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He W, Zhang X, Zou Y, Li J, Chang L, He YC, Jin Q, Ye J. Effective synthesis of circRNA via a thermostable T7 RNA polymerase variant as the catalyst. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2024; 12:1356354. [PMID: 38655387 PMCID: PMC11035883 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2024.1356354] [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: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are endogenous noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) with transcriptional lengths ranging from hundreds to thousands. circRNAs have attracted attention owing to their stable structure and ability to treat complicated diseases. Our objective was to create a one-step reaction for circRNA synthesis using wild-type T7 RNA polymerase as the catalyst. However, T7 RNA polymerase is thermally unstable, and we streamlined circRNA synthesis via consensus and folding free energy calculations for hotspot selection. Because of the thermal instability, the permuted intron and exon (PIE) method for circRNA synthesis is conducted via tandem catalysis with a transcription reaction at a low temperature and linear RNA precursor cyclization at a high temperature. Methods To streamline the process, a multisite mutant T7 RNA polymerase (S430P, N433T, S633P, F849I, F880Y, and G788A) with significantly improved thermostability was constructed, and G788A was used. Results The resulting mutant exhibited stable activity at 45°C for over an hour, enabling the implementation of a one-pot transcription and cyclization reaction. The simplified circRNA production process demonstrated an efficiency comparable to that of the conventional two-step reaction, with a cyclization rate exceeding 95% and reduced production of immunostimulatory dsRNA byproducts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei He
- College of Biology and the Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China
- Vazyme Biotech Co., Ltd, Nanjing, China
| | | | | | - Ji Li
- Vazyme Biotech Co., Ltd, Nanjing, China
| | - Le Chang
- Vazyme Biotech Co., Ltd, Nanjing, China
| | - Yu-Cai He
- School of Pharmacy, Changzhou University, Changzhou, China
| | | | - Jianren Ye
- College of Biology and the Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China
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Obeng EM, Fulcher AJ, Wagstaff KM. Harnessing sortase A transpeptidation for advanced targeted therapeutics and vaccine engineering. Biotechnol Adv 2023; 64:108108. [PMID: 36740026 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2023.108108] [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: 08/18/2022] [Revised: 01/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
The engineering of potent prophylactic and therapeutic complexes has always required careful protein modification techniques with seamless capabilities. In this light, methods that favor unobstructed multivalent targeting and correct antigen presentations remain essential and very demanding. Sortase A (SrtA) transpeptidation has exhibited these attributes in various settings over the years. However, its applications for engineering avidity-inspired therapeutics and potent vaccines have yet to be significantly noticed, especially in this era where active targeting and multivalent nanomedications are in great demand. This review briefly presents the SrtA enzyme and its associated transpeptidation activity and describes interesting sortase-mediated protein engineering and chemistry approaches for achieving multivalent therapeutic and antigenic responses. The review further highlights advanced applications in targeted delivery systems, multivalent therapeutics, adoptive cellular therapy, and vaccine engineering. These innovations show the potential of sortase-mediated techniques in facilitating the development of simple plug-and-play nanomedicine technologies against recalcitrant diseases and pandemics such as cancer and viral infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eugene M Obeng
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia.
| | - Alex J Fulcher
- Monash Micro Imaging, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia
| | - Kylie M Wagstaff
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia.
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Nezhad NG, Rahman RNZRA, Normi YM, Oslan SN, Shariff FM, Leow TC. Recent advances in simultaneous thermostability-activity improvement of industrial enzymes through structure modification. Int J Biol Macromol 2023; 232:123440. [PMID: 36708895 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.123440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Revised: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Engineered thermostable microbial enzymes are widely employed to catalyze chemical reactions in numerous industrial sectors. Although high thermostability is a prerequisite of industrial applications, enzyme activity is usually sacrificed during thermostability improvement. Therefore, it is vital to select the common and compatible strategies between thermostability and activity improvement to reduce mutants̕ libraries and screening time. Three functional protein engineering approaches, including directed evolution, rational design, and semi-rational design, are employed to manipulate protein structure on a genetic basis. From a structural standpoint, integrative strategies such as increasing substrate affinity; introducing electrostatic interaction; removing steric hindrance; increasing flexibility of the active site; N- and C-terminal engineering; and increasing intramolecular and intermolecular hydrophobic interactions are well-known to improve simultaneous activity and thermostability. The current review aims to analyze relevant strategies to improve thermostability and activity simultaneously to circumvent the thermostability and activity trade-off of industrial enzymes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nima Ghahremani Nezhad
- Enzyme and Microbial Research Center, Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia; Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Raja Noor Zaliha Raja Abd Rahman
- Enzyme and Microbial Research Center, Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia; Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Yahaya M Normi
- Enzyme and Microbial Research Center, Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia; Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Siti Nurbaya Oslan
- Enzyme and Microbial Research Center, Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia; Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Fairolniza Mohd Shariff
- Enzyme and Microbial Research Center, Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia; Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Thean Chor Leow
- Enzyme and Microbial Research Center, Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia; Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia; Institute of Bioscience, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.
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Structures of Streptococcus pyogenes Class A sortase in complex with substrate and product mimics provide key details of target recognition. J Biol Chem 2022; 298:102446. [PMID: 36055407 PMCID: PMC9520033 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.102446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2022] [Revised: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The cell wall is a critical extracellular barrier for bacteria and many other organisms. In bacteria, this structural layer consists of peptidoglycan, which maintains cell shape and structural integrity and provides a scaffold for displaying various protein factors. To attach proteins to the cell wall, Gram-positive bacteria utilize sortase enzymes, which are cysteine transpeptidases that recognize and cleave a specific sorting signal, followed by ligation of the sorting signal–containing protein to the peptidoglycan precursor lipid II (LII). This mechanism is the subject of considerable interest as a target for therapeutic intervention and as a tool for protein engineering, where sortases have enabled sortase-mediated ligation or sortagging strategies. Despite these uses, there remains an incomplete understanding of the stereochemistry of substrate recognition and ligation product formation. Here, we solved the first structures of sortase A from Streptococcus pyogenes bound to two substrate sequences, LPATA and LPATS. In addition, we synthesized a mimetic of the product of sortase-mediated ligation involving LII (LPAT-LII) and solved the complex structure in two ligand conformations. These structures were further used as the basis for molecular dynamics simulations to probe sortase A-ligand dynamics and to construct a model of the acyl–enzyme intermediate, thus providing a structural view of multiple key states in the catalytic mechanism. Overall, this structural information provides new insights into the recognition of the sortase substrate motif and LII ligation partner and will support the continued development of sortases for protein engineering applications.
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Nezhad NG, Rahman RNZRA, Normi YM, Oslan SN, Shariff FM, Leow TC. Thermostability engineering of industrial enzymes through structure modification. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2022; 106:4845-4866. [PMID: 35804158 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-022-12067-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2022] [Revised: 06/25/2022] [Accepted: 07/02/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Thermostability is an essential requirement of enzymes in the industrial processes to catalyze the reactions at high temperatures; thus, enzyme engineering through directed evolution, semi-rational design and rational design are commonly employed to construct desired thermostable mutants. Several strategies are implemented to fulfill enzymes' thermostability demand including decreasing the entropy of the unfolded state through substitutions Gly → Xxx or Xxx → Pro, hydrogen bond, salt bridge, introducing two different simultaneous interactions through single mutant, hydrophobic interaction, filling the hydrophobic cavity core, decreasing surface hydrophobicity, truncating loop, aromatic-aromatic interaction and introducing positively charged residues to enzyme surface. In the current review, horizons about compatibility between secondary structures and substitutions at preferable structural positions to generate the most desirable thermostability in industrial enzymes are broadened. KEY POINTS: • Protein engineering is a powerful tool for generating thermostable industrial enzymes. • Directed evolution and rational design are practical approaches in enzyme engineering. • Substitutions in preferable structural positions can increase thermostability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nima Ghahremani Nezhad
- Enzyme and Microbial Research Center, Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.,Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Raja Noor Zaliha Raja Abd Rahman
- Enzyme and Microbial Research Center, Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.,Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Yahaya M Normi
- Enzyme and Microbial Research Center, Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.,Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Siti Nurbaya Oslan
- Enzyme and Microbial Research Center, Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.,Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Fairolniza Mohd Shariff
- Enzyme and Microbial Research Center, Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.,Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Thean Chor Leow
- Enzyme and Microbial Research Center, Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia. .,Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia. .,Institute of Bioscience, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.
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Glycoprotein 340's scavenger receptor cysteine-rich domain promotes adhesion of Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa to contact lens polymers. Infect Immun 2021; 90:e0033921. [PMID: 34662210 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00339-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Contact lenses are biomaterials worn on the eye to correct refractive errors. Bacterial adhesion and colonization of these lenses results in adverse events such as microbial keratitis. The adsorption of tear proteins to contact lens materials enhances bacterial adhesion. Glycoprotein 340 (Gp340), a tear component, is known to promote microbial colonization in the oral cavity, however, it has not been investigated in any contact lens-related adverse event. Therefore, this study examined the adsorption of Gp340 and its recombinantly expressed scavenger receptor cysteine rich (iSRCR1Gp340) domain on two common contact lens materials, etafilcon A and lotrafilcon B, and the concomitant effects on the adherence of clinical isolates of microbial keratitis causative agents, Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA6206, PA6294), and Staphylococcus aureus (SA38, USA300). Across all strains and materials, iSRCR1Gp340 enhanced adherence of bacteria in a dose-dependent manner. However, iSRCR1Gp340 did not modulate lysozyme's and lactoferrin's effects on bacterial adhesion to the contact lens. The Gp340 binding surface protein SraP significantly enhanced USA300 binding to iSRCR1Gp340-coated lenses. In addition, iSRCR1Gp340-coated surfaces had significantly diminished biofilms with the SraP mutant (ΔSraP), and with the Sortase A mutant (ΔSrtA), there was a further reduction in biofilms, indicating the likely involvement of additional surface proteins. Finally, the binding affinities between iSRCR1Gp340 and SraP were determined using surface plasmon resonance (SPR), where the complete SraP binding region displayed nanomolar affinity, whereas its smaller fragments adhered with micromolar affinities. This study concludes that Gp340 and its SRCR domains play an important role in bacterial adhesion to the contact lens.
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Freund C, Schwarzer D. Engineered Sortases in Peptide and Protein Chemistry. Chembiochem 2021; 22:1347-1356. [PMID: 33290621 PMCID: PMC8248031 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202000745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2020] [Revised: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The transpeptidase sortase A of Staphylococcus aureus (Sa-SrtA) is a valuable tool in protein chemistry. The native enzyme anchors surface proteins containing a highly conserved LPxTG sorting motif to a terminal glycine residue of the peptidoglycan layer in Gram-positive bacteria. This reaction is exploited for sortase-mediated ligation (SML), allowing the site-specific linkage of synthetic peptides and recombinant proteins by a native peptide bond. However, the moderate catalytic efficiency and specificity of Sa-SrtA fueled the development of new biocatalysts for SML, including the screening of sortase A variants form microorganisms other than S. aureus and the directed protein evolution of the Sa-SrtA enzyme itself. Novel display platforms and screening formats were developed to isolate sortases with altered properties from mutant libraries. This yielded sortases with strongly enhanced catalytic activity and enzymes recognizing new sorting motifs as substrates. This minireview focuses on recent advances in the field of directed sortase evolution and applications of these tailor-made enzymes in biochemistry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Freund
- Freie Universität BerlinInstitute of Chemistry and BiochemistryThielallee 6314195BerlinGermany
| | - Dirk Schwarzer
- University of TübingenInterfaculty Institute of Biochemistry (IFIB)Auf der Morgenstelle 3472076TübingenGermany
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