1
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Wen C, Wang G, Yang L, Chen T, Liu H, Gong W. Structural Basis for C2'-methoxy Recognition by DNA Polymerases and Function Improvement. J Mol Biol 2024; 436:168744. [PMID: 39147125 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2024.168744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2024] [Revised: 07/26/2024] [Accepted: 08/08/2024] [Indexed: 08/17/2024]
Abstract
DNA modified with C2'-methoxy (C2'-OMe) greatly enhances its resistance to nucleases, which is beneficial for the half-life of aptamers and DNA nanomaterials. Although the unnatural DNA polymerases capable of incorporating C2'-OMe modified nucleoside monophosphates (C2'-OMe-NMPs) were engineered via directed evolution, the detailed molecular mechanism by which an evolved DNA polymerase recognizes C2'-OMe-NTPs remains poorly understood. Here, we present the crystal structures of the evolved Stoffel fragment of Taq DNA polymerase SFM4-3 processing the C2'-OMe-GTP in different states. Our results reveal the structural basis for recognition of C2'-methoxy by SFM4-3. Based on the analysis of other mutated residues in SFM4-3, a new Stoffel fragment variant with faster catalytic rate and stronger inhibitor-resistance was obtained. In addition, the capture of a novel pre-insertion co-existing with template 5'-overhang stacking conformation provides insight into the catalytic mechanism of Taq DNA polymerase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chongzheng Wen
- Division of Biological Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, PR China
| | - Guangyuan Wang
- MOE International Joint Research Laboratory on Synthetic Biology and Medicines, School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, PR China
| | - Lin Yang
- Division of Biological Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, PR China
| | - Tingjian Chen
- MOE International Joint Research Laboratory on Synthetic Biology and Medicines, School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, PR China.
| | - Haiping Liu
- Division of Biological Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, PR China.
| | - Weimin Gong
- Division of Biological Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, PR China.
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2
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Lampe GD, Liang AR, Zhang DJ, Fernández IS, Sternberg SH. Structure-guided engineering of type I-F CASTs for targeted gene insertion in human cells. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.09.19.613948. [PMID: 39345383 PMCID: PMC11429998 DOI: 10.1101/2024.09.19.613948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/01/2024]
Abstract
Conventional genome editing tools rely on DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) and host recombination proteins to achieve large insertions, resulting in a heterogeneous mixture of undesirable editing outcomes. We recently leveraged a type I-F CRISPR-associated transposase (CAST) from the Pseudoalteromonas Tn 7016 transposon ( Pse CAST) for DSB-free, RNA-guided DNA integration in human cells, taking advantage of its programmability and large payload capacity. Pse CAST is the only characterized CAST system that has achieved human genomic DNA insertions, but multiple lines of evidence suggest that DNA binding may be a critical bottleneck that limits high-efficiency activity. Here we report structural determinants of target DNA recognition by the Pse CAST QCascade complex using single-particle cryogenic electron microscopy (cryoEM), which revealed novel subtype-specific interactions and RNA-DNA heteroduplex features. By combining our structural data with target DNA library screens and rationally engineered protein mutations, we uncovered CAST variants that exhibit increased integration efficiency and modified PAM stringency. Structure predictions of key interfaces in the transpososome holoenzyme also revealed opportunities for the design of hybrid CASTs, which we leveraged to build chimeric systems that combine high-activity DNA binding and DNA integration modules. Collectively, our work provides unique structural insights into type I-F CAST systems while showcasing multiple diverse strategies to investigate and engineer new RNA-guided transposase architectures for human genome editing applications.
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3
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Kettel P, Marosits L, Spinetti E, Rechberger M, Giannini C, Radler P, Niedermoser I, Fischer I, Versteeg GA, Loose M, Covino R, Karagöz GE. Disordered regions in the IRE1α ER lumenal domain mediate its stress-induced clustering. EMBO J 2024:10.1038/s44318-024-00207-0. [PMID: 39232130 DOI: 10.1038/s44318-024-00207-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Revised: 07/02/2024] [Accepted: 07/23/2024] [Indexed: 09/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Conserved signaling cascades monitor protein-folding homeostasis to ensure proper cellular function. One of the evolutionary conserved key players is IRE1, which maintains endoplasmic reticulum (ER) homeostasis through the unfolded protein response (UPR). Upon accumulation of misfolded proteins in the ER, IRE1 forms clusters on the ER membrane to initiate UPR signaling. What regulates IRE1 cluster formation is not fully understood. Here, we show that the ER lumenal domain (LD) of human IRE1α forms biomolecular condensates in vitro. IRE1α LD condensates were stabilized both by binding to unfolded polypeptides as well as by tethering to model membranes, suggesting their role in assembling IRE1α into signaling-competent stable clusters. Molecular dynamics simulations indicated that weak multivalent interactions drive IRE1α LD clustering. Mutagenesis experiments identified disordered regions in IRE1α LD to control its clustering in vitro and in cells. Importantly, dysregulated clustering of IRE1α mutants led to defects in IRE1α signaling. Our results revealed that disordered regions in IRE1α LD control its clustering and suggest their role as a common strategy in regulating protein assembly on membranes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paulina Kettel
- Max Perutz Laboratories Vienna, Vienna BioCenter, Vienna, Austria
- Vienna BioCenter PhD Program, Doctoral School of the University of Vienna and Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Laura Marosits
- Max Perutz Laboratories Vienna, Vienna BioCenter, Vienna, Austria
- Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Elena Spinetti
- Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies, Frankfurt, Germany
- Institute of Biophysics, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | | | - Caterina Giannini
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Philipp Radler
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Isabell Niedermoser
- Max Perutz Laboratories Vienna, Vienna BioCenter, Vienna, Austria
- Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Irmgard Fischer
- Max Perutz Laboratories Vienna, Vienna BioCenter, Vienna, Austria
| | - Gijs A Versteeg
- Max Perutz Laboratories Vienna, Vienna BioCenter, Vienna, Austria
- Department of Microbiology, Immunobiology and Genetics, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Martin Loose
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Roberto Covino
- Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies, Frankfurt, Germany
- IMPRS on Cellular Biophysics, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - G Elif Karagöz
- Max Perutz Laboratories Vienna, Vienna BioCenter, Vienna, Austria.
- Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
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4
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Laatri S, El Khayari S, Qriouet Z. Exploring the molecular aspect and updating evolutionary approaches to the DNA polymerase enzymes for biotechnological needs: A comprehensive review. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 276:133924. [PMID: 39033894 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.133924] [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: 03/10/2024] [Revised: 07/07/2024] [Accepted: 07/15/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024]
Abstract
DNA polymerases are essential enzymes that play a key role in living organisms, as they participate in the synthesis and maintenance of the DNA molecule. The intrinsic properties of these enzymes have been widely observed and studied to understand their functions, activities, and behavior, which has allowed their natural power in DNA synthesis to be exploited in modern biotechnology, to the point of making them true pillars of the field. In this context, the laboratory evolution of these enzymes, either by directed evolution or rational design, has led to the generation of a wide range of new DNA polymerases with novel properties, suitable for a variety of biotechnological needs. In this review, we examine DNA polymerases at the molecular level, their biotechnological use, and their evolutionary methods in relation to the novel properties sought, providing a chronological selection of evolved DNA polymerases cited in the literature that we consider to be of great interest. To our knowledge, this work is the first to bring together the molecular, functional and evolutionary aspects of the DNA polymerase enzyme. We believe it will be of great interest to researchers whose aim is to produce new lines of evolved DNA polymerases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Said Laatri
- Microbiology and Molecular Biology Laboratory, Faculty of Sciences, Mohammed V-Souissi University, Rabat 10100, Morocco.
| | | | - Zidane Qriouet
- Pharmacology and Toxicology Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Mohammed V-Souissi University, Rabat 10100, Morocco
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5
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Yu Z, Wang J. Strategies and procedures to generate chimeric DNA polymerases for improved applications. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2024; 108:445. [PMID: 39167106 PMCID: PMC11339088 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-024-13276-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2024] [Revised: 08/04/2024] [Accepted: 08/06/2024] [Indexed: 08/23/2024]
Abstract
Chimeric DNA polymerase with notable performance has been generated for wide applications including DNA amplification and molecular diagnostics. This rational design method aims to improve specific enzymatic characteristics or introduce novel functions by fusing amino acid sequences from different proteins with a single DNA polymerase to create a chimeric DNA polymerase. Several strategies prove to be efficient, including swapping homologous domains between polymerases to combine benefits from different species, incorporating additional domains for exonuclease activity or enhanced binding ability to DNA, and integrating functional protein along with specific protein structural pattern to improve thermal stability and tolerance to inhibitors, as many cases in the past decade shown. The conventional protocol to develop a chimeric DNA polymerase with desired traits involves a Design-Build-Test-Learn (DBTL) cycle. This procedure initiates with the selection of a parent polymerase, followed by the identification of relevant domains and devising a strategy for fusion. After recombinant expression and purification of chimeric polymerase, its performance is evaluated. The outcomes of these evaluations are analyzed for further enhancing and optimizing the functionality of the polymerase. This review, centered on microorganisms, briefly outlines typical instances of chimeric DNA polymerases categorized, and presents a general methodology for their creation. KEY POINTS: • Chimeric DNA polymerase is generated by rational design method. • Strategies include domain exchange and addition of proteins, domains, and motifs. • Chimeric DNA polymerase exhibits improved enzymatic properties or novel functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhuoxuan Yu
- School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Jufang Wang
- School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, China.
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Fermentation and Enzyme Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, China.
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6
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Xiang R, Liu GY, Hou Y, Xie LX, Wang QS, Hu SQ. Double domain fusion improves the reverse transcriptase activity and inhibitor tolerance of Bst DNA polymerase. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 274:133243. [PMID: 38901507 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.133243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2023] [Revised: 06/09/2024] [Accepted: 06/16/2024] [Indexed: 06/22/2024]
Abstract
To enhance the DNA/RNA amplification efficiency and inhibitor tolerance of Bst DNA polymerase, four chimeric Bst DNA polymerase by fusing with a DNA-binding protein Sto7d and/or a highly hydrophobic protein Hp47 to Bst DNA polymerase large fragment. One of chimeric protein HpStBL exhibited highest inhibitor tolerance, which retained high active under 0.1 U/μL sodium heparin, 0.8 ng/μL humic acid, 2.5× SYBR Green I, 8 % (v/v) whole blood, 20 % (v/v) tissue, and 2.5 % (v/v) stool. Meanwhile, HpStBL showed highest sensitivity (93.75 %) to crude whole blood infected with the African swine fever virus. Moreover, HpStBL showed excellent reverse transcriptase activity in reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification, which could successfully detect 0.5 pg/μL severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 RNA in the presence of 1 % (v/v) stools. The fusion of two domains with different functions to Bst DNA polymerase would be an effective strategy to improve Bst DNA polymerase performance in direct loop-mediated isothermal amplification and reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification detection, and HpStBL would be a promising DNA polymerase for direct African swine fever virus/severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 detection due to simultaneously increased inhibitor tolerance and reverse transcriptase activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rong Xiang
- School of Food Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Guang-Yi Liu
- School of Food Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China; Guangzhou Enzyvalley Biotech Co., Ltd., Guangzhou 510555, China
| | - Yi Hou
- State Key Laboratory of Pulp and Paper Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Long-Xu Xie
- Guangzhou Hybribio Pharmaceutical Technology Co., Ltd., Guangzhou 510700, China
| | - Qing-Song Wang
- Guangzhou Hybribio Pharmaceutical Technology Co., Ltd., Guangzhou 510700, China
| | - Song-Qing Hu
- School of Food Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China.
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7
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de Greef PC, Njeru SN, Benz C, Fillatreau S, Malissen B, Agenès F, de Boer RJ, Kirberg J. The TCR assigns naive T cells to a preferred lymph node. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadl0796. [PMID: 39047099 PMCID: PMC11268406 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adl0796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024]
Abstract
Naive T cells recirculate between the spleen and lymph nodes where they mount immune responses when meeting dendritic cells presenting foreign antigen. As this may happen anywhere, naive T cells ought to visit all lymph nodes. Here, deep sequencing almost-complete TCR repertoires led to a comparison of different lymph nodes within and between individual mice. We find strong evidence for a deterministic CD4/CD8 lineage choice and a consistent spatial structure. Specifically, some T cells show a preference for one or multiple lymph nodes, suggesting that their TCR interacts with locally presented (self-)peptides. These findings are mirrored in TCR-transgenic mice showing localized CD69 expression, retention, and cell division. Thus, naive T cells intermittently sense antigenically dissimilar niches, which is expected to affect their homeostatic competition.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Lymph Nodes/immunology
- Lymph Nodes/metabolism
- Mice
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell/metabolism
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell/immunology
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell/genetics
- Mice, Transgenic
- CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes/immunology
- CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes/metabolism
- Antigens, CD/metabolism
- Antigens, CD/genetics
- Lectins, C-Type/metabolism
- Lectins, C-Type/genetics
- CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes/immunology
- CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes/metabolism
- Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte/metabolism
- Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte/genetics
- T-Lymphocytes/immunology
- T-Lymphocytes/metabolism
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter C. de Greef
- Theoretical Biology and Bioinformatics, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | | | - Claudia Benz
- Division of Immunology, Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, IMG53, Langen, Germany
| | - Simon Fillatreau
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, INSERM, Institut Necker Enfants Malades-INEM, F-75015 Paris, France
- Université Paris Cité, Faculté de Médecine, Paris, France
- AP-HP, Hôpital Necker-Enfants Malades, Paris, France
| | - Bernard Malissen
- Centre d’Immunologie de Marseille-Luminy, Aix Marseille Université, INSERM, CNRS, 13288 Marseille, France
| | - Fabien Agenès
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, U1216, Grenoble Institut Neurosciences, 38000 Grenoble, France
- Inserm, Délégation Régionale Auvergne Rhône Alpes, 69500 Bron, France
| | - Rob J. de Boer
- Theoretical Biology and Bioinformatics, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Jörg Kirberg
- Division of Immunology, Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, IMG53, Langen, Germany
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8
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Nguyen LT, Rakestraw NR, Pizzano BLM, Young CB, Huang Y, Beerensson KT, Fang A, Antal SG, Anamisis KV, Peggs CMD, Yan J, Jing Y, Burdine RD, Adamson B, Toettcher JE, Myhrvold C, Jain PK. Efficient Genome Editing with Chimeric Oligonucleotide-Directed Editing. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.07.09.602710. [PMID: 39026836 PMCID: PMC11257564 DOI: 10.1101/2024.07.09.602710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
Prime editing has emerged as a precise and powerful genome editing tool, offering a favorable gene editing profile compared to other Cas9-based approaches. Here we report new nCas9-DNA polymerase fusion proteins to create chimeric oligonucleotide-directed editing (CODE) systems for search-and-replace genome editing. Through successive rounds of engineering, we developed CODEMax and CODEMax(exo+) editors that achieve efficient genome modifications in human cells with low unintended edits. CODEMax and CODEMax(exo+) contain an engineered Bst DNA polymerase derivative known for its robust strand displacement ability. Additionally, CODEMax(exo+) features a 5' to 3' exonuclease activity that promotes effective strand invasion and repair outcomes favoring the incorporation of the desired edit. We demonstrate CODEs can perform small insertions, deletions, and substitutions with improved efficiency compared to PEMax at many loci. Overall, CODEs complement existing prime editors to expand the toolbox for genome manipulations without double-stranded breaks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Long T Nguyen
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
- Omenn-Darling Bioengineering Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Noah R Rakestraw
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Brianna L M Pizzano
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Cullen B Young
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Yujia Huang
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Kate T Beerensson
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Anne Fang
- Department of Chemical Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Sydney G Antal
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Katerina V Anamisis
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Science, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Coleen M D Peggs
- Health Services Research, Management and Policy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Jun Yan
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Yangwode Jing
- Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Rebecca D Burdine
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Britt Adamson
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Jared E Toettcher
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
- Omenn-Darling Bioengineering Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Cameron Myhrvold
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
- Omenn-Darling Bioengineering Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Piyush K Jain
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Health Cancer Center, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
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9
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Han L, Hu Y, Mo Q, Yang H, Gu F, Bai F, Sun Y, Ma H. Engineering miniature IscB nickase for robust base editing with broad targeting range. Nat Chem Biol 2024:10.1038/s41589-024-01670-w. [PMID: 38977788 DOI: 10.1038/s41589-024-01670-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2024] [Indexed: 07/10/2024]
Abstract
IscB has a similar domain organization to Cas9, but the small size of IscB is better suited for delivery by adeno-associated virus. To improve the low editing efficiency of OgeuIscB (IscB from human gut metagenome) in mammalian cells, we developed high-efficiency miniature base editors by engineering OgeuIscB nickase and its cognate ωRNA, termed IminiBEs. We demonstrated the robust editing efficiency of IminiCBE (67% on average) or IminiABE (52% on average). Fusing non-specific DNA-binding protein Sso7d to IminiBEs increased the editing efficiency of low-efficiency sites by around two- to threefold, and we termed it SIminiBEs. In addition, IminiCBE and SIminiCBE recognize NNRR, NNRY and NNYR target-adjacent motifs, which broaden the canonical NWRRNA target-adjacent motif sites for the wild-type IscB nickase. Overall, IminiBEs and SIminiBEs are efficient miniature base editors for site-specific genomic mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linxiao Han
- Gene Editing Center, School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yueer Hu
- Gene Editing Center, School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Qiqin Mo
- Gene Editing Center, School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Hao Yang
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies and School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Feng Gu
- Key Laboratory of Model Animals and Stem Cell Biology in Hunan Province, School of Medicine, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China
| | - Fang Bai
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies and School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yadong Sun
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Hanhui Ma
- Gene Editing Center, School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China.
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10
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Sun Y, Ko DH, Gao J, Fu K, Mao Y, He Y, Tian H. Engineering psychrophilic polymerase for nanopore long-read sequencing. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2024; 12:1406722. [PMID: 39011153 PMCID: PMC11246872 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2024.1406722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2024] [Accepted: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 07/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Unveiling the potential application of psychrophilic polymerases as candidates for polymerase-nanopore long-read sequencing presents a departure from conventional choices such as thermophilic Bacillus stearothermophilus (Bst) renowned for its limitation in temperature and mesophilic Bacillus subtilis phage (phi29) polymerases for limitations in strong exonuclease activity and weak salt tolerance. Exploiting the PB-Bst fusion DNA polymerases from Psychrobacillus (PB) and Bacillus stearothermophilus (Bst), our structural and biochemical analysis reveal a remarkable enhancement in salt tolerance and a concurrent reduction in exonuclease activity, achieved through targeted substitution of a pivotal functional domain. The sulfolobus 7-kDa protein (Sso7d) emerges as a standout fusion domain, imparting significant improvements in PB-Bst processivity. Notably, this study elucidates additional functional sites regulating exonuclease activity (Asp43 and Glu45) and processivity using artificial nucleotides (Glu266, Gln283, Leu334, Glu335, Ser426, and Asp430). By disclosing the intricate dynamics in exonuclease activity, strand displacement, and artificial nucleotide-based processivity at specific functional sites, our findings not only advance the fundamental understanding of psychrophilic polymerases but also provide novel insights into polymerase engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Yun He
- Research Center of Molecular Diagnostics and Sequencing, Research Institute of Tsinghua University in Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
| | - Hui Tian
- Research Center of Molecular Diagnostics and Sequencing, Research Institute of Tsinghua University in Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
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11
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Hu Y, Han L, Mo Q, Du Z, Jiang W, Wu X, Zheng J, Xiao X, Sun Y, Ma H. Engineering miniature CRISPR-Cas Un1Cas12f1 for efficient base editing. MOLECULAR THERAPY. NUCLEIC ACIDS 2024; 35:102201. [PMID: 38766526 PMCID: PMC11101732 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtn.2024.102201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
Adeno-associated virus (AAV) is a relatively safe and efficient vector for gene therapy. However, due to its 4.7-kb limit of cargo, SpCas9-mediated base editors cannot be packaged into a single AAV vector, which hinders their clinical application. The development of efficient miniature base editors becomes an urgent need. Un1Cas12f1 is a class II V-F-type CRISPR-Cas protein with only 529 amino acids. Although Un1Cas12f1 has been engineered to be a base editor in mammalian cells, the base-editing efficiency is less than 10%, which limits its therapeutic applications. Here, we developed hypercompact and high-efficiency base editors by engineering Un1Cas12f1, fusing non-specific DNA binding protein Sso7d, and truncating single guide RNA (sgRNA), termed STUminiBEs. We demonstrated robust A-to-G conversion (54% on average) by STUminiABEs or C-to-T conversion (45% on average) by STUminiCBEs. We packaged STUminiCBEs into AAVs and successfully introduced a premature stop codon on the PCSK9 gene in mammalian cells. In sum, STUminiBEs are efficient miniature base editors and could readily be packaged into AAVs for biological research or biomedical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yueer Hu
- Gene Editing Center, School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Linxiao Han
- Gene Editing Center, School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Qiqin Mo
- Gene Editing Center, School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zengming Du
- Belief BioMed (Shanghai), Inc, Shanghai, China
| | - Wei Jiang
- Belief BioMed (Shanghai), Inc, Shanghai, China
| | - Xia Wu
- School of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Jing Zheng
- Belief BioMed (Shanghai), Inc, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiao Xiao
- Belief BioMed (Shanghai), Inc, Shanghai, China
| | - Yadong Sun
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Hanhui Ma
- Gene Editing Center, School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
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12
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Mahboob A, Fatma N, Husain A. In-house Extraction and Purification of Pfu-Sso7d, a High-processivity DNA Polymerase. Bio Protoc 2024; 14:e4967. [PMID: 38618178 PMCID: PMC11006798 DOI: 10.21769/bioprotoc.4967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2023] [Revised: 02/21/2024] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024] Open
Abstract
The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is an extensively used technique to quickly and accurately make many copies of a specific segment of DNA. In addition to naturally existing DNA polymerases, PCR utilizes a range of genetically modified recombinant DNA polymerases, each characterized by varying levels of processivity and fidelity. Pfu-Sso7d, a fusion DNA polymerase, is obtained by the fusion of Sso7d, a small DNA-binding protein, with Pfu DNA polymerase. Pfu-Sso7d is known for its high processivity, efficiency, and fidelity but is sold at a sumptuously high price under various trade names and commercial variants. We recently reported a quick and easy purification protocol that utilizes ethanol or acetone to precipitate Pfu-Sso7d from heat-cleared lysates. We also optimized a PCR buffer solution that outperforms commercial buffers when used with Pfu-Sso7d. Here, we provide a step-by-step guide on how to purify recombinant Pfu-Sso7d. This purification protocol and the buffer system will offer researchers cost-efficient access to fusion polymerase. Key features • We detail a precipitation-based protocol utilizing ethanol and acetone for purifying Pfu-Sso7d. • Despite ethanol and acetone displaying effective precipitation efficiency, acetone is preferred for its superior performance. • Furthermore, we present a PCR buffer that outperforms commercially available PCR buffers. • The Pfu-Sso7d purified in-house and the described PCR buffer exhibit excellent performance in PCR applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aisha Mahboob
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Life Sciences, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, India
| | - Nishat Fatma
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Life Sciences, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, India
| | - Afzal Husain
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Life Sciences, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, India
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13
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Wang X, Li L, Guo L, Feng Y, Du Z, Jiang W, Wu X, Zheng J, Xiao X, Zheng H, Sun Y, Ma H. Robust miniature Cas-based transcriptional modulation by engineering Un1Cas12f1 and tethering Sso7d. Mol Ther 2024; 32:910-919. [PMID: 38351611 PMCID: PMC11163271 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2024.02.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2023] [Revised: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
The miniature V-F CRISPR-Cas12f system has been repurposed for gene editing and transcription modulation. The small size of Cas12f satisfies the packaging capacity of adeno-associated virus (AAV) for gene therapy. However, the efficiency of Cas12f-mediated transcriptional activation varies among different target sites. Here, we developed a robust miniature Cas-based transcriptional activation or silencing system using Un1Cas12f1. We engineered Un1Cas12f1 and the cognate guide RNA and generated miniCRa, which led to a 1,319-fold increase in the activation of the ASCL1 gene. The activity can be further increased by tethering DNA-binding protein Sso7d to miniCRa and generating SminiCRa, which reached a 5,628-fold activation of the ASCL1 gene and at least hundreds-fold activation at other genes examined. We adopted these mutations of Un1Cas12f1 for transcriptional repression and generated miniCRi or SminiCRi, which led to the repression of ∼80% on average of eight genes. We generated an all-in-one AAV vector AIOminiCRi used to silence the disease-related gene SERPINA1. AIOminiCRi AAVs led to the 70% repression of the SERPINA1 gene in the Huh-7 cells. In summary, miniCRa, SminiCRa, miniCRi, and SminiCRi are robust miniature transcriptional modulators with high specificity that expand the toolbox for biomedical research and therapeutic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangnan Wang
- Gene Editing Center, School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Lingyun Li
- Gene Editing Center, School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Li Guo
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ying Feng
- Gene Editing Center, School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | | | - Wei Jiang
- Belief Biomed (Shanghai), Shanghai, China
| | - Xia Wu
- School of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Jing Zheng
- Belief Biomed (Shanghai), Shanghai, China
| | - Xiao Xiao
- Belief Biomed (Shanghai), Shanghai, China
| | - Hui Zheng
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yadong Sun
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Hanhui Ma
- Gene Editing Center, School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China.
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14
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Hernández-Rollán C, Ehrmann AK, Vlassis A, Kandasamy V, Nørholm MHH. Neq2X7: a multi-purpose and open-source fusion DNA polymerase for advanced DNA engineering and diagnostics PCR. BMC Biotechnol 2024; 24:17. [PMID: 38566117 PMCID: PMC10988834 DOI: 10.1186/s12896-024-00844-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Thermostable DNA polymerases, such as Taq isolated from the thermophilic bacterium Thermus aquaticus, enable one-pot exponential DNA amplification known as polymerase chain reaction (PCR). However, properties other than thermostability - such as fidelity, processivity, and compatibility with modified nucleotides - are important in contemporary molecular biology applications. Here, we describe the engineering and characterization of a fusion between a DNA polymerase identified in the marine archaea Nanoarchaeum equitans and a DNA binding domain from the thermophile Sulfolobus solfataricus. The fusion creates a highly active enzyme, Neq2X7, capable of amplifying long and GC-rich DNA, unaffected by replacing dTTP with dUTP in PCR, and tolerant to various known PCR inhibitors. This makes it an attractive DNA polymerase for use, e.g., with uracil excision (USER) DNA assembly and for contamination-free diagnostics. Using a magnification via nucleotide imbalance fidelity assay, Neq2X7 was estimated to have an error rate lower than 2 ∙ 10-5 bp-1 and an approximately 100x lower fidelity than the parental variant Neq2X, indicating a trade-off between fidelity and processivity - an observation that may be of importance for similarly engineered DNA polymerases. Neq2X7 is easy to produce for routine application in any molecular biology laboratory, and the expression plasmid is made freely available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Hernández-Rollán
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Søltofts Plads, Building 220, Kongens Lyngby, 2800, Denmark
| | - Anja K Ehrmann
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Søltofts Plads, Building 220, Kongens Lyngby, 2800, Denmark
| | - Arsenios Vlassis
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Søltofts Plads, Building 220, Kongens Lyngby, 2800, Denmark
| | - Vijayalakshmi Kandasamy
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Søltofts Plads, Building 220, Kongens Lyngby, 2800, Denmark
| | - Morten H H Nørholm
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Søltofts Plads, Building 220, Kongens Lyngby, 2800, Denmark.
- Mycropt ApS, Kongens Lyngby, 2800, Denmark.
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15
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Li Z, Wang Y, Wang X, Niu S, Su Z, Wang F, Ni J, Gong Y, Rao B. A Fusion of Taq DNA Polymerase with the CL7 Protein from Escherichia coli Remarkably Improves DNA Amplification. Molecules 2024; 29:1145. [PMID: 38474657 DOI: 10.3390/molecules29051145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2023] [Revised: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
DNA polymerases are important enzymes that synthesize DNA molecules and therefore are critical to various scientific fields as essential components of in vitro DNA synthesis reactions, including PCR. Modern diagnostics, molecular biology, and genetic engineering require DNA polymerases with improved performance. This study aimed to obtain and characterize a new CL7-Taq fusion DNA polymerase, in which the DNA coding sequence of Taq DNA polymerase was fused with that of CL7, a variant of CE7 (Colicin E7 DNase) from Escherichia coli. The resulting novel recombinant open reading frame was cloned and expressed in E. coli. The recombinant CL7-Taq protein exhibited excellent thermostability, extension rate, sensitivity, and resistance to PCR inhibitors. Our results showed that the sensitivity of CL7-Taq DNA polymerase was 100-fold higher than that of wild-type Taq, which required a template concentration of at least 1.8 × 105 nM. Moreover, the extension rate of CL7-Taq was 4 kb/min, which remarkably exceeded the rate of Taq DNA polymerase (2 kb/min). Furthermore, the CL7 fusion protein showed increased resistance to inhibitors of DNA amplification, including lactoferrin, heparin, and blood. Single-cope human genomic targets were readily available from whole blood, and pretreatment to purify the template DNA was not required. Thus, this is a novel enzyme that improved the properties of Taq DNA polymerase, and thus may have wide application in molecular biology and diagnostics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhongchen Li
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme, Engineering Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Green Transformation of Bio-Resources, Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Biology Faculty of Hubei University, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China
| | - Yaping Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme, Engineering Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Green Transformation of Bio-Resources, Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Biology Faculty of Hubei University, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China
| | - Xiangyi Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme, Engineering Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Green Transformation of Bio-Resources, Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Biology Faculty of Hubei University, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China
| | - Shuhui Niu
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme, Engineering Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Green Transformation of Bio-Resources, Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Biology Faculty of Hubei University, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China
| | - Zhenlong Su
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme, Engineering Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Green Transformation of Bio-Resources, Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Biology Faculty of Hubei University, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China
| | - Fei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme, Engineering Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Green Transformation of Bio-Resources, Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Biology Faculty of Hubei University, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China
| | - Jing Ni
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme, Engineering Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Green Transformation of Bio-Resources, Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Biology Faculty of Hubei University, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China
| | - Yan Gong
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme, Engineering Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Green Transformation of Bio-Resources, Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Biology Faculty of Hubei University, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China
- Hubei Biopesticide Engineering Research Center, Hubei Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Biopesticide Branch of Hubei Innovation Centre of Agricultural Science and Technology, Wuhan 430064, China
| | - Ben Rao
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme, Engineering Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Green Transformation of Bio-Resources, Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Biology Faculty of Hubei University, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China
- Hubei Biopesticide Engineering Research Center, Hubei Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Biopesticide Branch of Hubei Innovation Centre of Agricultural Science and Technology, Wuhan 430064, China
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Zhang X, Meng Z, Beusch CM, Gharibi H, Cheng Q, Lyu H, Di Stefano L, Wang J, Saei AA, Végvári Á, Gaetani M, Zubarev RA. Ultralight Ultrafast Enzymes. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2024; 63:e202316488. [PMID: 38009610 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202316488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/24/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Inorganic materials depleted of heavy stable isotopes are known to deviate strongly in some physicochemical properties from their isotopically natural counterparts. Here we explored for the first time the effect of simultaneous depletion of the heavy carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen isotopes on the bacterium E. coli and the enzymes expressed in it. Bacteria showed faster growth, with most proteins exhibiting higher thermal stability, while for recombinant enzymes expressed in depleted media, faster kinetics was discovered. At room temperature, luciferase, thioredoxin and dihydrofolate reductase and Pfu DNA polymerase showed up to a 250 % increase in activity compared to the native counterparts, with an additional ∼50 % increase at 10 °C. Diminished conformational and vibrational entropy is hypothesized to be the cause of the accelerated kinetics. Ultralight enzymes may find an application where extreme reaction rates are required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuepei Zhang
- Division of Chemistry I, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, 17177, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Zhaowei Meng
- Division of Chemistry I, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, 17177, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Christian M Beusch
- Division of Chemistry I, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, 17177, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Hassan Gharibi
- Division of Chemistry I, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, 17177, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Qing Cheng
- Division of Biochemistry, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, 17177, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Hezheng Lyu
- Division of Chemistry I, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, 17177, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Luciano Di Stefano
- Division of Chemistry I, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, 17177, Stockholm, Sweden
- European Research Institute for the Biology of Aging, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Jijing Wang
- Division of Chemistry I, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, 17177, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Amir A Saei
- Division of Chemistry I, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, 17177, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ákos Végvári
- Division of Chemistry I, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, 17177, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Massimiliano Gaetani
- Division of Chemistry I, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, 17177, Stockholm, Sweden
- Chemical Proteomics Core Facility, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institute, 17177, Stockholm, Sweden
- Chemical Proteomics, Science for Life Laboratory (SciLifeLab), 17177, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Roman A Zubarev
- Division of Chemistry I, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, 17177, Stockholm, Sweden
- >Department of Pharmacological & Technological Chemistry, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, 119146, Moscow, Russia
- The National Medical Research Center for Endocrinology, Moskva, 115478 Moscow, Russia
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17
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Simanjuntak GM, Fibriani A, Fananda AA, Yamahoki N. Development of Moloney Murine Leukemia Virus Reverse Transcriptase Fused with Archaeal DNA-binding Protein Sis7a. Recent Pat Biotechnol 2024; 18:71-83. [PMID: 37016518 DOI: 10.2174/1872208317666230403104302] [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: 08/15/2022] [Revised: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 04/06/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Moloney Murine Leukemia Virus Reverse Transcriptase (MMLV RT) is a common enzyme used to convert RNA sequences into cDNA. However, it still has its shortcomings, especially in terms of processivity and thermostability. According to a previous patent, the fusion of polymerase enzyme to an archaeal DNA-binding protein has been proven to enhance its performance. Furthermore, recent studies have also stated that the fusion of a polymerase enzyme to an archaeal DNA-binding protein is predicted to improve its thermostability and processivity. AIM As an early stage of enzyme development, this study aimed to design, express, and purify enzymatically active MMLV RT fused with archaeal DNA-binding protein. METHODS RT fusion proteins were designed and evaluated using in silico methods. The RT fusion enzyme was then expressed in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) and purified. Its reverse transcriptional activity was proved using reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). RESULTS This study showed that MMLV RT fusion with Sis7a protein at its C-terminal end using commercial linker (GGVDMI) produced the best in silico evaluation results. The RT fusion was successfully expressed and purified. It was also known that the optimal condition for expression of the RT fusion was using 0.5 mM IPTG with post-induction incubation at room temperature (± 26°C) for 16 hours. In addition, the activity assay proved that the RT fusion has the reverse transcriptional activity. CONCLUSION This study shows that the designed MMLV RT Sis7a fusion can be expressed and purified, is enzymatically active, and has the potential to be developed as an improved RT enzyme. Further study is still needed to prove its thermostability and processivity, and further characterize, and plan production scale-up of the MMLV RT Sis7a fusion for commercial use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Goldyna M Simanjuntak
- School of Life Sciences and Technology, Bandung Institute of Technology, Bandung, Indonesia
| | - Azzania Fibriani
- School of Life Sciences and Technology, Bandung Institute of Technology, Bandung, Indonesia
| | - Amalia A Fananda
- School of Life Sciences and Technology, Bandung Institute of Technology, Bandung, Indonesia
| | - Nicholas Yamahoki
- School of Life Sciences and Technology, Bandung Institute of Technology, Bandung, Indonesia
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18
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Elias M, Guan X, Hudson D, Bose R, Kwak J, Petrounia I, Touah K, Mansour S, Yue P, Errasti G, Delacroix T, Ghosh A, Chakrabarti R. Evolution of Organic Solvent-Resistant DNA Polymerases. ACS Synth Biol 2023; 12:3170-3188. [PMID: 37611245 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.2c00515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/25/2023]
Abstract
The introduction of thermostable polymerases revolutionized the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and biotechnology. However, many GC-rich genes cannot be PCR-amplified with high efficiency in water, irrespective of temperature. Although polar organic cosolvents can enhance nucleic acid polymerization and amplification by destabilizing duplex DNA and secondary structures, nature has not selected for the evolution of solvent-tolerant polymerase enzymes. Here, we used ultrahigh-throughput droplet-based selection and deep sequencing along with computational free-energy and binding affinity calculations to evolve Taq polymerase to generate enzymes that are both stable and highly active in the presence of organic cosolvents, resulting in up to 10% solvent resistance and over 100-fold increase in stability at 97.5 °C in the presence of 1,4-butanediol, as well as tolerance to up to 10 times higher concentrations of the potent cosolvents sulfolane and 2-pyrrolidone. Using these polymerases, we successfully amplified a broad spectrum of GC-rich templates containing regions with over 90% GC content, including templates recalcitrant to amplification with existing polymerases, even in the presence of cosolvents. We also demonstrated dramatically reduced GC bias in the amplification of genes with widely varying GC content in quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). By expanding the scope of solvent systems compatible with nucleic acid polymerization, these organic solvent-resistant polymerases enable a dramatic reduction of sequence bias not achievable through thermal resistance alone, with significant implications for a wide range of applications including sequencing and synthetic biology in mixed aqueous-organic media.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammed Elias
- Chakrabarti Advanced Technology, LLC, PMC Group Building, 1288 Route 73, Suite 110, Mount Laurel, New Jersey 08054, United States
| | - Xiangying Guan
- Chakrabarti Advanced Technology, LLC, PMC Group Building, 1288 Route 73, Suite 110, Mount Laurel, New Jersey 08054, United States
| | - Devin Hudson
- Chakrabarti Advanced Technology, LLC, PMC Group Building, 1288 Route 73, Suite 110, Mount Laurel, New Jersey 08054, United States
| | - Rahul Bose
- Chakrabarti Advanced Technology, LLC, PMC Group Building, 1288 Route 73, Suite 110, Mount Laurel, New Jersey 08054, United States
| | - Joon Kwak
- Chakrabarti Advanced Technology, LLC, PMC Group Building, 1288 Route 73, Suite 110, Mount Laurel, New Jersey 08054, United States
| | - Ioanna Petrounia
- Chakrabarti Advanced Technology, LLC, PMC Group Building, 1288 Route 73, Suite 110, Mount Laurel, New Jersey 08054, United States
| | - Kenza Touah
- Center for Protein Engineering & Drug Discovery, PMC Isochem SAS, 32 Rue Lavoisier, Vert-Le-Petit 91710, France
| | - Sourour Mansour
- Center for Protein Engineering & Drug Discovery, PMC Isochem SAS, 32 Rue Lavoisier, Vert-Le-Petit 91710, France
| | - Peng Yue
- Chakrabarti Advanced Technology, LLC, PMC Group Building, 1288 Route 73, Suite 110, Mount Laurel, New Jersey 08054, United States
| | - Gauthier Errasti
- Center for Protein Engineering & Drug Discovery, PMC Isochem SAS, 32 Rue Lavoisier, Vert-Le-Petit 91710, France
| | - Thomas Delacroix
- Center for Protein Engineering & Drug Discovery, PMC Isochem SAS, 32 Rue Lavoisier, Vert-Le-Petit 91710, France
| | - Anisha Ghosh
- Chakrabarti Advanced Technology, LLC, PMC Group Building, 1288 Route 73, Suite 110, Mount Laurel, New Jersey 08054, United States
- McGill University, 845 Rue Sherbrooke Ouest, Montreal, QC H3A 0G4, Canada
| | - Raj Chakrabarti
- Chakrabarti Advanced Technology, LLC, PMC Group Building, 1288 Route 73, Suite 110, Mount Laurel, New Jersey 08054, United States
- Center for Protein Engineering & Drug Discovery, PMC Isochem SAS, 32 Rue Lavoisier, Vert-Le-Petit 91710, France
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19
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Li J, Li Y, Li Y, Ma Y, Xu W, Wang J. An enhanced activity and thermostability of chimeric Bst DNA polymerase for isothermal amplification applications. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2023; 107:6527-6540. [PMID: 37672070 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-023-12751-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2023] [Revised: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/07/2023]
Abstract
Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) is a widely used method for clinical diagnosis, customs quarantine, and disease prevention. However, the low catalytic activity of Bst DNA polymerase has made it challenging to develop rapid and reliable point-of-care testing. Herein, we developed a series of Bst DNA polymerase mutants with enhanced activity by predicting and analyzing the activity sites. Among these mutants, single mutants K431D and K431E showed a 1.93- and 2.03-fold increase in catalytic efficiency, respectively. We also created a chimeric protein by fusing the DNA-binding domain of DNA ligase from Pyrococcus abyssi (DBD), namely DBD-K431E, which enabled real-time LAMP at high temperatures up to 73 ℃ and remained active after heating at 70 ℃ for 8 h. The chimeric DBD-K431E remained active in the presence of 50 U/mL heparin, 10% ethanol, and up to 100 mM NaCl, and showed higher activity in 110 mM (NH4)2SO4, 110 mM KCl, and 12 mM MgSO4. Notably, it generated a fluorescence signal during the detection of Salmonella typhimurium at 2 × 102 ag/μL of genomic DNA and 1.24 CFU/mL of bacterial colony, outperforming the wild type and the commercial counterpart Bst 2.0. Our results suggest that the DBD-K431E variant could be a promising tool for general molecular biology research and clinical diagnostics. KEY POINTS: • Residue K431 is probably a key site of Bst DNA polymerase activity • The chimeric DBD-K431E is more inhibitor tolerant and thermostable than Bst-LF • The DBD-K431E variant can detect Salmonella typhimurium at 102 ag/μL or 100 CFU/mL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaxuan Li
- School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Yang Li
- School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Yanmei Li
- School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Yi Ma
- School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Fermentation and Enzyme Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Wei Xu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China.
| | - Jufang Wang
- School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, China.
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Fermentation and Enzyme Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, China.
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20
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Kuznetsova AA, Kuznetsov NA. Direct Enzyme Engineering of B Family DNA Polymerases for Biotechnological Approaches. Bioengineering (Basel) 2023; 10:1150. [PMID: 37892880 PMCID: PMC10604792 DOI: 10.3390/bioengineering10101150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Revised: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
DNA-dependent DNA polymerases have been intensively studied for more than 60 years and underlie numerous biotechnological and diagnostic applications. In vitro, DNA polymerases are used for DNA manipulations, including cloning, PCR, site-directed mutagenesis, sequencing, and others. Understanding the mechanisms of action of DNA polymerases is important for the creation of new enzymes possessing improved or modified properties. This review is focused on archaeal family B DNA polymerases. These enzymes have high fidelity and thermal stability and are finding many applications in molecular biological methods. Nevertheless, the search for and construction of new DNA polymerases with altered properties is constantly underway, including enzymes for synthetic biology. This brief review describes advances in the development of family B DNA polymerases for PCR, synthesis of xeno-nucleic acids, and reverse transcription.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandra A. Kuznetsova
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences (SB RAS), 8 Prospekt Akad. Lavrentyeva, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
| | - Nikita A. Kuznetsov
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences (SB RAS), 8 Prospekt Akad. Lavrentyeva, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
- Department of Natural Sciences, Novosibirsk State University, 2 Pirogova Str., Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
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21
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Qin Y, Ma X, Tao R, Du Y, Chen T. Synthesis, Reverse Transcription, Replication, and Inter-Transcription of 2'-Modified Nucleic Acids with Evolved Thermophilic Polymerases: Efforts toward Multidimensional Expansion of the Central Dogma. ACS Synth Biol 2023; 12:2616-2631. [PMID: 37646406 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.3c00213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
Abstract
In the past decades, various xenobiotic nucleic acids (XNAs), including 2'-modified nucleic acids, have been developed as novel genetic materials and demonstrated great potential in synthetic biology and biotechnology. Enzymatic polymerization and replication of these artificial polymers are obviously the prerequisite to make full use of them, and DNA and RNA polymerases from different families have thus been extensively engineered for these purposes. However, the performance of engineered XNA polymerases is still far from satisfactory, especially in terms of the efficiency of synthesizing XNA with bigger lengths and the capability of directly replicating XNAs or transcribing one XNA to another. In this work, we tailored a mutant of Stoffel fragment of Taq DNA polymerase, SFM4-3, by engineering a key residue pair on the surfaces of fingers and thumb domains, and successfully obtained mutants with significantly enhanced efficiency for the synthesis of fully 2'-OMe-modified DNA with bigger lengths. Remarkably, we also found that these polymerase mutants are capable of synthesizing, reverse transcribing, and even replicating RNA and different fully 2'-modified XNAs, as well as transcribing one of these nucleic acids to another, with varied efficiencies. The application of these activities for producing DNA strands end-protected by XNA duplexes was then demonstrated. These results clearly suggest that the genetic information can be stored in and transmitted among DNA, RNA, and different 2'-modified XNAs with the assistance of polymerase mutants, and the central dogma of life can be expanded to higher dimensions via the development of XNAs together with engineering their polymerases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanjia Qin
- MOE International Joint Research Laboratory on Synthetic Biology and Medicines, School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, P. R. China
| | - Xingyun Ma
- MOE International Joint Research Laboratory on Synthetic Biology and Medicines, School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, P. R. China
| | - Rui Tao
- MOE International Joint Research Laboratory on Synthetic Biology and Medicines, School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, P. R. China
| | - Yuhui Du
- MOE International Joint Research Laboratory on Synthetic Biology and Medicines, School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, P. R. China
| | - Tingjian Chen
- MOE International Joint Research Laboratory on Synthetic Biology and Medicines, School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, P. R. China
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22
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Oscorbin I, Filipenko M. Bst polymerase - a humble relative of Taq polymerase. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2023; 21:4519-4535. [PMID: 37767105 PMCID: PMC10520511 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2023.09.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2023] [Revised: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/10/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
DNA polymerases are a superfamily of enzymes synthesizing DNA using DNA as a template. They are essential for nucleic acid metabolism and for DNA replication and repair. Modern biotechnology and molecular diagnostics rely heavily on DNA polymerases in analyzing nucleic acids. Among a variety of discovered DNA polymerases, Bst polymerase, a large fragment of DNA polymerase I from Geobacillus stearothermophilus, is one of the most commonly used but is not as well studied as Taq polymerase. The ability of Bst polymerase to displace an upstream DNA strand during synthesis, coupled with its moderate thermal stability, has provided the basis for several isothermal DNA amplification methods, including LAMP, WGA, RCA, and many others. Bst polymerase is one of the key components defining the robustness and analytical characteristics of diagnostic test systems based on isothermal amplification. Here, we present an overview of the biochemical and structural features of Bst polymerase and provide information on its mutated analogs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Igor Oscorbin
- Laboratory of Pharmacogenomics, Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (ICBFM SB RAS), 8 Lavrentiev Avenue, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
| | - Maxim Filipenko
- Laboratory of Pharmacogenomics, Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (ICBFM SB RAS), 8 Lavrentiev Avenue, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
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23
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Chu J, Romero A, Taulbee J, Aran K. Development of Single Molecule Techniques for Sensing and Manipulation of CRISPR and Polymerase Enzymes. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2023; 19:e2300328. [PMID: 37226388 PMCID: PMC10524706 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202300328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Revised: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) and polymerases are powerful enzymes and their diverse applications in genomics, proteomics, and transcriptomics have revolutionized the biotechnology industry today. CRISPR has been widely adopted for genomic editing applications and Polymerases can efficiently amplify genomic transcripts via polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Further investigations into these enzymes can reveal specific details about their mechanisms that greatly expand their use. Single-molecule techniques are an effective way to probe enzymatic mechanisms because they may resolve intermediary conformations and states with greater detail than ensemble or bulk biosensing techniques. This review discusses various techniques for sensing and manipulation of single biomolecules that can help facilitate and expedite these discoveries. Each platform is categorized as optical, mechanical, or electronic. The methods, operating principles, outputs, and utility of each technique are briefly introduced, followed by a discussion of their applications to monitor and control CRISPR and Polymerases at the single molecule level, and closing with a brief overview of their limitations and future prospects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josephine Chu
- Henry E. Riggs School of Applied Life Sciences, Keck Graduate Institute, Claremont, CA, 91711, USA
| | - Andres Romero
- Henry E. Riggs School of Applied Life Sciences, Keck Graduate Institute, Claremont, CA, 91711, USA
| | - Jeffrey Taulbee
- Henry E. Riggs School of Applied Life Sciences, Keck Graduate Institute, Claremont, CA, 91711, USA
| | - Kiana Aran
- Henry E. Riggs School of Applied Life Sciences, Keck Graduate Institute, Claremont, CA, 91711, USA
- Cardea, San Diego, CA, 92121, USA
- University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
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24
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Doss RK, Palmer M, Mead DA, Hedlund BP. Functional biology and biotechnology of thermophilic viruses. Essays Biochem 2023; 67:671-684. [PMID: 37222046 PMCID: PMC10423840 DOI: 10.1042/ebc20220209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Viruses have developed sophisticated biochemical and genetic mechanisms to manipulate and exploit their hosts. Enzymes derived from viruses have been essential research tools since the first days of molecular biology. However, most viral enzymes that have been commercialized are derived from a small number of cultivated viruses, which is remarkable considering the extraordinary diversity and abundance of viruses revealed by metagenomic analysis. Given the explosion of new enzymatic reagents derived from thermophilic prokaryotes over the past 40 years, those obtained from thermophilic viruses should be equally potent tools. This review discusses the still-limited state of the art regarding the functional biology and biotechnology of thermophilic viruses with a focus on DNA polymerases, ligases, endolysins, and coat proteins. Functional analysis of DNA polymerases and primase-polymerases from phages infecting Thermus, Aquificaceae, and Nitratiruptor has revealed new clades of enzymes with strong proofreading and reverse transcriptase capabilities. Thermophilic RNA ligase 1 homologs have been characterized from Rhodothermus and Thermus phages, with both commercialized for circularization of single-stranded templates. Endolysins from phages infecting Thermus, Meiothermus, and Geobacillus have shown high stability and unusually broad lytic activity against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, making them targets for commercialization as antimicrobials. Coat proteins from thermophilic viruses infecting Sulfolobales and Thermus strains have been characterized, with diverse potential applications as molecular shuttles. To gauge the scale of untapped resources for these proteins, we also document over 20,000 genes encoded by uncultivated viral genomes from high-temperature environments that encode DNA polymerase, ligase, endolysin, or coat protein domains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan K Doss
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.A
| | - Marike Palmer
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.A
| | | | - Brian P Hedlund
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.A
- Nevada Institute of Personalized Medicine, Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.A
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25
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Cerda A, Rivera M, Armijo G, Ibarra-Henriquez C, Reyes J, Blázquez-Sánchez P, Avilés J, Arce A, Seguel A, Brown AJ, Vásquez Y, Cortez-San Martín M, Cubillos FA, García P, Ferres M, Ramírez-Sarmiento CA, Federici F, Gutiérrez RA. An Open One-Step RT-qPCR for SARS-CoV-2 detection. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2023:2021.11.29.21267000. [PMID: 34909786 PMCID: PMC8669853 DOI: 10.1101/2021.11.29.21267000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in millions of deaths globally, and while several diagnostic systems were proposed, real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) remains the gold standard. However, diagnostic reagents, including enzymes used in RT-PCR, are subject to centralized production models and intellectual property restrictions, which present a challenge for less developed countries. With the aim of generating a standardized One-Step open RT-qPCR protocol to detect SARS-CoV-2 RNA in clinical samples, we purified and tested recombinant enzymes and a non-proprietary buffer. The protocol utilized M-MLV RT and Taq DNA pol enzymes to perform a Taqman probe-based assay. Synthetic RNA samples were used to validate the One-Step RT-qPCR components, and the kit showed comparable sensitivity to approved commercial kits. The One-Step RT-qPCR was then tested on clinical samples and demonstrated similar performance to commercial kits in terms of positive and negative calls. This study represents a proof of concept for an open approach to developing diagnostic kits for viral infections and diseases, which could provide a cost-effective and accessible solution for less developed countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ariel Cerda
- ANID - Millennium Science Initiative Program - Millennium Institute for Integrative Biology (iBio)
- FONDAP Center for Genome Regulation. Departamento de Genética Molecular y Microbiología, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, 8331150, Chile
| | - Maira Rivera
- ANID - Millennium Science Initiative Program - Millennium Institute for Integrative Biology (iBio)
- Institute for Biological and Medical Engineering, Schools of Engineering, Medicine and Biological Sciences, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Grace Armijo
- ANID - Millennium Science Initiative Program - Millennium Institute for Integrative Biology (iBio)
- FONDAP Center for Genome Regulation. Departamento de Genética Molecular y Microbiología, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, 8331150, Chile
| | - Catalina Ibarra-Henriquez
- ANID - Millennium Science Initiative Program - Millennium Institute for Integrative Biology (iBio)
- FONDAP Center for Genome Regulation. Departamento de Genética Molecular y Microbiología, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, 8331150, Chile
| | - Javiera Reyes
- ANID - Millennium Science Initiative Program - Millennium Institute for Integrative Biology (iBio)
- Institute for Biological and Medical Engineering, Schools of Engineering, Medicine and Biological Sciences, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Paula Blázquez-Sánchez
- ANID - Millennium Science Initiative Program - Millennium Institute for Integrative Biology (iBio)
- Institute for Biological and Medical Engineering, Schools of Engineering, Medicine and Biological Sciences, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Javiera Avilés
- ANID - Millennium Science Initiative Program - Millennium Institute for Integrative Biology (iBio)
| | - Aníbal Arce
- ANID - Millennium Science Initiative Program - Millennium Institute for Integrative Biology (iBio)
| | - Aldo Seguel
- ANID - Millennium Science Initiative Program - Millennium Institute for Integrative Biology (iBio)
| | - Alexander J. Brown
- Department of Biomedical Research, National Jewish Health, Denver, CO, USA
- Department of Immunology & Microbiology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Yesseny Vásquez
- Escuela de Ciencias Médicas. Facultad de Medicina. Universidad de Santiago de Chile. USACH, Santiago, Chile
| | - Marcelo Cortez-San Martín
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Química y Biología, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, USACH, Santiago, Chile
| | - Francisco A. Cubillos
- ANID - Millennium Science Initiative Program - Millennium Institute for Integrative Biology (iBio)
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Química y Biología, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, USACH, Santiago, Chile
| | - Patricia García
- Departamento de Laboratorios Clínicos. Escuela de Medicina. Facultad de Medicina. Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Marcela Ferres
- Departamento de Laboratorios Clínicos. Escuela de Medicina. Facultad de Medicina. Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - César A. Ramírez-Sarmiento
- ANID - Millennium Science Initiative Program - Millennium Institute for Integrative Biology (iBio)
- Institute for Biological and Medical Engineering, Schools of Engineering, Medicine and Biological Sciences, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Fernán Federici
- ANID - Millennium Science Initiative Program - Millennium Institute for Integrative Biology (iBio)
- FONDAP Center for Genome Regulation. Departamento de Genética Molecular y Microbiología, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, 8331150, Chile
- Institute for Biological and Medical Engineering, Schools of Engineering, Medicine and Biological Sciences, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Rodrigo A. Gutiérrez
- ANID - Millennium Science Initiative Program - Millennium Institute for Integrative Biology (iBio)
- FONDAP Center for Genome Regulation. Departamento de Genética Molecular y Microbiología, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, 8331150, Chile
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26
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Ordóñez CD, Redrejo-Rodríguez M. DNA Polymerases for Whole Genome Amplification: Considerations and Future Directions. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:9331. [PMID: 37298280 PMCID: PMC10253169 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24119331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2023] [Revised: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
In the same way that specialized DNA polymerases (DNAPs) replicate cellular and viral genomes, only a handful of dedicated proteins from various natural origins as well as engineered versions are appropriate for competent exponential amplification of whole genomes and metagenomes (WGA). Different applications have led to the development of diverse protocols, based on various DNAPs. Isothermal WGA is currently widely used due to the high performance of Φ29 DNA polymerase, but PCR-based methods are also available and can provide competent amplification of certain samples. Replication fidelity and processivity must be considered when selecting a suitable enzyme for WGA. However, other properties, such as thermostability, capacity to couple replication, and double helix unwinding, or the ability to maintain DNA replication opposite to damaged bases, are also very relevant for some applications. In this review, we provide an overview of the different properties of DNAPs widely used in WGA and discuss their limitations and future research directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos D. Ordóñez
- CIC bioGUNE, Bizkaia Science and Technology Park, Building 800, 48160 Derio, Spain
| | - Modesto Redrejo-Rodríguez
- Department of Biochemistry, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid and Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas “Alberto Sols”, CSIC-UAM, 28029 Madrid, Spain
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27
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Diatlova EA, Mechetin GV, Yudkina AV, Zharkov VD, Torgasheva NA, Endutkin AV, Shulenina OV, Konevega AL, Gileva IP, Shchelkunov SN, Zharkov DO. Correlated Target Search by Vaccinia Virus Uracil-DNA Glycosylase, a DNA Repair Enzyme and a Processivity Factor of Viral Replication Machinery. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24119113. [PMID: 37298065 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24119113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2023] [Revised: 05/13/2023] [Accepted: 05/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The protein encoded by the vaccinia virus D4R gene has base excision repair uracil-DNA N-glycosylase (vvUNG) activity and also acts as a processivity factor in the viral replication complex. The use of a protein unlike PolN/PCNA sliding clamps is a unique feature of orthopoxviral replication, providing an attractive target for drug design. However, the intrinsic processivity of vvUNG has never been estimated, leaving open the question whether it is sufficient to impart processivity to the viral polymerase. Here, we use the correlated cleavage assay to characterize the translocation of vvUNG along DNA between two uracil residues. The salt dependence of the correlated cleavage, together with the similar affinity of vvUNG for damaged and undamaged DNA, support the one-dimensional diffusion mechanism of lesion search. Unlike short gaps, covalent adducts partly block vvUNG translocation. Kinetic experiments show that once a lesion is found it is excised with a probability ~0.76. Varying the distance between two uracils, we use a random walk model to estimate the mean number of steps per association with DNA at ~4200, which is consistent with vvUNG playing a role as a processivity factor. Finally, we show that inhibitors carrying a tetrahydro-2,4,6-trioxopyrimidinylidene moiety can suppress the processivity of vvUNG.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evgeniia A Diatlova
- SB RAS Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine, 8 Lavrentieva Ave., 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Grigory V Mechetin
- SB RAS Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine, 8 Lavrentieva Ave., 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Anna V Yudkina
- SB RAS Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine, 8 Lavrentieva Ave., 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Vasily D Zharkov
- Biology Department, Tomsk State University, 634050 Tomsk, Russia
| | - Natalia A Torgasheva
- SB RAS Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine, 8 Lavrentieva Ave., 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Anton V Endutkin
- SB RAS Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine, 8 Lavrentieva Ave., 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Olga V Shulenina
- NRC "Kurchatov Institute"-B. P. Konstantinov Petersburg Nuclear Physics Institute, Leningrad Region, 188300 Gatchina, Russia
| | - Andrey L Konevega
- NRC "Kurchatov Institute"-B. P. Konstantinov Petersburg Nuclear Physics Institute, Leningrad Region, 188300 Gatchina, Russia
| | - Irina P Gileva
- State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology Vector, Novosibirsk Region, 630559 Koltsovo, Russia
| | - Sergei N Shchelkunov
- State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology Vector, Novosibirsk Region, 630559 Koltsovo, Russia
| | - Dmitry O Zharkov
- SB RAS Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine, 8 Lavrentieva Ave., 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
- Department of Natural Sciences, Novosibirsk State University, 2 Pirogova St., 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
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28
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Farooqui AK, Ahmad H, Rehmani MU, Husain A. Quick and easy method for extraction and purification of Pfu-Sso7d, a high processivity DNA polymerase. Protein Expr Purif 2023; 208-209:106276. [PMID: 37156451 DOI: 10.1016/j.pep.2023.106276] [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: 03/17/2023] [Revised: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 04/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
The polymerase chain reaction is an extensively used technique with numerous applications in the field of biological sciences. In addition to naturally occurring DNA polymerases with varying processivity and fidelity, genetically engineered recombinant DNA polymerases are also used in PCR. The Pfu-Sso7d, a fusion DNA polymerase, is obtained by the fusion of Sso7d, a small DNA binding protein, to the polymerase domain of the Pfu DNA polymerase. Pfu-Sso7d is known for its high processivity, efficiency, and fidelity. Expensive commercial variants of Pfu-Sso7d are sold under various trade names. Here, we report a quick, cost and time-efficient purification protocol and an optimized buffer system for Pfu-Sso7d. We evaluated precipitation efficiencies of varying concentrations of ethanol and acetone and compared the activities of the precipitated enzyme. Although both the solvents efficiently precipitated Pfu-Sso7d, acetone showed better precipitation efficiency. Purified Pfu-Sso7d showed excellent activities in the PCR of templates with varying lengths and GC contents. We also report a buffer system that works with Pfu-Sso7d as efficiently as commercially available buffers. This quick and efficient purification scheme and buffer system will provide researchers cost-efficient access to fusion polymerases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Afreen Kamal Farooqui
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Life Sciences, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, 202002, India
| | - Haleema Ahmad
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Life Sciences, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, 202002, India
| | - Mohd Umar Rehmani
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Life Sciences, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, 202002, India
| | - Afzal Husain
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Life Sciences, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, 202002, India.
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29
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Akram F, Shah FI, Ibrar R, Fatima T, Haq IU, Naseem W, Gul MA, Tehreem L, Haider G. Bacterial thermophilic DNA polymerases: A focus on prominent biotechnological applications. Anal Biochem 2023; 671:115150. [PMID: 37054862 DOI: 10.1016/j.ab.2023.115150] [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: 01/14/2023] [Revised: 02/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 04/15/2023]
Abstract
DNA polymerases are the enzymes able to replicate the genetic information in nucleic acid. As a result, they are necessary to copy the complete genome of every living creature before cell division and sustain the integrity of the genetic information throughout the life of each cell. Any organism that uses DNA as its genetic information, whether unicellular or multicellular, requires one or more thermostable DNA polymerases to thrive. Thermostable DNA polymerase is important in modern biotechnology and molecular biology because it results in methods such as DNA cloning, DNA sequencing, whole genome amplification, molecular diagnostics, polymerase chain reaction, synthetic biology, and single nucleotide polymorphism detection. There are at least 14 DNA-dependent DNA polymerases in the human genome, which is remarkable. These include the widely accepted, high-fidelity enzymes responsible for replicating the vast majority of genomic DNA and eight or more specialized DNA polymerases discovered in the last decade. The newly discovered polymerases' functions are still being elucidated. Still, one of its crucial tasks is to permit synthesis to resume despite the DNA damage that stops the progression of replication-fork. One of the primary areas of interest in the research field has been the quest for novel DNA polymerase since the unique features of each thermostable DNA polymerase may lead to the prospective creation of novel reagents. Furthermore, protein engineering strategies for generating mutant or artificial DNA polymerases have successfully generated potent DNA polymerases for various applications. In molecular biology, thermostable DNA polymerases are extremely useful for PCR-related methods. This article examines the role and importance of DNA polymerase in a variety of techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatima Akram
- Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Government College University, Lahore, 54000, Pakistan.
| | - Fatima Iftikhar Shah
- Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Government College University, Lahore, 54000, Pakistan; The University of Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Ramesha Ibrar
- Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Government College University, Lahore, 54000, Pakistan
| | - Taseer Fatima
- Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Government College University, Lahore, 54000, Pakistan
| | - Ikram Ul Haq
- Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Government College University, Lahore, 54000, Pakistan; Pakistan Academy of Sciences, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Waqas Naseem
- Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Government College University, Lahore, 54000, Pakistan
| | - Mahmood Ayaz Gul
- Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Government College University, Lahore, 54000, Pakistan
| | - Laiba Tehreem
- Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Government College University, Lahore, 54000, Pakistan
| | - Ghanoor Haider
- Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Government College University, Lahore, 54000, Pakistan
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30
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Reinbold C, Kong KYE, Kats I, Khmelinskii A, Knop M. Multiplexed protein stability (MPS) profiling of terminal degrons using fluorescent timer libraries in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Methods Enzymol 2023; 686:321-344. [PMID: 37532406 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2023.02.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/04/2023]
Abstract
N-terminal protein sequences and their proteolytic processing and modifications influence the stability and turnover of proteins by creating potential degrons for cellular proteolytic pathways. Understanding the impact of genetic perturbations of components affecting the processing of protein N-termini and thereby their stability, requires methods compatible with proteome-wide studies of many N-termini simultaneously. Tandem fluorescent timers (tFT) allow the in vivo measurement of protein turnover completely independent of protein abundance and can be deployed for proteome-wide studies. Here we present a protocol for Multiplexed Protein Stability (MPS) profiling of tFT-libraries encoding large numbers of different protein N-termini fused to tFT in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. This protocol includes fluorescence cell sorting based profiling of these libraries using a pooling approach. Analysis of the sorted pools is done by using multiplexed deep sequencing, in order to generate a stability index for each N-terminally peptide fused to the tFT reporter, and to evaluate half-life changes across all species represented in the library.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Reinbold
- Center for Molecular Biology of Heidelberg University (ZMBH), DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance, Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | - Ilia Kats
- Division of Computational Genomics and Systems Genetics, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | - Michael Knop
- Center for Molecular Biology of Heidelberg University (ZMBH), DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance, Heidelberg, Germany; Cell Morphogenesis and Signal Transduction, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance, Heidelberg, Germany.
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31
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Ahmad S, Ali SF, Iftikhar S, Rashid N. Engineering a DNA polymerase from Pyrobaculum calidifontis for improved activity, processivity and extension rate. Int J Biol Macromol 2023; 233:123545. [PMID: 36740112 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.123545] [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: 10/12/2022] [Revised: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Positively charged amino acids in the DNA polymerase domain are important for interaction with DNA. Two potential residues in the palm domain of Pca-Pol, a DNA polymerase from Pyrobaculum calidifontis, were identified and mutated to arginine in order to improve the properties of this enzyme. The mutant proteins were heterologously produced in Escherichia coli. Biochemical characterization revealed that there was no significant difference in pH, metal ion, buffer preferences, 3' - 5' exonuclease activity and error rate of the wild-type and the mutant enzymes. However, the specific activity, processivity and extension rate of the mutant enzymes increased significantly. Specific activity of one of the mutants (G522R-E555R) was nearly 9-fold higher than that of the wild-type enzyme. These properties make G522R-E555R mutant enzyme a potential candidate for commercial applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shazeel Ahmad
- School of Biological Sciences, University of the Punjab, Quaid-e-Azam Campus, Lahore 54590, Pakistan
| | - Syed Farhat Ali
- KAM-School of Life Sciences, Forman Christian College (A Chartered University), Ferozepur Road, Lahore 54600, Pakistan
| | - Saima Iftikhar
- School of Biological Sciences, University of the Punjab, Quaid-e-Azam Campus, Lahore 54590, Pakistan
| | - Naeem Rashid
- School of Biological Sciences, University of the Punjab, Quaid-e-Azam Campus, Lahore 54590, Pakistan.
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Dong H, Zhang K, Zhang J, Xiao Y, Zhang F, Wang M, Wang H, Zhao G, Xie S, Xie X, Hu W, Yin K, Gu L. A fast RT-qPCR system significantly shortens the time for SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid test. Drug Discov Ther 2023; 17:37-44. [PMID: 36843076 DOI: 10.5582/ddt.2022.01092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/27/2023]
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a serious threat to global development. Rapid and accurate diagnosis is critical for containing the pandemic and treating patients in time. As the gold standard for SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis, the qualitative reverse transcription-PCR (RT-qPCR) test has long been criticized for its long detection time. In this study, we optimized the primers and probes targeting SARS-CoV-2 ORF1ab and N gene designed by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Preventions (CDC) to increase their Tm values to meet the optimal elongation temperature of Taq DNA polymerase, thus greatly shortened the elongation time. The higher elongation temperature in turn narrowed the temperature range of the reaction and saved more time. In addition, by shortening the distance between the fluorophore at the 5' end and the quencher in the middle we got a probe with higher signal-to-noise ratio. Finally, by using all these measures and optimized RT-qPCR program we successfully reduced the time (nucleic acid extraction step is not included) for nucleic acid test from 74 min to 26 min.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongjie Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, Shandong, China.,Shandong Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jining, Shandong, China
| | - Kundi Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Junmei Zhang
- Shandong Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jining, Shandong, China
| | - Yumeng Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Fengyu Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Maofeng Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Hongwei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Guihua Zhao
- Shandong Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jining, Shandong, China
| | - Shiling Xie
- Shandong Shtars Medical Technology Co. Ltd, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Xiaohong Xie
- Shandong Shtars Medical Technology Co. Ltd, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Wei Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Kun Yin
- Shandong Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jining, Shandong, China
| | - Lichuan Gu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, Shandong, China
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High-Performance PCR for Alleles Discrimination of Chromo-Helicase-DNA Binding Protein (CHD1) Gene in Bird Sexing. BIOLOGY 2023; 12:biology12020300. [PMID: 36829577 PMCID: PMC9953129 DOI: 10.3390/biology12020300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2022] [Revised: 02/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2023]
Abstract
Genetic analyses aiming at assessing the presence of specific sequences or alleles are often carried out by PCR. Sexing of most birds is nowadays based on PCR with "universal" primers and relies on the assessment of the presence of the sex-linked CHD1-Z and -W alleles. The entire workflow is relatively time-consuming, especially for batch analyses, whereas methods that allow carrying out the entire procedure in a short time are highly desirable. The only method for outdoor analyses reported so far relies on LAMP; however; it fails to work properly in Procellariiformes. Besides improving the LAMP test; we have developed a PCR-based DNA amplification procedure (named high-performance PCR); whose unique features allow it to outperform standard PCR; making possible the direct, in-tube visual reading of results. We tested it with specifically designed Procellariiformes-targeted primer sets for rapid sexing of the birds using fluorimetric detection. The protocol, combined with rapid DNA extraction, allows for fast reading of results without electrophoresis within less than 1 h from sampling. The technique could be extended to other species, as well as to many other applications.
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Takahashi S, Oshige M, Katsura S, Nagahara Y. A new fluorescence labeling method for molecular analysis of double-stranded DNA. Anal Biochem 2023; 662:115000. [PMID: 36470466 DOI: 10.1016/j.ab.2022.115000] [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: 09/01/2022] [Revised: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
In this study, a double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) fluorescent labeling method was developed using the fusion proteins of fluorescent protein (FP), and 7 kDa DNA-binding family members including Sso7d from Sulfolobus solfataricus, Aho7c from Acidianus hospitalis, ATSV7 from Acidianus tailed spindle virus and Sto7 from Sulfolobus tokodaii. Using this fluorescent DNA labeling method, we succeeded in single-molecule imaging of bacteriophage λDNA molecules stretched on glass surfaces. The fluorescence of the λDNA with FP fusion proteins decayed 2.4- to 6.4-fold slower than that of the typical intercalating method with SYTOX Green (SxG). In addition, the dynamic behaviors of FP-fused Aho7c-λDNA were relaxed and stretched with and without buffer flow, respectively, in microflow channels and were similar to that with typical intercalating dye, such as YOYO-1 and SxG. this fluorescent DNA labeling method. This fluorescent DNA labeling method can solve the problem of rapid fluorescence decay due to the intercalating dyes and therefore can be expected as an alternative to compound-based fluorescent dye. Thus, this study establishes FP fusion proteins as useful fluorescent DNA probes at the single-molecule level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shunsuke Takahashi
- Division of Life Science and Engineering, School of Science and Engineering, Tokyo Denki University, Ishizaka, Hatoyama-cho, Hiki-gun, Saitama, 350-0394, Japan.
| | - Masahiko Oshige
- Department of Environmental Engineering Science, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Gunma University, Kiryu, Gunma, 376-8515, Japan; Gunma University Center for Food Science and Wellness (GUCFW), Aramaki, Gunma, 371-8510, Japan
| | - Shinji Katsura
- Department of Environmental Engineering Science, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Gunma University, Kiryu, Gunma, 376-8515, Japan; Gunma University Center for Food Science and Wellness (GUCFW), Aramaki, Gunma, 371-8510, Japan
| | - Yukitoshi Nagahara
- Division of Life Science and Engineering, School of Science and Engineering, Tokyo Denki University, Ishizaka, Hatoyama-cho, Hiki-gun, Saitama, 350-0394, Japan
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Paik I, Ngo PHT, Shroff R, Diaz DJ, Maranhao AC, Walker DJ, Bhadra S, Ellington AD. Improved Bst DNA Polymerase Variants Derived via a Machine Learning Approach. Biochemistry 2023; 62:410-418. [PMID: 34762799 PMCID: PMC9514386 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.1c00451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
The DNA polymerase I from Geobacillus stearothermophilus (also known as Bst DNAP) is widely used in isothermal amplification reactions, where its strand displacement ability is prized. More robust versions of this enzyme should be enabled for diagnostic applications, especially for carrying out higher temperature reactions that might proceed more quickly. To this end, we appended a short fusion domain from the actin-binding protein villin that improved both stability and purification of the enzyme. In parallel, we have developed a machine learning algorithm that assesses the relative fit of individual amino acids to their chemical microenvironments at any position in a protein and applied this algorithm to predict sequence substitutions in Bst DNAP. The top predicted variants had greatly improved thermotolerance (heating prior to assay), and upon combination, the mutations showed additive thermostability, with denaturation temperatures up to 2.5 °C higher than the parental enzyme. The increased thermostability of the enzyme allowed faster loop-mediated isothermal amplification assays to be carried out at 73 °C, where both Bst DNAP and its improved commercial counterpart Bst 2.0 are inactivated. Overall, this is one of the first examples of the application of machine learning approaches to the thermostabilization of an enzyme.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inyup Paik
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, College of Natural Sciences, the University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States; Center for Systems and Synthetic Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Phuoc H. T. Ngo
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, College of Natural Sciences, the University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States; Center for Systems and Synthetic Biology and Department of Chemistry, College of Natural Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Raghav Shroff
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, College of Natural Sciences, the University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States; Center for Systems and Synthetic Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States; CCDC Army Research Lab-South, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Daniel J. Diaz
- Center for Systems and Synthetic Biology and Department of Chemistry, College of Natural Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Andre C. Maranhao
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, College of Natural Sciences, the University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States; Center for Systems and Synthetic Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - David J.F. Walker
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, College of Natural Sciences, the University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States; Center for Systems and Synthetic Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Sanchita Bhadra
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, College of Natural Sciences, the University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States; Center for Systems and Synthetic Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Andrew D. Ellington
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, College of Natural Sciences, the University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States; Center for Systems and Synthetic Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
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Pereira H, Silva PC, Johansson B. Bacteria and Yeast Colony PCR. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2967:209-221. [PMID: 37608114 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3358-8_17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/24/2023]
Abstract
The bacteria Escherichia coli and the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae are currently the two most important organisms in synthetic biology. E. coli is almost always used for fundamental DNA manipulation, while yeast is the simplest host system for studying eukaryotic gene expression and performing large-scale DNA assembly. Yeast expression studies may also require altering the chromosomal DNA by homologous recombination. All these studies require the verification of the expected DNA sequence, and the fastest method of screening is colony PCR, which is direct PCR of DNA in cells without prior DNA purification. Colony PCR is hampered by the difficulty of releasing DNA into the PCR mix and by the presence of PCR inhibitors. We hereby present one protocol for E. coli and two protocols for S. cerevisiae differing in efficiency and complexity as well as an overview of past and possible future developments of efficient S. cerevisiae colony PCR protocols.
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Affiliation(s)
- Humberto Pereira
- CBMA - Centre of Molecular and Environmental Biology, Department of Biology, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
| | - Paulo César Silva
- CBMA - Centre of Molecular and Environmental Biology, Department of Biology, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
| | - Björn Johansson
- CBMA - Centre of Molecular and Environmental Biology, Department of Biology, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.
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37
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Wang G, Du Y, Ma X, Ye F, Qin Y, Wang Y, Xiang Y, Tao R, Chen T. Thermophilic Nucleic Acid Polymerases and Their Application in Xenobiology. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232314969. [PMID: 36499296 PMCID: PMC9738464 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232314969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2022] [Revised: 11/22/2022] [Accepted: 11/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Thermophilic nucleic acid polymerases, isolated from organisms that thrive in extremely hot environments, possess great DNA/RNA synthesis activities under high temperatures. These enzymes play indispensable roles in central life activities involved in DNA replication and repair, as well as RNA transcription, and have already been widely used in bioengineering, biotechnology, and biomedicine. Xeno nucleic acids (XNAs), which are analogs of DNA/RNA with unnatural moieties, have been developed as new carriers of genetic information in the past decades, which contributed to the fast development of a field called xenobiology. The broad application of these XNA molecules in the production of novel drugs, materials, and catalysts greatly relies on the capability of enzymatic synthesis, reverse transcription, and amplification of them, which have been partially achieved with natural or artificially tailored thermophilic nucleic acid polymerases. In this review, we first systematically summarize representative thermophilic and hyperthermophilic polymerases that have been extensively studied and utilized, followed by the introduction of methods and approaches in the engineering of these polymerases for the efficient synthesis, reverse transcription, and amplification of XNAs. The application of XNAs facilitated by these polymerases and their mutants is then discussed. In the end, a perspective for the future direction of further development and application of unnatural nucleic acid polymerases is provided.
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38
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Tong CL, Kanwar N, Morrone DJ, Seelig B. Nature-inspired engineering of an artificial ligase enzyme by domain fusion. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:11175-11185. [PMID: 36243966 PMCID: PMC9638898 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2022] [Revised: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The function of most proteins is accomplished through the interplay of two or more protein domains and fine-tuned by natural evolution. In contrast, artificial enzymes have often been engineered from a single domain scaffold and frequently have lower catalytic activity than natural enzymes. We previously generated an artificial enzyme that catalyzed an RNA ligation by >2 million-fold but was likely limited in its activity by low substrate affinity. Inspired by nature's concept of domain fusion, we fused the artificial enzyme to a series of protein domains known to bind nucleic acids with the goal of improving its catalytic activity. The effect of the fused domains on catalytic activity varied greatly, yielding severalfold increases but also reductions caused by domains that previously enhanced nucleic acid binding in other protein engineering projects. The combination of the two better performing binding domains improved the activity of the parental ligase by more than an order of magnitude. These results demonstrate for the first time that nature's successful evolutionary mechanism of domain fusion can also improve an unevolved primordial-like protein whose structure and function had just been created in the test tube. The generation of multi-domain proteins might therefore be an ancient evolutionary process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cher Ling Tong
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biophysics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
- BioTechnology Institute, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - Nisha Kanwar
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biophysics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
- BioTechnology Institute, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - Dana J Morrone
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biophysics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
- BioTechnology Institute, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - Burckhard Seelig
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biophysics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
- BioTechnology Institute, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA
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39
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Rinaldi L, Krücken J, Martinez-Valladares M, Pepe P, Maurelli MP, de Queiroz C, Castilla Gómez de Agüero V, Wang T, Cringoli G, Charlier J, Gilleard JS, von Samson-Himmelstjerna G. Advances in diagnosis of gastrointestinal nematodes in livestock and companion animals. ADVANCES IN PARASITOLOGY 2022; 118:85-176. [PMID: 36088084 DOI: 10.1016/bs.apar.2022.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Diagnosis of gastrointestinal nematodes in livestock and companion animals has been neglected for years and there has been an historical underinvestment in the development and improvement of diagnostic tools, undermining the undoubted utility of surveillance and control programmes. However, a new impetus by the scientific community and the quickening pace of technological innovations, are promoting a renaissance of interest in developing diagnostic capacity for nematode infections in veterinary parasitology. A cross-cutting priority for diagnostic tools is the development of pen-side tests and associated decision support tools that rapidly inform on the levels of infection and morbidity. This includes development of scalable, parasite detection using artificial intelligence for automated counting of parasitic elements and research towards establishing biomarkers using innovative molecular and proteomic methods. The aim of this review is to assess the state-of-the-art in the diagnosis of helminth infections in livestock and companion animals and presents the current advances of diagnostic methods for intestinal parasites harnessing (i) automated methods for copromicroscopy based on artificial intelligence, (ii) immunodiagnosis, and (iii) molecular- and proteome-based approaches. Regardless of the method used, multiple factors need to be considered before diagnostics test results can be interpreted in terms of control decisions. Guidelines on how to apply diagnostics and how to interpret test results in different animal species are increasingly requested and some were recently made available in veterinary parasitology for the different domestic species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Rinaldi
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, University of Naples "Federico II", Naples, Italy.
| | - J Krücken
- Institute for Parasitology and Tropical Veterinary Medicine, Veterinary Centre for Resistance Research, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - M Martinez-Valladares
- Instituto de Ganadería de Montaña (CSIC-Universidad de León), Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de León, León, Spain
| | - P Pepe
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, University of Naples "Federico II", Naples, Italy
| | - M P Maurelli
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, University of Naples "Federico II", Naples, Italy
| | - C de Queiroz
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, 3331 Hospital Drive, Host-Parasite Interactions (HPI) Program University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, St Georges University, Grenada
| | - V Castilla Gómez de Agüero
- Instituto de Ganadería de Montaña (CSIC-Universidad de León), Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de León, León, Spain
| | - T Wang
- Kreavet, Kruibeke, Belgium
| | - Giuseppe Cringoli
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, University of Naples "Federico II", Naples, Italy
| | | | - J S Gilleard
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, 3331 Hospital Drive, Host-Parasite Interactions (HPI) Program University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - G von Samson-Himmelstjerna
- Institute for Parasitology and Tropical Veterinary Medicine, Veterinary Centre for Resistance Research, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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Molina RS, Rix G, Mengiste AA, Alvarez B, Seo D, Chen H, Hurtado J, Zhang Q, Donato García-García J, Heins ZJ, Almhjell PJ, Arnold FH, Khalil AS, Hanson AD, Dueber JE, Schaffer DV, Chen F, Kim S, Ángel Fernández L, Shoulders MD, Liu CC. In vivo hypermutation and continuous evolution. NATURE REVIEWS. METHODS PRIMERS 2022; 2:37. [PMID: 37073402 PMCID: PMC10108624 DOI: 10.1038/s43586-022-00130-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rosana S. Molina
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Irvine, CA 92617, USA
| | - Gordon Rix
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Amanuella A. Mengiste
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | - Beatriz Alvarez
- Department of Microbial Biotechnology, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CNB-CSIC), Darwin 3, Campus UAM Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Daeje Seo
- Department of Chemistry, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, South Korea
| | - Haiqi Chen
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Juan Hurtado
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Qiong Zhang
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Jorge Donato García-García
- Tecnologico de Monterrey, Escuela de Ingenieria y Ciencias, Av. General Ramon Corona 2514, Nuevo Mexico, C.P. 45138, Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico
| | - Zachary J. Heins
- Biological Design Center, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Patrick J. Almhjell
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Frances H. Arnold
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Ahmad S. Khalil
- Biological Design Center, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Andrew D. Hanson
- Horticultural Sciences Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - John E. Dueber
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Innovative Genomics Institute, University of California Berkeley and San Francisco, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Biological Systems & Engineering Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - David V. Schaffer
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Innovative Genomics Institute, University of California Berkeley and San Francisco, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Fei Chen
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Seokhee Kim
- Department of Chemistry, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, South Korea
| | - Luis Ángel Fernández
- Department of Microbial Biotechnology, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CNB-CSIC), Darwin 3, Campus UAM Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Matthew D. Shoulders
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | - Chang C. Liu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Irvine, CA 92617, USA
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, CA 92617, USA
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41
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Paik I, Bhadra S, Ellington AD. Charge Engineering Improves the Performance of Bst DNA Polymerase Fusions. ACS Synth Biol 2022; 11:1488-1496. [PMID: 35320674 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.1c00559] [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] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The charge states of proteins can greatly influence their stabilities and interactions with substrates, and the addition of multiple charges (supercharging) has been shown to be a successful approach for engineering protein stability and function. The addition of a fast-folding fusion domain to the Bacillus stearothermophilus DNA polymerase improved its functionality in isothermal amplification assays, and further charge engineering of this domain has increased both protein stability and diagnostics performance. When combined with mutations that stabilize the core of the protein, the charge-engineered fusion domain leads to the ability to carry out loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) at temperatures up to 74° C or in the presence of high concentrations of urea, with detection times under 10 min. Adding both positive and negative charges to the fusion domain led to changes in the relative reverse transcriptase and DNA polymerase activities of the polymerase. Overall, the development of a modular fusion domain whose charged surface can be modified at will should prove to be of use in the engineering of other polymerases and, in general, may prove useful for protein stabilization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inyup Paik
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, College of Natural Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
- Center for Systems and Synthetic Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Sanchita Bhadra
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, College of Natural Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
- Center for Systems and Synthetic Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Andrew D. Ellington
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, College of Natural Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
- Center for Systems and Synthetic Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
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Zhao Z, Xie X, Liu W, Huang J, Tan J, Yu H, Zong W, Tang J, Zhao Y, Xue Y, Chu Z, Chen L, Liu YG. STI PCR: An efficient method for amplification and de novo synthesis of long DNA sequences. MOLECULAR PLANT 2022; 15:620-629. [PMID: 34968732 DOI: 10.1016/j.molp.2021.12.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2021] [Revised: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 12/25/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Despite continuous improvements, it is difficult to efficiently amplify large sequences from complex templates using current PCR methods. Here, we developed a suppression thermo-interlaced (STI) PCR method for the efficient and specific amplification of long DNA sequences from genomes and synthetic DNA pools. This method uses site-specific primers containing a common 5' tag to generate a stem-loop structure, thereby repressing the amplification of smaller non-specific products through PCR suppression (PS). However, large target products are less affected by PS and show enhanced amplification when the competitive amplification of non-specific products is suppressed. Furthermore, this method uses nested thermo-interlaced cycling with varied temperatures to optimize strand extension of long sequences with an uneven GC distribution. The combination of these two factors in STI PCR produces a multiplier effect, markedly increasing specificity and amplification capacity. We also developed a webtool, calGC, for analyzing the GC distribution of target DNA sequences and selecting suitable thermo-cycling programs for STI PCR. Using this method, we stably amplified very long genomic fragments (up to 38 kb) from plants and human and greatly increased the length of de novo DNA synthesis, which has many applications such as cloning, expression, and targeted genomic sequencing. Our method greatly extends PCR capacity and has great potential for use in biological fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhe Zhao
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Xianrong Xie
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Weizhi Liu
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Jingjing Huang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Jiantao Tan
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Haixin Yu
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Wubei Zong
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Jintao Tang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Yanchang Zhao
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Yang Xue
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Zhizhan Chu
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Letian Chen
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangzhou 510642, China.
| | - Yao-Guang Liu
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangzhou 510642, China.
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Bhadra S, Paik I, Torres JA, Fadanka S, Gandini C, Akligoh H, Molloy J, Ellington AD. Preparation and Use of Cellular Reagents: A Low-resource Molecular Biology Reagent Platform. Curr Protoc 2022; 2:e387. [PMID: 35263038 PMCID: PMC9094432 DOI: 10.1002/cpz1.387] [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] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Protein reagents are indispensable for most molecular and synthetic biology procedures. Most conventional protocols rely on highly purified protein reagents that require considerable expertise, time, and infrastructure to produce. In consequence, most proteins are acquired from commercial sources, reagent expense is often high, and accessibility may be hampered by shipping delays, customs barriers, geopolitical constraints, and the need for a constant cold chain. Such limitations to the widespread availability of protein reagents, in turn, limit the expansion and adoption of molecular biology methods in research, education, and technology development and application. Here, we describe protocols for producing a low-resource and locally sustainable reagent delivery system, termed "cellular reagents," in which bacteria engineered to overexpress proteins of interest are dried and can then be used directly as reagent packets in numerous molecular biology reactions, without the need for protein purification or a constant cold chain. As an example of their application, we describe the execution of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) using cellular reagents, detailing how to replace pure protein reagents with optimal amounts of rehydrated cellular reagents. We additionally describe a do-it-yourself fluorescence visualization device for using these cellular reagents in common molecular biology applications. The methods presented in this article can be used for low-cost, on-site production of commonly used molecular biology reagents (including DNA and RNA polymerases, reverse transcriptases, and ligases) with minimal instrumentation and expertise, and without the need for protein purification. Consequently, these methods should generally make molecular biology reagents more affordable and accessible. © 2022 Wiley Periodicals LLC. Basic Protocol 1: Preparation of cellular reagents Alternate Protocol 1: Preparation of lyophilized cellular reagents Alternate Protocol 2: Evaluation of bacterial culture growth via comparison to McFarland turbidity standards Support Protocol 1: SDS-PAGE for protein expression analysis of cellular reagents Basic Protocol 2: Using Taq DNA polymerase cellular reagents for PCR Basic Protocol 3: Using Br512 DNA polymerase cellular reagents for loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) Support Protocol 2: Building a fluorescence visualization device.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanchita Bhadra
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, College of Natural Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, United States of America,Center for Systems and Synthetic Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, United States of America,Corresponding authors: ,
| | - Inyup Paik
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, College of Natural Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, United States of America,Center for Systems and Synthetic Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, United States of America
| | - Jose-Angel Torres
- Freshman Research Initiative, DIY Diagnostics Stream, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, United States of America
| | | | - Chiara Gandini
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Harry Akligoh
- Hive Biolab, Hse 49, SE 29056 Drive, 2nd Turn Behind Mizpah School, Kentinkrono, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Jenny Molloy
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew D. Ellington
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, College of Natural Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, United States of America,Center for Systems and Synthetic Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, United States of America,Corresponding authors: ,
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Nagai S, Sildever S, Nishi N, Tazawa S, Basti L, Kobayashi T, Ishino Y. Comparing PCR-generated artifacts of different polymerases for improved accuracy of DNA metabarcoding. METABARCODING AND METAGENOMICS 2022. [DOI: 10.3897/mbmg.6.77704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Accuracy of PCR amplification is vital for obtaining reliable amplicon-sequencing results by metabarcoding. Here, we performed a comparative analysis of error profiles in the PCR products by 14 different PCR kits using a mock eukaryotic community DNA sample mimicking metabarcoding analysis. To prepare a mock eukaryotic community from the marine environment, equal amounts of plasmid DNA from 40 microalgal species were mixed and used for amplicon-sequencing by a high-throughput sequencing approach. To compare the differences in PCR kits used for this experiment, we focused on the following seven parameters: 1) Quality, 2) Chimera, 3) Blast top hit accuracy, 4) Deletion, 5) Insertion, 6) Base substitution and 7) Amplification bias amongst species. The results showed statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) for all of the seven parameters depending on the PCR kits used. These differences may result from the different DNA polymerases included in each kit, although the result can also be influenced by PCR reaction conditions. Simultaneous analysis of several parameters suggested that kits containing KOD plus Neo (TOYOBO) and HotStart Taq DNA polymerase (BiONEER, CA, US) at the annealing temperature of 65 °C displayed better results in terms of parameters associated with chimeras, top hit similarity and deletions.
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Kondo T, Eguchi M, Tsuzuki N, Murata N, Fujino T, Hayashi G, Murakami H. Construction of a Highly Diverse mRNA Library for in vitro Selection of Monobodies. Bio Protoc 2021; 11:e4125. [PMID: 34541043 DOI: 10.21769/bioprotoc.4125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2021] [Revised: 05/07/2021] [Accepted: 05/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Recently, we developed transcription/translation coupled with the association of puromycin linker (TRAP) display as a quick in vitro selection method to obtain antibody-like proteins. For the in vitro selection, it is important to prepare mRNA libraries among which the diversity is high. Here, we describe a method for the preparation of monobody mRNA libraries with greater than 1013 theoretical diversity. First, we synthesized two long single-stranded DNAs that corresponded to fragments of monobody DNA, with random codons in the BC and FG loops. These oligonucleotides were ligated by T4 DNA ligase with the support of guide oligonucleotides containing 3' ends that were protected by a modification. After amplifying the product DNAs by PCR, one end of each DNA fragment was digested with the type II restriction enzyme BsaI, and the resulting DNA fragments were ligated using T4 DNA ligase. After amplification of the DNA product, mRNAs were synthesized by T7 RNA polymerase. This method is simple and could be used for the preparation of mRNA libraries for various antibody-like proteins. Graphic abstract: Construction of a highly diverse mRNA library.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taishi Kondo
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Minori Eguchi
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Nariaki Tsuzuki
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Naoya Murata
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Tomoshige Fujino
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Gosuke Hayashi
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan.,Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), PRESTO, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Murakami
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan.,Institute of Nano-Life-Systems, Institutes of Innovation for Future Society, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
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Ohashi S, Hashiya F, Abe H. Variety of Nucleotide Polymerase Mutants Aiming to Synthesize Modified RNA. Chembiochem 2021; 22:2398-2406. [PMID: 33822453 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202100004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2021] [Revised: 04/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Significant efforts have been made to develop therapeutic RNA aptamers that exploit synthetic RNA to capture target molecules. However, ensuring RNA aptamers are resistant against intrinsic nucleases remains an issue and restricts their use as therapeutics. Introduction of chemical modifications to the 2' sugar moiety of RNA improves their stability effectively and can be achieved by chemical synthesis using modified phosphoramidites; however, this approach is not suitable for preparing long RNA molecules. Although recombinant nucleotide polymerases can transcribe RNA, these polymerases cannot synthesize modified RNA because they do not recognize 2' modified nucleoside triphosphates. In this review, we focus on several polymerase mutants that tolerate substrates containing modifications of the 2' sugar moiety to synthesize RNA, and the problems that must be overcome to prepare chemically modified RNA with high efficacy by in vitro transcription.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sana Ohashi
- Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi, 464-8602, Japan
| | - Fumitaka Hashiya
- Research Center for Material Science, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi, 464-8602, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Abe
- Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi, 464-8602, Japan
- Research Center for Material Science, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi, 464-8602, Japan
- CREST, Japan Science and Technology Agency, 7, Gobancho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 102-0076, Japan
- Institute for Glyco-core Research (iGCORE), Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi, 464-8602, Japan
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Thongjued K, Chotigeat W, Bumrungsri S, Thanakiatkrai P, Kitpipit T. Direct PCR-DGGE Technique Reveals Wrinkle-Lipped Free-Tailed Bat (Chaerephon plicatus Buchanan, 1800) Predominantly Consume Planthoppers and Mosquitoes in Central Thailand. ACTA CHIROPTEROLOGICA 2021. [DOI: 10.3161/15081109acc2021.23.1.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kantima Thongjued
- Prince of Songkla University, 15 Karnchanawanich Road, Hat Yai, Songkhla, Thailand 90112
| | - Wilaiwan Chotigeat
- Prince of Songkla University, 15 Karnchanawanich Road, Hat Yai, Songkhla, Thailand 90112
| | - Sara Bumrungsri
- Prince of Songkla University, 15 Karnchanawanich Road, Hat Yai, Songkhla, Thailand 90112
| | - Phuvadol Thanakiatkrai
- Prince of Songkla University, 15 Karnchanawanich Road, Hat Yai, Songkhla, Thailand 90112
| | - Thitika Kitpipit
- Prince of Songkla University, 15 Karnchanawanich Road, Hat Yai, Songkhla, Thailand 90112
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Low stutter ratio by SuperFi polymerase. FORENSIC SCIENCE INTERNATIONAL: REPORTS 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fsir.2021.100201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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Gao Y, He Y, Chen L, Liu X, Ivanov I, Yang X, Tian H. Chimeric Phi29 DNA polymerase with helix-hairpin-helix motifs shows enhanced salt tolerance and replication performance. Microb Biotechnol 2021; 14:1642-1656. [PMID: 34009743 PMCID: PMC8313265 DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.13830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2020] [Revised: 04/22/2021] [Accepted: 04/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Phi29 DNA polymerase (Phi29 Pol) has been successfully applied in DNA nanoball-based sequencing, real-time DNA sequencing from single polymerase molecules and nanopore sequencing employing the sequencing by synthesis (SBS) method. Among these, polymerase-assisted nanopore sequencing technology analyses nucleotide sequences as a function of changes in electrical current. This ionic, current-based sequencing technology requires polymerases to perform replication at high salt concentrations, for example 0.3 M KCl. Nonetheless, the salt tolerance of wild-type Phi29 Pol is relatively low. Here, we fused helix-hairpin-helix (HhH)2 domains E-L (eight repeats in total) of topoisomerase V (Topo V) from the hyperthermophile Methanopyrus kandleri to the Phi29 Pol COOH terminus, designated Phi29EL DNA polymerase (Phi29EL Pol). Domain fusion increased the overall enzyme replication efficiency by fourfold. Phi29EL Pol catalysed rolling circle replication in a broader range of salt concentrations than did Phi29 Pol, extending the KCl concentration range for activity up to 0.3 M. In addition, the mutation of Glu375 to Ser or Gln increased Phi29EL Pol activity in the presence of KCl. In this work, we produced a salt-tolerant Phi29 Pol derivative by means of (HhH)2 domain insertion. The multiple advantages of this insertion make it a good substitute for Phi29 Pol, especially for use in nanopore sequencing or other circumstances that require high salt concentrations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaping Gao
- Research Center of Molecular Diagnostics and SequencingResearch Institute of Tsinghua University in ShenzhenShenzhenGuangdong518057China
| | - Yun He
- Research Center of Molecular Diagnostics and SequencingResearch Institute of Tsinghua University in ShenzhenShenzhenGuangdong518057China
| | - Liyi Chen
- Research Center of Molecular Diagnostics and SequencingResearch Institute of Tsinghua University in ShenzhenShenzhenGuangdong518057China
| | - Xing Liu
- Research Center of Molecular Diagnostics and SequencingResearch Institute of Tsinghua University in ShenzhenShenzhenGuangdong518057China
| | - Igor Ivanov
- Research Center of Molecular Diagnostics and SequencingResearch Institute of Tsinghua University in ShenzhenShenzhenGuangdong518057China
| | - Xuerui Yang
- MOE Key Lab of BioinformaticsSchool of Life SciencesTsinghua UniversityBeijing100101China
| | - Hui Tian
- Research Center of Molecular Diagnostics and SequencingResearch Institute of Tsinghua University in ShenzhenShenzhenGuangdong518057China
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50
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Geronimo I, Vidossich P, Donati E, Vivo M. Computational investigations of polymerase enzymes: Structure, function, inhibition, and biotechnology. WIRES COMPUTATIONAL MOLECULAR SCIENCE 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/wcms.1534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Inacrist Geronimo
- Laboratory of Molecular Modelling and Drug Discovery, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia Genoa Italy
| | - Pietro Vidossich
- Laboratory of Molecular Modelling and Drug Discovery, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia Genoa Italy
| | - Elisa Donati
- Laboratory of Molecular Modelling and Drug Discovery, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia Genoa Italy
| | - Marco Vivo
- Laboratory of Molecular Modelling and Drug Discovery, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia Genoa Italy
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