molecular weight (MW), highly repetitive protein polymers are attractive candidates to replace petroleum-derived materials as these protein-based materials (PBMs) are renewable, biodegradable, and have outstanding mechanical properties. However, their high MW and highly repetitive sequence features make them difficult to synthesize in fast-growing microbial cells in sufficient amounts for real applications. To overcome this challenge, various methods were developed to synthesize repetitive PBMs. Here, we review recent strategies in the construction of repetitive genes, expression of repetitive proteins from circular mRNAs, and synthesis of repetitive proteins by ligation and protein polymerization. We discuss the advantages and limitations of each method and highlight future directions that will lead to scalable production of highly repetitive PBMs for a wide range of applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juya Jeon
- Department of Energy, Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, Saint Louis, MO 63130, USA; (J.J.); (S.V.S.); (K.Z.L.); (B.J.)
| | - Shri Venkatesh Subramani
- Department of Energy, Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, Saint Louis, MO 63130, USA; (J.J.); (S.V.S.); (K.Z.L.); (B.J.)
| | - Kok Zhi Lee
- Department of Energy, Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, Saint Louis, MO 63130, USA; (J.J.); (S.V.S.); (K.Z.L.); (B.J.)
| | - Bojing Jiang
- Department of Energy, Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, Saint Louis, MO 63130, USA; (J.J.); (S.V.S.); (K.Z.L.); (B.J.)
| | - Fuzhong Zhang
- Department of Energy, Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, Saint Louis, MO 63130, USA; (J.J.); (S.V.S.); (K.Z.L.); (B.J.)
- Institute of Materials Science and Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, Saint Louis, MO 63130, USA
- Division of Biological & Biomedical Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, Saint Louis, MO 63130, USA
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36
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Fages-Lartaud M, Mueller Y, Elie F, Courtade G, Hohmann-Marriott MF. Standard Intein Gene Expression Ramps (SIGER) for Protein-Independent Expression Control. ACS Synth Biol 2023; 12:1058-1071. [PMID: 36920366 PMCID: PMC10127266 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.2c00530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/16/2023]
Abstract
Coordination of multigene expression is one of the key challenges of metabolic engineering for the development of cell factories. Constraints on translation initiation and early ribosome kinetics of mRNA are imposed by features of the 5'UTR in combination with the start of the gene, referred to as the "gene ramp", such as rare codons and mRNA secondary structures. These features strongly influence the translation yield and protein quality by regulating the ribosome distribution on mRNA strands. The utilization of genetic expression sequences, such as promoters and 5'UTRs in combination with different target genes, leads to a wide variety of gene ramp compositions with irregular translation rates, leading to unpredictable levels of protein yield and quality. Here, we present the Standard Intein Gene Expression Ramp (SIGER) system for controlling protein expression. The SIGER system makes use of inteins to decouple the translation initiation features from the gene of a target protein. We generated sequence-specific gene expression sequences for two inteins (DnaB and DnaX) that display defined levels of protein expression. Additionally, we used inteins that possess the ability to release the C-terminal fusion protein in vivo to avoid the impairment of protein functionality by the fused intein. Overall, our results show that SIGER systems are unique tools to mitigate the undesirable effects of gene ramp variation and to control the relative ratios of enzymes involved in molecular pathways. As a proof of concept of the potential of the system, we also used a SIGER system to express two difficult-to-produce proteins, GumM and CBM73.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxime Fages-Lartaud
- Department of Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim N-7491, Norway
| | - Yasmin Mueller
- Department of Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim N-7491, Norway
| | - Florence Elie
- Department of Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim N-7491, Norway
| | - Gaston Courtade
- Department of Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim N-7491, Norway
| | - Martin Frank Hohmann-Marriott
- Department of Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim N-7491, Norway.,United Scientists CORE (Limited), Dunedin 9016, Aotearoa, New Zealand
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37
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Dunleavy R, Chandrasekaran S, Crane BR. Enzymatic Spin-Labeling of Protein N- and C-Termini for Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Spectroscopy. Bioconjug Chem 2023:10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.3c00029. [PMID: 36921260 PMCID: PMC10502183 DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.3c00029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/17/2023]
Abstract
Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy is a powerful tool for investigating the structure and dynamics of proteins. The introduction of paramagnetic moieties at specific positions in a protein enables precise measurement of local structure and dynamics. This technique, termed site-directed spin-labeling, has traditionally been performed using cysteine-reactive radical-containing probes. However, large proteins are more likely to contain multiple cysteine residues and cysteine labeling at specific sites may be infeasible or impede function. To address this concern, we applied three peptide-ligating enzymes (sortase, asparaginyl endopeptidase, and inteins) for nitroxide labeling of N- and C-termini of select monomeric and dimeric proteins. Continuous wave and pulsed EPR (double electron electron resonance) experiments reveal specific attachment of nitroxide probes to ether N-termini (OaAEP1) or C-termini (sortase and intein) across three test proteins (CheY, CheA, and iLOV), thereby enabling a straightforward, highly specific, and general method for protein labeling. Importantly, the linker length (3, 5, and 9 residues for OaAEP1, intein, and sortase reactions, respectively) between the probe and the target protein has a large impact on the utility of distance measurements by pulsed EPR, with longer linkers leading to broader distributions. As these methods are only dependent on accessible N- and C-termini, we anticipate application to a wide range of protein targets for biomolecular EPR spectroscopy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Dunleavy
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | | | - Brian R. Crane
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
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38
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Zhao Z, Wang B, Wu S, Zhang Z, Chen Y, Zhang J, Wang Y, Zhu D, Li Y, Xu J, Hou L, Chen W. Regulated control of virus replication by 4-hydroxytamoxifen-induced splicing. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1112580. [PMID: 36992923 PMCID: PMC10040539 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1112580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Designing a modified virus that can be controlled to replicate will facilitate the study of pathogenic mechanisms of virus and virus–host interactions. Here, we report a universal switch element that enables precise control of virus replication after exposure to a small molecule. Inteins mediate a traceless protein splicing–ligation process, and we generate a series of modified vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) with intein insertion into the nucleocapsid, phosphoprotein, or large RNA-dependent RNA polymerase of VSV. Two recombinant VSV, LC599 and LY1744, were screened for intein insertion in the large RNA-dependent RNA polymerase of VSV, and their replication was regulated in a dose-dependent manner with the small molecule 4-hydroxytamoxifen, which induces intein splicing to restore the VSV replication. Furthermore, in the presence of 4-hydroxytamoxifen, the intein-modified VSV LC599 replicated efficiently in an animal model like a prototype of VSV. Thus, we present a simple and highly adaptable tool for regulating virus replication.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Busen Wang
- Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing, China
| | - Shipo Wu
- Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing, China
| | - Zhe Zhang
- Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing, China
| | - Yi Chen
- Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing, China
| | | | - Yudong Wang
- Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing, China
| | - Danni Zhu
- Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing, China
- Qingdao Special Servicemen Recuperation Center of PLA Navy, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Yao Li
- Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing, China
| | - Jinghan Xu
- Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing, China
| | - Lihua Hou
- Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Lihua Hou, ; Wei Chen,
| | - Wei Chen
- Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Lihua Hou, ; Wei Chen,
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39
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Anastassov S, Filo M, Chang CH, Khammash M. A cybergenetic framework for engineering intein-mediated integral feedback control systems. Nat Commun 2023; 14:1337. [PMID: 36906662 PMCID: PMC10008564 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-36863-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The ability of biological systems to tightly regulate targeted variables, despite external and internal disturbances, is known as Robust Perfect Adaptation (RPA). Achieved frequently through biomolecular integral feedback controllers at the cellular level, RPA has important implications for biotechnology and its various applications. In this study, we identify inteins as a versatile class of genetic components suitable for implementing these controllers and present a systematic approach for their design. We develop a theoretical foundation for screening intein-based RPA-achieving controllers and a simplified approach for modeling them. We then genetically engineer and test intein-based controllers using commonly used transcription factors in mammalian cells and demonstrate their exceptional adaptation properties over a wide dynamic range. The small size, flexibility, and applicability of inteins across life forms allow us to create a diversity of genetic RPA-achieving integral feedback control systems that can be used in various applications, including metabolic engineering and cell-based therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stanislav Anastassov
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zürich, 4058, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Maurice Filo
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zürich, 4058, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Ching-Hsiang Chang
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zürich, 4058, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Mustafa Khammash
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zürich, 4058, Basel, Switzerland.
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40
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Ray DM, Flood JR, David Y. Harnessing Split-Inteins as a Tool for the Selective Modification of Surface Receptors in Live Cells. Chembiochem 2023; 24:e202200487. [PMID: 36178424 PMCID: PMC9977608 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202200487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2022] [Revised: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Biochemical studies of integral membrane proteins are often hampered by low purification yields and technical limitations such as aggregation causing in vitro manipulations to be challenging. The ability of controlling proteins in live cells bypasses these limitations while broadening the scope of accessible questions owing to the proteins being in their native environment. Here we take advantage of the intein biorthogonality to mammalian systems, site specificity, fast kinetics, and auto-processing nature as an attractive option for modifying surface proteins. Using EGFR as a model, we demonstrate that the split-intein pair AvaN /NpuC can be used to efficiently and specifically modify target membrane proteins with a synthetic adduct for downstream live cell application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Devin M Ray
- Tri-Institutional PhD Program in Chemical Biology, New York, NY, 10065, USA
- Chemical Biology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, 10065, USA
- Tri-Institutional MD-PhD Program, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Julia R Flood
- Chemical Biology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Yael David
- Tri-Institutional PhD Program in Chemical Biology, New York, NY, 10065, USA
- Chemical Biology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, 10065, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10065, USA
- Department of Physiology, Biophysics and Systems Biology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, 10065, USA
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41
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Colomina-Alfaro L, Marchesan S, Stamboulis A, Bandiera A. Smart tools for antimicrobial peptides expression and application: The elastic perspective. Biotechnol Bioeng 2023; 120:323-332. [PMID: 36349439 DOI: 10.1002/bit.28283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Revised: 10/04/2022] [Accepted: 11/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
In recent years, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have become a promising alternative to the use of conventional and chemically synthesized antibiotics, especially after the emergence of multidrug-resistant organisms. Thus, this review aims to provide an updated overview of the state-of-the-art for producing antimicrobial peptides fused or conjugated with the elastin-like (ELP) peculiar carriers, and that are mostly intended for biomedical application. The elastin-like biopolymers are thermosensitive proteins with unique properties. Due to the flexibility of their modular structure, their features can be tuned and customized to improve the production of the antimicrobial domain while reducing their toxic effects on the host cells. Both fields of research faced a huge rise in interest in the last decade, as witnessed by the increasing number of publications on these topics, and several recombinant fusion proteins made of these two domains have been already described but they still present a limited variability. Herein, the approaches described to recombinantly fuse and chemically conjugate diverse AMPs with ELPs are reviewed, and the nature of the AMPs and the ELPs used, as well as the main features of the expression and production systems are summarized.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Silvia Marchesan
- Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | - Artemis Stamboulis
- School of Metallurgy and Materials, Biomaterials Research Group, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK
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42
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Delivering Base Editors In Vivo by Adeno-Associated Virus Vectors. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2606:135-158. [PMID: 36592313 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2879-9_11] [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: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
CRISPR base editors are genome-modifying proteins capable of creating single-base substitutions in DNA but without the requirement for a DNA double-strand break. Given their ability to precisely edit DNA, they hold tremendous therapeutic potential. Here, we describe procedures for delivering base editors in vivo via adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors, a promising engineered gene delivery vehicle capable of transducing a range of cell types and tissues. We provide step by step protocols for (i) designing and validating base editing systems, (ii) packaging base editors into recombinant AAV vector particles, (iii) delivering AAV to the central nervous system via intrathecal injection, and (iv) quantifying base editing frequencies by next-generation sequencing.
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43
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Huang TP, Heins ZJ, Miller SM, Wong BG, Balivada PA, Wang T, Khalil AS, Liu DR. High-throughput continuous evolution of compact Cas9 variants targeting single-nucleotide-pyrimidine PAMs. Nat Biotechnol 2023; 41:96-107. [PMID: 36076084 PMCID: PMC9849140 DOI: 10.1038/s41587-022-01410-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2022] [Accepted: 06/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Despite the availability of Cas9 variants with varied protospacer-adjacent motif (PAM) compatibilities, some genomic loci-especially those with pyrimidine-rich PAM sequences-remain inaccessible by high-activity Cas9 proteins. Moreover, broadening PAM sequence compatibility through engineering can increase off-target activity. With directed evolution, we generated four Cas9 variants that together enable targeting of most pyrimidine-rich PAM sequences in the human genome. Using phage-assisted noncontinuous evolution and eVOLVER-supported phage-assisted continuous evolution, we evolved Nme2Cas9, a compact Cas9 variant, into variants that recognize single-nucleotide pyrimidine-PAM sequences. We developed a general selection strategy that requires functional editing with fully specified target protospacers and PAMs. We applied this selection to evolve high-activity variants eNme2-T.1, eNme2-T.2, eNme2-C and eNme2-C.NR. Variants eNme2-T.1 and eNme2-T.2 offer access to N4TN PAM sequences with comparable editing efficiencies as existing variants, while eNme2-C and eNme2-C.NR offer less restrictive PAM requirements, comparable or higher activity in a variety of human cell types and lower off-target activity at N4CN PAM sequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tony P Huang
- Merkin Institute of Transformative Technologies in Healthcare, The Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Zachary J Heins
- Biological Design Center, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Shannon M Miller
- Merkin Institute of Transformative Technologies in Healthcare, The Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Brandon G Wong
- Biological Design Center, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Pallavi A Balivada
- Biological Design Center, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Tina Wang
- Merkin Institute of Transformative Technologies in Healthcare, The Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Ahmad S Khalil
- Biological Design Center, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA.
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - David R Liu
- Merkin Institute of Transformative Technologies in Healthcare, The Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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44
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Adelakun N, Parrish J, Chu N. Analyzing protein posttranslational modifications using enzyme-catalyzed expressed protein ligation. Methods Enzymol 2023; 682:319-350. [PMID: 36948706 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2022.12.004] [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: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Expressed protein ligation (EPL) allows for the attachment of a synthetic peptide into the N- or C-terminus of a recombinant protein fragment to generate a site-specifically modified protein with substantial yields for biochemical and biophysical studies. In this method, multiple posttranslational modifications (PTMs) can be incorporated into a synthetic peptide containing an N-terminal Cysteine, which selectively reacts with a protein C-terminal thioester to afford an amide bond formation. However, the requirement of a Cysteine at the ligation site can limit EPL's potential applications. Here, we describe a method called enzyme-catalyzed EPL, which uses subtiligase to ligate protein thioesters with Cysteine-free peptides. The procedure includes generating protein C-terminal thioester and peptide, performing the enzymatic EPL reaction, and purifying the protein ligation product. We exemplify this method by generating phospholipid phosphatase PTEN with site-specific phosphorylations installed onto its C-terminal tail for biochemical assays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niyi Adelakun
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics, the Comprehensive Cancer Center, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Jordan Parrish
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics, the Comprehensive Cancer Center, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Nam Chu
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics, the Comprehensive Cancer Center, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States.
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45
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Chung CZ, Söll D, Krahn N. Creating Selenocysteine-Specific Reporters Using Inteins. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2676:69-86. [PMID: 37277625 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3251-2_5] [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: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The selenium moiety in selenocysteine (Sec) imparts enhanced chemical properties to this amino acid and ultimately the protein in which it is inserted. These characteristics are attractive for designing highly active enzymes or extremely stable proteins and studying protein folding or electron transfer, to name a few. There are also 25 human selenoproteins, of which many are essential for our survival. The ability to create or study these selenoproteins is significantly hindered by the inability to easily produce them. Engineering translation has yielded simpler systems to facilitate site-specific insertion of Sec; however, Ser misincorporation remains problematic. Therefore, we have designed two Sec-specific reporters which promote high-throughput screening of Sec translation systems to overcome this barrier. This protocol outlines the workflow to engineer these Sec-specific reporters, with the application to any gene of interest and the ability to transfer this strategy to any organism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Z Chung
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Dieter Söll
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Natalie Krahn
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
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46
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Prabhala SV, Wood DW. Single-Step Non-Chromatographic Purification of Recombinant Mammalian Proteins Using a Split Intein ELP Tag System. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2699:237-253. [PMID: 37647002 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3362-5_13] [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: 09/01/2023]
Abstract
Glycoprotein therapeutics are currently used by large patient populations and generate significant revenue for the biopharmaceutical industry. These therapeutic proteins are currently purified at industrial scale using individualized processes involving multiple chromatographic steps. In the absence of a viable affinity platform method, the required chromatographic steps are difficult to develop and inevitably lead to significant yield losses. Further, during preclinical development, there is a need for reliable platform technologies capable of performing high-throughput screening for biologic candidates. Although affinity tags can provide a solution to some of these challenges, they require specific affinity resins, and the tag itself can interfere with the target protein characteristics. Fusion protein systems consisting of elastin-like polypeptide (ELP) and self-cleaving split inteins such as Npu DnaE can serve as potential non-chromatographic platform technologies for the single-step purification of tagless glycoproteins expressed in mammalian cells. In this chapter, we demonstrate the use of this technology to obtain highly purified anti-ErbB2 ML39 single-chain variable fragment (scFv) expressed from Expi293F suspension cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sai Vivek Prabhala
- William G. Lowrie Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - David W Wood
- William G. Lowrie Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
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47
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Berkeley RF, Debelouchina GT. Chemical tools for study and modulation of biomolecular phase transitions. Chem Sci 2022; 13:14226-14245. [PMID: 36545140 PMCID: PMC9749140 DOI: 10.1039/d2sc04907d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Biomolecular phase transitions play an important role in organizing cellular processes in space and time. Methods and tools for studying these transitions, and the intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) that often drive them, are typically less developed than tools for studying their folded protein counterparts. In this perspective, we assess the current landscape of chemical tools for studying IDPs, with a specific focus on protein liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS). We highlight methodologies that enable imaging and spectroscopic studies of these systems, including site-specific labeling with small molecules and the diverse range of capabilities offered by inteins and protein semisynthesis. We discuss strategies for introducing post-translational modifications that are central to IDP and LLPS function and regulation. We also investigate the nascent field of noncovalent small-molecule modulators of LLPS. We hope that this review of the state-of-the-art in chemical tools for interrogating IDPs and LLPS, along with an associated perspective on areas of unmet need, can serve as a valuable and timely resource for these rapidly expanding fields of study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raymond F. Berkeley
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California San DiegoLa JollaCAUSA
| | - Galia T. Debelouchina
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California San DiegoLa JollaCAUSA
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48
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Otaka A. Development of Naturally Inspired Peptide and Protein Chemistry. Chem Pharm Bull (Tokyo) 2022; 70:748-764. [DOI: 10.1248/cpb.c22-00623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Akira Otaka
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences and Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tokushima University
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49
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Lee CH, Lee JH, Lee JY, Cui CH, Cho BK, Kim SC. Novel Split Intein-Mediated Enzymatic Channeling Accelerates the Multimeric Bioconversion Pathway of Ginsenoside. ACS Synth Biol 2022; 11:3296-3304. [PMID: 36150110 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.2c00216] [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: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Cascade reaction systems, such as protein fusion and synthetic protein scaffold systems, can both spatially control the metabolic flux and boost the productivity of multistep enzymatic reactions. Despite many efforts to generate fusion proteins, this task remains challenging due to the limited expression of complex enzymes. Therefore, we developed a novel fusion system that bypasses the limited expression of complex enzymes via a post-translational linkage. Here, we report a split intein-mediated cascade system wherein orthogonal split inteins serve as adapters for protein ligation. A genetically programmable, self-assembled, and traceless split intein was utilized to generate a biocatalytic cascade to produce the ginsenoside compound K (CK) with various pharmacological activities, including anticarcinogenic, anti-inflammatory, and antidiabetic effects. We used two types of split inteins, consensus atypical (Cat) and Rma DnaB, to form a covalent scaffold with the three enzymes involved in the CK conversion pathway. The multienzymatic complex with a size greater than 240 kDa was successfully assembled in a soluble form and exhibited specific activity toward ginsenoside conversion. Furthermore, our split intein cascade system significantly increased the CK conversion rate and reduced the production time by more than 2-fold. Our multienzymatic cascade system that uses split inteins can be utilized as a platform for regulating multimeric bioconversion pathways and boosting the production of various high-value substances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cho-Heun Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34141, Korea
| | - Jun-Hyoung Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34141, Korea
| | - Ju Young Lee
- Research Center for Bio-based Chemistry, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT), Ulsan 44429, Korea
| | - Chang-Hao Cui
- Intelligent Synthetic Biology Center, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34141, Korea
| | - Byung-Kwan Cho
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34141, Korea
| | - Sun-Chang Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34141, Korea.,Intelligent Synthetic Biology Center, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34141, Korea
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50
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Sekar G, Stevens AJ, Mostafavi AZ, Sashi P, Muir TW, Cowburn D. A Conserved Histidine Residue Drives Extein Dependence in an Enhanced Atypically Split Intein. J Am Chem Soc 2022; 144:19196-19203. [PMID: 36194550 PMCID: PMC10241006 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.2c08985] [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] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Split intein-mediated protein trans-splicing (PTS) is widely applied in chemical biology and biotechnology to carry out traceless and specific protein ligation. However, the external residues immediately flanking the intein (exteins) can reduce the splicing rate, thereby limiting certain applications of PTS. Splicing by a recently developed intein with atypical split architecture ("Cat") exhibits a stark dependence on the sequence of its N-terminal extein residues. Here, we further developed Cat using error-prone polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and a cell-based selection assay to produce Cat*, which exhibits greatly enhanced PTS activity in the presence of unfavorable N-extein residues. We then applied solution nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and molecular dynamics simulations to explore how the dynamics of a conserved B-block histidine residue (His78) contribute to this extein dependence. The enhanced extein tolerance of Cat* reported here should expand the applicability of atypically split inteins, and the mechanism highlights common principles that contribute to extein dependence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giridhar Sekar
- Department of Biochemistry, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York 10461, USA
| | - Adam J. Stevens
- Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Frick Laboratory, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, USA
| | - Anahita Z. Mostafavi
- Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Frick Laboratory, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, USA
| | - Pulikallu Sashi
- Department of Biochemistry, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York 10461, USA
| | - Tom W. Muir
- Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Frick Laboratory, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, USA
| | - David Cowburn
- Department of Biochemistry, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York 10461, USA
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