1
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Feng RR, Wang M, Zhang W, Gai F. Unnatural Amino Acids for Biological Spectroscopy and Microscopy. Chem Rev 2024; 124:6501-6542. [PMID: 38722769 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.3c00944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2024]
Abstract
Due to advances in methods for site-specific incorporation of unnatural amino acids (UAAs) into proteins, a large number of UAAs with tailored chemical and/or physical properties have been developed and used in a wide array of biological applications. In particular, UAAs with specific spectroscopic characteristics can be used as external reporters to produce additional signals, hence increasing the information content obtainable in protein spectroscopic and/or imaging measurements. In this Review, we summarize the progress in the past two decades in the development of such UAAs and their applications in biological spectroscopy and microscopy, with a focus on UAAs that can be used as site-specific vibrational, fluorescence, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), or nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) probes. Wherever applicable, we also discuss future directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ran-Ran Feng
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Manxi Wang
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Wenkai Zhang
- Department of Physics and Applied Optics Beijing Area Major Laboratory, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Feng Gai
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
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2
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Guo QR, Cao YJ. Applications of genetic code expansion technology in eukaryotes. Protein Cell 2024; 15:331-363. [PMID: 37847216 PMCID: PMC11074999 DOI: 10.1093/procel/pwad051] [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: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Unnatural amino acids (UAAs) have gained significant attention in protein engineering and drug development owing to their ability to introduce new chemical functionalities to proteins. In eukaryotes, genetic code expansion (GCE) enables the incorporation of UAAs and facilitates posttranscriptional modification (PTM), which is not feasible in prokaryotic systems. GCE is also a powerful tool for cell or animal imaging, the monitoring of protein interactions in target cells, drug development, and switch regulation. Therefore, there is keen interest in utilizing GCE in eukaryotic systems. This review provides an overview of the application of GCE in eukaryotic systems and discusses current challenges that need to be addressed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiao-ru Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomic, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Genomics, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Yu J Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomic, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Genomics, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen 518055, China
- Institute of Chemical Biology, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen 518132, China
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3
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Abdelkader EH, Qianzhu H, Huber T, Otting G. Genetic Encoding of 7-Aza-l-tryptophan: Isoelectronic Substitution of a Single CH-Group in a Protein for a Nitrogen Atom for Site-Selective Isotope Labeling. ACS Sens 2023; 8:4402-4406. [PMID: 37890165 DOI: 10.1021/acssensors.3c01904] [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: 10/29/2023]
Abstract
Genetic encoding of a noncanonical amino acid (ncAA) in an in vivo expression system requires an aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase that specifically recognizes the ncAA, while the ncAA must not be recognized by the canonical protein expression machinery. We succeeded in genetically encoding 7-aza-tryptophan (7AW), which is isoelectronic with tryptophan. The system is fully orthogonal to protein expression in Escherichia coli, enabling high-yielding site-selective isotope labeling in vivo. 7AW is readily synthesized from serine and 7-aza-indole using a tryptophan synthetase β-subunit (TrpB) mutant, affording easy access to isotope-labeled 7AW. Using labeled 7AW produced from 15N/13C-labeled serine, we produced 7AW mutants of the 25 kDa Zika virus NS2B-NS3 protease. 15N-HSQC spectra display single cross-peaks at chemical shifts near those observed for the wild-type protein labeled with 15N/13C-tryptophan, confirming the structural integrity of the protein and yielding straightforward NMR resonance assignments for site-specific probing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elwy H Abdelkader
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide & Protein Science, Research School of Chemistry, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Haocheng Qianzhu
- Research School of Chemistry, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Thomas Huber
- Research School of Chemistry, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Gottfried Otting
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide & Protein Science, Research School of Chemistry, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
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4
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Gardner ED, Johnson BP, Dimas DA, McClurg HE, Severance ZC, Burgett AW, Singh S. Unlocking New Prenylation Modes: Azaindoles as a New Substrate Class for Indole Prenyltransferases. ChemCatChem 2023; 15:e202300650. [PMID: 37954549 PMCID: PMC10634513 DOI: 10.1002/cctc.202300650] [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: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023]
Abstract
Aza-substitution, the replacement of aromatic CH groups with nitrogen atoms, is an established medicinal chemistry strategy for increasing solubility, but current methods of accessing functionalized azaindoles are limited. In this work, indole-alkylating aromatic prenyltransferases (PTs) were explored as a strategy to directly functionalize azaindole-substituted analogs of natural products. For this, a series of aza-l-tryptophans (Aza-Trp) featuring N-substitution of every aromatic CH position of the indole ring and their corresponding cyclic Aza-l-Trp-l-proline dipeptides (Aza-CyWP), were synthesized as substrate mimetics for the indole-alkylating PTs FgaPT2, CdpNPT, and FtmPT1. We then demonstrated most of these substrate analogs were accepted by a PT, and the regioselectivity of each prenylation was heavily influenced by the position of the N-substitution. Remarkably, FgaPT2 was found to produce cationic N-prenylpyridinium products, representing not only a new substrate class for indole PTs but also a previously unobserved prenylation mode. The discovery that nitrogenous indole bioisosteres can be accepted by PTs thus provides access to previously unavailable chemical space in the search for bioactive indolediketopiperazine analogs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric D. Gardner
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Oklahoma, Stephenson Life Sciences Research Center, Norman, Oklahoma 73019, United States
| | - Bryce P. Johnson
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Oklahoma, Stephenson Life Sciences Research Center, Norman, Oklahoma 73019, United States
| | - Dustin A. Dimas
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Oklahoma, Stephenson Life Sciences Research Center, Norman, Oklahoma 73019, United States
| | - Heather E. McClurg
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Oklahoma, Stephenson Life Sciences Research Center, Norman, Oklahoma 73019, United States
| | - Zachary C. Severance
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73117, United States
| | - Anthony W. Burgett
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73117, United States
| | - Shanteri Singh
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Oklahoma, Stephenson Life Sciences Research Center, Norman, Oklahoma 73019, United States
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5
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Yuan Y, Liu J, Feng RR, Zhang W, Gai F. Photophysics of Two Indole-Based Cyan Fluorophores. J Phys Chem B 2023; 127:4508-4513. [PMID: 37171997 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.3c01739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
For the purpose of searching for new biological fluorophore, we assess the photophysical properties of two indole derivatives, 4-cyano-7-azaindole (4CN7AI) and 1-methyl-4-cyano-7-azaindole (1M4CN7AI), in a series of solvents. We find that (1) the absorption spectra of both derivatives are insensitive to solvents and are red-shifted from that of indole, having a maximum absorption wavelength of ca. 318 nm and a broad profile that extends beyond 370 nm; (2) both derivatives emit in the blue to green spectral range with a large Stokes shift, for example, in H2O, the maximum emission wavelength of 4CN7AI (1M4CN7AI) is at ca. 455 nm (470 nm); (3) 4CN7AI has a higher fluorescence quantum yield (QY) and a longer fluorescence lifetime (τF) in aprotic solvents than in protic solvents, for example, QY (τF) = 0.72 ± 0.04 (7.6 ± 0.8 ns) in tetrahydrofuran and QY (τF) = 0.29 ± 0.03 (6.2 ± 0.6 ns) in H2O; (4) in all of the solvents used except H2O, the fluorescence QY (τF) of 1M4CN7AI is equal to or higher (longer) than 0.69 ± 0.03 (11.2 ± 0.7 ns). Taken together, these results suggest that the corresponding non-natural amino acids, 4-cyano-7-azatryptophan and 1-methyl-4-cyano-7-azatryptophan, could be useful as biological fluorophores.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Yuan
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Jingsong Liu
- Department of Physics and Applied Optics Beijing Area Major Laboratory, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Ran-Ran Feng
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Wenkai Zhang
- Department of Physics and Applied Optics Beijing Area Major Laboratory, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Feng Gai
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
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6
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Benson S, de Moliner F, Tipping W, Vendrell M. Miniaturized Chemical Tags for Optical Imaging. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2022; 61:e202204788. [PMID: 35704518 PMCID: PMC9542129 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202204788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Recent advances in optical bioimaging have prompted the need for minimal chemical reporters that can retain the molecular recognition properties and activity profiles of biomolecules. As a result, several methodologies to reduce the size of fluorescent and Raman labels to a few atoms (e.g., single aryl fluorophores, Raman‐active triple bonds and isotopes) and embed them into building blocks (e.g., amino acids, nucleobases, sugars) to construct native‐like supramolecular structures have been described. The integration of small optical reporters into biomolecules has also led to smart molecular entities that were previously inaccessible in an expedite manner. In this article, we review recent chemical approaches to synthesize miniaturized optical tags as well as some of their multiple applications in biological imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sam Benson
- Centre for Inflammation Research The University of Edinburgh Edinburgh EH16 4TJ UK
| | - Fabio de Moliner
- Centre for Inflammation Research The University of Edinburgh Edinburgh EH16 4TJ UK
| | - William Tipping
- Centre for Molecular Nanometrology The University of Strathclyde Glasgow G1 1RD UK
| | - Marc Vendrell
- Centre for Inflammation Research The University of Edinburgh Edinburgh EH16 4TJ UK
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7
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Benson S, de Moliner F, Tipping W, Vendrell M. Miniaturized Chemical Tags for Optical Imaging. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.202204788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sam Benson
- The University of Edinburgh Centre for Inflammation Research UNITED KINGDOM
| | - Fabio de Moliner
- The University of Edinburgh Centre for Inflammation Research UNITED KINGDOM
| | - William Tipping
- University of Strathclyde Centre for Molecular Nanometrology UNITED KINGDOM
| | - Marc Vendrell
- University of Edinburgh Centre for Inflammation Research 47 Little France Crescent EH16 4TJ Edinburgh UNITED KINGDOM
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8
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Lu M, Toptygin D, Xiang Y, Shi Y, Schwieters CD, Lipinski EC, Ahn J, Byeon IJL, Gronenborn AM. The Magic of Linking Rings: Discovery of a Unique Photoinduced Fluorescent Protein Crosslink. J Am Chem Soc 2022; 144:10809-10816. [PMID: 35574633 PMCID: PMC9233106 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.2c02054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
![]()
Fluorosubstituted tryptophans serve
as valuable probes for fluorescence
and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) studies of proteins. Here, we
describe an unusual photoreactivity introduced by replacing the single
tryptophan in cyclophilin A with 7-fluoro-tryptophan. UV exposure
at 282 nm defluorinates 7-fluoro-tryptophan and crosslinks it to a
nearby phenylalanine, generating a bright fluorophore. The crosslink-containing
fluorescent protein possesses a large quantum yield of ∼0.40
with a fluorescence lifetime of 2.38 ns. The chemical nature of the
crosslink and the three-dimensional protein structure were determined
by mass spectrometry and NMR spectroscopy. To the best of our knowledge,
this is the first report of a Phe–Trp crosslink in a protein.
Our finding may break new ground for developing novel fluorescence
probes and for devising new strategies to exploit aromatic crosslinks
in proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manman Lu
- Department of Structural Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, United States
- Pittsburgh Center for HIV Protein Interactions, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, United States
| | - Dmitri Toptygin
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, United States
| | - Yufei Xiang
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, United States
| | - Yi Shi
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, United States
| | - Charles D. Schwieters
- Computational Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance Core, Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-0520, United States
| | - Emma C. Lipinski
- Department of Structural Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, United States
| | - Jinwoo Ahn
- Department of Structural Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, United States
- Pittsburgh Center for HIV Protein Interactions, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, United States
| | - In-Ja L. Byeon
- Department of Structural Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, United States
- Pittsburgh Center for HIV Protein Interactions, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, United States
| | - Angela M. Gronenborn
- Department of Structural Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, United States
- Pittsburgh Center for HIV Protein Interactions, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, United States
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9
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Micikas RJ, Acharyya A, Smith AB, Gai F. Synthesis and characterization of the fluorescence utility of two Visible-Light-Absorbing tryptophan derivatives. Chem Phys Lett 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cplett.2022.139553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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10
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Gajjela R, Kandula RR, Kuppusamy P, Nimje RY, Gupta A, Bagadi M, Mathur A. Mass spectrometric-based investigation of differentially protected azatryptophan derivatives using Orbitrap mass spectrometry: Differentiation of positional isomers under protonation and alkali-cationization conditions. RAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY : RCM 2022; 36:e9239. [PMID: 34904316 DOI: 10.1002/rcm.9239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2021] [Revised: 12/08/2021] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Differentiation and structural characterization of positional isomers of differentially protected azatryptophan derivatives using electrospray ionization high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-HRMS/MS) is important from the perspective of drug discovery research. Also, these derivatives can be used as building blocks for the synthesis of various biologically active compounds and have attracted significant attention in the field of modern drug discovery, especially peptide-based drugs, protein folding and protein-protein interactions because of their interesting spectral properties. METHODS ESI-HRMS/MS in positive ionization mode was used to differentiate and characterize positional isomers of protected azatryptophan derivatives. RESULTS ESI-HRMS/MS of [M + H]+ and [M + Na]+ ions of positional isomers of differentially protected azatryptophan derivatives display distinct fragmentation patterns. The MS/MS of [M + H]+ ion of isomer 1 showed an additional ion at m/z 358.0846 ([M + H-Boc-C14 H10 -HF]+ ) which was not present for 4. The fragment ion at m/z 332.0857 was observed for 1 and not for 4 which would be formed by the expulsion of butyloxycarbonyl (Boc) and fluorenylmethyloxycarbonyl (Fmoc) groups. Moreover, the ions 422.0812 and 378.0912 are found to be relatively more abundant for isomer 4 which could be probably attributed to the formation of stable ions. Similarly, other positional isomers exhibited distinct fragmentation from one another. CONCLUSIONS The present study demonstrates that ESI-HRMS/MS can be used for differentiation and structural characterization of positional isomers of protected azatryptophan derivatives. The MS/MS of [M + H]+ and [M + Na]+ ions of these positional isomers displayed differences in their fragmentation behaviour. The impact of different substitutions at different positions (1 and 6) of protected azatryptophan derivatives (1-6) on their fragmentation behaviour was also investigated in detail. Also, the nitrogen atom at different positions in the pyrrolopyridine ring led to different fragmentation patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raju Gajjela
- Discovery Analytical Sciences, Biocon Bristol Myers Squibb Research & Development Center (BBRC), Bangalore, India
| | - Ravikanth Reddy Kandula
- Discovery Analytical Sciences, Biocon Bristol Myers Squibb Research & Development Center (BBRC), Bangalore, India
| | - Prakasam Kuppusamy
- Department of Discovery Synthesis, Biocon Bristol Myers Squibb Research & Development Center (BBRC), Bangalore, India
| | - Roshan Y Nimje
- Department of Discovery Synthesis, Biocon Bristol Myers Squibb Research & Development Center (BBRC), Bangalore, India
| | - Anuradha Gupta
- Department of Discovery Synthesis, Biocon Bristol Myers Squibb Research & Development Center (BBRC), Bangalore, India
| | - Muralidhararao Bagadi
- Discovery Analytical Sciences, Biocon Bristol Myers Squibb Research & Development Center (BBRC), Bangalore, India
| | - Arvind Mathur
- Small Molecule Drug Discovery, Bristol Myers Squibb Research and Development, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
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11
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Wang M, Liu X, Wang L, Lu H, Gao H. Cooperative Gold/Zinc‐Catalyzed Cascade Approach to Tryptophan Derivatives from N‐arylhydroxylamines and Alkynes. ASIAN J ORG CHEM 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ajoc.202200054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Min Wang
- Shandong University School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering 27 South Shanda Road 250100 Ji'nan CHINA
| | - Xiao Liu
- Shandong University School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering 27 South Shanda Road 250100 Ji'nan CHINA
| | - Liying Wang
- Shandong University School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering 27 South Shanda Road 250100 Ji'nan CHINA
| | - Haifeng Lu
- Shandong University School of chemistry and chemical engineering CHINA
| | - Hongyin Gao
- Shandong University School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering 27 South Shanda Road 250100 Ji'nan CHINA
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12
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Hartman MCT. Non-canonical Amino Acid Substrates of E. coli Aminoacyl-tRNA Synthetases. Chembiochem 2022; 23:e202100299. [PMID: 34416067 PMCID: PMC9651912 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202100299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2021] [Revised: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
In this comprehensive review, I focus on the twenty E. coli aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases and their ability to charge non-canonical amino acids (ncAAs) onto tRNAs. The promiscuity of these enzymes has been harnessed for diverse applications including understanding and engineering of protein function, creation of organisms with an expanded genetic code, and the synthesis of diverse peptide libraries for drug discovery. The review catalogues the structures of all known ncAA substrates for each of the 20 E. coli aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases, including ncAA substrates for engineered versions of these enzymes. Drawing from the structures in the list, I highlight trends and novel opportunities for further exploitation of these ncAAs in the engineering of protein function, synthetic biology, and in drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew C T Hartman
- Department of Chemistry and Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, 1001 W Main St., Richmond, VA 23220, USA
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13
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Han J, Lyutenko NV, Sorochinsky AE, Okawara A, Konno H, White S, Soloshonok VA. Tailor-Made Amino Acids in Pharmaceutical Industry: Synthetic Approaches to Aza-Tryptophan Derivatives. Chemistry 2021; 27:17510-17528. [PMID: 34913215 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202102485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2021] [Accepted: 08/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Over the recent years there has been a noticeable upsurge of interest in aza-analogs of tryptophan which are isosteric to the latter and found numerous applications in medicinal, bioorganic chemistry, and peptide research. In the present review article, five aza-tryptophan derivatives are profiled, including aza-substitution in the positions 2, on the five-membered ring, as well as in positions 4, 5, 6, and 7 on the six-membered ring. A detailed and comprehensive literature overview of the synthetic methods for the preparation of these aza-tryptophans is presented and general facets of the biological properties and most promising applications are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianlin Han
- Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center of Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forest Resources International Innovation Center for Forest Chemicals and Materials College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, 210037, P. R. China
| | - Nataliya V Lyutenko
- Department of Fine Organic Synthesis V.P. Kukhar Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry and Petrochemistry, The National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, 1 Murmanska str., Kyiv, 02094, Ukraine
| | - Alexander E Sorochinsky
- Department of Fine Organic Synthesis V.P. Kukhar Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry and Petrochemistry, The National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, 1 Murmanska str., Kyiv, 02094, Ukraine
| | - Ayaka Okawara
- Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Yamagata University, 4-3-16, Jonan, Yonezawa, Yamagata, 992-8510, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Konno
- Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Yamagata University, 4-3-16, Jonan, Yonezawa, Yamagata, 992-8510, Japan
| | - Sarah White
- Oakwood Chemical, Inc., 730 Columbia Hwy. N, Estill, SC, 29918, USA
| | - Vadim A Soloshonok
- Department of Organic Chemistry I Faculty of Chemistry, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Paseo Manuel Lardizábal 3, 20018, San Sebastián, Spain.,IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science, María Díaz de Haro 3, Plaza Bizkaia, 48013, Bilbao, Spain
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14
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Fong KP, Ahmed IA, Mravic M, Jo H, Kim OV, Litvinov RI, Weisel JW, DeGrado WF, Gai F, Bennett JS. Visualization of Platelet Integrins via Two-Photon Microscopy Using Anti-transmembrane Domain Peptides Containing a Blue Fluorescent Amino Acid. Biochemistry 2021; 60:1722-1730. [PMID: 34010565 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.1c00238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The fluorescent reporters commonly used to visualize proteins can perturb both protein structure and function. Recently, we found that 4-cyanotryptophan (4CN-Trp), a blue fluorescent amino acid, is suitable for one-photon imaging applications. Here, we demonstrate its utility in two-photon fluorescence microscopy by using it to image integrins on cell surfaces. Specifically, we used solid-phase peptide synthesis to generate CHAMP peptides labeled with 4-cyanoindole (4CNI) at their N-termini to image integrins on cell surfaces. CHAMP (computed helical anti-membrane protein) peptides spontaneously insert into membrane bilayers to target integrin transmembrane domains and cause integrin activation. We found that 4CNI labeling did not perturb the ability of CHAMP peptides to insert into membranes, bind to integrins, or cause integrin activation. We then used two-photon fluorescence microscopy to image 4CNI-containing integrins on the surface of platelets. Compared to a 4CNI-labeled scrambled peptide that uniformly decorated cell surfaces, 4CNI-labeled CHAMP peptides were present in discrete blue foci. To confirm that these foci represented CN peptide-containing integrins, we co-stained platelets with integrin-specific fluorescent monoclonal antibodies and found that CN peptide and antibody fluorescence coincided. Because 4CNI can readily be biosynthetically incorporated into proteins with little if any effect on protein structure and function, it provides a facile way to directly monitor protein behavior and protein-protein interactions in cellular environments. In addition, these results clearly demonstrate that the two-photon excitation cross section of 4CN-Trp is sufficiently large to make it a useful two-photon fluorescence reporter for biological applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen P Fong
- Hematology-Oncology Division, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Ismail A Ahmed
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Marco Mravic
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158-2517, United States
| | - Hyunil Jo
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158-2517, United States
| | - Oleg V Kim
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Rustem I Litvinov
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - John W Weisel
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - William F DeGrado
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158-2517, United States
| | - Feng Gai
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-6323, United States
| | - Joel S Bennett
- Hematology-Oncology Division, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
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15
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Acharyya A, Zhang W, Gai F. Tryptophan as a Template for Development of Visible Fluorescent Amino Acids. J Phys Chem B 2021; 125:5458-5465. [PMID: 34029101 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.1c02321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Most biological systems, at both molecular and cellular levels, are intrinsically complex, diverse, and nonfluorescent. Therefore, studying their structures, dynamics, and interactions via fluorescence-based methods requires incorporation of one or multiple external fluorophores that would not significantly affect any native property of the system in question. This requirement necessitates the development of a diverse set of fluorescence reporters that differ in chemical, physical, and photophysical properties. Herein, we offer our perspective on the need for, recent progress in, and future directions of developing tryptophan-based fluorescent amino acids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arusha Acharyya
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Wenkai Zhang
- Department of Physics and Applied Optics Beijing Area Major Laboratory, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Feng Gai
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
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16
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Wang W, Song JR, Li ZY, Zhong T, Chi Q, Ren H, Pan WD. Copper-catalyzed aerobic oxidative radical alkoxycyclization of tryptamines to access 3-alkoxypyrroloindolines. RSC Adv 2021; 11:18080-18083. [PMID: 35480191 PMCID: PMC9033248 DOI: 10.1039/d1ra02679h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2021] [Accepted: 05/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
We report a copper-catalyzed alkoxycyclization of tryptamine derivatives with O2 as the sole oxidant, leading to a variety of C3a-alkoxypyrroloindolines in good yields with high diastereoselectivities. This reaction involves an interesting double catalytic cycle in which copper-catalyzed carboamination cyclization is favored to form the C-3 radical pyrrolidinoindoline intermediate, then a copper-catalytic radical alkoxylation reaction proceeds smoothly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Wang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guizhou University Huaxi Avenue South Guiyang 550025 P. R. China
| | - Jun-Rong Song
- State Key Laboratory of Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants, Guizhou Medical University, The Key Laboratory of Chemistry for Natural Products of Guizhou Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences Guiyang 550014 China
| | - Zhi-Yao Li
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guizhou University Huaxi Avenue South Guiyang 550025 P. R. China
| | - Ting Zhong
- State Key Laboratory of Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants, Guizhou Medical University, The Key Laboratory of Chemistry for Natural Products of Guizhou Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences Guiyang 550014 China
| | - Qin Chi
- State Key Laboratory of Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants, Guizhou Medical University, The Key Laboratory of Chemistry for Natural Products of Guizhou Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences Guiyang 550014 China
| | - Hai Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants, Guizhou Medical University, The Key Laboratory of Chemistry for Natural Products of Guizhou Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences Guiyang 550014 China
| | - Wei-Dong Pan
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guizhou University Huaxi Avenue South Guiyang 550025 P. R. China .,State Key Laboratory of Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants, Guizhou Medical University, The Key Laboratory of Chemistry for Natural Products of Guizhou Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences Guiyang 550014 China
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17
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Micikas RJ, Ahmed IA, Acharyya A, Smith AB, Gai F. Tuning the electronic transition energy of indole via substitution: application to identify tryptophan-based chromophores that absorb and emit visible light. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2021; 23:6433-6437. [PMID: 33710175 DOI: 10.1039/d0cp06710e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Fluorescent amino acids (FAAs) offer significant advantages over fluorescent proteins in applications where the fluorophore size needs to be limited or minimized. A long-sought goal in biological spectroscopy/microcopy is to develop visible FAAs by modifying the indole ring of tryptophan. Herein, we examine the absorption spectra of a library of 4-substituted indoles and find that the frequency of the absorption maximum correlates linearly with the global electrophilicity index of the substituent. This finding permits us to identify two promising candidates, 4-formyltryptophan (4CHO-Trp) and 4-nitrotryptophan (4NO2-Trp), both of which can be excited by visible light. Further fluorescence measurements indicate that while 4CHO-indole (and 4CHO-Trp) emits cyan fluorescence with a reasonably large quantum yield (ca. 0.22 in ethanol), 4NO2-indole is essentially non-fluorescent, suggesting that 4CHO-Trp (4NO2-Trp) could be useful as a fluorescence reporter (quencher). In addition, we present a simple method for synthesizing 4CHO-Trp.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert J Micikas
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, 231 South 34th Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA.
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18
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Hayashi A, Haruna KI, Sato H, Ito K, Makino C, Ito T, Sakamoto K. Incorporation of Halogenated Amino Acids into Antibody Fragments at Multiple Specific Sites Enhances Antigen Binding. Chembiochem 2020; 22:120-123. [PMID: 32815262 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202000429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2020] [Revised: 08/08/2020] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Expansion of the amino-acid repertoire with synthetic derivatives introduces novel structures and functionalities into proteins. In this study, we improved the antigen binding of antibodies by incorporating halogenated tyrosines at multiple selective sites. Tyrosines in the Fab fragment of an anti-EGF-receptor antibody 059-152 were systematically replaced with 3-bromo- and 3-chlorotyrosines, and simultaneous replacements at four specific sites were found to cause a tenfold increase in the affinity toward the antigen. Structure modeling suggested that this effect was due to enhanced shape complementarity between the antigen and antibody molecules. On the other hand, we showed that chlorination in the constant domain, far from the binding interface, of Rituximab Fab also increased the affinity significantly (up to 17-fold). Our results showed that antigen binding is tunable with the halogenation in and out of the binding motifs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akiko Hayashi
- Laboratory for Nonnatural Amino Acid Technology, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, 1-7-22 Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama, 230-0045, Japan
| | - Ken-Ichi Haruna
- Research Institute for Bioscience Products and Fine Chemicals, Ajinomoto Co., Inc., 1-1 Suzuki-Cho, Kawasaki-Ku, Kawasaki, 210-8681, Japan
| | - Haruna Sato
- Research Institute for Bioscience Products and Fine Chemicals, Ajinomoto Co., Inc., 1-1 Suzuki-Cho, Kawasaki-Ku, Kawasaki, 210-8681, Japan
| | - Kenichiro Ito
- Research Institute for Bioscience Products and Fine Chemicals, Ajinomoto Co., Inc., 1-1 Suzuki-Cho, Kawasaki-Ku, Kawasaki, 210-8681, Japan
| | - Chisato Makino
- Research Institute for Bioscience Products and Fine Chemicals, Ajinomoto Co., Inc., 1-1 Suzuki-Cho, Kawasaki-Ku, Kawasaki, 210-8681, Japan
| | - Takuhiro Ito
- Laboratory for Translation Structural Biology, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, 1-7-22 Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama, 230-0045, Japan
| | - Kensaku Sakamoto
- Laboratory for Nonnatural Amino Acid Technology, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, 1-7-22 Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama, 230-0045, Japan
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19
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A rationally designed orthogonal synthetase for genetically encoded fluorescent amino acids. Heliyon 2020; 6:e05140. [PMID: 33083608 PMCID: PMC7550906 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e05140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2020] [Revised: 09/25/2020] [Accepted: 09/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The incorporation of non-canonical amino acids into proteins has emerged as a promising strategy to manipulate and study protein structure-function relationships with superior precision in vitro and in vivo. To date, fluorescent non-canonical amino acids (f-ncAA) have been successfully incorporated in proteins expressed in bacterial systems, Xenopus oocytes, and HEK-293T cells. Here, we describe the rational generation of a novel orthogonal aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase based on the E. coli tyrosine synthetase that is capable of encoding the f-ncAA tyr-coumarin in HEK-293T cells.
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20
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Wiltschi B, Cernava T, Dennig A, Galindo Casas M, Geier M, Gruber S, Haberbauer M, Heidinger P, Herrero Acero E, Kratzer R, Luley-Goedl C, Müller CA, Pitzer J, Ribitsch D, Sauer M, Schmölzer K, Schnitzhofer W, Sensen CW, Soh J, Steiner K, Winkler CK, Winkler M, Wriessnegger T. Enzymes revolutionize the bioproduction of value-added compounds: From enzyme discovery to special applications. Biotechnol Adv 2020; 40:107520. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2020.107520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2019] [Revised: 10/18/2019] [Accepted: 01/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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21
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Abstract
Most biological molecules are intrinsically non- or weakly-fluorescent, hence requiring labeling with an external fluorophore(s) to be studied via fluorescence-based techniques. However, such labeling could perturb the native property of the system in question. One effective strategy to minimize such undesirable perturbation is to use fluorophores that are simple analogs of natural amino acids. In this chapter, we describe the synthesis and spectroscopic utility of two indole-based fluorophores, 4-cynaotryprophan (4CN-Trp) and 4-cyanoindole-2'-deoxyribonucleoside (4CNI-NS), with a focus on 4CN-Trp. This unnatural amino acid, which is only slightly larger than its natural counterpart, tryptophan (Trp), exhibits unique photophysical properties, making it a versatile fluorophore in biological spectroscopic and imaging applications. Through several specific examples, we highlight its broad utility in the study of various biological problems and processes.
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22
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Di Salvo ML, Fesko K, Phillips RS, Contestabile R. Editorial: PLP-Dependent Enzymes: Extraordinary Versatile Catalysts and Ideal Biotechnological Tools for the Production of Unnatural Amino Acids and Related Compounds. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2020; 8:52. [PMID: 32117932 PMCID: PMC7026007 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2020.00052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2019] [Accepted: 01/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Martino L Di Salvo
- Laboratory Affiliated to Istituto Pasteur Italia-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Dipartimento di Scienze Biochimiche, Sapienza Università di Roma, Rome, Italy
| | - Kateryna Fesko
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Graz University of Technology, Graz, Austria
| | - Robert S Phillips
- Department of Chemistry and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
| | - Roberto Contestabile
- Laboratory Affiliated to Istituto Pasteur Italia-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Dipartimento di Scienze Biochimiche, Sapienza Università di Roma, Rome, Italy
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23
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You M, Fan H, Wang Y, Zhang W. Aldehyde-derivatized indoles as fluorescent probes for hydration environments. Chem Phys 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.chemphys.2019.110438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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24
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Budisa N, Schneider T. Expanding the DOPA Universe with Genetically Encoded, Mussel-Inspired Bioadhesives for Material Sciences and Medicine. Chembiochem 2019; 20:2163-2190. [PMID: 30830997 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.201900030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Catechols are a biologically relevant group of aromatic diols that have attracted much attention as mediators of adhesion of "bio-glue" proteins in mussels of the genus Mytilus. These organisms use catechols in the form of the noncanonical amino acid l-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) as a building block for adhesion proteins. The DOPA is generated post-translationally from tyrosine. Herein, we review the properties, natural occurrence, and reactivity of catechols in the design of bioinspired materials. We also provide a basic description of the mussel's attachment apparatus, the interplay between its different molecules that play a crucial role in adhesion, and the role of post-translational modifications (PTMs) of these proteins. Our focus is on the microbial production of mussel foot proteins with the aid of orthogonal translation systems (OTSs) and the use of genetic code engineering to solve some fundamental problems in the bioproduction of these bioadhesives and to expand their chemical space. The major limitation of bacterial expression systems is their intrinsic inability to introduce PTMs. OTSs have the potential to overcome these challenges by replacing canonical amino acids with noncanonical ones. In this way, PTM steps are circumvented while the genetically programmed precision of protein sequences is preserved. In addition, OTSs should enable spatiotemporal control over the complex adhesion process, because the catechol function can be masked by suitable chemical protection. Such caged residues can then be noninvasively unmasked by, for example, UV irradiation or thermal treatment. All of these features make OTSs based on genetic code engineering in reprogrammed microbial strains new and promising tools in bioinspired materials science.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nediljko Budisa
- Institute of Chemistry, Technical University of Berlin, Müller-Breslau-Strasse 10, Berlin, 10623, Germany.,Chair of Chemical Synthetic Biology, Department of Chemistry, University of Manitoba, 144 Dysart Road, R3T 2N2, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Tobias Schneider
- Institute of Chemistry, Technical University of Berlin, Müller-Breslau-Strasse 10, Berlin, 10623, Germany
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25
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Smolskaya S, Andreev YA. Site-Specific Incorporation of Unnatural Amino Acids into Escherichia coli Recombinant Protein: Methodology Development and Recent Achievement. Biomolecules 2019; 9:biom9070255. [PMID: 31261745 PMCID: PMC6681230 DOI: 10.3390/biom9070255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2019] [Revised: 06/21/2019] [Accepted: 06/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
More than two decades ago a general method to genetically encode noncanonical or unnatural amino acids (NAAs) with diverse physical, chemical, or biological properties in bacteria, yeast, animals and mammalian cells was developed. More than 200 NAAs have been incorporated into recombinant proteins by means of non-endogenous aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase (aa-RS)/tRNA pair, an orthogonal pair, that directs site-specific incorporation of NAA encoded by a unique codon. The most established method to genetically encode NAAs in Escherichia coli is based on the usage of the desired mutant of Methanocaldococcus janaschii tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase (MjTyrRS) and cognate suppressor tRNA. The amber codon, the least-used stop codon in E. coli, assigns NAA. Until very recently the genetic code expansion technology suffered from a low yield of targeted proteins due to both incompatibilities of orthogonal pair with host cell translational machinery and the competition of suppressor tRNA with release factor (RF) for binding to nonsense codons. Here we describe the latest progress made to enhance nonsense suppression in E. coli with the emphasis on the improved expression vectors encoding for an orthogonal aa-RA/tRNA pair, enhancement of aa-RS and suppressor tRNA efficiency, the evolution of orthogonal EF-Tu and attempts to reduce the effect of RF1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sviatlana Smolskaya
- Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Institute of Molecular Medicine, Trubetskaya str. 8, bld. 2, 119991 Moscow, Russia.
| | - Yaroslav A Andreev
- Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Institute of Molecular Medicine, Trubetskaya str. 8, bld. 2, 119991 Moscow, Russia.
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, ul. Miklukho-Maklaya 16/10, 117997 Moscow, Russia.
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26
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Boknevitz K, Italia JS, Li B, Chatterjee A, Liu SY. Synthesis and characterization of an unnatural boron and nitrogen-containing tryptophan analogue and its incorporation into proteins. Chem Sci 2019; 10:4994-4998. [PMID: 31183048 PMCID: PMC6524624 DOI: 10.1039/c8sc05167d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2018] [Accepted: 04/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
A boron and nitrogen containing unnatural analogue of tryptophan is synthesized and incorporated into proteins.
A boron and nitrogen containing unnatural analogue of tryptophan is synthesized through the functionalization of BN-indole. The spectroscopic properties of BN-tryptophan are reported with respect to the natural tryptophan, and the incorporation of BN-tryptophan into proteins expressed in E. coli using selective pressure incorporation is described. This work shows that a cellular system can recognize the unnatural, BN-containing tryptophan. More importantly, it presents the first example of an azaborine containing amino acid being incorporated into proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine Boknevitz
- Department of Chemistry , Boston College , Chestnut Hill , MA 02467 , USA . ;
| | - James S Italia
- Department of Chemistry , Boston College , Chestnut Hill , MA 02467 , USA . ;
| | - Bo Li
- Department of Chemistry , Boston College , Chestnut Hill , MA 02467 , USA . ;
| | - Abhishek Chatterjee
- Department of Chemistry , Boston College , Chestnut Hill , MA 02467 , USA . ;
| | - Shih-Yuan Liu
- Department of Chemistry , Boston College , Chestnut Hill , MA 02467 , USA . ;
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27
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Zhang K, Ahmed IA, Kratochvil HT, DeGrado WF, Gai F, Jo H. Synthesis and application of the blue fluorescent amino acid l-4-cyanotryptophan to assess peptide-membrane interactions. Chem Commun (Camb) 2019; 55:5095-5098. [PMID: 30957824 PMCID: PMC6508085 DOI: 10.1039/c9cc01152h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Recently, l-4-cyanotryptophan has been shown to be an efficient blue fluorescence emitter, with the potential to enable novel applications in biological spectroscopy and microscopy. However, lack of facile synthetic routes to this unnatural amino acid limits its wide use. Herein, we describe an expedient approach to synthesize Fmoc protected l-4-cyanotryptophan with high optical purity (>99%). Additionally, we test the utility of this blue fluorophore in imaging cell-membrane-bound peptides and in determining peptide-membrane binding constants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kui Zhang
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, United States
| | - Ismail A. Ahmed
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Huong T. Kratochvil
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, United States
| | - William F. DeGrado
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, United States
| | - Feng Gai
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Hyunil Jo
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, United States
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28
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Tobola F, Sylvander E, Gafko C, Wiltschi B. 'Clickable lectins': bioorthogonal reactive handles facilitate the directed conjugation of lectins in a modular fashion. Interface Focus 2019; 9:20180072. [PMID: 30842873 DOI: 10.1098/rsfs.2018.0072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/20/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Lectins are carbohydrate-binding proteins with specificity for their target ligands. They play diverse roles in cellular recognition and signalling processes, as well as in infections and cancer metastasis. Owing to their specificity, lectins find application in biotechnology and medicine, e.g. for blood group typing, purification of glycoproteins or lipids and as markers that target cancer cells. For some applications, lectins are immobilized on a solid support, or they are conjugated with other molecules. Classical protein conjugation reactions at nucleophilic amino acids such as cysteine or lysine are often non-selective, and the site of conjugation is difficult to pre-define. Random conjugation, however, can interfere with protein function. Therefore, we sought to equip lectins with a unique reactive handle, which can be conjugated with other molecules in a pre-defined manner. We site-specifically introduced non-canonical amino acids carrying bioorthogonal reactive groups into several lectins. As a proof of principle, we conjugated these 'clickable lectins' with small molecules. Furthermore, we conjugated lectins with different ligand specificities with one another to produce superlectins. The 'clickable lectins' might be useful for any process where lectins shall be conjugated with another module in a selective, pre-defined and site-specific manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felix Tobola
- Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology, Petersgasse 14, 8010 Graz, Austria.,Institute of Molecular Biotechnology, Graz University of Technology, Petersgasse 14, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Elise Sylvander
- Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology, Petersgasse 14, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Claudia Gafko
- Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology, Petersgasse 14, 8010 Graz, Austria.,Institute of Molecular Biotechnology, Graz University of Technology, Petersgasse 14, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Birgit Wiltschi
- Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology, Petersgasse 14, 8010 Graz, Austria
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29
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Wesche F, Adihou H, Wichelhaus TA, Bode HB. Synthesis and SAR of the antistaphylococcal natural product nematophin from Xenorhabdus nematophila. Beilstein J Org Chem 2019; 15:535-541. [PMID: 30873237 PMCID: PMC6404511 DOI: 10.3762/bjoc.15.47] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2018] [Accepted: 02/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The repeated and improper use of antibiotics had led to an increased number of multiresistant bacteria. Therefore, new lead structures are needed. Here, the synthesis and an expanded structure-activity relationship of the simple and antistaphylococcal amide nematophin from Xenorhabdus nematophila and synthetic derivatives are described. Moreover, the synthesis of intrinsic fluorescent derivatives, incorporating azaindole moieties was achieved for the first time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank Wesche
- Molekulare Biotechnologie, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, D-60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,present address: Respiratory, Inflammation and Autoimmunity, Innovative Medicines and Early Development, Biotech Unit, AstraZeneca, Pepparedsleden 1, Mölndal 43183, Sweden
| | - Hélène Adihou
- Molekulare Biotechnologie, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, D-60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,present address: Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases, Innovative Medicines and Early Development, Biotech Unit, AstraZeneca, Pepparedsleden 1, Mölndal 43183, Sweden.,present address: AstraZeneca MPI Satellite Unit, Abteilung Chemische Biologie, Max Planck Institut für Molekulare Physiologie, Otto-Hahn-Str. 11, 44227 Dortmund, Germany
| | - Thomas A Wichelhaus
- Institut für Medizinische Mikrobiologie und Krankenhaushygiene, Universitätsklinikum Frankfurt, Paul-Ehrlich-Str. 40, D-60596 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Helge B Bode
- Molekulare Biotechnologie, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, D-60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences (BMLS), Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 15, D-60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
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30
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Tobola F, Lelimousin M, Varrot A, Gillon E, Darnhofer B, Blixt O, Birner-Gruenberger R, Imberty A, Wiltschi B. Effect of Noncanonical Amino Acids on Protein-Carbohydrate Interactions: Structure, Dynamics, and Carbohydrate Affinity of a Lectin Engineered with Fluorinated Tryptophan Analogs. ACS Chem Biol 2018; 13:2211-2219. [PMID: 29812892 PMCID: PMC6102642 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.8b00377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
![]()
Protein–carbohydrate
interactions play crucial roles in
biology. Understanding and modifying these interactions is of major
interest for fighting many diseases. We took a synthetic biology approach
and incorporated noncanonical amino acids into a bacterial lectin
to modulate its interactions with carbohydrates. We focused on tryptophan,
which is prevalent in carbohydrate binding sites. The exchange of
the tryptophan residues with analogs fluorinated at different positions
resulted in three distinctly fluorinated variants of the lectin from Ralstonia solanacearum. We observed differences in stability
and affinity toward fucosylated glycans and rationalized them by X-ray
and modeling studies. While fluorination decreased the aromaticity
of the indole ring and, therefore, the strength of carbohydrate–aromatic
interactions, additional weak hydrogen bonds were formed between fluorine
and the ligand hydroxyl groups. Our approach opens new possibilities
to engineer carbohydrate receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felix Tobola
- Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology, Petersgasse 14, 8010 Graz, Austria
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology, Graz University of Technology, Petersgasse 14, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | | | | | - Emilie Gillon
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CERMAV, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Barbara Darnhofer
- Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology, Petersgasse 14, 8010 Graz, Austria
- Research Unit of Functional Proteomics and Metabolomics, Institute of Pathology, Medical University of Graz, Stiftingtalstrasse 24, 8010 Graz, Austria
- Omics Center Graz, BioTechMed-Graz, Stiftingtalstrasse 24, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Ola Blixt
- Department of Chemistry, Chemical Biology, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, 1871 Frederiksberg C, Denmark
| | - Ruth Birner-Gruenberger
- Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology, Petersgasse 14, 8010 Graz, Austria
- Research Unit of Functional Proteomics and Metabolomics, Institute of Pathology, Medical University of Graz, Stiftingtalstrasse 24, 8010 Graz, Austria
- Omics Center Graz, BioTechMed-Graz, Stiftingtalstrasse 24, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Anne Imberty
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CERMAV, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Birgit Wiltschi
- Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology, Petersgasse 14, 8010 Graz, Austria
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31
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Chen X, Fan J, Zeng G, Ma J, Wang C, Wang Y, Zhou Y, Deng X. Access to 3a-Benzoylmethyl Pyrrolidino[2,3- b]indolines via Cu II-Catalyzed Radical Annulation/C3-Functionalization Sequence. J Org Chem 2018; 83:8322-8330. [PMID: 29925228 DOI: 10.1021/acs.joc.8b01017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
A CuII-catalyzed radical annulation/C3-functionalization cascade of tryptamine derivatives with aryl ethylene is reported. The mild catalytic system enables the facile construction of 3a-benzoylmethylpyrrolidino[2,3- b]indolines with excellent chemo- and regioselectivities. Remarkably, this novel method utilizes earth-abundant and inexpensive cupric salt as the catalyst and air as the co-oxidant, rendering the process highly environmentally friendly and atom economic. Presumably, the reaction proceeds through CuII-initiated formation of pyrrolidino[2,3- b]indolines radical intermediate I, which is successively trapped by aryl ethylene and O2 to form the product. An 18O2-labeling experiment and several control experiments were designed to support the mechanistic proposal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaofeng Chen
- Xiangya School of Pharmaceutical Science , Central South University , Changsha 410013 , Hunan , China
| | - Jinbao Fan
- Xiangya School of Pharmaceutical Science , Central South University , Changsha 410013 , Hunan , China
| | - Guangyao Zeng
- Xiangya School of Pharmaceutical Science , Central South University , Changsha 410013 , Hunan , China
| | - Jinjin Ma
- Xiangya School of Pharmaceutical Science , Central South University , Changsha 410013 , Hunan , China
| | - Chenxi Wang
- Xiangya School of Pharmaceutical Science , Central South University , Changsha 410013 , Hunan , China
| | - Yajing Wang
- Hunan University of Chinese Medicine , Changsha , 410028 , Hunan , China
| | - Yingjun Zhou
- Xiangya School of Pharmaceutical Science , Central South University , Changsha 410013 , Hunan , China
| | - Xu Deng
- Xiangya School of Pharmaceutical Science , Central South University , Changsha 410013 , Hunan , China
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32
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Huang XY, You M, Ran GL, Fan HR, Zhang WK. Ester-Derivatized indoles as fluorescent and infrared probes for hydration environments. CHINESE J CHEM PHYS 2018. [DOI: 10.1063/1674-0068/31/cjcp1805118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Xin-yue Huang
- Department of Physics and Applied Optics Beijing Area Major Laboratory, Center for Advanced Quantum Studies, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Min You
- Department of Physics and Applied Optics Beijing Area Major Laboratory, Center for Advanced Quantum Studies, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Guang-liu Ran
- Department of Physics and Applied Optics Beijing Area Major Laboratory, Center for Advanced Quantum Studies, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Hao-ran Fan
- Department of Chemistry, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Wen-kai Zhang
- Department of Physics and Applied Optics Beijing Area Major Laboratory, Center for Advanced Quantum Studies, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
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33
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Zou H, Li L, Zhang T, Shi M, Zhang N, Huang J, Xian M. Biosynthesis and biotechnological application of non-canonical amino acids: Complex and unclear. Biotechnol Adv 2018; 36:1917-1927. [PMID: 30063950 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2018.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2018] [Revised: 06/22/2018] [Accepted: 07/27/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Compared with the better-studied canonical amino acids, the distribution, metabolism and functions of natural non-canonical amino acids remain relatively obscure. Natural non-canonical amino acids have been mainly discovered in plants as secondary metabolites that perform diversified physiological functions. Due to their specific characteristics, a broader range of natural and artificial non-canonical amino acids have recently been applied in the development of functional materials and pharmaceutical products. With the rapid development of advanced methods in biotechnology, non-canonical amino acids can be incorporated into peptides, proteins and enzymes to improve the function and performance relative to their natural counterparts. Therefore, biotechnological application of non-canonical amino acids in artificial bio-macromolecules follows the central goal of synthetic biology to: create novel life forms and functions. However, many of the non-canonical amino acids are synthesized via chemo- or semi-synthetic methods, and few non-canonical amino acids can be synthesized using natural in vivo pathways. Therefore, further research is needed to clarify the metabolic pathways and key enzymes of the non-canonical amino acids. This will lead to the discovery of more candidate non-canonical amino acids, especially for those that are derived from microorganisms and are naturally bio-compatible with chassis strains for in vivo biosynthesis. In this review, we summarize representative natural and artificial non-canonical amino acids, their known information regarding associated metabolic pathways, their characteristics and their practical applications. Moreover, this review summarizes current barriers in developing in vivo pathways for the synthesis of non-canonical amino acids, as well as other considerations, future trends and potential applications of non-canonical amino acids in advanced biotechnology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huibin Zou
- College of Chemical Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266042, China; CAS Key Laboratory of Bio-based Materials, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266101, China.
| | - Lei Li
- College of Chemical Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266042, China
| | - Tongtong Zhang
- College of Chemical Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266042, China
| | - Mengxun Shi
- College of Chemical Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266042, China
| | - Nan Zhang
- College of Chemical Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266042, China
| | - Jingling Huang
- College of Chemical Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266042, China
| | - Mo Xian
- CAS Key Laboratory of Bio-based Materials, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266101, China
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34
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Baumann T, Schmitt FJ, Pelzer A, Spiering VJ, Freiherr von Sass GJ, Friedrich T, Budisa N. Engineering 'Golden' Fluorescence by Selective Pressure Incorporation of Non-canonical Amino Acids and Protein Analysis by Mass Spectrometry and Fluorescence. J Vis Exp 2018. [PMID: 29757279 PMCID: PMC6100899 DOI: 10.3791/57017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Fluorescent proteins are fundamental tools for the life sciences, in particular for fluorescence microscopy of living cells. While wild-type and engineered variants of the green fluorescent protein from Aequorea victoria (avGFP) as well as homologs from other species already cover large parts of the optical spectrum, a spectral gap remains in the near-infrared region, for which avGFP-based fluorophores are not available. Red-shifted fluorescent protein (FP) variants would substantially expand the toolkit for spectral unmixing of multiple molecular species, but the naturally occurring red-shifted FPs derived from corals or sea anemones have lower fluorescence quantum yield and inferior photo-stability compared to the avGFP variants. Further manipulation and possible expansion of the chromophore's conjugated system towards the far-red spectral region is also limited by the repertoire of 20 canonical amino acids prescribed by the genetic code. To overcome these limitations, synthetic biology can achieve further spectral red-shifting via insertion of non-canonical amino acids into the chromophore triad. We describe the application of SPI to engineer avGFP variants with novel spectral properties. Protein expression is performed in a tryptophan-auxotrophic E. coli strain and by supplementing growth media with suitable indole precursors. Inside the cells, these precursors are converted to the corresponding tryptophan analogs and incorporated into proteins by the ribosomal machinery in response to UGG codons. The replacement of Trp-66 in the enhanced "cyan" variant of avGFP (ECFP) by an electron-donating 4-aminotryptophan results in GdFP featuring a 108 nm Stokes shift and a strongly red-shifted emission maximum (574 nm), while being thermodynamically more stable than its predecessor ECFP. Residue-specific incorporation of the non-canonical amino acid is analyzed by mass spectrometry. The spectroscopic properties of GdFP are characterized by time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy as one of the valuable applications of genetically encoded FPs in life sciences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias Baumann
- Institute of Chemistry L 1, Department of Biocatalysis, Technical University of Berlin
| | - Franz-Josef Schmitt
- Institute of Chemistry PC 14, Department of Bioenergetics, Technical University of Berlin
| | - Almut Pelzer
- Institute of Chemistry L 1, Department of Biocatalysis, Technical University of Berlin
| | - Vivian Jeanette Spiering
- Institute of Chemistry TC 7, Department of Physical Chemistry/Molecular Material Sciences, Technical University of Berlin
| | | | - Thomas Friedrich
- Institute of Chemistry PC 14, Department of Bioenergetics, Technical University of Berlin;
| | - Nediljko Budisa
- Institute of Chemistry L 1, Department of Biocatalysis, Technical University of Berlin
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35
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Agostini F, Völler J, Koksch B, Acevedo‐Rocha CG, Kubyshkin V, Budisa N. Biocatalysis with Unnatural Amino Acids: Enzymology Meets Xenobiology. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2017; 56:9680-9703. [DOI: 10.1002/anie.201610129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 131] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2016] [Revised: 12/13/2016] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Federica Agostini
- Institut für ChemieTechnische Universität Berlin Müller-Breslau-Strasse 10 10623 Berlin Germany
- Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry—Organic ChemistryFreie Universität Berlin Takustrasse 3 14195 Berlin Germany
| | - Jan‐Stefan Völler
- Institut für ChemieTechnische Universität Berlin Müller-Breslau-Strasse 10 10623 Berlin Germany
| | - Beate Koksch
- Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry—Organic ChemistryFreie Universität Berlin Takustrasse 3 14195 Berlin Germany
| | | | - Vladimir Kubyshkin
- Institut für ChemieTechnische Universität Berlin Müller-Breslau-Strasse 10 10623 Berlin Germany
| | - Nediljko Budisa
- Institut für ChemieTechnische Universität Berlin Müller-Breslau-Strasse 10 10623 Berlin Germany
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36
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Biokatalyse mit nicht‐natürlichen Aminosäuren: Enzymologie trifft Xenobiologie. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.201610129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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37
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Abstract
Many fluorescent proteins are currently available for biological spectroscopy and imaging measurements, allowing a wide range of biochemical and biophysical processes and interactions to be studied at various length scales. However, in applications where a small fluorescence reporter is required or desirable, the choice of fluorophores is rather limited. As such, continued effort has been devoted to the development of amino acid-based fluorophores that do not require a specific environment and additional time to mature and have a large fluorescence quantum yield, long fluorescence lifetime, good photostability, and an emission spectrum in the visible region. Herein, we show that a tryptophan analog, 4-cyanotryptophan, which differs from tryptophan by only two atoms, is the smallest fluorescent amino acid that meets these requirements and has great potential to enable in vitro and in vivo spectroscopic and microscopic measurements of proteins.
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38
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Völler JS, Budisa N. Coupling genetic code expansion and metabolic engineering for synthetic cells. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2017; 48:1-7. [PMID: 28237511 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2017.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2017] [Revised: 02/06/2017] [Accepted: 02/07/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Orthogonal protein translation with noncanonical amino acids (ncAAs) has become a standard method in biosciences. Whereas much effort is made to broaden the chemical space of ncAAs, only few attempts on their systematic low-cost in situ production are reported until now. The main aim is to engineer cells with newly designed biosynthetic pathways coupled with orthogonal aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase/tRNA pairs (o-pairs). These should provide cost-effective solutions to industrially relevant bio-production problems, such as peptide/protein production beyond the canonical set of natural molecules and to expand the arsenal of chemistries available for living cells. Therefore, coupling genetic code expansion (GCE) with metabolic engineering is the basic prerequisite to transform orthogonal translation from a standard technique in academic research to industrial biotechnology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan-Stefan Völler
- Department of Chemistry, Technische Universität Berlin, Müller-Breslau-Straße 10, 10623 Berlin, Germany
| | - Nediljko Budisa
- Department of Chemistry, Technische Universität Berlin, Müller-Breslau-Straße 10, 10623 Berlin, Germany.
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39
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Anderhuber N, Fladischer P, Gruber-Khadjawi M, Mairhofer J, Striedner G, Wiltschi B. High-level biosynthesis of norleucine in E. coli for the economic labeling of proteins. J Biotechnol 2016; 235:100-11. [PMID: 27107466 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiotec.2016.04.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2015] [Revised: 04/14/2016] [Accepted: 04/19/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
The residue-specific labeling of proteins with non-canonical amino acids (ncAA) is well established in shake flask cultures. A key aspect for the transfer of the methodology to larger scales for biotechnological applications is the cost of the supplemented ncAAs. Therefore, we established a scalable bioprocess using an engineered host strain for the biosynthesis of the methionine analog norleucine at titers appropriate for the efficient and economic labeling of proteins. To enhance the biosynthesis of norleucine, which is a side-product of the branched chain amino acid pathway, we deleted all three acetolactate synthase isoforms of the methionine auxotrophic Escherichia coli expression strain B834(DE3). Additionally, we overexpressed leuABCD to boost the biosynthesis of norleucine. We systematically analyzed the production of norleucine under the conditions for its residue-specific incorporation in bioreactor cultures that had a 30-fold higher cell density than shake flask cultures. Under optimized conditions, 5g/L norleucine was biosynthesized. This titer is two times higher than the standard supplementation with norleucine of a culture with comparable cell density. We expect that our metabolically engineered strain for the improved biosynthesis of norleucine in combination with the proposed bioprocess will facilitate the efficient residue-specific labeling of proteins at a reasonable price in scales beyond the shake flask.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niklaus Anderhuber
- acib-Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology, Petersgasse 14, A-8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Patrik Fladischer
- acib-Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology, Petersgasse 14, A-8010 Graz, Austria; Institute of Molecular Biotechnology, Graz University of Technology, Petersgasse 14, A-8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Mandana Gruber-Khadjawi
- acib-Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology, Petersgasse 14, A-8010 Graz, Austria; Department of Organic Chemistry, Graz University of Technology, Stremayrgasse 9/4, A-8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Juergen Mairhofer
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, and Department of Biotechnology, Muthgasse 18, A-1190 Vienna, Austria; enGenes Biotech GmbH, Mooslackengasse 17, A-1190 Vienna, Austria
| | - Gerald Striedner
- acib-Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology, Petersgasse 14, A-8010 Graz, Austria; Department of Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, and Department of Biotechnology, Muthgasse 18, A-1190 Vienna, Austria
| | - Birgit Wiltschi
- acib-Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology, Petersgasse 14, A-8010 Graz, Austria.
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40
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Chuang KV, Kieffer ME, Reisman SE. A Mild and General Larock Indolization Protocol for the Preparation of Unnatural Tryptophans. Org Lett 2016; 18:4750-3. [PMID: 27598827 DOI: 10.1021/acs.orglett.6b02477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
A mild and general protocol for the Pd(0)-catalyzed heteroannulation of o-bromoanilines and alkynes is described. Application of a Pd(0)/P((t)Bu)3 catalyst system enables the efficient coupling of o-bromoanilines at 60 °C, mitigating deleterious side reactions and enabling access to a broad range of useful unnatural tryptophans. The utility of this new protocol is demonstrated in the highly convergent total synthesis of the bisindole natural product (-)-aspergilazine A.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kangway V Chuang
- The Warren and Katharine Schlinger Laboratory of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology Pasadena, California 91125, United States
| | - Madeleine E Kieffer
- The Warren and Katharine Schlinger Laboratory of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology Pasadena, California 91125, United States
| | - Sarah E Reisman
- The Warren and Katharine Schlinger Laboratory of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology Pasadena, California 91125, United States
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41
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Pham NN, Dang TT, Ngo NT, Villinger A, Ehlers P, Langer P. Facile synthesis of 4- and 7-azaindoles from the corresponding imines by palladium-catalyzed cascade C-C and C-N coupling. Org Biomol Chem 2016; 13:6047-58. [PMID: 25947884 DOI: 10.1039/c5ob00720h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The cyclization of 2,3-dihalopyridines with readily available imines provides a convenient and regioselective approach to 4- and 7-azaindoles. The regioselectivity can be controlled by the choice of the halogen atoms at the pyridine ring (chlorine versus bromine).
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Affiliation(s)
- Ngo Nghia Pham
- Institut für Chemie, Universität Rostock, Albert-Einstein-Str. 3a, 18059 Rostock, Germany.
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42
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43
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Talukder P, Chen S, Roy B, Yakovchuk P, Spiering MM, Alam MP, Madathil MM, Bhattacharya C, Benkovic SJ, Hecht SM. Cyanotryptophans as Novel Fluorescent Probes for Studying Protein Conformational Changes and DNA–Protein Interaction. Biochemistry 2015; 54:7457-69. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.5b01085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Poulami Talukder
- Center
for BioEnergetics, Biodesign Institute, and School of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287, United States
| | - Shengxi Chen
- Center
for BioEnergetics, Biodesign Institute, and School of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287, United States
| | - Basab Roy
- Center
for BioEnergetics, Biodesign Institute, and School of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287, United States
| | - Petro Yakovchuk
- Center
for BioEnergetics, Biodesign Institute, and School of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287, United States
| | - Michelle M. Spiering
- Department
of Chemistry, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, United States
| | - Mohammad P. Alam
- Center
for BioEnergetics, Biodesign Institute, and School of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287, United States
| | - Manikandadas M. Madathil
- Center
for BioEnergetics, Biodesign Institute, and School of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287, United States
| | - Chandrabali Bhattacharya
- Center
for BioEnergetics, Biodesign Institute, and School of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287, United States
| | - Stephen J. Benkovic
- Department
of Chemistry, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, United States
| | - Sidney M. Hecht
- Center
for BioEnergetics, Biodesign Institute, and School of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287, United States
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44
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Noichl BP, Durkin PM, Budisa N. Toward intrinsically colored peptides: Synthesis and investigation of the spectral properties of methylated azatryptophans in tryptophan-cage mutants. Biopolymers 2015; 104:585-600. [DOI: 10.1002/bip.22709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2015] [Revised: 07/22/2015] [Accepted: 07/23/2015] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin P. Noichl
- Department of Chemistry; Berlin Institute of Technology; Müller-Breslau-Straße 10 10623 Berlin Germany
| | - Patrick M. Durkin
- Department of Chemistry; Berlin Institute of Technology; Müller-Breslau-Straße 10 10623 Berlin Germany
| | - Nediljko Budisa
- Department of Chemistry; Berlin Institute of Technology; Müller-Breslau-Straße 10 10623 Berlin Germany
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45
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Ravikumar Y, Nadarajan SP, Hyeon Yoo T, Lee CS, Yun H. Incorporating unnatural amino acids to engineer biocatalysts for industrial bioprocess applications. Biotechnol J 2015; 10:1862-76. [DOI: 10.1002/biot.201500153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2015] [Revised: 08/13/2015] [Accepted: 09/02/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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46
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Ravikumar Y, Nadarajan SP, Yoo TH, Lee CS, Yun H. Unnatural amino acid mutagenesis-based enzyme engineering. Trends Biotechnol 2015; 33:462-70. [PMID: 26088007 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2015.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2015] [Revised: 05/07/2015] [Accepted: 05/13/2015] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
Abstract
Traditional enzyme engineering relies on substituting one amino acid by one of the other 19 natural amino acids to change the functional properties of an enzyme. However, incorporation of unnatural amino acids (UAAs) has been harnessed to engineer efficient enzymes for biocatalysis. Residue-specific and site-specific in vivo incorporation methods are becoming the preferred approach for producing enzymes with altered or improved functions. We describe the contribution of in vivo UAA incorporation methodologies to enzyme engineering as well as the future prospects for the field, including the integration of UAAs with other new advances in enzyme engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuvaraj Ravikumar
- School of Biotechnology, Department of Biochemistry, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan, Gyeongbuk 712-749, Korea
| | | | - Tae Hyeon Yoo
- Department of Molecular Science and Technology, Ajou University, Suwon 443-749, Korea
| | - Chong-soon Lee
- School of Biotechnology, Department of Biochemistry, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan, Gyeongbuk 712-749, Korea
| | - Hyungdon Yun
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Konkuk University, Seoul 143-701, Korea.
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47
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Gee MB, Kim TS, Yum EK. Palladium-catalyzed heteroannulation approach to 7-azatryptophan with a Schöllkopf chiral auxiliary. B KOREAN CHEM SOC 2015. [DOI: 10.1002/bkcs.10287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Moon Bae Gee
- Department of Chemistry; Chungnam National University; Taejeon 305-764 Korea
| | - Tae Seung Kim
- Department of Chemistry; Chungnam National University; Taejeon 305-764 Korea
| | - Eul Kgun Yum
- Department of Chemistry; Chungnam National University; Taejeon 305-764 Korea
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48
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Chang SC, Huq R, Chhabra S, Beeton C, Pennington MW, Smith BJ, Norton RS. N-Terminally extended analogues of the K⁺ channel toxin from Stichodactyla helianthus as potent and selective blockers of the voltage-gated potassium channel Kv1.3. FEBS J 2015; 282:2247-59. [PMID: 25864722 DOI: 10.1111/febs.13294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2014] [Revised: 03/22/2015] [Accepted: 04/06/2015] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The voltage-gated potassium channel Kv1.3 is an important target for the treatment of autoimmune diseases and asthma. Blockade of Kv1.3 by the sea anemone peptide K⁺-channel toxin from Stichodactyla helianthus (ShK) inhibits the proliferation of effector memory T lymphocytes and ameliorates autoimmune diseases in animal models. However, the lack of selectivity of ShK for Kv1.3 over the Kv1.1 subtype has driven a search for Kv1.3-selective analogues. In the present study, we describe N-terminally extended analogues of ShK that contain a negatively-charged Glu, designed to mimic the phosphonate adduct in earlier Kv1.3-selective analogues, and consist entirely of common protein amino acids. Molecular dynamics simulations indicated that a Trp residue at position [-3] of the tetrapeptide extension could form stable interactions with Pro377 of Kv1.3 and best discriminates between Kv1.3 and Kv1.1. This led to the development of ShK with an N-terminal Glu-Trp-Ser-Ser extension ([EWSS]ShK), which inhibits Kv1.3 with an IC₅₀ of 34 pm and is 158-fold selective for Kv1.3 over Kv1.1. In addition, [EWSS]ShK is more than 2900-fold more selective for Kv1.3 over Kv1.2 and KCa3.1 channels. As a highly Kv1.3-selective analogue of ShK based entirely on protein amino acids, which can be produced by recombinant expression, this peptide is a valuable addition to the complement of therapeutic candidates for the treatment of autoimmune diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shih C Chang
- Medicinal Chemistry, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Vic., Australia
| | - Redwan Huq
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Sandeep Chhabra
- Medicinal Chemistry, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Vic., Australia
| | - Christine Beeton
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | | | - Brian J Smith
- Department of Chemistry and Physics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Vic., Australia
| | - Raymond S Norton
- Medicinal Chemistry, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Vic., Australia
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49
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Dumas A, Lercher L, Spicer CD, Davis BG. Designing logical codon reassignment - Expanding the chemistry in biology. Chem Sci 2015; 6:50-69. [PMID: 28553457 PMCID: PMC5424465 DOI: 10.1039/c4sc01534g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 327] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2014] [Accepted: 07/14/2014] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the last decade, the ability to genetically encode unnatural amino acids (UAAs) has evolved rapidly. The programmed incorporation of UAAs into recombinant proteins relies on the reassignment or suppression of canonical codons with an amino-acyl tRNA synthetase/tRNA (aaRS/tRNA) pair, selective for the UAA of choice. In order to achieve selective incorporation, the aaRS should be selective for the designed tRNA and UAA over the endogenous amino acids and tRNAs. Enhanced selectivity has been achieved by transferring an aaRS/tRNA pair from another kingdom to the organism of interest, and subsequent aaRS evolution to acquire enhanced selectivity for the desired UAA. Today, over 150 non-canonical amino acids have been incorporated using such methods. This enables the introduction of a large variety of structures into proteins, in organisms ranging from prokaryote, yeast and mammalian cells lines to whole animals, enabling the study of protein function at a level that could not previously be achieved. While most research to date has focused on the suppression of 'non-sense' codons, recent developments are beginning to open up the possibility of quadruplet codon decoding and the more selective reassignment of sense codons, offering a potentially powerful tool for incorporating multiple amino acids. Here, we aim to provide a focused review of methods for UAA incorporation with an emphasis in particular on the different tRNA synthetase/tRNA pairs exploited or developed, focusing upon the different UAA structures that have been incorporated and the logic behind the design and future creation of such systems. Our hope is that this will help rationalize the design of systems for incorporation of unexplored unnatural amino acids, as well as novel applications for those already known.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anaëlle Dumas
- Chemistry Research Laboratory , Department of Chemistry , University of Oxford , Mansfield Road , Oxford , OX1 3TA , UK .
| | - Lukas Lercher
- Chemistry Research Laboratory , Department of Chemistry , University of Oxford , Mansfield Road , Oxford , OX1 3TA , UK .
| | - Christopher D Spicer
- Chemistry Research Laboratory , Department of Chemistry , University of Oxford , Mansfield Road , Oxford , OX1 3TA , UK .
| | - Benjamin G Davis
- Chemistry Research Laboratory , Department of Chemistry , University of Oxford , Mansfield Road , Oxford , OX1 3TA , UK .
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Biosynthetic incorporation of the azulene moiety in proteins with high efficiency. Amino Acids 2014; 47:213-6. [PMID: 25399056 DOI: 10.1007/s00726-014-1870-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2014] [Accepted: 11/04/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Biosynthetic incorporation of β-(1-azulenyl)-L-alanine, an isostere of tryptophan, is reported using a tryptophan auxotroph expression host. The azulene moiety introduced this way in proteins features many attractive spectroscopic properties, particularly suitable for in vivo studies.
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