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Zhao Z, Jiang M, He C, Yin W, Feng Y, Wang P, Ying L, Fu T, Su D, Peng R, Tan W. Enhancing Specific Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization with Quantum Dots for Single-Molecule RNA Imaging in Formalin-Fixed Paraffin-Embedded Tumor Tissues. ACS NANO 2024; 18:9958-9968. [PMID: 38547522 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.3c10216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/10/2024]
Abstract
Single-molecule fluorescence in situ hybridization (smFISH) represents a promising approach for the quantitative analysis of nucleic acid biomarkers in clinical tissue samples. However, low signal intensity and high background noise are complications that arise from diagnostic pathology when performed with smFISH-based RNA imaging in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue specimens. Moreover, the associated complex procedures can produce uncertain results and poor image quality. Herein, by combining the high specificity of split DNA probes with the high signal readout of ZnCdSe/ZnS quantum dot (QD) labeling, we introduce QD split-FISH, a high-brightness smFISH technology, to quantify the expression of mRNA in both cell lines and clinical FFPE tissue samples of breast cancer and lung squamous carcinoma. Owing to its high signal-to-noise ratio, QD split-FISH is a fast, inexpensive, and sensitive method for quantifying mRNA expression in FFPE tumor tissues, making it suitable for biomarker imaging and diagnostic pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zeyin Zhao
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory (MBL), State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, College of Biology, Aptamer Engineering Center of Hunan Province, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
- Department of Pathology, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Key Laboratory of Zhejiang Province for Aptamers and Theranostics, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310022, China
| | - Mengyuan Jiang
- Department of Pathology, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Key Laboratory of Zhejiang Province for Aptamers and Theranostics, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310022, China
- School of Chemistry and Materials Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China
| | - Chen He
- Department of Pathology, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Key Laboratory of Zhejiang Province for Aptamers and Theranostics, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310022, China
| | - Wenjuan Yin
- Department of Pathology, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Key Laboratory of Zhejiang Province for Aptamers and Theranostics, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310022, China
| | - Yawei Feng
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory (MBL), State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, College of Biology, Aptamer Engineering Center of Hunan Province, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
- Department of Pathology, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Key Laboratory of Zhejiang Province for Aptamers and Theranostics, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310022, China
| | - Peng Wang
- School of Molecular Medicine, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China
- Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Lisha Ying
- Department of Pathology, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Key Laboratory of Zhejiang Province for Aptamers and Theranostics, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310022, China
| | - Ting Fu
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory (MBL), State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, College of Biology, Aptamer Engineering Center of Hunan Province, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
- Department of Pathology, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Key Laboratory of Zhejiang Province for Aptamers and Theranostics, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310022, China
| | - Dan Su
- Department of Pathology, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Key Laboratory of Zhejiang Province for Aptamers and Theranostics, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310022, China
| | - Ruizi Peng
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory (MBL), State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, College of Biology, Aptamer Engineering Center of Hunan Province, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
- Department of Pathology, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Key Laboratory of Zhejiang Province for Aptamers and Theranostics, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310022, China
| | - Weihong Tan
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory (MBL), State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, College of Biology, Aptamer Engineering Center of Hunan Province, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
- Department of Pathology, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Key Laboratory of Zhejiang Province for Aptamers and Theranostics, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310022, China
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2
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Lim S, Clark DS. Phase-separated biomolecular condensates for biocatalysis. Trends Biotechnol 2024; 42:496-509. [PMID: 37925283 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2023.10.003] [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: 09/01/2023] [Revised: 10/09/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/06/2023]
Abstract
Nature often uses dynamically assembling multienzymatic complexes called metabolons to achieve spatiotemporal control of complex metabolic reactions. Researchers are aiming to mimic this strategy of organizing enzymes to enhance the performance of artificial biocatalytic systems. Biomolecular condensates formed through liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) can serve as a powerful tool to drive controlled assembly of enzymes. Diverse enzymatic pathways have been reconstituted within catalytic condensates in vitro as well as synthetic membraneless organelles in living cells. Furthermore, in vivo condensates have been engineered to regulate metabolic pathways by selectively sequestering enzymes. Thus, harnessing LLPS for controlled organization of enzymes provides an opportunity to dynamically regulate biocatalytic processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Lim
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Douglas S Clark
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA; Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA..
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3
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Kröll S, Niemeyer CM. Nucleic Acid-based Enzyme Cascades-Current Trends and Future Perspectives. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2024; 63:e202314452. [PMID: 37870888 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202314452] [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: 09/26/2023] [Revised: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023]
Abstract
The natural micro- and nanoscale organization of biomacromolecules is a remarkable principle within living cells, allowing for the control of cellular functions by compartmentalization, dimensional diffusion and substrate channeling. In order to explore these biological mechanisms and harness their potential for applications such as sensing and catalysis, molecular scaffolding has emerged as a promising approach. In the case of synthetic enzyme cascades, developments in DNA nanotechnology have produced particularly powerful scaffolds whose addressability can be programmed with nanometer precision. In this minireview, we summarize recent developments in the field of biomimetic multicatalytic cascade reactions organized on DNA nanostructures. We emphasize the impact of the underlying design principles like DNA origami, efficient strategies for enzyme immobilization, as well as the importance of experimental design parameters and theoretical modeling. We show how DNA nanostructures have enabled a better understanding of diffusion and compartmentalization effects at the nanometer length scale, and discuss the challenges and future potential for commercial applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Kröll
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Institute for Biological Interfaces 1, Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, 76344, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Christof M Niemeyer
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Institute for Biological Interfaces 1, Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, 76344, Karlsruhe, Germany
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4
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Kröll S, Burgahn T, Rabe KS, Franzreb M, Niemeyer CM. Nano- and Microscale Confinements in DNA-Scaffolded Enzyme Cascade Reactions. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2024; 20:e2304578. [PMID: 37732702 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202304578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Revised: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023]
Abstract
Artificial reconstruction of naturally evolved principles, such as compartmentalization and cascading of multienzyme complexes, offers enormous potential for the development of biocatalytic materials and processes. Due to their unique addressability at the nanoscale, DNA origami nanostructures (DON) have proven to be an exceptionally powerful tool for studying the fundamental processes in biocatalytic cascades. To systematically investigate the diffusion-reaction network of (co)substrate transfer in enzyme cascades, a model system of stereoselective ketoreductase (KRED) with cofactor regenerating enzyme is assembled in different spatial arrangements on DNA nanostructures and is located in the sphere of microbeads (MB) as a spatially confining nano- and microenvironment, respectively. The results, obtained through the use of highly sensitive analytical methods, Western blot-based quantification of the enzymes, and mass spectrometric (MS) product detection, along with theoretical modeling, provide strong evidence for the presence of two interacting compartments, the diffusion layers around the microbead and the DNA scaffold, which influence the catalytic efficiency of the cascade. It is shown that the microscale compartment exerts a strong influence on the productivity of the cascade, whereas the nanoscale arrangement of enzymes has no influence but can be modulated by the insertion of a diffusion barrier.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Kröll
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Institute for Biological Interfaces (IBG 1), Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, D-76344, Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany
| | - Teresa Burgahn
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Institute for Biological Interfaces (IBG 1), Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, D-76344, Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany
| | - Kersten S Rabe
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Institute for Biological Interfaces (IBG 1), Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, D-76344, Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany
| | - Matthias Franzreb
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Institute of Functional Interfaces (IFG), Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, D-76344, Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany
| | - Christof M Niemeyer
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Institute for Biological Interfaces (IBG 1), Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, D-76344, Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany
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Boob AG, Chen J, Zhao H. Enabling pathway design by multiplex experimentation and machine learning. Metab Eng 2024; 81:70-87. [PMID: 38040110 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymben.2023.11.006] [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: 09/14/2023] [Revised: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/25/2023] [Indexed: 12/03/2023]
Abstract
The remarkable metabolic diversity observed in nature has provided a foundation for sustainable production of a wide array of valuable molecules. However, transferring the biosynthetic pathway to the desired host often runs into inherent failures that arise from intermediate accumulation and reduced flux resulting from competing pathways within the host cell. Moreover, the conventional trial and error methods utilized in pathway optimization struggle to fully grasp the intricacies of installed pathways, leading to time-consuming and labor-intensive experiments, ultimately resulting in suboptimal yields. Considering these obstacles, there is a pressing need to explore the enzyme expression landscape and identify the optimal pathway configuration for enhanced production of molecules. This review delves into recent advancements in pathway engineering, with a focus on multiplex experimentation and machine learning techniques. These approaches play a pivotal role in overcoming the limitations of traditional methods, enabling exploration of a broader design space and increasing the likelihood of discovering optimal pathway configurations for enhanced production of molecules. We discuss several tools and strategies for pathway design, construction, and optimization for sustainable and cost-effective microbial production of molecules ranging from bulk to fine chemicals. We also highlight major successes in academia and industry through compelling case studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aashutosh Girish Boob
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, United States; Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, United States; DOE Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Junyu Chen
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, United States; Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, United States; DOE Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Huimin Zhao
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, United States; Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, United States; Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, United States; DOE Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.
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6
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Liu N, Dong W, Yang H, Li JH, Chiu TY. Application of artificial scaffold systems in microbial metabolic engineering. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2023; 11:1328141. [PMID: 38188488 PMCID: PMC10771841 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1328141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024] Open
Abstract
In nature, metabolic pathways are often organized into complex structures such as multienzyme complexes, enzyme molecular scaffolds, or reaction microcompartments. These structures help facilitate multi-step metabolic reactions. However, engineered metabolic pathways in microbial cell factories do not possess inherent metabolic regulatory mechanisms, which can result in metabolic imbalance. Taking inspiration from nature, scientists have successfully developed synthetic scaffolds to enhance the performance of engineered metabolic pathways in microbial cell factories. By recruiting enzymes, synthetic scaffolds facilitate the formation of multi-enzyme complexes, leading to the modulation of enzyme spatial distribution, increased enzyme activity, and a reduction in the loss of intermediate products and the toxicity associated with harmful intermediates within cells. In recent years, scaffolds based on proteins, nucleic acids, and various organelles have been developed and employed to facilitate multiple metabolic pathways. Despite varying degrees of success, synthetic scaffolds still encounter numerous challenges. The objective of this review is to provide a comprehensive introduction to these synthetic scaffolds and discuss their latest research advancements and challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nana Liu
- College of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, China
- HIM-BGI Omics Center, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Hangzhou, China
| | - Wei Dong
- HIM-BGI Omics Center, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Hangzhou, China
| | - Huanming Yang
- HIM-BGI Omics Center, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Hangzhou, China
| | - Jing-Hua Li
- College of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, China
| | - Tsan-Yu Chiu
- College of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, China
- HIM-BGI Omics Center, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Hangzhou, China
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Budzko L, Hoffa-Sobiech K, Jackowiak P, Figlerowicz M. Engineered deaminases as a key component of DNA and RNA editing tools. MOLECULAR THERAPY. NUCLEIC ACIDS 2023; 34:102062. [PMID: 38028200 PMCID: PMC10661471 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtn.2023.102062] [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] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
Over recent years, zinc-dependent deaminases have attracted increasing interest as key components of nucleic acid editing tools that can generate point mutations at specific sites in either DNA or RNA by combining a targeting module (such as a catalytically impaired CRISPR-Cas component) and an effector module (most often a deaminase). Deaminase-based molecular tools are already being utilized in a wide spectrum of therapeutic and research applications; however, their medical and biotechnological potential seems to be much greater. Recent reports indicate that the further development of nucleic acid editing systems depends largely on our ability to engineer the substrate specificity and catalytic activity of the editors themselves. In this review, we summarize the current trends and achievements in deaminase engineering. The presented data indicate that the potential of these enzymes has not yet been fully revealed or understood. Several examples show that even relatively minor changes in the structure of deaminases can give them completely new and unique properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucyna Budzko
- Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Noskowskiego 12/14, 61-704 Poznan, Poland
| | - Karolina Hoffa-Sobiech
- Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Noskowskiego 12/14, 61-704 Poznan, Poland
| | - Paulina Jackowiak
- Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Noskowskiego 12/14, 61-704 Poznan, Poland
| | - Marek Figlerowicz
- Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Noskowskiego 12/14, 61-704 Poznan, Poland
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Khalifah BA, Alghamdi SA, Alhasan AH. Unleashing the potential of catalytic RNAs to combat mis-spliced transcripts. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2023; 11:1244377. [PMID: 38047291 PMCID: PMC10690607 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1244377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Human transcriptome can undergo RNA mis-splicing due to spliceopathies contributing to the increasing number of genetic diseases including muscular dystrophy (MD), Alzheimer disease (AD), Huntington disease (HD), myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). Intron retention (IR) is a major inducer of spliceopathies where two or more introns remain in the final mature mRNA and account for many intronic expansion diseases. Potential removal of such introns for therapeutic purposes can be feasible when utilizing bioinformatics, catalytic RNAs, and nano-drug delivery systems. Overcoming delivery challenges of catalytic RNAs was discussed in this review as a future perspective highlighting the significance of utilizing synthetic biology in addition to high throughput deep sequencing and computational approaches for the treatment of mis-spliced transcripts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bashayer A. Khalifah
- Institute for Bioengineering, Health Sector, King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- Faculty of Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | | | - Ali H. Alhasan
- Institute for Bioengineering, Health Sector, King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- College of Science and General Studies, Alfaisal University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
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Pham A, Bassett S, Chen W, Da Silva NA. Assembly of Metabolons in Yeast Using Cas6-Mediated RNA Scaffolding. ACS Synth Biol 2023; 12:1164-1174. [PMID: 36920425 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.2c00650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/16/2023]
Abstract
Cells often localize pathway enzymes in close proximity to reduce substrate loss via diffusion and to ensure that carbon flux is directed toward the desired product. To emulate this strategy for the biosynthesis of heterologous products in yeast, we have taken advantage of the highly specific Cas6-RNA interaction and the predictability of RNA hybridizations to demonstrate Cas6-mediated RNA-guided protein assembly within the yeast cytosol. The feasibility of this synthetic scaffolding technique for protein localization was first demonstrated using a split luciferase reporter system with each part fused to a different Cas6 protein. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the luminescence signal increased 3.6- to 20-fold when the functional RNA scaffold was also expressed. Expression of a trigger RNA, designed to prevent the formation of a functional scaffold by strand displacement, decreased the luminescence signal by nearly 2.3-fold. Temporal control was also possible, with induction of scaffold expression resulting in an up to 11.6-fold increase in luminescence after 23 h. Cas6-mediated assembly was applied to create a two-enzyme metabolon to redirect a branch of the violacein biosynthesis pathway. Localizing VioC and VioE together increased the amount of deoxyviolacein (desired) relative to prodeoxyviolacein (undesired) by 2-fold. To assess the generality of this colocalization method in other yeast systems, the split luciferase reporter system was evaluated in Kluyveromyces marxianus; RNA scaffold expression resulted in an increase in the luminescence signal of up to 1.9-fold. The simplicity and flexibility of the design suggest that this strategy can be used to create metabolons in a wide range of recombinant hosts of interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anhuy Pham
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Irvine, California 92697-2580, United States
| | - Shane Bassett
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Irvine, California 92697-2580, United States
| | - Wilfred Chen
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, United States
| | - Nancy A Da Silva
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Irvine, California 92697-2580, United States
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10
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Liu M, Wang Y, Jiang H, Han Y, Xia J. Synthetic Multienzyme Assemblies for Natural Product Biosynthesis. Chembiochem 2023; 24:e202200518. [PMID: 36625563 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202200518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2022] [Revised: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
In nature, enzymes that catalyze sequential reactions are often assembled as clusters or complexes. The formation of multienzyme complexes, or metabolons, brings the enzyme active sites into proximity to promote intermediate transfer, decrease intermediate leakage, and streamline the metabolic flux towards the desired products. We and others have developed synthetic versions of metabolons through various strategies to enhance the catalytic rates for synthesizing valuable chemicals inside microbes. Synthetic multienzyme complexes range from static enzyme nanostructures to dynamic enzyme coacervates. Enzyme complexation optimizes the metabolic fluxes inside microbes, increases the product titer, and supplies the field with high-yield microbe strains that are amenable to large-scale fermentation. Enzyme complexes constructed inside microbial cells can be separated as independent entities and catalyze biosynthetic reactions ex vivo; such a feature gains these complexes another name, "synthetic organelles" - new subcellular entities with independent structures and functions. Still, the field is seeking new strategies to better balance dynamicity and confinement and to achieve finer control of local compartmentalization in the cells, as the natural multienzyme complexes do. Industrial applications of synthetic multienzyme complexes for the large-scale production of valuable chemicals are yet to be realized. This review focuses on synthetic multienzyme complexes that are constructed and function inside microbial cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Liu
- Department of Chemistry and, Center for Cell & Developmental Biology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Yue Wang
- Department of Chemistry and, Center for Cell & Developmental Biology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Hao Jiang
- Department of Chemistry and, Center for Cell & Developmental Biology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Yongxu Han
- Department of Chemistry and, Center for Cell & Developmental Biology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Jiang Xia
- Department of Chemistry and, Center for Cell & Developmental Biology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
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11
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Sampedro Vallina N, McRae EKS, Geary C, Andersen ES. An RNA Paranemic Crossover Triangle as A 3D Module for Cotranscriptional Nanoassembly. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2023; 19:e2204651. [PMID: 36526605 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202204651] [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: 07/29/2022] [Revised: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
RNA nanotechnology takes advantage of structural modularity to build self-assembling nano-architectures with applications in medicine and synthetic biology. The use of paranemic motifs, that form without unfolding existing secondary structure, allows for the creation of RNA nanostructures that are compatible with cotranscriptional folding in vitro and in vivo. In previous work, kissing-loop (KL) motifs have been widely used to design RNA nanostructures that fold cotranscriptionally. However, the paranemic crossover (PX) motif has not yet been explored for cotranscriptional RNA origami architectures and information about the structural geometry of the motif is unknown. Here, a six base pair-wide paranemic RNA interaction that arranges double helices in a perpendicular manner is introduced, allowing for the generation of a new and versatile building block: the paranemic-crossover triangle (PXT). The PXT is self-assembled by cotranscriptional folding and characterized by cryogenic electron microscopy, revealing for the first time an RNA PX interaction in high structural detail. The PXT is used as a building block for the construction of multimers that form filaments and rings and a duplicated PXT motif is used as a building block to self-assemble cubic structures, demonstrating the PXT as a rigid self-folding domain for the development of wireframe RNA origami architectures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Néstor Sampedro Vallina
- Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO); Gustav Wieds Vej 14, Aarhus University, Aarhus, DK-8000, Denmark
| | - Ewan K S McRae
- Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO); Gustav Wieds Vej 14, Aarhus University, Aarhus, DK-8000, Denmark
| | - Cody Geary
- Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO); Gustav Wieds Vej 14, Aarhus University, Aarhus, DK-8000, Denmark
| | - Ebbe Sloth Andersen
- Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO); Gustav Wieds Vej 14, Aarhus University, Aarhus, DK-8000, Denmark
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12
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Li Y, Arce A, Lucci T, Rasmussen RA, Lucks JB. Dynamic RNA synthetic biology: new principles, practices and potential. RNA Biol 2023; 20:817-829. [PMID: 38044595 PMCID: PMC10730207 DOI: 10.1080/15476286.2023.2269508] [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: 10/28/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023] Open
Abstract
An increased appreciation of the role of RNA dynamics in governing RNA function is ushering in a new wave of dynamic RNA synthetic biology. Here, we review recent advances in engineering dynamic RNA systems across the molecular, circuit and cellular scales for important societal-scale applications in environmental and human health, and bioproduction. For each scale, we introduce the core concepts of dynamic RNA folding and function at that scale, and then discuss technologies incorporating these concepts, covering new approaches to engineering riboswitches, ribozymes, RNA origami, RNA strand displacement circuits, biomaterials, biomolecular condensates, extracellular vesicles and synthetic cells. Considering the dynamic nature of RNA within the engineering design process promises to spark the next wave of innovation that will expand the scope and impact of RNA biotechnologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yueyi Li
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
- Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Anibal Arce
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
- Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Tyler Lucci
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
- Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Rebecca A. Rasmussen
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
- Interdisciplinary Biological Sciences Graduate Program, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Julius B. Lucks
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
- Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
- Interdisciplinary Biological Sciences Graduate Program, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
- Center for Water Research, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
- Center for Engineering Sustainability and Resilience, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
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13
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Volk MJ, Tran VG, Tan SI, Mishra S, Fatma Z, Boob A, Li H, Xue P, Martin TA, Zhao H. Metabolic Engineering: Methodologies and Applications. Chem Rev 2022; 123:5521-5570. [PMID: 36584306 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.2c00403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Metabolic engineering aims to improve the production of economically valuable molecules through the genetic manipulation of microbial metabolism. While the discipline is a little over 30 years old, advancements in metabolic engineering have given way to industrial-level molecule production benefitting multiple industries such as chemical, agriculture, food, pharmaceutical, and energy industries. This review describes the design, build, test, and learn steps necessary for leading a successful metabolic engineering campaign. Moreover, we highlight major applications of metabolic engineering, including synthesizing chemicals and fuels, broadening substrate utilization, and improving host robustness with a focus on specific case studies. Finally, we conclude with a discussion on perspectives and future challenges related to metabolic engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J Volk
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,DOE Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Vinh G Tran
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,DOE Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Shih-I Tan
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,DOE Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,Department of Chemical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan
| | - Shekhar Mishra
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,DOE Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Zia Fatma
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,DOE Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Aashutosh Boob
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,DOE Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Hongxiang Li
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Pu Xue
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,DOE Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Teresa A Martin
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,DOE Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Huimin Zhao
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,DOE Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
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14
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Nucleic acid-based scaffold systems and application in enzyme cascade catalysis. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2022; 107:9-23. [DOI: 10.1007/s00253-022-12315-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Revised: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 11/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
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15
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Bitterwolf P, Zoheir AE, Hertel J, Kröll S, Rabe KS, Niemeyer CM. Intracellular Assembly of Interacting Enzymes Yields Highly-Active Nanoparticles for Flow Biocatalysis. Chemistry 2022; 28:e202202157. [PMID: 36000795 PMCID: PMC9828753 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202202157] [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: 07/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
All-enzyme hydrogel (AEH) particles with a hydrodynamic diameter of up to 120 nm were produced intracellularly with an Escherichia coli-based in vivo system. The inCell-AEH nanoparticles were generated from polycistronic vectors enabling simultaneous expression of two interacting enzymes, the Lactobacillus brevis alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and the Bacillus subtilis glucose-1-dehydrogenase (GDH), fused with a SpyCatcher or SpyTag, respectively. Formation of inCell-AEH was analyzed by dynamic light scattering and atomic force microscopy. Using the stereoselective two-step reduction of a prochiral diketone substrate, we show that the inCell-AEH approach can be advantageously used in whole-cell flow biocatalysis, by which flow reactors could be operated for >4 days under constant substrate perfusion. More importantly, the inCell-AEH concept enables the recovery of efficient catalyst materials for stable flow bioreactors in a simple and economical one-step procedure from crude bacterial lysates. We believe that our method will contribute to further optimization of sustainable biocatalytic processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Bitterwolf
- Institute for Biological Interfaces (IBG1)Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1Karlsruhe76344Germany
| | - Ahmed E. Zoheir
- Department of Genetics and CytologyNational Research Centre (NRC)33 El Buhouth St.Cairo12622Egypt
| | - Julian Hertel
- Institute for Biological Interfaces (IBG1)Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1Karlsruhe76344Germany
| | - Sandra Kröll
- Institute for Biological Interfaces (IBG1)Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1Karlsruhe76344Germany
| | - Kersten S. Rabe
- Institute for Biological Interfaces (IBG1)Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1Karlsruhe76344Germany
| | - Christof M. Niemeyer
- Institute for Biological Interfaces (IBG1)Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1Karlsruhe76344Germany
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16
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Liu CL, Dong HG, Xue K, Sun L, Yang Y, Liu X, Li Y, Bai Z, Tan TW. Metabolic Engineering Mevalonate Pathway Mediated by RNA Scaffolds for Mevalonate and Isoprene Production in Escherichia coli. ACS Synth Biol 2022; 11:3305-3317. [PMID: 36198145 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.2c00226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Co-localizing biochemical processes is a great strategy when expressing the heterologous metabolic pathway for product biosynthesis. The RNA scaffold is a flexible and efficient synthetic compartmentalization method to co-localize the enzymes involved in the metabolic pathway by binding to the specific RNA, binding domains fused with the engineered enzymes. Herein, we designed two artificial RNA scaffold structures─0D RNA scaffolds and 2D RNA scaffolds─using the reported aptamers PP7 and BIV-Tat and the corresponding RNA-binding domains (RBDs). We verified the interaction of the RBD and RNA aptamer in vitro and in vivo. Then, we determined the efficiencies of these RNA scaffolds by co-localizing fluorescent proteins. We employed the RNA scaffolds combined with the enzyme fusion strategies to increase the metabolic flux involved in the enzymes of the mevalonate pathway for mevalonate and isoprene production. Compared with the no RNA scaffold strain, the mevalonate levels of the 0D RNA scaffolds and 2D RNA scaffolds increased by 84.1% (3.13 ± 0.03 g/L) and 76.5% (3.00 ± 0.09 g/L), respectively. We applied the 0D RNA scaffolds for increasing the isoprene production by localizing the enzymes involved in a heterologous multi-enzyme pathway. When applying the RNA scaffolds for co-localizing the enzymes mvaE and mvaS, the isoprene production reached to 609.3 ± 57.9 mg/L, increasing by 142% compared with the no RNA scaffold strain. Our results indicate that the RNA scaffold is a powerful tool for improving the efficiencies of the reaction process in the metabolic pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun-Li Liu
- National Engineering Research Center of Cereal Fermentation and Food Biomanufacturing, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China.,Jiangsu Provincial Research Center for Bioactive Product Processing Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Hong-Gang Dong
- National Engineering Research Center of Cereal Fermentation and Food Biomanufacturing, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China.,Jiangsu Provincial Research Center for Bioactive Product Processing Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Kai Xue
- National Engineering Research Center of Cereal Fermentation and Food Biomanufacturing, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China.,Jiangsu Provincial Research Center for Bioactive Product Processing Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Li Sun
- National Engineering Research Center of Cereal Fermentation and Food Biomanufacturing, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China.,Jiangsu Provincial Research Center for Bioactive Product Processing Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Yankun Yang
- National Engineering Research Center of Cereal Fermentation and Food Biomanufacturing, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China.,Jiangsu Provincial Research Center for Bioactive Product Processing Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Xiuxia Liu
- National Engineering Research Center of Cereal Fermentation and Food Biomanufacturing, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China.,Jiangsu Provincial Research Center for Bioactive Product Processing Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Ye Li
- National Engineering Research Center of Cereal Fermentation and Food Biomanufacturing, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China.,Jiangsu Provincial Research Center for Bioactive Product Processing Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Zhonghu Bai
- National Engineering Research Center of Cereal Fermentation and Food Biomanufacturing, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China.,Jiangsu Provincial Research Center for Bioactive Product Processing Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Tian-Wei Tan
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
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17
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Pothoulakis G, Nguyen MTA, Andersen E. Utilizing RNA origami scaffolds in Saccharomyces cerevisiae for dCas9-mediated transcriptional control. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:7176-7187. [PMID: 35648481 PMCID: PMC9262615 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2021] [Revised: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Designer RNA scaffolds constitute a promising tool for synthetic biology, as they can be genetically expressed to perform specific functions in vivo such as scaffolding enzymatic cascades and regulating gene expression through CRISPR-dCas9 applications. RNA origami is a recently developed RNA design approach that allows construction of large RNA nanostructures that can position aptamer motifs to spatially organize other molecules, including proteins. However, it is still not fully understood how positioning multiple aptamers on a scaffold and the orientation of a scaffold affects functional properties. Here, we investigate fusions of single-guide RNAs and RNA origami scaffolds (termed sgRNAO) capable of recruiting activating domains for control of gene expression in yeast. Using MS2 and PP7 as orthogonal protein-binding aptamers, we observe a gradual increase in transcriptional activation for up to four aptamers. We demonstrate that different aptamer positions on a scaffold and scaffold orientation affect transcriptional activation. Finally, sgRNAOs are used to regulate expression of enzymes of the violacein biosynthesis pathway to control metabolic flux. The integration of RNA origami nanostructures at promoter sites achieved here, can in the future be expanded by the addition of functional motifs such as riboswitches, ribozymes and sensor elements to allow for complex gene regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Michael T A Nguyen
- Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Ebbe S Andersen
- Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
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18
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Nguyen MTA, Pothoulakis G, Andersen ES. Synthetic Translational Regulation by Protein-Binding RNA Origami Scaffolds. ACS Synth Biol 2022; 11:1710-1718. [PMID: 35438978 PMCID: PMC9127956 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.1c00608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Rational design approaches for the regulation of gene expression are expanding the synthetic biology toolbox. However, only a few tools for regulating gene expression at the translational level have been developed. Here, we devise an approach for translational regulation using the MS2 and PP7 aptamer and coat-protein pairs in Escherichia coli. The aptamers are used as operators in transcription units that encode proteins fused to their cognate coat proteins, which leads to self-repression. RNA origami scaffolds that contain up to four aptamers serve as an alternate binder to activate translation. With this system, we demonstrate that the increase in expression of a reporter protein is dependent on both the concentration and number of aptamers on RNA origami scaffolds. We also demonstrate regulation of multiple proteins using a single MS2 coat protein fusion and apply this method to regulate the relative expression of enzymes of the branched pathway for deoxyviolacein biosynthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Ebbe S. Andersen
- Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
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19
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Enzyme assemblies on demand. Nat Chem Biol 2022; 18:436-438. [DOI: 10.1038/s41589-022-01021-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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20
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Dynamic modulation of enzyme activity by synthetic CRISPR–Cas6 endonucleases. Nat Chem Biol 2022; 18:492-500. [DOI: 10.1038/s41589-022-01005-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2021] [Accepted: 02/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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21
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Dykstra PB, Kaplan M, Smolke CD. Engineering synthetic RNA devices for cell control. Nat Rev Genet 2022; 23:215-228. [PMID: 34983970 PMCID: PMC9554294 DOI: 10.1038/s41576-021-00436-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The versatility of RNA in sensing and interacting with small molecules, proteins and other nucleic acids while encoding genetic instructions for protein translation makes it a powerful substrate for engineering biological systems. RNA devices integrate cellular information sensing, processing and actuation of specific signals into defined functions and have yielded programmable biological systems and novel therapeutics of increasing sophistication. However, challenges centred on expanding the range of analytes that can be sensed and adding new mechanisms of action have hindered the full realization of the field's promise. Here, we describe recent advances that address these limitations and point to a significant maturation of synthetic RNA-based devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter B. Dykstra
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Matias Kaplan
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Christina D. Smolke
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.,Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA, USA.,
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22
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Liu AP, Appel EA, Ashby PD, Baker BM, Franco E, Gu L, Haynes K, Joshi NS, Kloxin AM, Kouwer PHJ, Mittal J, Morsut L, Noireaux V, Parekh S, Schulman R, Tang SKY, Valentine MT, Vega SL, Weber W, Stephanopoulos N, Chaudhuri O. The living interface between synthetic biology and biomaterial design. NATURE MATERIALS 2022; 21:390-397. [PMID: 35361951 PMCID: PMC10265650 DOI: 10.1038/s41563-022-01231-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Recent far-reaching advances in synthetic biology have yielded exciting tools for the creation of new materials. Conversely, advances in the fundamental understanding of soft-condensed matter, polymers and biomaterials offer new avenues to extend the reach of synthetic biology. The broad and exciting range of possible applications have substantial implications to address grand challenges in health, biotechnology and sustainability. Despite the potentially transformative impact that lies at the interface of synthetic biology and biomaterials, the two fields have, so far, progressed mostly separately. This Perspective provides a review of recent key advances in these two fields, and a roadmap for collaboration at the interface between the two communities. We highlight the near-term applications of this interface to the development of hierarchically structured biomaterials, from bioinspired building blocks to 'living' materials that sense and respond based on the reciprocal interactions between materials and embedded cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allen P Liu
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
| | - Eric A Appel
- Department of Materials Science & Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Paul D Ashby
- Molecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Brendon M Baker
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Elisa Franco
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Luo Gu
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Karmella Haynes
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Neel S Joshi
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - April M Kloxin
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and Materials Science and Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
| | - Paul H J Kouwer
- Institute for Molecules and Materials, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Jeetain Mittal
- Artie McFerrin Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Leonardo Morsut
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Vincent Noireaux
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Sapun Parekh
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Texas, Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Rebecca Schulman
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Sindy K Y Tang
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Megan T Valentine
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Sebastián L Vega
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ, USA
| | - Wilfried Weber
- Faculty of Biology and Signalling Research Centres BIOSS and CIBSS, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | | | - Ovijit Chaudhuri
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
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23
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Multi-arm RNA junctions encoding molecular logic unconstrained by input sequence for versatile cell-free diagnostics. Nat Biomed Eng 2022; 6:298-309. [PMID: 35288660 PMCID: PMC8940621 DOI: 10.1038/s41551-022-00857-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2021] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Applications of RNA-based molecular logic have been hampered by sequence constraints imposed on the input and output of the circuits. Here we show that the sequence constraints can be substantially reduced by appropriately encoded multi-arm junctions of single-stranded RNA structures. To conditionally activate RNA translation, we integrated multi-arm junctions, self-assembled upstream of a regulated gene and designed to unfold sequentially in response to different RNA inputs, with motifs of loop-initiated RNA activators that function independently of the sequence of the input RNAs and that reduce interference with the output gene. We used the integrated RNA system and sequence-independent input RNAs to execute two-input and three-input OR and AND logic in Escherichia coli, and designed paper-based cell-free colourimetric assays that accurately identified two human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) subtypes (by executing OR logic) in amplified synthetic HIV RNA as well as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (via two-input AND logic) in amplified RNA from saliva samples. The sequence-independent molecular logic enabled by the integration of multi-arm junction RNAs with motifs for loop-initiated RNA activators may be broadly applicable in biotechnology.
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24
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Zhu G, Song P, Wu J, Luo M, Chen Z, Chen T. Application of Nucleic Acid Frameworks in the Construction of Nanostructures and Cascade Biocatalysts: Recent Progress and Perspective. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 9:792489. [PMID: 35071205 PMCID: PMC8777461 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2021.792489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2021] [Accepted: 12/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Nucleic acids underlie the storage and retrieval of genetic information literally in all living organisms, and also provide us excellent materials for making artificial nanostructures and scaffolds for constructing multi-enzyme systems with outstanding performance in catalyzing various cascade reactions, due to their highly diverse and yet controllable structures, which are well determined by their sequences. The introduction of unnatural moieties into nucleic acids dramatically increased the diversity of sequences, structures, and properties of the nucleic acids, which undoubtedly expanded the toolbox for making nanomaterials and scaffolds of multi-enzyme systems. In this article, we first introduce the molecular structures and properties of nucleic acids and their unnatural derivatives. Then we summarized representative artificial nanomaterials made of nucleic acids, as well as their properties, functions, and application. We next review recent progress on constructing multi-enzyme systems with nucleic acid structures as scaffolds for cascade biocatalyst. Finally, we discuss the future direction of applying nucleic acid frameworks in the construction of nanomaterials and multi-enzyme molecular machines, with the potential contribution that unnatural nucleic acids may make to this field highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gan Zhu
- MOE International Joint Research Laboratory on Synthetic Biology and Medicines, School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ping Song
- MOE International Joint Research Laboratory on Synthetic Biology and Medicines, School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jing Wu
- MOE International Joint Research Laboratory on Synthetic Biology and Medicines, School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Minglan Luo
- MOE International Joint Research Laboratory on Synthetic Biology and Medicines, School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhipeng Chen
- MOE International Joint Research Laboratory on Synthetic Biology and Medicines, School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 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, China
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25
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Krissanaprasit A, Key CM, Pontula S, LaBean TH. Self-Assembling Nucleic Acid Nanostructures Functionalized with Aptamers. Chem Rev 2021; 121:13797-13868. [PMID: 34157230 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.0c01332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Researchers have worked for many decades to master the rules of biomolecular design that would allow artificial biopolymer complexes to self-assemble and function similarly to the diverse biochemical constructs displayed in natural biological systems. The rules of nucleic acid assembly (dominated by Watson-Crick base-pairing) have been less difficult to understand and manipulate than the more complicated rules of protein folding. Therefore, nucleic acid nanotechnology has advanced more quickly than de novo protein design, and recent years have seen amazing progress in DNA and RNA design. By combining structural motifs with aptamers that act as affinity handles and add powerful molecular recognition capabilities, nucleic acid-based self-assemblies represent a diverse toolbox for use by bioengineers to create molecules with potentially revolutionary biological activities. In this review, we focus on the development of self-assembling nucleic acid nanostructures that are functionalized with nucleic acid aptamers and their great potential in wide ranging application areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abhichart Krissanaprasit
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, College of Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, United States
| | - Carson M Key
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States
| | - Sahil Pontula
- Department of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States.,Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Thomas H LaBean
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, College of Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, United States
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26
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Zhao P, Tian P. Biosynthesis pathways and strategies for improving 3-hydroxypropionic acid production in bacteria. World J Microbiol Biotechnol 2021; 37:117. [PMID: 34128152 DOI: 10.1007/s11274-021-03091-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2021] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
3-Hydroxypropionic acid (3-HP) represents an economically important platform compound from which a panel of bulk chemicals can be derived. Compared with petroleum-dependent chemical synthesis, bioproduction of 3-HP has attracted more attention due to utilization of renewable biomass. This review outlines bacterial production of 3-HP, covering aspects of host strains (e.g., Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae), metabolic pathways, key enzymes, and hurdles hindering high-level production. Inspired by the state-of-the-art advances in metabolic engineering and synthetic biology, we come up with protocols to overcome the hurdles constraining 3-HP production. The protocols range from rewiring of metabolic networks, alleviation of metabolite toxicity, to dynamic control of cell size and density. Especially, this review highlights the substantial contribution of microbial growth to 3-HP production, as we recognize the synchronization between cell growth and 3-HP formation. Accordingly, we summarize the following growth-promoting strategies: (i) optimization of fermentation conditions; (ii) construction of gene circuits to alleviate feedback inhibition; (iii) recruitment of RNA polymerases to overexpress key enzymes which in turn boost cell growth and 3-HP production. Lastly, we propose metabolic engineering approaches to simplify downstream separation and purification. Overall, this review aims to portray a picture of bacterial production of 3-HP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Zhao
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, People's Republic of China
| | - Pingfang Tian
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, People's Republic of China.
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27
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Abstract
Metabolic engineering reprograms cells to synthesize value-added products. In doing so, endogenous genes are altered and heterologous genes can be introduced to achieve the necessary enzymatic reactions. Dynamic regulation of metabolic flux is a powerful control scheme to alleviate and overcome the competing cellular objectives that arise from the introduction of these production pathways. This review explores dynamic regulation strategies that have demonstrated significant production benefits by targeting the metabolic node corresponding to a specific challenge. We summarize the stimulus-responsive control circuits employed in these strategies that determine the criterion for actuating a dynamic response and then examine the points of control that couple the stimulus-responsive circuit to a shift in metabolic flux.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cynthia Ni
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA;
| | - Christina V Dinh
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA;
| | - Kristala L J Prather
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA;
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28
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RNA origami design tools enable cotranscriptional folding of kilobase-sized nanoscaffolds. Nat Chem 2021; 13:549-558. [PMID: 33972754 PMCID: PMC7610888 DOI: 10.1038/s41557-021-00679-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2019] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
RNA origami is a framework for the modular design of nanoscaffolds that can be folded from a single strand of RNA, and used to organize molecular components with nanoscale precision. Design of genetically expressible RNA origami, which must cotranscriptionally fold, requires modeling and design tools that simultaneously consider thermodynamics, folding pathway, sequence constraints, and pseudoknot optimization. Here, we describe RNA Origami Automated Design software (ROAD), which builds origami models from a library of structural modules, identifies potential folding barriers, and designs optimized sequences. Using ROAD, we extend the scale and functional diversity of RNA scaffolds, creating 32 designs of up to 2360 nucleotides, five that scaffold two proteins, and seven that scaffold two small molecules at precise distances. Micrographic and chromatographic comparison of optimized and nonoptimized structures validates that our principles for strand routing and sequence design substantially improve yield. By providing efficient design of RNA origami, ROAD may simplify construction of custom RNA scaffolds for nanomedicine and synthetic biology.
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29
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Xue H, Sun W, Wang Y, Li C. Refining Metabolic Mass Transfer for Efficient Biosynthesis of Plant Natural Products in Yeast. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2021; 9:633741. [PMID: 33748083 PMCID: PMC7973218 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2021.633741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2020] [Accepted: 01/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Plant natural products are important secondary metabolites with several special properties and pharmacological activities, which are widely used in pharmaceutical, food, perfume, cosmetic, and other fields. However, the production of these compounds mainly relies on phytoextraction from natural plants. Because of the low contents in plants, phytoextraction has disadvantages of low production efficiency and severe environmental and ecological problems, restricting its wide applications. Therefore, microbial cell factory, especially yeast cell factory, has become an alternative technology platform for heterologous synthesis of plant natural products. Many approaches and strategies have been developed to construct and engineer the yeast cells for efficient production of plant natural products. Meanwhile, metabolic mass transfer has been proven an important factor to improve the heterologous production. Mass transfer across plasma membrane (trans-plasma membrane mass transfer) and mass transfer within the cell (intracellular mass transfer) are two major forms of metabolic mass transfer in yeast, which can be modified and optimized to improve the production efficiency, reduce the consumption of intermediate, and eliminate the feedback inhibition. This review summarized different strategies of refining metabolic mass transfer process to enhance the production efficiency of yeast cell factory (Figure 1), providing approaches for further study on the synthesis of plant natural products in microbial cell factory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haijie Xue
- Institute of Biochemical Engineering, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Wentao Sun
- Key Lab for Industrial Biocatalysis, Ministry of Education, Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Ying Wang
- Institute of Biochemical Engineering, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Chun Li
- Institute of Biochemical Engineering, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China.,Key Lab for Industrial Biocatalysis, Ministry of Education, Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
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30
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Geraldi A, Khairunnisa F, Farah N, Bui LM, Rahman Z. Synthetic Scaffold Systems for Increasing the Efficiency of Metabolic Pathways in Microorganisms. BIOLOGY 2021; 10:216. [PMID: 33799683 PMCID: PMC7998396 DOI: 10.3390/biology10030216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2021] [Revised: 03/06/2021] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Microbes have been the preferred hosts for producing high-value chemicals from cheap raw materials. However, metabolic flux imbalance, the presence of competing pathways, and toxic intermediates often lead to low production efficiency. The spatial organization of the substrates, intermediates, and enzymes is critical to ensuring efficient metabolic activity by microorganisms. One of the most common approaches for bringing the key components of biosynthetic pathways together is through molecular scaffolds, which involves the clustering of pathway enzymes on engineered molecules via different interacting mechanisms. In particular, synthetic scaffold systems have been applied to improve the efficiency of various heterologous and synthetic pathways in Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae, with varying degrees of success. Herein, we review the recent developments and applications of protein-based and nucleic acid-based scaffold systems and discuss current challenges and future directions in the use of such approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Almando Geraldi
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya 60115, Indonesia
- Research Center for Bio-Molecule Engineering, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya 60115, Indonesia;
| | - Fatiha Khairunnisa
- Research Center for Bio-Molecule Engineering, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya 60115, Indonesia;
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya 60115, Indonesia
| | - Nadya Farah
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Mathematics and Life Sciences, Indonesia Defense University, Bogor 16810, Indonesia;
| | - Le Minh Bui
- NTT Hi-Tech Institute, Nguyen Tat Thanh University (NTTU), Ho Chi Minh City 700000, Vietnam;
| | - Ziaur Rahman
- Department of Microbiology, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, Mardan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 23200, Pakistan;
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31
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Tan YQ, Xue B, Yew WS. Genetically Encodable Scaffolds for Optimizing Enzyme Function. Molecules 2021; 26:molecules26051389. [PMID: 33806660 PMCID: PMC7961827 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26051389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2021] [Revised: 02/27/2021] [Accepted: 03/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Enzyme engineering is an indispensable tool in the field of synthetic biology, where enzymes are challenged to carry out novel or improved functions. Achieving these goals sometimes goes beyond modifying the primary sequence of the enzyme itself. The use of protein or nucleic acid scaffolds to enhance enzyme properties has been reported for applications such as microbial production of chemicals, biosensor development and bioremediation. Key advantages of using these assemblies include optimizing reaction conditions, improving metabolic flux and increasing enzyme stability. This review summarizes recent trends in utilizing genetically encodable scaffolds, developed in line with synthetic biology methodologies, to complement the purposeful deployment of enzymes. Current molecular tools for constructing these synthetic enzyme-scaffold systems are also highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Quan Tan
- Synthetic Biology for Clinical and Technological Innovation, National University of Singapore, 28 Medical Drive, Singapore 117456, Singapore; (Y.Q.T.); (B.X.)
- Synthetic Biology Translational Research Programme, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 14 Medical Drive, Singapore 117599, Singapore
| | - Bo Xue
- Synthetic Biology for Clinical and Technological Innovation, National University of Singapore, 28 Medical Drive, Singapore 117456, Singapore; (Y.Q.T.); (B.X.)
- Synthetic Biology Translational Research Programme, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 14 Medical Drive, Singapore 117599, Singapore
- Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 8 Medical Drive, Singapore 117597, Singapore
| | - Wen Shan Yew
- Synthetic Biology for Clinical and Technological Innovation, National University of Singapore, 28 Medical Drive, Singapore 117456, Singapore; (Y.Q.T.); (B.X.)
- Synthetic Biology Translational Research Programme, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 14 Medical Drive, Singapore 117599, Singapore
- Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 8 Medical Drive, Singapore 117597, Singapore
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +65-6516-8624
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32
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Dong H, Zhang W, Zhou S, Huang J, Wang P. Engineering bioscaffolds for enzyme assembly. Biotechnol Adv 2021; 53:107721. [PMID: 33631185 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2021.107721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2020] [Revised: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 02/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
With the demand for green, safe, and continuous biocatalysis, bioscaffolds, compared with synthetic scaffolds, have become a desirable candidate for constructing enzyme assemblages because of their biocompatibility and regenerability. Biocompatibility makes bioscaffolds more suitable for safe and green production, especially in food processing, production of bioactive agents, and diagnosis. The regenerability can enable the engineered biocatalysts regenerate through simple self-proliferation without complex re-modification, which is attractive for continuous biocatalytic processes. In view of the unique biocompatibility and regenerability of bioscaffolds, they can be classified into non-living (polysaccharide, nucleic acid, and protein) and living (virus, bacteria, fungi, spore, and biofilm) bioscaffolds, which can fully satisfy these two unique properties, respectively. Enzymes assembled onto non-living bioscaffolds are based on single or complex components, while enzymes assembled onto living bioscaffolds are based on living bodies. In terms of their unique biocompatibility and regenerability, this review mainly covers the current advances in the research and application of non-living and living bioscaffolds with focus on engineering strategies for enzyme assembly. Finally, the future development of bioscaffolds for enzyme assembly is also discussed. Hopefully, this review will attract the interest of researchers in various fields and empower the development of biocatalysis, biomedicine, environmental remediation, therapy, and diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, School of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Wenxue Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, School of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Shengmin Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, School of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Jiaofang Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, School of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China.
| | - Ping Wang
- Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering, University of Minnesota, St Paul, MN 55108, USA.
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33
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Dubey NC, Tripathi BP. Nature Inspired Multienzyme Immobilization: Strategies and Concepts. ACS APPLIED BIO MATERIALS 2021; 4:1077-1114. [PMID: 35014469 DOI: 10.1021/acsabm.0c01293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
In a biological system, the spatiotemporal arrangement of enzymes in a dense cellular milieu, subcellular compartments, membrane-associated enzyme complexes on cell surfaces, scaffold-organized proteins, protein clusters, and modular enzymes have presented many paradigms for possible multienzyme immobilization designs that were adapted artificially. In metabolic channeling, the catalytic sites of participating enzymes are close enough to channelize the transient compound, creating a high local concentration of the metabolite and minimizing the interference of a competing pathway for the same precursor. Over the years, these phenomena had motivated researchers to make their immobilization approach naturally realistic by generating multienzyme fusion, cluster formation via affinity domain-ligand binding, cross-linking, conjugation on/in the biomolecular scaffold of the protein and nucleic acids, and self-assembly of amphiphilic molecules. This review begins with the discussion of substrate channeling strategies and recent empirical efforts to build it synthetically. After that, an elaborate discussion covering prevalent concepts related to the enhancement of immobilized enzymes' catalytic performance is presented. Further, the central part of the review summarizes the progress in nature motivated multienzyme assembly over the past decade. In this section, special attention has been rendered by classifying the nature-inspired strategies into three main categories: (i) multienzyme/domain complex mimic (scaffold-free), (ii) immobilization on the biomolecular scaffold, and (iii) compartmentalization. In particular, a detailed overview is correlated to the natural counterpart with advances made in the field. We have then discussed the beneficial account of coassembly of multienzymes and provided a synopsis of the essential parameters in the rational coimmobilization design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nidhi C Dubey
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi 110062, India
| | - Bijay P Tripathi
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Indian institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi 110016, India
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34
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ZnJ6 Is a Thylakoid Membrane DnaJ-Like Chaperone with Oxidizing Activity in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22031136. [PMID: 33498879 PMCID: PMC7865324 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22031136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2020] [Revised: 01/20/2021] [Accepted: 01/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Assembly of photosynthetic complexes is sensitive to changing light intensities, drought and pathogens, each of which induces a redox imbalance that requires the assistance of specific chaperones to maintain protein structure. Here we report a thylakoid membrane-associated DnaJ-like protein, ZnJ6 (Cre06.g251716.t1.2), in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. The protein has four CXXCX(G)X(G) motifs that form two zinc fingers (ZFs). Site-directed mutagenesis (Cys > Ser) eliminates the ability to bind zinc. An intact ZF is required for ZnJ6 stability at elevated temperatures. Chaperone assays with recombinant ZnJ6 indicate that it has holding and oxidative activities. ZnJ6 is unable to reduce the disulfide bonds of insulin but prevents its aggregation in a reducing environment. It also assists in the reactivation of reduced denatured RNaseA, possibly by its oxidizing activity. ZnJ6 pull-down assays revealed interactions with oxidoreductases, photosynthetic proteins and proteases. In vivo experiments with a C. reinhardtii insertional mutant (∆ZnJ6) indicate enhanced tolerance to oxidative stress but increased sensitivity to heat and reducing conditions. Moreover, ∆ZnJ6 has reduced photosynthetic efficiency shown by the Chlorophyll fluorescence transient. Taken together, we identify a role for this thylakoid-associated DnaJ-like oxidizing chaperone that assists in the prevention of protein misfolding and aggregation, thus contributing to stress endurance, redox maintenance and photosynthetic balance.
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35
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Yeong V, Werth EG, Brown LM, Obermeyer AC. Formation of Biomolecular Condensates in Bacteria by Tuning Protein Electrostatics. ACS CENTRAL SCIENCE 2020; 6:2301-2310. [PMID: 33376791 PMCID: PMC7760465 DOI: 10.1021/acscentsci.0c01146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2020] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
While eukaryotic cells have a myriad of membrane-bound organelles enabling the isolation of different chemical environments, prokaryotic cells lack these defined reaction vessels. Biomolecular condensates-organelles that lack a membrane-provide a strategy for cellular organization without a physical barrier while allowing for the dynamic, responsive organization of the cell. It is well established that intrinsically disordered protein domains drive condensate formation via liquid-liquid phase separation; however, the role of globular protein domains on intracellular phase separation remains poorly understood. We hypothesized that the overall charge of globular proteins would dictate the formation and concentration of condensates and systematically probed this hypothesis with supercharged proteins and nucleic acids in E. coli. Within this study, we demonstrated that condensates form via electrostatic interactions between engineered proteins and RNA and that these condensates are dynamic and only enrich specific nucleic acid and protein components. Herein, we propose a simple model for the phase separation based on protein charge that can be used to predict intracellular condensate formation. With these guidelines, we have paved the way to designer functional synthetic membraneless organelles with tunable control over globular protein function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vivian Yeong
- Department of Chemical
Engineering, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, United States
| | - Emily G. Werth
- Quantitative Proteomics and Metabolomics Center, Department of Biological
Sciences, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, United States
| | - Lewis M. Brown
- Quantitative Proteomics and Metabolomics Center, Department of Biological
Sciences, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, United States
| | - Allie C. Obermeyer
- Department of Chemical
Engineering, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, United States
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36
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Reifenrath M, Oreb M, Boles E, Tripp J. Artificial ER-Derived Vesicles as Synthetic Organelles for in Vivo Compartmentalization of Biochemical Pathways. ACS Synth Biol 2020; 9:2909-2916. [PMID: 33074655 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.0c00241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Compartmentalization in membrane-surrounded organelles has the potential to overcome obstacles associated with the engineering of metabolic pathways, such as unwanted side reactions, accumulation of toxic intermediates, drain of intermediates out of the cell, and long diffusion distances. Strategies utilizing natural organelles suffer from the presence of endogenous pathways. In our approach, we make use of endoplasmic reticulum-derived vesicles loaded with enzymes of a metabolic pathway ("metabolic vesicles"). They are generated by fusion of synthetic peptides containing the N-terminal proline-rich and self-assembling region of the maize storage protein gamma-Zein ("Zera") to the pathway enzymes. We have applied a strategy to integrate three enzymes of a cis,cis-muconic acid production pathway into those vesicles in yeast. Using fluorescence microscopy and cell fractionation techniques, we have proven the formation of metabolic vesicles and the incorporation of enzymes. Activities of the enzymes and functionality of the compartmentalized pathway were demonstrated in fermentation experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mara Reifenrath
- Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Straße 9, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Mislav Oreb
- Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Straße 9, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Eckhard Boles
- Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Straße 9, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Joanna Tripp
- Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Straße 9, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
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37
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Yang B, Feng X, Li C. Microbial Cell Factory for Efficiently Synthesizing Plant Natural Products via Optimizing the Location and Adaptation of Pathway on Genome Scale. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2020; 8:969. [PMID: 32923436 PMCID: PMC7457125 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2020.00969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2020] [Accepted: 07/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Plant natural products (PNPs) possess important pharmacological activities and are widely used in cosmetics, health care products, and as food additives. Currently, most PNPs are mainly extracted from cultivated plants, and the yield is limited by the long growth cycle, climate change and complex processing steps, which makes the process unsustainable. However, the complex structure of PNPs significantly reduces the efficiency of chemical synthesis. With the development of metabolic engineering and synthetic biology, heterologous biosynthesis of PNPs in microbial cell factories offers an attractive alternative. Based on the in-depth mining and analysis of genome and transcriptome data, the biosynthetic pathways of a number of natural products have been successfully elucidated, which lays the crucial foundation for heterologous production. However, there are several problems in the microbial synthesis of PNPs, including toxicity of intermediates, low enzyme activity, multiple auxotrophic dependence, and uncontrollable metabolic network. Although various metabolic engineering strategies have been developed to solve these problems, optimizing the location and adaptation of pathways on the whole-genome scale is an important strategy in microorganisms. From this perspective, this review introduces the application of CRISPR/Cas9 in editing PNPs biosynthesis pathways in model microorganisms, the influences of pathway location, and the approaches for optimizing the adaptation between metabolic pathways and chassis hosts for facilitating PNPs biosynthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Yang
- SynBio Research Platform, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering, Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Xudong Feng
- Institute for Synthetic Biosystem/Department of Biochemical Engineering, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Chun Li
- SynBio Research Platform, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering, Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China.,Institute for Synthetic Biosystem/Department of Biochemical Engineering, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China.,Key Laboratory for Industrial Biocatalysis, Ministry of Education, Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
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38
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Liu Y, Cheng Y, Zhang H, Zhou M, Yu Y, Lin S, Jiang B, Zhao X, Miao L, Wei CW, Liu Q, Lin YW, Du Y, Butch CJ, Wei H. Integrated cascade nanozyme catalyzes in vivo ROS scavenging for anti-inflammatory therapy. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2020; 6:eabb2695. [PMID: 32832640 PMCID: PMC7439611 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abb2695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 216] [Impact Index Per Article: 54.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2020] [Accepted: 06/04/2020] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Here, an integrated cascade nanozyme with a formulation of Pt@PCN222-Mn is developed to eliminate excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS). This nanozyme mimics superoxide dismutase by incorporation of a Mn-[5,10,15,20-tetrakis(4-carboxyphenyl)porphyrinato]-based metal-organic framework compound capable of transforming oxygen radicals to hydrogen peroxide. The second mimicked functionality is that of catalase by incorporation of Pt nanoparticles, which catalyze hydrogen peroxide disproportionation to water and oxygen. Both in vitro and in vivo experimental measurements reveal the synergistic ROS-scavenging capacity of such an integrated cascade nanozyme. Two forms of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD; i.e., ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease) can be effectively relieved by treatment with the cascade nanozyme. This study not only provides a new method for constructing enzyme-like cascade systems but also illustrates their efficient therapeutic promise in the treatment of in vivo IBDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yufeng Liu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210093, China
| | - Yuan Cheng
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210093, China
| | - He Zhang
- Department of Periodontology, Nanjing Stomatological Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210093, China
| | - Min Zhou
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210093, China
| | - Yijun Yu
- Department of Cariology and Endodontics, Nanjing Stomatological Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210093, China
| | - Shichao Lin
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210093, China
| | - Bo Jiang
- Department of Urology, Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Institute of Urology, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210008 China
| | - Xiaozhi Zhao
- Department of Urology, Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Institute of Urology, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210008 China
| | - Leiying Miao
- Department of Cariology and Endodontics, Nanjing Stomatological Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210093, China
| | - Chuan-Wan Wei
- Laboratory of Protein Structure and Function, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, China
| | - Quanyi Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Electroanalytical Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Science, Changchun, Jilin 130022, China
| | - Ying-Wu Lin
- Laboratory of Protein Structure and Function, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, China
| | - Yan Du
- State Key Laboratory of Electroanalytical Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Science, Changchun, Jilin 130022, China
| | - Christopher J. Butch
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210093, China
- Corresponding author. (H.W.); (C.J.B.)
| | - Hui Wei
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210093, China
- Nanjing National Laboratory of Microstructures, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Artificial Functional Materials, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210093, China
- State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science and State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Center (ChemBIC), Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210023, China
- Corresponding author. (H.W.); (C.J.B.)
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Fink T, Stevović B, Verwaal R, Roubos JA, Gaber R, Benčina M, Jerala R, Gradišar H. Metabolic enzyme clustering by coiled coils improves the biosynthesis of resveratrol and mevalonate. AMB Express 2020; 10:97. [PMID: 32448937 PMCID: PMC7246283 DOI: 10.1186/s13568-020-01031-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2020] [Accepted: 05/16/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The clustering of biosynthetic enzymes is used in nature to channel reaction products and increase the yield of compounds produced by multiple reaction steps. The coupling of multiple enzymes has been shown to increase the biosynthetic product yield. Different clustering strategies have particular advantages as the spatial organization of multiple enzymes creates biocatalytic cascades with a higher efficiency of biochemical reaction. However, there are also some drawbacks, such as misfolding and the variable stability of interaction domains, which may differ between particular biosynthetic reactions and the host organism. Here, we compared different protein-based clustering strategies, including direct fusion, fusion mediated by intein, and noncovalent interactions mediated through small coiled-coil dimer-forming domains. The clustering of enzymes through orthogonally designed coiled-coil interaction domains increased the production of resveratrol in Escherichia coli more than the intein-mediated fusion of biosynthetic enzymes. The improvement of resveratrol production correlated with the stability of the coiled-coil dimers. The coiled-coil fusion-based approach also increased mevalonate production in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, thus demonstrating the wider applicability of this strategy.
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Coussement P, Bauwens D, Peters G, Maertens J, De Mey M. Mapping and refactoring pathway control through metabolic and protein engineering: The hexosamine biosynthesis pathway. Biotechnol Adv 2020; 40:107512. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2020.107512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2019] [Revised: 08/07/2019] [Accepted: 09/30/2019] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
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41
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Fu J, Wang Z, Liang XH, Oh SW, St Iago-McRae E, Zhang T. DNA-Scaffolded Proximity Assembly and Confinement of Multienzyme Reactions. Top Curr Chem (Cham) 2020; 378:38. [PMID: 32248317 PMCID: PMC7127875 DOI: 10.1007/s41061-020-0299-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2019] [Accepted: 03/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Cellular functions rely on a series of organized and regulated multienzyme cascade reactions. The catalytic efficiencies of these cascades depend on the precise spatial organization of the constituent enzymes, which is optimized to facilitate substrate transport and regulate activities. Mimicry of this organization in a non-living, artificial system would be very useful in a broad range of applications—with impacts on both the scientific community and society at large. Self-assembled DNA nanostructures are promising applications to organize biomolecular components into prescribed, multidimensional patterns. In this review, we focus on recent progress in the field of DNA-scaffolded assembly and confinement of multienzyme reactions. DNA self-assembly is exploited to build spatially organized multienzyme cascades with control over their relative distance, substrate diffusion paths, compartmentalization and activity actuation. The combination of addressable DNA assembly and multienzyme cascades can deliver breakthroughs toward the engineering of novel synthetic and biomimetic reactors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinglin Fu
- Department of Chemistry, Rutgers University-Camden, Camden, NJ, 08102, USA. .,Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Rutgers University-Camden, Camden, NJ, 08102, USA.
| | - Zhicheng Wang
- Department of Chemistry, Rutgers University-Camden, Camden, NJ, 08102, USA.,Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Rutgers University-Camden, Camden, NJ, 08102, USA
| | - Xiao Hua Liang
- Department of Chemistry, Rutgers University-Camden, Camden, NJ, 08102, USA
| | - Sung Won Oh
- Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Rutgers University-Camden, Camden, NJ, 08102, USA
| | - Ezry St Iago-McRae
- Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Rutgers University-Camden, Camden, NJ, 08102, USA
| | - Ting Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, Rutgers University-Camden, Camden, NJ, 08102, USA
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Nichols TM, Kennedy NW, Tullman-Ercek D. A genomic integration platform for heterologous cargo encapsulation in 1,2-propanediol utilization bacterial microcompartments. Biochem Eng J 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bej.2020.107496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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43
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Lv X, Cui S, Gu Y, Li J, Du G, Liu L. Enzyme Assembly for Compartmentalized Metabolic Flux Control. Metabolites 2020; 10:E125. [PMID: 32224973 PMCID: PMC7241084 DOI: 10.3390/metabo10040125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2020] [Revised: 03/25/2020] [Accepted: 03/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Enzyme assembly by ligand binding or physically sequestrating enzymes, substrates, or metabolites into isolated compartments can bring key molecules closer to enhance the flux of a metabolic pathway. The emergence of enzyme assembly has provided both opportunities and challenges for metabolic engineering. At present, with the development of synthetic biology and systems biology, a variety of enzyme assembly strategies have been proposed, from the initial direct enzyme fusion to scaffold-free assembly, as well as artificial scaffolds, such as nucleic acid/protein scaffolds, and even some more complex physical compartments. These assembly strategies have been explored and applied to the synthesis of various important bio-based products, and have achieved different degrees of success. Despite some achievements, enzyme assembly, especially in vivo, still has many problems that have attracted significant attention from researchers. Here, we focus on some selected examples to review recent research on scaffold-free strategies, synthetic artificial scaffolds, and physical compartments for enzyme assembly or pathway sequestration, and we discuss their notable advances. In addition, the potential applications and challenges in the applications are highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueqin Lv
- Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China; (X.L.); (S.C.); (Y.G.); (J.L.); (G.D.)
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Shixiu Cui
- Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China; (X.L.); (S.C.); (Y.G.); (J.L.); (G.D.)
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Yang Gu
- Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China; (X.L.); (S.C.); (Y.G.); (J.L.); (G.D.)
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Jianghua Li
- Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China; (X.L.); (S.C.); (Y.G.); (J.L.); (G.D.)
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Guocheng Du
- Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China; (X.L.); (S.C.); (Y.G.); (J.L.); (G.D.)
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Long Liu
- Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China; (X.L.); (S.C.); (Y.G.); (J.L.); (G.D.)
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
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McCluskey JB, Clark DS, Glover DJ. Functional Applications of Nucleic Acid-Protein Hybrid Nanostructures. Trends Biotechnol 2020; 38:976-989. [PMID: 32818445 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2020.02.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2019] [Revised: 02/14/2020] [Accepted: 02/18/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Combining the diverse chemical functionality of proteins with the predictable structural assembly of nucleic acids has enabled the creation of hybrid nanostructures for a range of biotechnology applications. Through the attachment of proteins onto or within nucleic acid nanostructures, materials with dynamic capabilities can be created that include switchable enzyme activity, targeted drug delivery, and multienzyme cascades for biocatalysis. Investigations of difficult-to-study biological mechanisms have also been aided by using DNA-protein assemblies that mimic natural processes in a controllable manner. Furthermore, advances that enable the recombinant production and intracellular assembly of hybrid nanostructures have the potential to overcome the significant manufacturing cost that has limited the use of DNA and RNA nanotechnology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua B McCluskey
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Douglas S Clark
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Dominic J Glover
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
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45
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RNA nanotechnology in synthetic biology. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2020; 63:135-141. [PMID: 32035339 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2019.12.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2019] [Accepted: 12/16/2019] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
We review recent advances in the design and expression of synthetic RNA sequences inside cells, to regulate gene expression and to achieve spatial localization of components. We focus on approaches that exploit the programmability of the secondary and tertiary structure of RNA to build scalable and modular devices that fold spontaneously and have the capacity to respond to environmental inputs.
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Ren K, Wu R, Karunanayake Mudiyanselage APKK, Yu Q, Zhao B, Xie Y, Bagheri Y, Tian Q, You M. In Situ Genetically Cascaded Amplification for Imaging RNA Subcellular Locations. J Am Chem Soc 2020; 142:2968-2974. [PMID: 31968164 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.9b11748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
In situ amplification methods, such as hybridization chain reaction, are valuable tools for mapping the spatial distribution and subcellular location of target analytes. However, the live-cell applications of these methods are still limited due to challenges in the probe delivery, degradation, and cytotoxicity. Herein, we report a novel genetically encoded in situ amplification method to noninvasively image the subcellular location of RNA targets in living cells. In our system, a fluorogenic RNA reporter, Broccoli, was split into two nonfluorescent fragments and conjugated to the end of two RNA hairpin strands. The binding of one target RNA can then trigger a cascaded hybridization between these hairpin pairs and thus activate multiple Broccoli fluorescence signals. We have shown that such an in situ amplified strategy can be used for the sensitive detection and location imaging of various RNA targets in living bacterial and mammalian cells. This new design principle provides an effective and versatile platform for tracking various intracellular analytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kewei Ren
- Department of Chemistry , University of Massachusetts , Amherst , Massachusetts 01003 , United States
| | - Rigumula Wu
- Department of Chemistry , University of Massachusetts , Amherst , Massachusetts 01003 , United States
| | | | - Qikun Yu
- Department of Chemistry , University of Massachusetts , Amherst , Massachusetts 01003 , United States
| | - Bin Zhao
- Department of Chemistry , University of Massachusetts , Amherst , Massachusetts 01003 , United States
| | - Yiwen Xie
- Department of Chemistry , University of Massachusetts , Amherst , Massachusetts 01003 , United States
| | - Yousef Bagheri
- Department of Chemistry , University of Massachusetts , Amherst , Massachusetts 01003 , United States
| | - Qian Tian
- Department of Chemistry , University of Massachusetts , Amherst , Massachusetts 01003 , United States
| | - Mingxu You
- Department of Chemistry , University of Massachusetts , Amherst , Massachusetts 01003 , United States
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Chen Z, Liang X, Yang R, Yang M, Tan T, Cao H. Construction of ordered multienzyme systems using multifunctional polymer brush-grafted magnetic nanoparticles as scaffolds. Colloids Surf A Physicochem Eng Asp 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfa.2019.123920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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48
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Panigaj M, Johnson MB, Ke W, McMillan J, Goncharova EA, Chandler M, Afonin KA. Aptamers as Modular Components of Therapeutic Nucleic Acid Nanotechnology. ACS NANO 2019; 13:12301-12321. [PMID: 31664817 PMCID: PMC7382785 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.9b06522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Nucleic acids play a central role in all domains of life, either as genetic blueprints or as regulators of various biochemical pathways. The chemical makeup of ribonucleic acid (RNA) or deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), generally represented by a sequence of four monomers, also provides precise instructions for folding and higher-order assembly of these biopolymers that, in turn, dictate biological functions. The sequence-based specific 3D structures of nucleic acids led to the development of the directed evolution of oligonucleotides, SELEX (systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment), against a chosen target molecule. Among the variety of functions, selected oligonucleotides named aptamers also allow targeting of cell-specific receptors with antibody-like precision and can deliver functional RNAs without a transfection agent. The advancements in the field of customizable nucleic acid nanoparticles (NANPs) opened avenues for the design of nanoassemblies utilizing aptamers for triggering or blocking cell signaling pathways or using aptamer-receptor combinations to activate therapeutic functionalities. A recent selection of fluorescent aptamers enables real-time tracking of NANP formation and interactions. The aptamers are anticipated to contribute to the future development of technologies, enabling an efficient assembly of functional NANPs in mammalian cells or in vivo. These research topics are of top importance for the field of therapeutic nucleic acid nanotechnology with the promises to scale up mass production of NANPs suitable for biomedical applications, to control the intracellular organization of biological materials to enhance the efficiency of biochemical pathways, and to enhance the therapeutic potential of NANP-based therapeutics while minimizing undesired side effects and toxicities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Panigaj
- Nanoscale Science Program, Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, North Carolina 28223, United States
- Institute of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, Pavol Jozef Safarik University in Kosice, Kosice 04154, Slovak Republic
| | - M. Brittany Johnson
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, North Carolina 28223, United States
| | - Weina Ke
- Nanoscale Science Program, Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, North Carolina 28223, United States
| | - Jessica McMillan
- Nanoscale Science Program, Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, North Carolina 28223, United States
| | - Ekaterina A. Goncharova
- Nanoscale Science Program, Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, North Carolina 28223, United States
- Laboratory of Solution Chemistry of Advanced Materials and Technologies, ITMO University, St. Petersburg 191002, Russian Federation
| | - Morgan Chandler
- Nanoscale Science Program, Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, North Carolina 28223, United States
| | - Kirill A. Afonin
- Nanoscale Science Program, Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, North Carolina 28223, United States
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Reprogramming bacteria with RNA regulators. Biochem Soc Trans 2019; 47:1279-1289. [DOI: 10.1042/bst20190173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2019] [Revised: 09/13/2019] [Accepted: 09/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
The revolution of genomics and growth of systems biology urged the creation of synthetic biology, an engineering discipline aiming at recreating and reprogramming cellular functions for industrial needs. There has been a huge effort in synthetic biology to develop versatile and programmable genetic regulators that would enable the precise control of gene expression. Synthetic RNA components have emerged as a solution, offering a diverse range of programmable functions, including signal sensing, gene regulation and the modulation of molecular interactions. Owing to their compactness, structure and way of action, several types of RNA devices that act on DNA, RNA and protein have been characterized and applied in synthetic biology. RNA-based approaches are more ‘economical' for the cell, since they are generally not translated. These RNA-based strategies act on a much shorter time scale than transcription-based ones and can be more efficient than protein-based mechanisms. In this review, we explore these RNA components as building blocks in the RNA synthetic biology field, first by explaining their natural mode of action and secondly discussing how these RNA components have been exploited to rewire bacterial regulatory circuitry.
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Synthetic bionanotechnology: synthetic biology finds a toehold in nanotechnology. Emerg Top Life Sci 2019; 3:507-516. [PMID: 33523177 PMCID: PMC7288988 DOI: 10.1042/etls20190100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2019] [Revised: 09/30/2019] [Accepted: 10/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Enabled by its central role in the molecular networks that govern cell function, RNA has been widely used for constructing components used in biological circuits for synthetic biology. Nucleic acid nanotechnology, which exploits predictable nucleic acid interactions to implement programmable molecular systems, has seen remarkable advances in in vitro nanoscale self-assembly and molecular computation, enabling the production of complex nanostructures and DNA-based neural networks. Living cells genetically engineered to execute nucleic acid nanotechnology programs thus have outstanding potential to significantly extend the current limits of synthetic biology. This perspective discusses the recent developments and future challenges in the field of synthetic bionanotechnology. Thus far, researchers in this emerging area have implemented dozens of programmable RNA nanodevices that provide precise control over gene expression at the transcriptional and translational levels and through CRISPR/Cas effectors. Moreover, they have employed synthetic self-assembling RNA networks in engineered bacteria to carry out computations featuring up to a dozen inputs and to substantially enhance the rate of chemical synthesis. Continued advancement of the field will benefit from improved in vivo strategies for streamlining nucleic acid network synthesis and new approaches for enhancing network function. As the field matures and the complexity gap between in vitro and in vivo systems narrows, synthetic bionanotechnology promises to have diverse potential applications ranging from intracellular circuits that detect and treat disease to synthetic enzymatic pathways that efficiently produce novel drug molecules.
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