1
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Liu J, Hu Y. Discovery and evolution of [4 + 2] cyclases. Curr Opin Chem Biol 2024; 81:102504. [PMID: 39068821 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2024.102504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2024] [Revised: 07/05/2024] [Accepted: 07/05/2024] [Indexed: 07/30/2024]
Abstract
[4 + 2] Cyclases are potent biocatalysts that have been bestowed upon microorganisms and plants by nature, equipping them with the powerful tools to utilize and implement the [4 + 2] cycloaddition reaction for constructing the cyclohexene core in synthesizing valuable molecules. Over the past two years, eleven new enzymes have joined this pericyclase club and undergone extensive investigation. In this review, we present a comprehensive overview of recent advancements in characterizing [4 + 2] cyclases with regard to their catalytic mechanism and stereoselectivity. We particularly focus on insights gained from enzyme co-crystal structures, cofactors, as well as the effects of glycosylation. Advancements in understanding the mechanisms of natural [4 + 2] cyclases offer the potential to mimic evolutionary processes and engineer artificial enzymes for the development of valuable and practical biocatalysts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiawang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, PR China
| | - Youcai Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, PR China.
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2
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Hilvert D. Spiers Memorial Lecture: Engineering biocatalysts. Faraday Discuss 2024. [PMID: 39046423 DOI: 10.1039/d4fd00139g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/25/2024]
Abstract
Enzymes are being engineered to catalyze chemical reactions for many practical applications in chemistry and biotechnology. The approaches used are surveyed in this short review, emphasizing methods for accessing reactivities not expressed by native protein scaffolds. The successful generation of completely de novo enzymes that rival the rates and selectivities of their natural counterparts highlights the potential role that designer enzymes may play in the coming years in research, industry, and medicine. Some challenges that need to be addressed to realize this ambitious dream are considered together with possible solutions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donald Hilvert
- Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, ETH Zürich, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland.
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3
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Bell EL, Hutton AE, Burke AJ, O'Connell A, Barry A, O'Reilly E, Green AP. Strategies for designing biocatalysts with new functions. Chem Soc Rev 2024; 53:2851-2862. [PMID: 38353665 PMCID: PMC10946311 DOI: 10.1039/d3cs00972f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
The engineering of natural enzymes has led to the availability of a broad range of biocatalysts that can be used for the sustainable manufacturing of a variety of chemicals and pharmaceuticals. However, for many important chemical transformations there are no known enzymes that can serve as starting templates for biocatalyst development. These limitations have fuelled efforts to build entirely new catalytic sites into proteins in order to generate enzymes with functions beyond those found in Nature. This bottom-up approach to enzyme development can also reveal new fundamental insights into the molecular origins of efficient protein catalysis. In this tutorial review, we will survey the different strategies that have been explored for designing new protein catalysts. These methods will be illustrated through key selected examples, which demonstrate how highly proficient and selective biocatalysts can be developed through experimental protein engineering and/or computational design. Given the rapid pace of development in the field, we are optimistic that designer enzymes will begin to play an increasingly prominent role as industrial biocatalysts in the coming years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth L Bell
- Renewable Resources and Enabling Sciences Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO 80401, USA
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, School of Chemistry, University of Manchester, 131 Princess Street, Manchester, M1 7DN, UK.
| | - Amy E Hutton
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, School of Chemistry, University of Manchester, 131 Princess Street, Manchester, M1 7DN, UK.
| | - Ashleigh J Burke
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, School of Chemistry, University of Manchester, 131 Princess Street, Manchester, M1 7DN, UK.
- Center for Marine Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Adam O'Connell
- School of Chemistry, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland.
| | - Amber Barry
- School of Chemistry, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland.
| | - Elaine O'Reilly
- School of Chemistry, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland.
| | - Anthony P Green
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, School of Chemistry, University of Manchester, 131 Princess Street, Manchester, M1 7DN, UK.
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4
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Hutton AE, Foster J, Crawshaw R, Hardy FJ, Johannissen LO, Lister TM, Gérard EF, Birch-Price Z, Obexer R, Hay S, Green AP. A non-canonical nucleophile unlocks a new mechanistic pathway in a designed enzyme. Nat Commun 2024; 15:1956. [PMID: 38438341 PMCID: PMC10912507 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46123-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 03/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Directed evolution of computationally designed enzymes has provided new insights into the emergence of sophisticated catalytic sites in proteins. In this regard, we have recently shown that a histidine nucleophile and a flexible arginine can work in synergy to accelerate the Morita-Baylis-Hillman (MBH) reaction with unrivalled efficiency. Here, we show that replacing the catalytic histidine with a non-canonical Nδ-methylhistidine (MeHis23) nucleophile leads to a substantially altered evolutionary outcome in which the catalytic Arg124 has been abandoned. Instead, Glu26 has emerged, which mediates a rate-limiting proton transfer step to deliver an enzyme (BHMeHis1.8) that is more than an order of magnitude more active than our earlier MBHase. Interestingly, although MeHis23 to His substitution in BHMeHis1.8 reduces activity by 4-fold, the resulting His containing variant is still a potent MBH biocatalyst. However, analysis of the BHMeHis1.8 evolutionary trajectory reveals that the MeHis nucleophile was crucial in the early stages of engineering to unlock the new mechanistic pathway. This study demonstrates how even subtle perturbations to key catalytic elements of designed enzymes can lead to vastly different evolutionary outcomes, resulting in new mechanistic solutions to complex chemical transformations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy E Hutton
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, School of Chemistry, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Jake Foster
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, School of Chemistry, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Rebecca Crawshaw
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, School of Chemistry, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Florence J Hardy
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, School of Chemistry, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Linus O Johannissen
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, School of Chemistry, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Thomas M Lister
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, School of Chemistry, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Emilie F Gérard
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, School of Chemistry, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Zachary Birch-Price
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, School of Chemistry, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Richard Obexer
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, School of Chemistry, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Sam Hay
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, School of Chemistry, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Anthony P Green
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, School of Chemistry, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
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5
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Wang P, Zhang J, Zhang S, Lu D, Zhu Y. Using High-Throughput Molecular Dynamics Simulation to Enhance the Computational Design of Kemp Elimination Enzymes. J Chem Inf Model 2023; 63:1323-1337. [PMID: 36782360 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.3c00002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/15/2023]
Abstract
Computational enzyme design has been successfully applied to identify new alternatives to natural enzymes for the biosynthesis of important compounds. However, the moderate catalytic activities of de novo designed enzymes indicate that the modeling accuracy of current computational enzyme design methods should be improved. Here, high-throughput molecular dynamics simulations were used to enhance computational enzyme design, thus allowing the identification of variants with higher activities in silico. Different time schemes of high-throughput molecular dynamics simulations were tested to identify the catalytic features of evolved Kemp eliminases. The 20 × 1 ns molecular dynamics simulation scheme was sufficiently accurate and computationally viable to screen the computationally designed massive variants of Kemp elimination enzymes. The developed hybrid computational strategy was used to redesign the most active Kemp eliminase, HG3.17, and five variants were generated and experimentally confirmed to afford higher catalytic efficiencies than that of HG3.17, with one double variant (D52Q/A53S) exhibiting a 55% increase. The hybrid computational enzyme design strategy is general and computationally economical, with which we anticipate the efficient creation of practical enzymes for industrial biocatalysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengyu Wang
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China.,Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Jun Zhang
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Shengyu Zhang
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Diannan Lu
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Yushan Zhu
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
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6
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Eberhart ME, Wilson TR, Johnston NW, Alexandrova AN. Geometry of Charge Density as a Reporter on the Role of the Protein Scaffold in Enzymatic Catalysis: Electrostatic Preorganization and Beyond. J Chem Theory Comput 2023; 19:694-704. [PMID: 36562645 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.2c01060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Enzymes host active sites inside protein macromolecules, which have diverse, often incredibly complex, and atom-expensive structures. It is an outstanding question what the role of these expensive scaffolds might be in enzymatic catalysis. Answering this question is essential to both enzymology and the design of artificial enzymes with proficiencies that will match those of the best natural enzymes. Protein rigidifying the active site, contrasted with the dynamics and vibrational motion promoting the reaction, as well as long-range electrostatics (also known as electrostatic preorganization) were all proposed as central contributions of the scaffold to the catalysis. Here, we show that all these effects inevitably produce changes in the quantum mechanical electron density in the active site, which in turn defines the reactivity. The phenomena are therefore fundamentally inseparable. The geometry of the electron density-a scalar field characterized by a number of mathematical features such as critical points-is a rigorous and convenient descriptor of enzymatic catalysis and a reporter on the role of the protein. We show how this geometry can be analyzed, linked to the reaction barriers, and report in particular on intramolecular electric fields in enzymes. We illustrate these tools on the studies of electrostatic preorganization in several representative enzyme classes, both natural and artificial. We highlight the forward-looking aspects of the approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark E Eberhart
- Department of Chemistry, Colorado School of Mines, 1500 Illinois Street, Golden, Colorado 80401, United States
| | - Timothy R Wilson
- Department of Chemistry, Colorado School of Mines, 1500 Illinois Street, Golden, Colorado 80401, United States
| | - Nathaniel W Johnston
- Department of Chemistry, and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, 607 Charles E. Young Drive East, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
| | - Anastassia N Alexandrova
- Department of Chemistry, and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, 607 Charles E. Young Drive East, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
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7
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Gutierrez-Rus LI, Alcalde M, Risso VA, Sanchez-Ruiz JM. Efficient Base-Catalyzed Kemp Elimination in an Engineered Ancestral Enzyme. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:8934. [PMID: 36012203 PMCID: PMC9408544 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23168934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2022] [Revised: 08/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The routine generation of enzymes with completely new active sites is a major unsolved problem in protein engineering. Advances in this field have thus far been modest, perhaps due, at least in part, to the widespread use of modern natural proteins as scaffolds for de novo engineering. Most modern proteins are highly evolved and specialized and, consequently, difficult to repurpose for completely new functionalities. Conceivably, resurrected ancestral proteins with the biophysical properties that promote evolvability, such as high stability and conformational diversity, could provide better scaffolds for de novo enzyme generation. Kemp elimination, a non-natural reaction that provides a simple model of proton abstraction from carbon, has been extensively used as a benchmark in de novo enzyme engineering. Here, we present an engineered ancestral β-lactamase with a new active site that is capable of efficiently catalyzing Kemp elimination. The engineering of our Kemp eliminase involved minimalist design based on a single function-generating mutation, inclusion of an extra polypeptide segment at a position close to the de novo active site, and sharply focused, low-throughput library screening. Nevertheless, its catalytic parameters (kcat/KM~2·105 M-1 s-1, kcat~635 s-1) compare favorably with the average modern natural enzyme and match the best proton-abstraction de novo Kemp eliminases that are reported in the literature. The general implications of our results for de novo enzyme engineering are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis I. Gutierrez-Rus
- Departamento de Quimica Fisica, Facultad de Ciencias, Unidad de Excelencia de Quimica Aplicada a Biomedicina y Medioambiente (UEQ), Universidad de Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain
| | - Miguel Alcalde
- Department of Biocatalysis, Institute of Catalysis and Petrochemistry, CSIC, Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Valeria A. Risso
- Departamento de Quimica Fisica, Facultad de Ciencias, Unidad de Excelencia de Quimica Aplicada a Biomedicina y Medioambiente (UEQ), Universidad de Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain
| | - Jose M. Sanchez-Ruiz
- Departamento de Quimica Fisica, Facultad de Ciencias, Unidad de Excelencia de Quimica Aplicada a Biomedicina y Medioambiente (UEQ), Universidad de Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain
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8
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Arad E, Jelinek R. Catalytic amyloids. TRENDS IN CHEMISTRY 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.trechm.2022.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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9
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Koebke KJ, Pinter TBJ, Pitts WC, Pecoraro VL. Catalysis and Electron Transfer in De Novo Designed Metalloproteins. Chem Rev 2022; 122:12046-12109. [PMID: 35763791 PMCID: PMC10735231 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.1c01025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
One of the hallmark advances in our understanding of metalloprotein function is showcased in our ability to design new, non-native, catalytically active protein scaffolds. This review highlights progress and milestone achievements in the field of de novo metalloprotein design focused on reports from the past decade with special emphasis on de novo designs couched within common subfields of bioinorganic study: heme binding proteins, monometal- and dimetal-containing catalytic sites, and metal-containing electron transfer sites. Within each subfield, we highlight several of what we have identified as significant and important contributions to either our understanding of that subfield or de novo metalloprotein design as a discipline. These reports are placed in context both historically and scientifically. General suggestions for future directions that we feel will be important to advance our understanding or accelerate discovery are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karl J. Koebke
- Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan Ann Arbor, MI 48109 USA
| | | | - Winston C. Pitts
- Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan Ann Arbor, MI 48109 USA
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10
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Lechner H, Oberdorfer G. Derivatives of Natural Organocatalytic Cofactors and Artificial Organocatalytic Cofactors as Catalysts in Enzymes. Chembiochem 2022; 23:e202100599. [PMID: 35302276 PMCID: PMC9401024 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202100599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2021] [Revised: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Catalytically active non-metal cofactors in enzymes carry out a variety of different reactions. The efforts to develop derivatives of naturally occurring cofactors such as flavins or pyridoxal phosphate and the advances to design new, non-natural cofactors are reviewed here. We report the status quo for enzymes harboring organocatalysts as derivatives of natural cofactors or as artificial ones and their application in the asymmetric synthesis of various compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Horst Lechner
- Graz University of TechnologyInstitute of BiochemistryPetersgasse 10–12/II8010GrazAustria
| | - Gustav Oberdorfer
- Graz University of TechnologyInstitute of BiochemistryPetersgasse 10–12/II8010GrazAustria
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11
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Abstract
The ability to design efficient enzymes from scratch would have a profound effect on chemistry, biotechnology and medicine. Rapid progress in protein engineering over the past decade makes us optimistic that this ambition is within reach. The development of artificial enzymes containing metal cofactors and noncanonical organocatalytic groups shows how protein structure can be optimized to harness the reactivity of nonproteinogenic elements. In parallel, computational methods have been used to design protein catalysts for diverse reactions on the basis of fundamental principles of transition state stabilization. Although the activities of designed catalysts have been quite low, extensive laboratory evolution has been used to generate efficient enzymes. Structural analysis of these systems has revealed the high degree of precision that will be needed to design catalysts with greater activity. To this end, emerging protein design methods, including deep learning, hold particular promise for improving model accuracy. Here we take stock of key developments in the field and highlight new opportunities for innovation that should allow us to transition beyond the current state of the art and enable the robust design of biocatalysts to address societal needs.
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12
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Zheng Y, Vaissier Welborn V. Tuning the Catalytic Activity of Synthetic Enzyme KE15 with DNA. J Phys Chem B 2022; 126:3407-3413. [PMID: 35483007 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.2c00765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Efficiency improvement of synthetic enzymes through scaffold modifications suffers from limitations in terms of effectiveness, cost, and potential devastating consequences for protein structural stability. Here, we propose an alternative to scaffold modification, within electrostatic preorganization theory, where the enzyme's greater environment is designed to support the evolution of the reaction in the active site. We demonstrate the feasibility of such an approach by placing a (polar) DNA fragment in the surroundings of the Kemp eliminase enzyme KE15 (structure from Houk's group) and computing the resulting change in catalytic activity. We find that the introduction of a DNA fragment magnifies the contribution of protein residues to the stabilization of the transition state, estimated from electric field calculations with polarizable molecular dynamics. Our randomly generated test systems reveal a 2.0 kcal/mol reduction in activation energy, suggesting that even more significant catalytic improvements could be made by optimizing DNA size, sequence, and orientation with respect to the enzyme, validating our approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Zheng
- Department of Chemistry, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia 24060, United States
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13
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Lawal MM, Vaissier Welborn V. Structural dynamics support electrostatic interactions in the active site of Adenylate Kinase. Chembiochem 2022; 23:e202200097. [PMID: 35303385 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202200097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2022] [Revised: 03/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Electrostatic preorganization as well as structural and dynamic heterogeneity are often used to rationalize the remarkable catalytic efficiency of enzymes. However, they are often presented as incompatible because the generation of permanent electrostatic effects implies that the protein structure remains rigid. Here, we use a metric, electric fields, that can treat electrostatic contributions and dynamics effects on equal footing, for a unique perspective on enzymatic catalysis. We find that the residues that contribute the most to electrostatic interactions with the substrate in the active site of Adenylate Kinase (our working example) are also the most flexible residues. Further, entropy-tuning mutations raise flexibility at the picosecond timescale where more conformations can be visited on short time periods, thereby softening the sharp heterogeneity normally visible at the microsecond timescale.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Valerie Vaissier Welborn
- Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Chemistry, Davidson 421A, 1040 Drillfield Drive, 24073, Blacksburg, UNITED STATES
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14
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Li B, Guan X, Yang S, Zou Y, Liu W, Houk KN. Mechanism of the Stereoselective Catalysis of Diels-Alderase PyrE3 Involved in Pyrroindomycin Biosynthesis. J Am Chem Soc 2022; 144:5099-5107. [PMID: 35258962 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.2c00015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The biosynthesis of pyrroindomycins A and B features a complexity-building [4 + 2] cycloaddition cascade, which generates the spirotetramate core under the catalytic effects of monofunctional Diels-Alderases PyrE3 and PyrI4. We recently showed that the main functions of PyrI4 include acid catalysis and induced-fit/conformational selection. We now present quantum mechanical and molecular dynamics studies implicating a different mode of action by PyrE3, which prearranges an anionic polyene substrate into a high-energy reactive conformation at which an inverse-electron-demand Diels-Alder reaction can occur with a low barrier. Stereoselection is realized by strong binding interactions at the endo stereochemical relationship and a local steric constraint on the endo-1,3-diene unit. These findings, illustrating distinct mechanisms for PyrE3 and PyrI4, highlight how nature has evolved multiple ways to catalyze Diels-Alder reactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Li
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095-1569, United States
| | - Xingyi Guan
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095-1569, United States
| | - Song Yang
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095-1569, United States
| | - Yike Zou
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095-1569, United States
| | - Wen Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioorganic and Natural Products Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 345 Lingling Road, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - K N Houk
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095-1569, United States
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15
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García‐Marquina G, Núñez‐Franco R, Peccati F, Tang Y, Jiménez‐Osés G, López‐Gallego F. Deconvoluting the Directed Evolution Pathway of Engineered Acyltransferase LovD. ChemCatChem 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/cctc.202101349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Guillermo García‐Marquina
- Center for cooperative Research in Biomaterials (CIC biomaGUNE) - Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA) Heterogeneous Biocatalysis laboratory Paseo de Miramón, 182 20014 Donostia-San Sebastián Spain
- Universidad de La Rioja Departamento de Química Centro de Investigación en Síntesis Química Madre de Dios, 53 E-26006 Logroño Spain
| | - Reyes Núñez‐Franco
- Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA) Computational Chemistry Laboratory Bizkaia Technology Park Building 800 48160 Derio Spain
| | - Francesca Peccati
- Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA) Computational Chemistry Laboratory Bizkaia Technology Park Building 800 48160 Derio Spain
| | - Yi Tang
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering University of California 607 Charles E. Young Drive East 90095 Los Angeles, CA USA
| | - Gonzalo Jiménez‐Osés
- Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA) Computational Chemistry Laboratory Bizkaia Technology Park Building 800 48160 Derio Spain
- lkerbasque Basque Foundation for Science Plaza Euskadi 5 48009 Bilbao Spain
| | - Fernando López‐Gallego
- Center for cooperative Research in Biomaterials (CIC biomaGUNE) - Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA) Heterogeneous Biocatalysis laboratory Paseo de Miramón, 182 20014 Donostia-San Sebastián Spain
- lkerbasque Basque Foundation for Science Plaza Euskadi 5 48009 Bilbao Spain
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16
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Vargas S, Hennefarth MR, Liu Z, Alexandrova AN. Machine Learning to Predict Diels-Alder Reaction Barriers from the Reactant State Electron Density. J Chem Theory Comput 2021; 17:6203-6213. [PMID: 34478623 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.1c00623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Reaction barriers are key to our understanding of chemical reactivity and catalysis. Certain reactions are so seminal in chemistry that countless variants, with or without catalysts, have been studied, and their barriers have been computed or measured experimentally. This wealth of data represents a perfect opportunity to leverage machine learning models, which could quickly predict barriers without explicit calculations or measurement. Here, we show that the topological descriptors of the quantum mechanical charge density in the reactant state constitute a set that is both rigorous and continuous and can be used effectively for the prediction of reaction barrier energies to a high degree of accuracy. We demonstrate this on the Diels-Alder reaction, highly important in biology and medicinal chemistry, and as such, studied extensively. This reaction exhibits a range of barriers as large as 270 kJ/mol. While we trained our single-objective supervised (labeled) regression algorithms on simpler Diels-Alder reactions in solution, they predict reaction barriers also in significantly more complicated contexts, such a Diels-Alder reaction catalyzed by an artificial enzyme and its evolved variants, in agreement with experimental changes in kcat. We expect this tool to apply broadly to a variety of reactions in solution or in the presence of a catalyst, for screening and circumventing heavily involved computations or experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Santiago Vargas
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, 607 Charles E. Young Drive East, Los Angeles, California 90095-1569, United States
| | - Matthew R Hennefarth
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, 607 Charles E. Young Drive East, Los Angeles, California 90095-1569, United States
| | - Zhihao Liu
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, 607 Charles E. Young Drive East, Los Angeles, California 90095-1569, United States
| | - Anastassia N Alexandrova
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, 607 Charles E. Young Drive East, Los Angeles, California 90095-1569, United States.,California NanoSystems Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, 570 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, California 90095-1569, United States
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17
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Evolution of dynamical networks enhances catalysis in a designer enzyme. Nat Chem 2021; 13:1017-1022. [PMID: 34413499 DOI: 10.1038/s41557-021-00763-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2020] [Accepted: 06/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Activation heat capacity is emerging as a crucial factor in enzyme thermoadaptation, as shown by the non-Arrhenius behaviour of many natural enzymes. However, its physical origin and relationship to the evolution of catalytic activity remain uncertain. Here we show that directed evolution of a computationally designed Kemp eliminase reshapes protein dynamics, which gives rise to an activation heat capacity absent in the original design. These changes buttress transition-state stabilization. Extensive molecular dynamics simulations show that evolution results in the closure of solvent-exposed loops and a better packing of the active site. Remarkably, this gives rise to a correlated dynamical network that involves the transition state and large parts of the protein. This network tightens the transition-state ensemble, which induces a negative activation heat capacity and non-linearity in the activity-temperature dependence. Our results have implications for understanding enzyme evolution and suggest that selectively targeting the conformational dynamics of the transition-state ensemble by design and evolution will expedite the creation of novel enzymes.
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18
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Kashyap R, Yerra NV, Oja J, Bala S, Potuganti GR, Thota JR, Alla M, Pal D, Addlagatta A. Exo-selective intermolecular Diels-Alder reaction by PyrI4 and AbnU on non-natural substrates. Commun Chem 2021; 4:113. [PMID: 36697804 PMCID: PMC9814550 DOI: 10.1038/s42004-021-00552-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2021] [Accepted: 07/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The 100-year-old Diels-Alder reaction (DAr) is an atom economic and elegant organic chemistry transformation combining a 1,3-diene and a dienophile in a [4+2] cycloaddition leading to a set of products with several stereo centres and multiple stereoisomers. Stereoselective [4+2] cycloaddition is a challenge. Here, we describe two natural enzymes, PyrI4 and AbnU performing stereospecific intermolecular DAr on non-natural substrates. AbnU catalyses a single exo-stereoisomer by 32-fold higher than the background. PyrI4 catalyses the same stereoisomer (15-fold higher) as a major component (>50%). Structural, biochemical and fluorescence studies indicate that the dienophile enters first into the β-barrel of the enzymes followed by the 1,3-diene, yielding a stereospecific product. However, if some critical interactions are disrupted to increase the catalytic efficiency, stereoselectivity is compromised. Since it is established that natural enzymes can carry out intermolecular DAr on non-natural substrates, several hundreds of Diels-Alderases available in nature could be explored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajnandani Kashyap
- grid.417636.10000 0004 0636 1405Department of Applied Biology, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad, Telangana State 500007 India ,grid.469887.c0000 0004 7744 2771Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002 India
| | - Naga Veera Yerra
- grid.469887.c0000 0004 7744 2771Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002 India ,grid.417636.10000 0004 0636 1405Analytical and Structural Chemistry Department, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad, Telangana State 500007 India
| | - Joachyutharayalu Oja
- grid.417636.10000 0004 0636 1405Fluoro-Agrochemicals Department, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad, Telangana State 500007 India
| | - Sandeepchowdary Bala
- grid.417636.10000 0004 0636 1405Department of Applied Biology, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad, Telangana State 500007 India ,grid.469887.c0000 0004 7744 2771Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002 India
| | - Gal Reddy Potuganti
- grid.469887.c0000 0004 7744 2771Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002 India ,grid.417636.10000 0004 0636 1405Fluoro-Agrochemicals Department, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad, Telangana State 500007 India
| | - Jagadeshwar Reddy Thota
- grid.469887.c0000 0004 7744 2771Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002 India ,grid.417636.10000 0004 0636 1405Analytical and Structural Chemistry Department, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad, Telangana State 500007 India
| | - Manjula Alla
- grid.469887.c0000 0004 7744 2771Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002 India ,grid.417636.10000 0004 0636 1405Fluoro-Agrochemicals Department, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad, Telangana State 500007 India
| | - Debnath Pal
- grid.34980.360000 0001 0482 5067Department of Computational and Data Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, India
| | - Anthony Addlagatta
- grid.417636.10000 0004 0636 1405Department of Applied Biology, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad, Telangana State 500007 India ,grid.469887.c0000 0004 7744 2771Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002 India
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19
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Titov IY, Stroylov VS, Rusina P, Svitanko IV. Preliminary modelling as the first stage of targeted organic synthesis. RUSSIAN CHEMICAL REVIEWS 2021. [DOI: 10.1070/rcr5012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The review aims to present a classification and applicability analysis of methods for preliminary molecular modelling for targeted organic, catalytic and biocatalytic synthesis. The following three main approaches are considered as a primary classification of the methods: modelling of the target – ligand coordination without structural information on both the target and the resulting complex; calculations based on experimentally obtained structural information about the target; and dynamic simulation of the target – ligand complex and the reaction mechanism with calculation of the free energy of the reaction. The review is meant for synthetic chemists to be used as a guide for building an algorithm for preliminary modelling and synthesis of structures with specified properties.
The bibliography includes 353 references.
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20
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Wang Y, Xue P, Cao M, Yu T, Lane ST, Zhao H. Directed Evolution: Methodologies and Applications. Chem Rev 2021; 121:12384-12444. [PMID: 34297541 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.1c00260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 196] [Impact Index Per Article: 65.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Directed evolution aims to expedite the natural evolution process of biological molecules and systems in a test tube through iterative rounds of gene diversifications and library screening/selection. It has become one of the most powerful and widespread tools for engineering improved or novel functions in proteins, metabolic pathways, and even whole genomes. This review describes the commonly used gene diversification strategies, screening/selection methods, and recently developed continuous evolution strategies for directed evolution. Moreover, we highlight some representative applications of directed evolution in engineering nucleic acids, proteins, pathways, genetic circuits, viruses, and whole cells. Finally, we discuss the challenges and future perspectives in directed evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yajie Wang
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,DOE Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Pu Xue
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,DOE Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Mingfeng Cao
- DOE Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Tianhao Yu
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,DOE Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Stephan T Lane
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,DOE Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Huimin Zhao
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,DOE Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
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21
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Mariz BDP, Carvalho S, Batalha IL, Pina AS. Artificial enzymes bringing together computational design and directed evolution. Org Biomol Chem 2021; 19:1915-1925. [PMID: 33443278 DOI: 10.1039/d0ob02143a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Enzymes are proteins that catalyse chemical reactions and, as such, have been widely used to facilitate a variety of natural and industrial processes, dating back to ancient times. In fact, the global enzymes market is projected to reach $10.5 billion in 2024. The development of computational and DNA editing tools boosted the creation of artificial enzymes (de novo enzymes) - synthetic or organic molecules created to present abiological catalytic functions. These novel catalysts seek to expand the catalytic power offered by nature through new functions and properties. In this manuscript, we discuss the advantages of combining computational design with directed evolution for the development of artificial enzymes and how this strategy allows to fill in the gaps that these methods present individually by providing key insights about the sequence-function relationship. We also review examples, and respective strategies, where this approach has enabled the creation of artificial enzymes with promising catalytic activity. Such key enabling technologies are opening new windows of opportunity in a variety of industries, including pharmaceutical, chemical, biofuels, and food, contributing towards a more sustainable development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatriz de Pina Mariz
- UCIBIO, Chemistry Department, School of Science and Technology, NOVA University of Lisbon, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal.
| | - Sara Carvalho
- UCIBIO, Chemistry Department, School of Science and Technology, NOVA University of Lisbon, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal.
| | - Iris L Batalha
- Nanoscience Centre, Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, 11 J.J. Thomson Avenue, Cambridge, CB3 0FF, UK
| | - Ana Sofia Pina
- UCIBIO, Chemistry Department, School of Science and Technology, NOVA University of Lisbon, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal.
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22
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Revolutionizing enzyme engineering through artificial intelligence and machine learning. Emerg Top Life Sci 2021; 5:113-125. [PMID: 33835131 DOI: 10.1042/etls20200257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2020] [Revised: 03/17/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The combinatorial space of an enzyme sequence has astronomical possibilities and exploring it with contemporary experimental techniques is arduous and often ineffective. Multi-target objectives such as concomitantly achieving improved selectivity, solubility and activity of an enzyme have narrow plausibility under approaches of restricted mutagenesis and combinatorial search. Traditional enzyme engineering approaches have a limited scope for complex optimization due to the requirement of a priori knowledge or experimental burden of screening huge protein libraries. The recent surge in high-throughput experimental methods including Next Generation Sequencing and automated screening has flooded the field of molecular biology with big-data, which requires us to re-think our concurrent approaches towards enzyme engineering. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) have great potential to revolutionize smart enzyme engineering without the explicit need for a complete understanding of the underlying molecular system. Here, we portray the role and position of AI techniques in the field of enzyme engineering along with their scope and limitations. In addition, we explain how the traditional approaches of directed evolution and rational design can be extended through AI tools. Recent successful examples of AI-assisted enzyme engineering projects and their deviation from traditional approaches are highlighted. A comprehensive picture of current challenges and future avenues for AI in enzyme engineering are also discussed.
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23
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Quirke JCK, Crich D. Side Chain Conformation Restriction in the Catalysis of Glycosidic Bond Formation by Leloir Glycosyltransferases, Glycoside Phosphorylases, and Transglycosidases. ACS Catal 2021; 11:5069-5078. [PMID: 34367723 PMCID: PMC8336929 DOI: 10.1021/acscatal.1c00896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Carbohydrate side chain conformation is an important factor in the control of reactivity at the anomeric center, ie, in the making and breaking of glycosidic bonds, whether chemically or, for hydrolysis, by glycoside hydrolases. In nature glycosidic bond formation is catalyzed out by glycosyltransferases (GTs), glycoside phosphoryases, and transglycosidases. By analysis of 118 crystal structures of sugar nucleotide dependent (Leloir) GTs, 136 crystal structures of glycoside phosphorylases, and 54 crystal structures of transglycosidases bound to hexopyranosides or their analogs at the donor site (-1 site), we determined that most enzymes that catalyze glycoside synthesis, be they GTs, glycoside phosphorylases or transglycosidases, restrict their substrate side chains to the most reactive gauche,gauche (gg) conformation to achieve maximum stabilization of the oxocarbenium ion-like transition state for glycosyl transfer. The galactose series deviates from this trend, with α-galactosyltransferases preferentially restricting their substrates to the second-most reactive gauche,trans (gt) conformation, and β-galactosyltransferases favoring the least reactive trans,gauche (tg) conformation. This insight will help progress the design and development of improved, conformationally-restricted GT inhibitors that take advantage of these inherent side chain preferences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan C. K. Quirke
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, University of Georgia, 250 West Green Street, Athens, GA 30602, USA
- Department of Chemistry, University of Georgia, 140 Cedar Street, Athens, GA 30602, USA
- Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, University of Georgia, 315 Riverbend Road, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - David Crich
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, University of Georgia, 250 West Green Street, Athens, GA 30602, USA
- Department of Chemistry, University of Georgia, 140 Cedar Street, Athens, GA 30602, USA
- Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, University of Georgia, 315 Riverbend Road, Athens, GA 30602, USA
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24
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Naudin EA, McEwen AG, Tan SK, Poussin-Courmontagne P, Schmitt JL, Birck C, DeGrado WF, Torbeev V. Acyl Transfer Catalytic Activity in De Novo Designed Protein with N-Terminus of α-Helix As Oxyanion-Binding Site. J Am Chem Soc 2021; 143:3330-3339. [PMID: 33635059 PMCID: PMC8012002 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.0c10053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The design of catalytic proteins with functional sites capable of specific chemistry is gaining momentum and a number of artificial enzymes have recently been reported, including hydrolases, oxidoreductases, retro-aldolases, and others. Our goal is to develop a peptide ligase for robust catalysis of amide bond formation that possesses no stringent restrictions to the amino acid composition at the ligation junction. We report here the successful completion of the first step in this long-term project by building a completely de novo protein with predefined acyl transfer catalytic activity. We applied a minimalist approach to rationally design an oxyanion hole within a small cavity that contains an adjacent thiol nucleophile. The N-terminus of the α-helix with unpaired hydrogen-bond donors was exploited as a structural motif to stabilize negatively charged tetrahedral intermediates in nucleophilic addition-elimination reactions at the acyl group. Cysteine acting as a principal catalytic residue was introduced at the second residue position of the α-helix N-terminus in a designed three-α-helix protein based on structural informatics prediction. We showed that this minimal set of functional elements is sufficient for the emergence of catalytic activity in a de novo protein. Using peptide-αthioesters as acyl-donors, we demonstrated their catalyzed amidation concomitant with hydrolysis and proved that the environment at the catalytic site critically influences the reaction outcome. These results represent a promising starting point for the development of efficient catalysts for protein labeling, conjugation, and peptide ligation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elise A Naudin
- Institut de Science et d'Ingénierie Supramoléculaires (ISIS), International Center for Frontier Research in Chemistry (icFRC), University of Strasbourg, CNRS (UMR 7006), Strasbourg 67000, France
| | - Alastair G McEwen
- Integrated Structural Biology Platform, Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IGBMC), CNRS (UMR 7104), INSERM (U1258), University of Strasbourg, Illkirch 67404, France
| | - Sophia K Tan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and the Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158-9001, United States
| | - Pierre Poussin-Courmontagne
- Integrated Structural Biology Platform, Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IGBMC), CNRS (UMR 7104), INSERM (U1258), University of Strasbourg, Illkirch 67404, France
| | - Jean-Louis Schmitt
- Institut de Science et d'Ingénierie Supramoléculaires (ISIS), International Center for Frontier Research in Chemistry (icFRC), University of Strasbourg, CNRS (UMR 7006), Strasbourg 67000, France
| | - Catherine Birck
- Integrated Structural Biology Platform, Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IGBMC), CNRS (UMR 7104), INSERM (U1258), University of Strasbourg, Illkirch 67404, France
| | - William F DeGrado
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and the Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158-9001, United States
| | - Vladimir Torbeev
- Institut de Science et d'Ingénierie Supramoléculaires (ISIS), International Center for Frontier Research in Chemistry (icFRC), University of Strasbourg, CNRS (UMR 7006), Strasbourg 67000, France
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25
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Efficient Lewis acid catalysis of an abiological reaction in a de novo protein scaffold. Nat Chem 2021; 13:231-235. [DOI: 10.1038/s41557-020-00628-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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26
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Bunzel HA, Anderson JLR, Mulholland AJ. Designing better enzymes: Insights from directed evolution. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2021; 67:212-218. [PMID: 33517098 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2020.12.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2020] [Revised: 12/03/2020] [Accepted: 12/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
De novo enzymes can be created by computational design and directed evolution. Here, we review recent insights into the origins of catalytic power in evolved designer enzymes to pinpoint opportunities for next-generation designs: Evolution precisely organizes active sites, introduces catalytic H-bonding networks, invokes electrostatic catalysis, and creates dynamical networks embedding the active site in a reactive protein scaffold. Such insights foster our fundamental knowledge of enzyme catalysis and fuel the future design of tailor-made enzymes.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Adrian Bunzel
- School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK; Centre for Computational Chemistry, School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TS, UK
| | | | - Adrian J Mulholland
- Centre for Computational Chemistry, School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TS, UK.
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27
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Otten R, Pádua RAP, Bunzel HA, Nguyen V, Pitsawong W, Patterson M, Sui S, Perry SL, Cohen AE, Hilvert D, Kern D. How directed evolution reshapes the energy landscape in an enzyme to boost catalysis. Science 2020; 370:1442-1446. [PMID: 33214289 PMCID: PMC9616100 DOI: 10.1126/science.abd3623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2020] [Accepted: 11/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The advent of biocatalysts designed computationally and optimized by laboratory evolution provides an opportunity to explore molecular strategies for augmenting catalytic function. Applying a suite of nuclear magnetic resonance, crystallography, and stopped-flow techniques to an enzyme designed for an elementary proton transfer reaction, we show how directed evolution gradually altered the conformational ensemble of the protein scaffold to populate a narrow, highly active conformational ensemble and accelerate this transformation by nearly nine orders of magnitude. Mutations acquired during optimization enabled global conformational changes, including high-energy backbone rearrangements, that cooperatively organized the catalytic base and oxyanion stabilizer, thus perfecting transition-state stabilization. The development of protein catalysts for many chemical transformations could be facilitated by explicitly sampling conformational substates during design and specifically stabilizing productive substates over all unproductive conformations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renee Otten
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Biochemistry, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02454, USA
| | - Ricardo A P Pádua
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Biochemistry, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02454, USA
| | - H Adrian Bunzel
- Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, ETH Zürich, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Vy Nguyen
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Biochemistry, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02454, USA
| | - Warintra Pitsawong
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Biochemistry, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02454, USA
| | - MacKenzie Patterson
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Biochemistry, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02454, USA
| | - Shuo Sui
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Institute of Applied Life Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Sarah L Perry
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Institute of Applied Life Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Aina E Cohen
- Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA
| | - Donald Hilvert
- Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, ETH Zürich, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland.
| | - Dorothee Kern
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Biochemistry, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02454, USA.
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28
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Caldwell SJ, Haydon IC, Piperidou N, Huang PS, Bick MJ, Sjöström HS, Hilvert D, Baker D, Zeymer C. Tight and specific lanthanide binding in a de novo TIM barrel with a large internal cavity designed by symmetric domain fusion. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:30362-30369. [PMID: 33203677 PMCID: PMC7720202 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2008535117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
De novo protein design has succeeded in generating a large variety of globular proteins, but the construction of protein scaffolds with cavities that could accommodate large signaling molecules, cofactors, and substrates remains an outstanding challenge. The long, often flexible loops that form such cavities in many natural proteins are difficult to precisely program and thus challenging for computational protein design. Here we describe an alternative approach to this problem. We fused two stable proteins with C2 symmetry-a de novo designed dimeric ferredoxin fold and a de novo designed TIM barrel-such that their symmetry axes are aligned to create scaffolds with large cavities that can serve as binding pockets or enzymatic reaction chambers. The crystal structures of two such designs confirm the presence of a 420 cubic Ångström chamber defined by the top of the designed TIM barrel and the bottom of the ferredoxin dimer. We functionalized the scaffold by installing a metal-binding site consisting of four glutamate residues close to the symmetry axis. The protein binds lanthanide ions with very high affinity as demonstrated by tryptophan-enhanced terbium luminescence. This approach can be extended to other metals and cofactors, making this scaffold a modular platform for the design of binding proteins and biocatalysts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shane J Caldwell
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
| | - Ian C Haydon
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
| | - Nikoletta Piperidou
- Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule (ETH) Zürich, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Po-Ssu Huang
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Shriram Center for Bioengineering and Chemical Engineering, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Matthew J Bick
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
| | - H Sebastian Sjöström
- Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule (ETH) Zürich, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Donald Hilvert
- Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule (ETH) Zürich, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - David Baker
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195;
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
| | - Cathleen Zeymer
- Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule (ETH) Zürich, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland;
- Department of Chemistry, Technische Universität München, 85747 Garching, Germany
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29
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Vrancken JPM, Tame JRH, Voet ARD. Development and applications of artificial symmetrical proteins. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2020; 18:3959-3968. [PMID: 33335692 PMCID: PMC7734218 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2020.10.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2020] [Revised: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 10/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Since the determination of the first molecular models of proteins there has been interest in creating proteins artificially, but such methods have only become widely successful in the last decade. Gradual improvements over a long period of time have now yielded numerous examples of non-natural proteins, many of which are built from repeated elements. In this review we discuss the design of such symmetrical proteins and their various applications in chemistry and medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeroen P M Vrancken
- Laboratory of Biomolecular Modelling and Design, Department of Chemistry, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200G, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jeremy R H Tame
- Graduate School of Medical Life Science, Yokohama City University, 1-7-29 Suehiro, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan
| | - Arnout R D Voet
- Laboratory of Biomolecular Modelling and Design, Department of Chemistry, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200G, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
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30
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Zou Y, Yang S, Sanders JN, Li W, Yu P, Wang H, Tang Z, Liu W, Houk KN. Computational Investigation of the Mechanism of Diels-Alderase PyrI4. J Am Chem Soc 2020; 142:20232-20239. [PMID: 33190496 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.0c10813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
We studied the mechanisms of activation and stereoselectivity of a monofunctional Diels-Alderase (PyrI4)-catalyzed intramolecular Diels-Alder reaction that leads to formation of the key spiro-tetramate moiety in the biosynthesis of the pyrroindomycin family of natural products. Key activation effects of PyrI4 include acid catalysis and an induced-fit mechanism that cooperate with the unique "lid" feature of PyrI4 to stabilize the Diels-Alder transition state. PyrI4 enhances the intrinsic Diels-Alder stereoselectivity of the substrate and leads to stereospecific formation of the product.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yike Zou
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095-1569, United States
| | - Song Yang
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095-1569, United States
| | - Jacob N Sanders
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095-1569, United States
| | - Wei Li
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095-1569, United States
| | - Peiyuan Yu
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095-1569, United States
| | - Hongbo Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioorganic and Natural Products Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 345 Lingling Road, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Zhijun Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioorganic and Natural Products Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 345 Lingling Road, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Wen Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioorganic and Natural Products Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 345 Lingling Road, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - K N Houk
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095-1569, United States
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31
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Ghattas W, Mahy JP, Réglier M, Simaan AJ. Artificial Enzymes for Diels-Alder Reactions. Chembiochem 2020; 22:443-459. [PMID: 32852088 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202000316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2020] [Revised: 08/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The Diels-Alder (DA) reaction is a cycloaddition of a conjugated diene and an alkene (dienophile) leading to the formation of a cyclohexene derivative through a concerted mechanism. As DA reactions generally proceed with a high degree of regio- and stereoselectivity, they are widely used in synthetic organic chemistry. Considering eco-conscious public and governmental movements, efforts are now directed towards the development of synthetic processes that meet environmental concerns. Artificial enzymes, which can be developed to catalyze abiotic reactions, appear to be important synthetic tools in the synthetic biology field. This review describes the different strategies used to develop protein-based artificial enzymes for DA reactions, including for in cellulo approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wadih Ghattas
- Institut de Chimie Moléculaire et des Matériaux d'Orsay (ICMMO), UMR 8182 CNRS, Université Paris Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, Orsay, 91405 Cedex 8, France
| | - Jean-Pierre Mahy
- Institut de Chimie Moléculaire et des Matériaux d'Orsay (ICMMO), UMR 8182 CNRS, Université Paris Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, Orsay, 91405 Cedex 8, France
| | - Marius Réglier
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, Centrale Marseille, iSm2, Avenue Escadrille Normandie Niemen, Service 342, Marseille, 13397, France
| | - A Jalila Simaan
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, Centrale Marseille, iSm2, Avenue Escadrille Normandie Niemen, Service 342, Marseille, 13397, France
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32
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Chalopin Y. The physical origin of rate promoting vibrations in enzymes revealed by structural rigidity. Sci Rep 2020; 10:17465. [PMID: 33060716 PMCID: PMC7566648 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-74439-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2020] [Accepted: 09/30/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Enzymes are the most efficient catalysts known to date. However, decades of research have failed to fully explain the catalytic power of enzymes, and most of the current attempts to uncloak the details of atomic motions at active sites remain incomplete. Here, a straightforward manner for understanding the interplay between the complex or irregular enzyme topology and dynamical effects at catalytic sites is introduced, by revealing how fast localized vibrations form spontaneously in the stiffest parts of the scaffold. While shedding light on a physical mechanism that allowed the selection of the picosecond (ps) timescale to increase the catalytic proficiency, this approach exposes the functional importance of localized motions as a by-product of the stability-function tradeoff in enzyme evolution. From this framework of analysis—directly accessible from available diffraction data—experimental strategies for engineering the catalytic rate in enzymatic proteins are proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yann Chalopin
- Laboratoire EM2C, CNRS & CentraleSupelec, University of Paris-Saclay, 91190, Gif-sur-Yvette, France.
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33
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Enhancing promiscuous chemistries of a Schiff-base forming enzyme by divergent evolution. Methods Enzymol 2020. [PMID: 32943152 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2020.06.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register]
Abstract
Directed evolution has emerged as a powerful technique for the rapid tailoring of enzymes toward particular synthetic demands, spawning a number of enzymes capable of complex chemical transformations. During random mutagenesis of a protein, changes in fitness must be assayed in order to quantify and understand the relative effect a given mutation has, and the assay employed must be carefully chosen to report directly on the transformation of interest. Here, we describe a series of medium-throughput screening techniques that have been utilized for the evolution and engineering of an artificial carboligase, RA95.5-8, resulting in improvement of catalytic efficiency of a number of promiscuous chemistries. The methods make use of common analytical chemistry equipment and low-cost materials, and may help inspire development of novel screening workflows for related transformations.
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34
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Yang G, Miton CM, Tokuriki N. A mechanistic view of enzyme evolution. Protein Sci 2020; 29:1724-1747. [PMID: 32557882 PMCID: PMC7380680 DOI: 10.1002/pro.3901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2020] [Revised: 06/14/2020] [Accepted: 06/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
New enzyme functions often evolve through the recruitment and optimization of latent promiscuous activities. How do mutations alter the molecular architecture of enzymes to enhance their activities? Can we infer general mechanisms that are common to most enzymes, or does each enzyme require a unique optimization process? The ability to predict the location and type of mutations necessary to enhance an enzyme's activity is critical to protein engineering and rational design. In this review, via the detailed examination of recent studies that have shed new light on the molecular changes underlying the optimization of enzyme function, we provide a mechanistic perspective of enzyme evolution. We first present a global survey of the prevalence of activity-enhancing mutations and their distribution within protein structures. We then delve into the molecular solutions that mediate functional optimization, specifically highlighting several common mechanisms that have been observed across multiple examples. As distinct protein sequences encounter different evolutionary bottlenecks, different mechanisms are likely to emerge along evolutionary trajectories toward improved function. Identifying the specific mechanism(s) that need to be improved upon, and tailoring our engineering efforts to each sequence, may considerably improve our chances to succeed in generating highly efficient catalysts in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gloria Yang
- Michael Smith LaboratoriesUniversity of British ColumbiaVancouverBritish ColumbiaCanada
| | - Charlotte M. Miton
- Michael Smith LaboratoriesUniversity of British ColumbiaVancouverBritish ColumbiaCanada
| | - Nobuhiko Tokuriki
- Michael Smith LaboratoriesUniversity of British ColumbiaVancouverBritish ColumbiaCanada
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35
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Weitzner BD, Kipnis Y, Daniel AG, Hilvert D, Baker D. A computational method for design of connected catalytic networks in proteins. Protein Sci 2020; 28:2036-2041. [PMID: 31642127 PMCID: PMC6863703 DOI: 10.1002/pro.3757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2019] [Revised: 10/21/2019] [Accepted: 10/21/2019] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Computational design of new active sites has generally proceeded by geometrically defining interactions between the reaction transition state(s) and surrounding side‐chain functional groups which maximize transition‐state stabilization, and then searching for sites in protein scaffolds where the specified side‐chain–transition‐state interactions can be realized. A limitation of this approach is that the interactions between the side chains themselves are not constrained. An extensive connected hydrogen bond network involving the catalytic residues was observed in a designed retroaldolase following directed evolution. Such connected networks could increase catalytic activity by preorganizing active site residues in catalytically competent orientations, and enabling concerted interactions between side chains during catalysis, for example, proton shuffling. We developed a method for designing active sites in which the catalytic side chains, in addition to making interactions with the transition state, are also involved in extensive hydrogen bond networks. Because of the added constraint of hydrogen‐bond connectivity between the catalytic side chains, to find solutions, a wider range of interactions between these side chains and the transition state must be considered. Our new method starts from a ChemDraw‐like two‐dimensional representation of the transition state with hydrogen‐bond donors, acceptors, and covalent interaction sites indicated, and all placements of side‐chain functional groups that make the indicated interactions with the transition state, and are fully connected in a single hydrogen‐bond network are systematically enumerated. The RosettaMatch method can then be used to identify realizations of these fully‐connected active sites in protein scaffolds. The method generates many fully‐connected active site solutions for a set of model reactions that are promising starting points for the design of fully‐preorganized enzyme catalysts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian D Weitzner
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington.,Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Yakov Kipnis
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington.,Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - A Gerard Daniel
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington.,Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Donald Hilvert
- Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - David Baker
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington.,Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
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36
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Bojar D, Fussenegger M. The Role of Protein Engineering in Biomedical Applications of Mammalian Synthetic Biology. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2020; 16:e1903093. [PMID: 31588687 DOI: 10.1002/smll.201903093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2019] [Revised: 09/05/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Engineered proteins with enhanced or altered functionality, generated for example by mutation or domain fusion, are at the core of nearly all synthetic biology endeavors in the context of precision medicine, also known as personalized medicine. From designer receptors sensing elevated blood markers to effectors rerouting signaling pathways to synthetic transcription factors and the customized therapeutics they regulate, engineered proteins play a crucial role at every step of novel therapeutic approaches using synthetic biology. Here, recent developments in protein engineering aided by advances in directed evolution, de novo design, and machine learning are discussed. Building on clinical successes already achieved with chimeric antigen receptor (CAR-) T cells and other cell-based therapies, these developments are expected to further enhance the capabilities of mammalian synthetic biology in biomedical and other applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Bojar
- ETH Zurich, Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, Faculty of Life Science, University of Basel, Mattenstrasse 26, CH-4058, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Martin Fussenegger
- ETH Zurich, Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, Faculty of Life Science, University of Basel, Mattenstrasse 26, CH-4058, Basel, Switzerland
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37
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Gao L, Su C, Du X, Wang R, Chen S, Zhou Y, Liu C, Liu X, Tian R, Zhang L, Xie K, Chen S, Guo Q, Guo L, Hano Y, Shimazaki M, Minami A, Oikawa H, Huang N, Houk KN, Huang L, Dai J, Lei X. FAD-dependent enzyme-catalysed intermolecular [4+2] cycloaddition in natural product biosynthesis. Nat Chem 2020; 12:620-628. [DOI: 10.1038/s41557-020-0467-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2019] [Accepted: 04/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
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38
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Beker W, Sokalski WA. Bottom-Up Nonempirical Approach To Reducing Search Space in Enzyme Design Guided by Catalytic Fields. J Chem Theory Comput 2020; 16:3420-3429. [PMID: 32282205 PMCID: PMC7467639 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.0c00139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Currently developed protocols of theozyme design still lead to biocatalysts with much lower catalytic activity than enzymes existing in nature, and, so far, the only avenue of improvement was the in vitro laboratory-directed evolution (LDE) experiments. In this paper, we propose a different strategy based on "reversed" methodology of mutation prediction. Instead of common "top-down" approach, requiring numerous assumptions and vast computational effort, we argue for a "bottom-up" approach that is based on the catalytic fields derived directly from transition state and reactant complex wave functions. This enables direct one-step determination of the general quantitative angular characteristics of optimal catalytic site and simultaneously encompasses both the transition-state stabilization (TSS) and ground-state destabilization (GSD) effects. We further extend the static catalytic field approach by introducing a library of atomic multipoles for amino acid side-chain rotamers, which, together with the catalytic field, allow one to determine the optimal side-chain orientations of charged amino acids constituting the elusive structure of a preorganized catalytic environment. Obtained qualitative agreement with experimental LDE data for Kemp eliminase KE07 mutants validates the proposed procedure, yielding, in addition, a detailed insight into possible dynamic and epistatic effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wiktor Beker
- Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Wroclaw, Poland
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39
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Abstract
While the bottom-up design of enzymes appears to be an intractably complex problem, a minimal approach that combines elementary, de novo-designed proteins with intrinsically reactive cofactors offers a simple means to rapidly access sophisticated catalytic mechanisms. Not only is this method proven in the reproduction of powerful oxidative chemistry of the natural peroxidase enzymes, but we show here that it extends to the efficient, abiological—and often asymmetric—formation of strained cyclopropane rings, nitrogen–carbon and carbon–carbon bonds, and the ring expansion of a simple cyclic molecule to form a precursor for NAD+, a fundamentally important biological cofactor. That the enzyme also functions in vivo paves the way for its incorporation into engineered biosynthetic pathways within living organisms. By constructing an in vivo-assembled, catalytically proficient peroxidase, C45, we have recently demonstrated the catalytic potential of simple, de novo-designed heme proteins. Here, we show that C45’s enzymatic activity extends to the efficient and stereoselective intermolecular transfer of carbenes to olefins, heterocycles, aldehydes, and amines. Not only is this a report of carbene transferase activity in a completely de novo protein, but also of enzyme-catalyzed ring expansion of aromatic heterocycles via carbene transfer by any enzyme.
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40
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Jamieson CS, Ohashi M, Liu F, Tang Y, Houk KN. The expanding world of biosynthetic pericyclases: cooperation of experiment and theory for discovery. Nat Prod Rep 2019; 36:698-713. [PMID: 30311924 DOI: 10.1039/c8np00075a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Covering: 2000 to 2018 Pericyclic reactions are a distinct class of reactions that have wide synthetic utility. Before the recent discoveries described in this review, enzyme-catalyzed pericyclic reactions were not widely known to be involved in biosynthesis. This situation is changing rapidly. We define the scope of pericyclic reactions, give a historical account of their discoveries as biosynthetic reactions, and provide evidence that there are many enzymes in nature that catalyze pericyclic reactions. These enzymes, the "pericyclases," are the subject of this review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cooper S Jamieson
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles 90095, USA.
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41
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Enzyme alchemy: cell-free synthetic biochemistry for natural products. Emerg Top Life Sci 2019; 3:529-535. [PMID: 33523168 DOI: 10.1042/etls20190083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2019] [Revised: 08/09/2019] [Accepted: 08/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Cell-free synthetic biochemistry aims to engineer chemical biology by exploiting biosynthetic dexterity outside of the constraints of a living cell. One particular use is for making natural products, where cell-free systems have initially demonstrated feasibility in the biosynthesis of a range of complex natural products classes. This has shown key advantages over total synthesis, such as increased yield, enhanced regioselectivity, use of reduced temperatures and less reaction steps. Uniquely, cell-free synthetic biochemistry represents a new area that seeks to advance upon these efforts and is particularly useful for defining novel synthetic pathways to replace natural routes and optimising the production of complex natural product targets from low-cost precursors. Key challenges and opportunities will include finding solutions to scaled-up cell-free biosynthesis, as well as the targeting of high value and toxic natural products that remain challenging to make either through whole-cell biotransformation platforms or total synthesis routes. Although underexplored, cell-free synthetic biochemistry could also be used to develop 'non-natural' natural products or so-called xenobiotics for novel antibiotics and drugs, which can be difficult to engineer directly within a living cell.
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42
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Marshall LR, Zozulia O, Lengyel-Zhand Z, Korendovych IV. Minimalist de novo Design of Protein Catalysts. ACS Catal 2019; 9:9265-9275. [PMID: 34094654 PMCID: PMC8174531 DOI: 10.1021/acscatal.9b02509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The field of protein design has grown enormously in the past few decades. In this review we discuss the minimalist approach to design of artificial enzymes, in which protein sequences are created with the minimum number of elements for folding and function. This method relies on identifying starting points in catalytically inert scaffolds for active site installation. The progress of the field from the original helical assemblies of the 1980s to the more complex structures of the present day is discussed, highlighting the variety of catalytic reactions which have been achieved using these methods. We outline the strengths and weaknesses of the minimalist approaches, describe representative design cases and put it in the general context of the de novo design of proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liam R. Marshall
- Department of Chemistry, Syracuse University, 111 College Place, Syracuse, NY 13244, USA
| | - Oleksii Zozulia
- Department of Chemistry, Syracuse University, 111 College Place, Syracuse, NY 13244, USA
| | - Zsofia Lengyel-Zhand
- Department of Chemistry, Syracuse University, 111 College Place, Syracuse, NY 13244, USA
| | - Ivan V. Korendovych
- Department of Chemistry, Syracuse University, 111 College Place, Syracuse, NY 13244, USA
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43
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Structural basis for stereoselective dehydration and hydrogen-bonding catalysis by the SAM-dependent pericyclase LepI. Nat Chem 2019; 11:812-820. [PMID: 31332284 PMCID: PMC6708486 DOI: 10.1038/s41557-019-0294-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2018] [Accepted: 06/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
LepI is an S-adenosylmethionine (SAM)-dependent pericyclase that catalyzes the formation of 2-pyridone natural product leporin C. Biochemical characterization showed LepI can catalyze the stereoselective dehydration to yield a reactive (E)-quinone methide that can undergo bifurcating intramolecular Diels-Alder (IMDA) and hetero-Diels-Alder (HDA) cyclizations from an ambimodal transition state, as well as a [3,3]-retro-Claisen rearrangement to recycle the IMDA product into leporin C. Here we solved the X-ray crystal structures of SAM-bound LepI and in complex with a substrate analog, the product leporin C, and a retro-Claisen reaction transition-state analog to understand the structural basis for the multitude of reactions. Structural and mutational analysis revealed how Nature evolves a classic methyltransferase active site into one that can serve as a dehydratase and a multifunctional pericyclase. Catalysis of both sets of reactions employs H133 and R295, two active site residues that are not found in canonical methyltransferases. An alternative role of SAM, which is not found to be in direct contact with the substrate, is also proposed.
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44
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Gallego EM, Paris C, Cantín Á, Moliner M, Corma A. Conceptual similarities between zeolites and artificial enzymes. Chem Sci 2019; 10:8009-8015. [PMID: 31853356 PMCID: PMC6837030 DOI: 10.1039/c9sc02477h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2019] [Accepted: 07/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Inspired by artificial enzymes, we have designed zeolites acting as scaffolds for a given Diels–Alder reaction using mimics of the reaction transition state.
By using a Diels–Alder (DA) reaction as a base case, we show that a pure silica zeolite acting as an entropy-trapping scaffold can be synthesized with an organic structure directing agent (OSDA) analogue of the transition state (TS) of the DA reaction. A cavity stabilization of the TS is observed with the corresponding decrease in the activation energy of the reaction. A lower enthalpy of activation and a larger decrease in entropy are obtained with the zeolite synthesized with the analogue of the DA TS when compared with other zeolitic structures. Those differences are maintained, while catalytic activity is increased, when active sites are introduced in the zeolite. The catalytic zeolitic system synthesized with the OSDA analogue of the TS shows conceptual similarities with “de novo design” of an artificial enzyme to perform DA reactions, in where a suitable scaffold of existing proteins is chosen, and computationally designed active sites able to catalyze the cycloaddition reaction are introduced.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva M Gallego
- Instituto de Tecnología Química , Universitat Politècnica de València-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas , Avenida de los Naranjos s/n , 46022 València , Spain .
| | - Cecilia Paris
- Instituto de Tecnología Química , Universitat Politècnica de València-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas , Avenida de los Naranjos s/n , 46022 València , Spain .
| | - Ángel Cantín
- Instituto de Tecnología Química , Universitat Politècnica de València-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas , Avenida de los Naranjos s/n , 46022 València , Spain .
| | - Manuel Moliner
- Instituto de Tecnología Química , Universitat Politècnica de València-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas , Avenida de los Naranjos s/n , 46022 València , Spain .
| | - Avelino Corma
- Instituto de Tecnología Química , Universitat Politècnica de València-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas , Avenida de los Naranjos s/n , 46022 València , Spain .
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45
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Samy MN, Le Goff G, Lopes P, Georgousaki K, Gumeni S, Almeida C, González I, Genilloud O, Trougakos I, Fokialakis N, Ouazzani J. Osmanicin, a Polyketide Alkaloid Isolated from Streptomyces osmaniensis CA-244599 Inhibits Elastase in Human Fibroblasts. Molecules 2019; 24:molecules24122239. [PMID: 31208056 PMCID: PMC6630352 DOI: 10.3390/molecules24122239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2019] [Revised: 06/11/2019] [Accepted: 06/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The strain Streptomyces osmaniensis CA-244599 isolated from the Comoros islands was submitted to liquid-state fermentation coupled to in situ solid-phase extraction with amberlite XAD-16 resin. Elution of the trapped compounds on the resin beads by ethyl acetate afforded seven metabolites, osmanicin (1), streptazolin (2), streptazone C (3), streptazone B1 (4), streptenol C (5), nocardamine (6) and desmethylenylnocardamine (7). Osmanicin (1) is a newly reported unusual scaffold combining streptazolin (2) and streptazone C (3) through a Diels-Alder type reaction. Experimental evidence excluded the spontaneous formation of 1 from 2 and 3. The isolated compounds were evaluated for their ability to inhibit elastase using normal human diploid fibroblasts. Compound 1 exhibited the most potent activity with an IC50 of 3.7 μM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mamdouh N Samy
- Institut de Chimie des Substances Naturelles ICSN, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Avenue de la Terrasse, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France.
| | - Géraldine Le Goff
- Institut de Chimie des Substances Naturelles ICSN, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Avenue de la Terrasse, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France.
| | - Philippe Lopes
- Institut de Chimie des Substances Naturelles ICSN, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Avenue de la Terrasse, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France.
| | - Katerina Georgousaki
- Department of Pharmacognosy & Natural Products Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15771 Athens, Greece.
| | - Sentiljana Gumeni
- Department of Cell Biology and Biophysics, Faculty of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15784 Athens, Greece.
| | - Celso Almeida
- Fundación MEDINA, Parque Tecnológico de Ciencias de la Salud, 18016 Granada, Spain.
| | - Ignacio González
- Fundación MEDINA, Parque Tecnológico de Ciencias de la Salud, 18016 Granada, Spain.
| | - Olga Genilloud
- Fundación MEDINA, Parque Tecnológico de Ciencias de la Salud, 18016 Granada, Spain.
| | - Ioannis Trougakos
- Department of Cell Biology and Biophysics, Faculty of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15784 Athens, Greece.
| | - Nikolas Fokialakis
- Department of Pharmacognosy & Natural Products Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15771 Athens, Greece.
| | - Jamal Ouazzani
- Institut de Chimie des Substances Naturelles ICSN, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Avenue de la Terrasse, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France.
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46
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Protein engineering: the potential of remote mutations. Biochem Soc Trans 2019; 47:701-711. [PMID: 30902926 DOI: 10.1042/bst20180614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2019] [Revised: 01/18/2019] [Accepted: 02/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Engineered proteins, especially enzymes, are now commonly used in many industries owing to their catalytic power, specific binding of ligands, and properties as materials and food additives. As the number of potential uses for engineered proteins has increased, the interest in engineering or designing proteins to have greater stability, activity and specificity has increased in turn. With any rational engineering or design pursuit, the success of these endeavours relies on our fundamental understanding of the systems themselves; in the case of proteins, their structure-dynamics-function relationships. Proteins are most commonly rationally engineered by targeting the residues that we understand to be functionally important, such as enzyme active sites or ligand-binding sites. This means that the majority of the protein, i.e. regions remote from the active- or ligand-binding site, is often ignored. However, there is a growing body of literature that reports on, and rationalises, the successful engineering of proteins at remote sites. This minireview will discuss the current state of the art in protein engineering, with a particular focus on engineering regions that are remote from active- or ligand-binding sites. As the use of protein technologies expands, exploiting the potential improvements made possible through modifying remote regions will become vital if we are to realise the full potential of protein engineering and design.
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47
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Lichman BR, O'Connor SE, Kries H. Biocatalytic Strategies towards [4+2] Cycloadditions. Chemistry 2019; 25:6864-6877. [DOI: 10.1002/chem.201805412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2018] [Revised: 01/17/2019] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin R. Lichman
- Department of Biological Chemistry; The John Innes Centre; Colney Lane Norwich UK
- Current address: Department of Biology; University of York; York YO10 5YW UK
| | - Sarah E. O'Connor
- Department of Biological Chemistry; The John Innes Centre; Colney Lane Norwich UK
| | - Hajo Kries
- Independent Junior Research Group, Biosynthetic Design of Natural Products; Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Hans Knöll Institute (HKI Jena); Beutenbergstr. 11a 07745 Jena Germany
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48
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Clarke DE, Noguchi H, Gryspeerdt JLAG, De Feyter S, Voet ARD. Artificial β-propeller protein-based hydrolases. Chem Commun (Camb) 2019; 55:8880-8883. [DOI: 10.1039/c9cc04388h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
We investigated symmetrical β-propeller protein scaffolds as artificial hydrolases and discovered their catalytic mechanism to be centred around a threonine–histidine dyad.
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Affiliation(s)
- David E. Clarke
- Division of Molecular Imaging and Photonics
- Department of Chemistry
- KU Leuven
- Leuven
- Belgium
| | - Hiroki Noguchi
- Laboratory of Biomolecular Modelling and Design
- Department of Chemistry
- KU Leuven
- 3001 Leuven
- Belgium
| | | | - Steven De Feyter
- Division of Molecular Imaging and Photonics
- Department of Chemistry
- KU Leuven
- Leuven
- Belgium
| | - Arnout R. D. Voet
- Laboratory of Biomolecular Modelling and Design
- Department of Chemistry
- KU Leuven
- 3001 Leuven
- Belgium
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49
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Studer S, Hansen DA, Pianowski ZL, Mittl PRE, Debon A, Guffy SL, Der BS, Kuhlman B, Hilvert D. Evolution of a highly active and enantiospecific metalloenzyme from short peptides. Science 2018; 362:1285-1288. [DOI: 10.1126/science.aau3744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2018] [Accepted: 10/31/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Primordial sequence signatures in modern proteins imply ancestral origins tracing back to simple peptides. Although short peptides seldom adopt unique folds, metal ions might have templated their assembly into higher-order structures in early evolution and imparted useful chemical reactivity. Recapitulating such a biogenetic scenario, we have combined design and laboratory evolution to transform a zinc-binding peptide into a globular enzyme capable of accelerating ester cleavage with exacting enantiospecificity and high catalytic efficiency (kcat/KM~ 106M−1s−1). The simultaneous optimization of structure and function in a naïve peptide scaffold not only illustrates a plausible enzyme evolutionary pathway from the distant past to the present but also proffers exciting future opportunities for enzyme design and engineering.
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50
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Gutte B, Klauser S. Design of catalytic polypeptides and proteins. Protein Eng Des Sel 2018; 31:457-470. [PMID: 31241746 DOI: 10.1093/protein/gzz009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The first part of this review article lists examples of complete, empirical de novo design that made important contributions to the development of the field and initiated challenging projects. The second part of this article deals with computational design of novel enzymes in native protein scaffolds; active designs were refined through random and site-directed mutagenesis producing artificial enzymes with nearly native enzyme- like activities against a number of non-natural substrates. Combining aspects of de novo design and biological evolution of nature's enzymes has started and will accelerate the development of novel enzyme activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Gutte
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - S Klauser
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zürich, Switzerland
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