1
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Stover L, Bahramimoghaddam H, Wang L, Schrecke S, Yadav GP, Zhou M, Laganowsky A. Grafting the ALFA tag for structural studies of aquaporin Z. J Struct Biol X 2024; 9:100097. [PMID: 38361954 PMCID: PMC10867769 DOI: 10.1016/j.yjsbx.2024.100097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2023] [Revised: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Aquaporin Z (AqpZ), a bacterial water channel, forms a tetrameric complex and, like many other membrane proteins, activity is regulated by lipids. Various methods have been developed to facilitate structure determination of membrane proteins, such as the use of antibodies. Here, we graft onto AqpZ the ALFA tag (AqpZ-ALFA), an alpha helical epitope, to make use of the high-affinity anti-ALFA nanobody (nB). Native mass spectrometry reveals the AqpZ-ALFA fusion forms a stable, 1:1 complex with nB. Single-particle cryogenic electron microscopy studies reveal the octameric (AqpZ-ALFA)4(nB)4 complex forms a dimeric assembly and the structure was determined to 1.9 Å resolution. Dimerization of the octamer is mediated through stacking of the symmetrically bound nBs. Tube-like density is also observed, revealing a potential cardiolipin binding site. Grafting of the ALFA tag, or other epitope, along with binding and association of nBs to promote larger complexes will have applications in structural studies and protein engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren Stover
- Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, United States
| | | | - Lie Wang
- Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, United States
| | - Samantha Schrecke
- Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, United States
| | - Gaya P. Yadav
- Laboratory for Biomolecular Structure and Dynamics (LBSD), Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, United States
| | - Ming Zhou
- Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, United States
| | - Arthur Laganowsky
- Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, United States
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2
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Zheng YY, Zhao L, Wei XF, Sun TZ, Xu FF, Wang GX, Zhu B. Vaccine Molecule Design Based on Phage Display and Computational Modeling against Rhabdovirus. JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY (BALTIMORE, MD. : 1950) 2024; 212:551-562. [PMID: 38197664 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.2300447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024]
Abstract
Rhabdoviruses with rich species lead a variety of high lethality and rapid transmission diseases to plants and animals around the globe. Vaccination is one of the most effective approaches to prevent and control virus disease. However, the key antigenic epitopes of glycoprotein being used for vaccine development are unclear. In this study, fish-derived Abs are employed for a Micropterus salmoides rhabdovirus (MSRV) vaccine design by phage display and bioinformatics analysis. We constructed an anti-MSRV phage Ab library to screen Abs for glycoprotein segment 2 (G2) (G129-266). Four M13-phage-displayed Abs (Ab-5, Ab-7, Ab-8 and Ab-30) exhibited strong specificity to target Ag, and Ab-7 had the highest affinity with MSRV. Ab-7 (300 μg/ml) significantly increased grass carp ovary cell viability to 83.40% and significantly decreased the titer of MSRV. Molecular docking results showed that the key region of Ag-Ab interaction was located in 10ESQEFTTLTSH20 of G2. G2Ser11 and G2Gln12 were replaced with alanine, respectively, and molecular docking results showed that the Ag-Ab was nonbinding (ΔG > 0). Then, the peptide vaccine KLH-G210-20 was immunized to M. salmoides via i.p. injection. ELISA result showed that the serum Ab potency level increased significantly (p < 0.01). More importantly, the challenge test demonstrated that the peptide vaccine elicited robust protection against MSRV invasion, and the relative percentage survival reached 62.07%. Overall, this study proposed an approach for screening key epitope by combining phage display technology and bioinformatics tools to provide a reliable theoretical reference for the prevention and control of viral diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Ying Zheng
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Liang Zhao
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Xue-Feng Wei
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Tian-Zi Sun
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Fei-Fan Xu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Gao-Xue Wang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
- Key Laboratory of Livestock Biology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Bin Zhu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
- Key Laboratory of Livestock Biology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
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3
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Xu B, Chen Y, Xue W. Computational Protein Design - Where it goes? Curr Med Chem 2024; 31:2841-2854. [PMID: 37272467 DOI: 10.2174/0929867330666230602143700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2022] [Revised: 02/18/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Proteins have been playing a critical role in the regulation of diverse biological processes related to human life. With the increasing demand, functional proteins are sparse in this immense sequence space. Therefore, protein design has become an important task in various fields, including medicine, food, energy, materials, etc. Directed evolution has recently led to significant achievements. Molecular modification of proteins through directed evolution technology has significantly advanced the fields of enzyme engineering, metabolic engineering, medicine, and beyond. However, it is impossible to identify desirable sequences from a large number of synthetic sequences alone. As a result, computational methods, including data-driven machine learning and physics-based molecular modeling, have been introduced to protein engineering to produce more functional proteins. This review focuses on recent advances in computational protein design, highlighting the applicability of different approaches as well as their limitations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Binbin Xu
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Natural Product Synthesis and Drug Research, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing 401331, China
| | - Yingjun Chen
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Natural Product Synthesis and Drug Research, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing 401331, China
| | - Weiwei Xue
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Natural Product Synthesis and Drug Research, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing 401331, China
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4
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Satler T, Hadži S, Jerala R. Crystal Structure of de Novo Designed Coiled-Coil Protein Origami Triangle. J Am Chem Soc 2023; 145:16995-17000. [PMID: 37486611 PMCID: PMC10416210 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c05531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023]
Abstract
Coiled-coil protein origami (CCPO) uses modular coiled-coil building blocks and topological principles to design polyhedral structures distinct from those of natural globular proteins. While the CCPO strategy has proven successful in designing diverse protein topologies, no high-resolution structural information has been available about these novel protein folds. Here we report the crystal structure of a single-chain CCPO in the shape of a triangle. While neither cyclization nor the addition of nanobodies enabled crystallization, it was ultimately facilitated by the inclusion of a GCN2 homodimer. Triangle edges are formed by the orthogonal parallel coiled-coil dimers P1:P2, P3:P4, and GCN2 connected by short linkers. A triangle has a large central cavity and is additionally stabilized by side-chain interactions between neighboring segments at each vertex. The crystal lattice is densely packed and stabilized by a large number of contacts between triangles. Interestingly, the polypeptide chain folds into a trefoil-type protein knot topology, and AlphaFold2 fails to predict the correct fold. The structure validates the modular CC-based protein design strategy, providing molecular insight underlying CCPO stabilization and new opportunities for the design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tadej Satler
- Department
of Synthetic Biology and Immunology, National
Institute of Chemistry, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Interdisciplinary
Doctoral Programme in Biomedicine, University
of Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - San Hadži
- Department
of Synthetic Biology and Immunology, National
Institute of Chemistry, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Department
of Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, University of Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Roman Jerala
- Department
of Synthetic Biology and Immunology, National
Institute of Chemistry, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
- EN-FIST
Centre of Excellence, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
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5
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Bourganou MV, Kontopodis E, Tsangaris GT, Pierros V, Vasileiou NGC, Mavrogianni VS, Fthenakis GC, Katsafadou AI. Unique Peptides of Cathelicidin-1 in the Early Detection of Mastitis-In Silico Analysis. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:10160. [PMID: 37373309 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241210160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Revised: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Based on the results of previously performed clinical studies, cathelicidin-1 has been proposed as a potential biomarker for the early diagnosis of mastitis in ewes. It has been hypothesized that the detection of unique peptides (defined as a peptide, irrespective of its length, that exists in only one protein of a proteome of interest) and core unique peptides (CUPs) (representing the shortest peptide that is unique) of cathelicidin-1 may potentially improve its identification and consequently the diagnosis of sheep mastitis. Peptides of sizes larger than those of the size of CUPs, which include consecutive or over-lapping CUPs, have been defined as 'composite core unique peptides' (CCUPs). The primary objective of the present study was the investigation of the sequence of cathelicidin-1 detected in ewes' milk in order to identify its unique peptides and core unique peptides, which would reveal potential targets for accurate detection of the protein. An additional objective was the detection of unique sequences among the tryptic digest peptides of cathelicidin-1, which would improve accuracy of identification of the protein when performing targeted MS-based proteomics. The potential uniqueness of each peptide of cathelicidin-1 was investigated using a bioinformatics tool built on a big data algorithm. A set of CUPs was created and CCUPs were also searched. Further, the unique sequences in the tryptic digest peptides of cathelicidin-1 were also detected. Finally, the 3D structure of the protein was analyzed from predicted models of proteins. In total, 59 CUPs and four CCUPs were detected in cathelicidin-1 of sheep origin. Among tryptic digest peptides, there were six peptides that were unique in that protein. After 3D structure analysis of the protein, 35 CUPs were found on the core of cathelicidin-1 of sheep origin and among them, 29 were located on amino acids in regions of the protein with 'very high' or 'confident' estimates of confidence of the structure. Ultimately, the following six CUPs: QLNEQ, NEQS, EQSSE, QSSEP, EDPD, DPDS, are proposed as potential antigenic targets for cathelicidin-1 of sheep. Moreover, another six unique peptides were detected in tryptic digests and offer novel mass tags to facilitate the detection of cathelicidin-1 during MS-based diagnostics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria V Bourganou
- Faculty of Public and One Health, University of Thessaly, 43100 Karditsa, Greece
- Proteomics Research Unit, Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Evangelos Kontopodis
- Proteomics Research Unit, Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - George Th Tsangaris
- Proteomics Research Unit, Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Vasileios Pierros
- Proteomics Research Unit, Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
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6
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Abstract
In recent years, protein structure analysis using cryo-electron microscopy(cryo-EM) has expanded and improved. In this review, we discuss many recent improvements to the field, the problems those improvements hope to solve, and some of the still unanswered questions. Most notably, this review will discuss improvements in resolving small or fragmented protein structures, as well as methods to improve the signal-to-noise ratio of the data by increasing image contrast using carbon-based systems. We will also describe how, in the last 5 years, methodological improvements have allowed for better 3D image resolution by capturing a continuum of 3D images. We will provide examples of these methods in practice and discuss how these improved methods may be used in small-molecule drug discovery and development. © 2022 Wiley Periodicals LLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Cabral
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, USA
| | - Julia Elise Cabral
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, USA
| | - Reginald McNulty
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, USA
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7
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Thangaratnarajah C, Rheinberger J, Paulino C. Cryo-EM studies of membrane proteins at 200 keV. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2022; 76:102440. [PMID: 36029606 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2022.102440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2022] [Revised: 07/01/2022] [Accepted: 07/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Single-particle cryogenic electron-microscopy (cryo-EM) has emerged as a powerful technique for the structural characterisation of membrane proteins, especially for targets previously thought to be intractable. Taking advantage of the latest hard- and software developments, high-resolution three-dimensional (3D) reconstructions of membrane proteins by cryo-EM has become routine, with 300-kV transmission electron microscopes (TEMs) being the current standard. The use of 200-kV cryo-TEMs is gaining increasingly prominence, showing the capabilities of reaching better than 2 Å resolution for soluble proteins and better than 3 Å resolution for membrane proteins. Here, we highlight the challenges working with membrane proteins and the impact of cryo-EM, and review the technical and practical benefits, achievements and limitations of imaging at lower electron acceleration voltages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chancievan Thangaratnarajah
- University of Groningen, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology, Electron Microscopy and Membrane Enzymology Group, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG, Groningen, Netherlands.
| | - Jan Rheinberger
- University of Groningen, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology, Electron Microscopy and Membrane Enzymology Group, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG, Groningen, Netherlands. https://twitter.com/rheinbergerj
| | - Cristina Paulino
- University of Groningen, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology, Electron Microscopy and Membrane Enzymology Group, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG, Groningen, Netherlands.
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8
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Legg MSG, Gagnon SML, Powell CJ, Boulanger MJ, Li AJJ, Evans SV. Monoclonal antibody 7H2.2 binds the C-terminus of the cancer-oocyte antigen SAS1B through the hydrophilic face of a conserved amphipathic helix corresponding to one of only two regions predicted to be ordered. ACTA CRYSTALLOGRAPHICA SECTION D STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY 2022; 78:623-632. [DOI: 10.1107/s2059798322003011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Accepted: 03/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
The structure of the antigen-binding fragment (Fab) of mouse monoclonal antibody 7H2.2 in complex with a 15-residue fragment from the metalloproteinase sperm acrosomal SLLP1 binding protein (SAS1B), which is a molecular and cellular candidate for both cancer therapy and female contraception, has been determined at 2.75 Å resolution by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Although the crystallization conditions contained the final 148 C-terminal residues of SAS1B, the Fab was observed to crystallize in complex with a 15-residue fragment corresponding to one of only two elements of secondary structure that are predicted to be ordered within the C-terminal region of SAS1B. The antigen forms an amphipathic α-helix that binds the 7H2.2 combining site via hydrophilic residues in an epitope that spans the length of the antigen α-helix, with only two CH–π interactions observed along the edge of the interface between the antibody and antigen. Interestingly, the paratope contains two residues mutated away from the germline (YL32F and YH58R), as well as a ProH96-ThrH97-AspH98-AspH99 insertion within heavy chain CDR3. The intact 7H2.2 antibody exhibits high affinity for the SAS1B antigen, with 1:1 binding and nanomolar affinity for both the SAS1B C-terminal construct used for crystallization (3.38 ± 0.59 nM) and a 15-amino-acid synthetic peptide construct corresponding to the helical antigen observed within the crystal structure (1.60 ± 0.31 nM). The SAS1B–antibody structure provides the first structural insight into any portion of the subdomain architecture of the C-terminal region of the novel cancer-oocyte tumor surface neoantigen SAS1B and provides a basis for the targeted use of SAS1B.
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9
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Bloch JS, Mukherjee S, Kowal J, Filippova EV, Niederer M, Pardon E, Steyaert J, Kossiakoff AA, Locher KP. Development of a universal nanobody-binding Fab module for fiducial-assisted cryo-EM studies of membrane proteins. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:e2115435118. [PMID: 34782475 PMCID: PMC8617411 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2115435118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
With conformation-specific nanobodies being used for a wide range of structural, biochemical, and cell biological applications, there is a demand for antigen-binding fragments (Fabs) that specifically and tightly bind these nanobodies without disturbing the nanobody-target protein interaction. Here, we describe the development of a synthetic Fab (termed NabFab) that binds the scaffold of an alpaca-derived nanobody with picomolar affinity. We demonstrate that upon complementary-determining region grafting onto this parent nanobody scaffold, nanobodies recognizing diverse target proteins and derived from llama or camel can cross-react with NabFab without loss of affinity. Using NabFab as a fiducial and size enhancer (50 kDa), we determined the high-resolution cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structures of nanobody-bound VcNorM and ScaDMT, both small membrane proteins of ∼50 kDa. Using an additional anti-Fab nanobody further facilitated reliable initial three-dimensional structure determination from small cryo-EM test datasets. Given that NabFab is of synthetic origin, is humanized, and can be conveniently expressed in Escherichia coli in large amounts, it may be useful not only for structural biology but also for biomedical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joël S Bloch
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biophysics, ETH Zürich, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Somnath Mukherjee
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637
| | - Julia Kowal
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biophysics, ETH Zürich, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Ekaterina V Filippova
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637
| | - Martina Niederer
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biophysics, ETH Zürich, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Els Pardon
- Structural Biology Brussels, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Jan Steyaert
- Structural Biology Brussels, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Anthony A Kossiakoff
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637;
- Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637
| | - Kaspar P Locher
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biophysics, ETH Zürich, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland;
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10
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Pao PJ, Hsu MF, Chiang MH, Chen CT, Lee CC, Wang AHJ. Structural basis of an epitope tagging system derived from Haloarcula marismortui bacteriorhodopsin I D94N and its monoclonal antibody GD-26. FEBS J 2021; 289:730-747. [PMID: 34499806 PMCID: PMC9292375 DOI: 10.1111/febs.16184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2020] [Revised: 07/12/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Specific antibody interactions with short peptides have made epitope tagging systems a vital tool employed in virtually all fields of biological research. Here, we present a novel epitope tagging system comprised of a monoclonal antibody named GD‐26, which recognises the TD peptide (GTGATPADD) derived from Haloarcula marismortui bacteriorhodopsin I (HmBRI) D94N mutant. The crystal structure of the antigen‐binding fragment (Fab) of GD‐26 complexed with the TD peptide was determined to a resolution of 1.45 Å. The TD peptide was found to adopt a 310 helix conformation within the binding cleft, providing a characteristic peptide structure for recognition by GD‐26 Fab. Based on the structure information, polar and nonpolar forces collectively contribute to the strong binding. Attempts to engineer the TD peptide show that the proline residue is crucial for the formation of the 310 helix in order to fit into the binding cleft. Isothermal calorimetry (ITC) reported a dissociation constant KD of 12 ± 2.8 nm, indicating a strong interaction between the TD peptide and GD‐26 Fab. High specificity of GD‐26 IgG to the TD peptide was demonstrated by western blotting, ELISA and immunofluorescence as only TD‐tagged proteins were detected, suggesting the effectiveness of the GD‐26/TD peptide tagging system. In addition to already‐existing epitope tags such as the FLAG tag and the ALFA tag adopting either extended or α‐helix conformations, the unique 310 helix conformation of the TD peptide together with the corresponding monoclonal antibody GD‐26 offers a novel tagging option for research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Po-Jung Pao
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Min-Feng Hsu
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ming-Hui Chiang
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chun-Ting Chen
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Cheng-Chung Lee
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Andrew H-J Wang
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
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11
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McIlwain BC, Erwin AL, Davis AR, Ben Koff B, Chang L, Bylund T, Chuang GY, Kwong PD, Ohi MD, Lai YT, Stockbridge RB. N-terminal Transmembrane-Helix Epitope Tag for X-ray Crystallography and Electron Microscopy of Small Membrane Proteins. J Mol Biol 2021; 433:166909. [PMID: 33676924 PMCID: PMC8292168 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2021.166909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2021] [Revised: 02/19/2021] [Accepted: 02/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Structural studies of membrane proteins, especially small membrane proteins, are associated with well-known experimental challenges. Complexation with monoclonal antibody fragments is a common strategy to augment such proteins; however, generating antibody fragments that specifically bind a target protein is not trivial. Here we identify a helical epitope, from the membrane-proximal external region (MPER) of the gp41-transmembrane subunit of the HIV envelope protein, that is recognized by several well-characterized antibodies and that can be fused as a contiguous extension of the N-terminal transmembrane helix of a broad range of membrane proteins. To analyze whether this MPER-epitope tag might aid structural studies of small membrane proteins, we determined an X-ray crystal structure of a membrane protein target that does not crystallize without the aid of crystallization chaperones, the Fluc fluoride channel, fused to the MPER epitope and in complex with antibody. We also demonstrate the utility of this approach for single particle electron microscopy with Fluc and two additional small membrane proteins that represent different membrane protein folds, AdiC and GlpF. These studies show that the MPER epitope provides a structurally defined, rigid docking site for antibody fragments that is transferable among diverse membrane proteins and can be engineered without prior structural information. Antibodies that bind to the MPER epitope serve as effective crystallization chaperones and electron microscopy fiducial markers, enabling structural studies of challenging small membrane proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin C McIlwain
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States
| | - Amanda L Erwin
- Life Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States; Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48019, United States
| | - Alexander R Davis
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States
| | - B Ben Koff
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States
| | - Louise Chang
- Life Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States
| | - Tatsiana Bylund
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, United States
| | - Gwo-Yu Chuang
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, United States
| | - Peter D Kwong
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, United States
| | - Melanie D Ohi
- Life Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States; Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48019, United States.
| | - Yen-Ting Lai
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, United States; Moderna Therapeutics, 200 Technology Square, Cambridge, MA 02139, United States.
| | - Randy B Stockbridge
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States; Program in Biophysics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States.
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12
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Magalhães ICL, Marques LEC, Souza PFN, Girão NM, Herazo MMA, Costa HPS, vanTilburg MF, Florean EOPT, Dutra RF, Guedes MIF. Non-structural protein 1 from Zika virus: Heterologous expression, purification, and potential for diagnosis of Zika infections. Int J Biol Macromol 2021; 186:984-993. [PMID: 34293361 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2021.07.083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2021] [Revised: 07/11/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Zika virus (ZIKV) infections were associated with neurological disorders only after the Brazilian outbreak in 2015. The lack of vaccines and precise diagnosis requires a precise method to detect ZIKV infection. This study aimed to evaluate three ZIKV recombinant proteins for the development of ZIKV infections. Here, it was purified stable recombinant ZIKV Capsid (r-ZIKV-c), non-structural proteins NS1 (r-ZIKV-NS1), and NS3 (r-ZIKV-NS3) for detection of the infection by ZIKV in blood sera of patients. A commercial polyclonal antibody recognized the r-ZIKV-NS1. Here, among three proteins, NS1 showed the best result for diagnostic purposes using serum samples, despite the high similarity with NS1 from DENV, and could differentiate the infections. The recombinant NS1 was used to produce a monoclonal antibody to differentiate between DENV and ZIKV NS1. As for recombinant proteins, the result for r-ZIKV-NS1 values showed 77% and 100% sensitivity and specificity, respectively, in the IgM assay. Our data showed the protein could successfully differentiate between sera of ZIKV infected patients from sera of those not infected with the virus and differentiate from sera of DENV infected patients. Thus, the generated recombinant proteins have great potential for serological diagnosis of ZIKV in Brazil, where it is indispensable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilana C L Magalhães
- Biotechnology and Molecular Biology Laboratory, State University of Ceara, Fortaleza, Ceara, Brazil.
| | - Lívia E C Marques
- Biotechnology and Molecular Biology Laboratory, State University of Ceara, Fortaleza, Ceara, Brazil
| | - Pedro F N Souza
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Laboratory of Plant Defense Proteins, Federal University of Ceara, Fortaleza, Brazil
| | - Nicolas M Girão
- Biotechnology and Molecular Biology Laboratory, State University of Ceara, Fortaleza, Ceara, Brazil
| | - Maestre M A Herazo
- Biotechnology and Molecular Biology Laboratory, State University of Ceara, Fortaleza, Ceara, Brazil
| | - Helen P S Costa
- Biotechnology and Molecular Biology Laboratory, State University of Ceara, Fortaleza, Ceara, Brazil
| | - Maurício F vanTilburg
- Biotechnology and Molecular Biology Laboratory, Renorbio, State University of Ceara, Fortaleza, Ceara, Brazil
| | - Eridan O P T Florean
- Biotechnology and Molecular Biology Laboratory, State University of Ceara, Fortaleza, Ceara, Brazil
| | - Rosa F Dutra
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering Laboratory, Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
| | - Maria Izabel F Guedes
- Biotechnology and Molecular Biology Laboratory, State University of Ceara, Fortaleza, Ceara, Brazil.
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13
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Chowdhury R, Abboud MI, McAllister TE, Banerji B, Bhushan B, Sorensen JL, Kawamura A, Schofield CJ. Use of cyclic peptides to induce crystallization: case study with prolyl hydroxylase domain 2. Sci Rep 2020; 10:21964. [PMID: 33319810 PMCID: PMC7738489 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-76307-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2020] [Accepted: 10/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Crystallization is the bottleneck in macromolecular crystallography; even when a protein crystallises, crystal packing often influences ligand-binding and protein-protein interaction interfaces, which are the key points of interest for functional and drug discovery studies. The human hypoxia-inducible factor prolyl hydroxylase 2 (PHD2) readily crystallises as a homotrimer, but with a sterically blocked active site. We explored strategies aimed at altering PHD2 crystal packing by protein modification and molecules that bind at its active site and elsewhere. Following the observation that, despite weak inhibition/binding in solution, succinamic acid derivatives readily enable PHD2 crystallization, we explored methods to induce crystallization without active site binding. Cyclic peptides obtained via mRNA display bind PHD2 tightly away from the active site. They efficiently enable PHD2 crystallization in different forms, both with/without substrates, apparently by promoting oligomerization involving binding to the C-terminal region. Although our work involves a specific case study, together with those of others, the results suggest that mRNA display-derived cyclic peptides may be useful in challenging protein crystallization cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rasheduzzaman Chowdhury
- Chemistry Research Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3TA, UK
| | - Martine I Abboud
- Chemistry Research Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3TA, UK
| | - Tom E McAllister
- Chemistry Research Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3TA, UK
- Chemistry - School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK
| | - Biswadip Banerji
- Chemistry Research Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3TA, UK
| | - Bhaskar Bhushan
- Chemistry Research Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3TA, UK
| | - John L Sorensen
- Chemistry Research Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3TA, UK
| | - Akane Kawamura
- Chemistry Research Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3TA, UK
- Chemistry - School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK
| | - Christopher J Schofield
- Chemistry Research Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3TA, UK.
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14
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The application of helix fusion methods in structural biology. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2020; 60:110-116. [PMID: 31968282 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2019.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2019] [Revised: 10/31/2019] [Accepted: 12/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Methods generating fusion proteins with rigid and predictable structures have been developed in recent years. Among them, helix fusion methods that link two proteins by connecting their terminal alpha helices into a single and extended alpha helix can be particularly useful because designing fusion helices is conceptually and technically simple. These methods have been shown crucial in obtaining crystals that diffract x-rays to high resolution or attaching large and symmetrical backbone proteins to small target proteins for cryo-EM analysis. The structural rigidity of the fusion helix is crucial for these applications, and the reduction of structural ambiguity and flexibility at the fusion sites will further enhance the usefulness of this method.
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15
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Koide S. Repurposing off-the-shelf antihelix antibodies for enabling structural biology. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:17611-17613. [PMID: 31427527 PMCID: PMC6731675 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1912643116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Shohei Koide
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016;
- Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY 10016
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