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Tobola F, Wiltschi B. One, two, many: Strategies to alter the number of carbohydrate binding sites of lectins. Biotechnol Adv 2022; 60:108020. [PMID: 35868512 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2022.108020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Revised: 06/23/2022] [Accepted: 07/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Carbohydrates are more than an energy-storage. They are ubiquitously found on cells and most proteins, where they encode biological information. Lectins bind these carbohydrates and are essential for translating the encoded information into biological functions and processes. Hundreds of lectins are known, and they are found in all domains of life. For half a century, researchers have been preparing variants of lectins in which the binding sites are varied. In this way, the traits of the lectins such as the affinity, avidity and specificity towards their ligands as well as their biological efficacy were changed. These efforts helped to unravel the biological importance of lectins and resulted in improved variants for biotechnological exploitation and potential medical applications. This review gives an overview on the methods for the preparation of artificial lectins and complexes thereof and how reducing or increasing the number of binding sites affects their function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felix Tobola
- acib - Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology, Petersgasse 14, 8010 Graz, Austria; Institute of Molecular Biotechnology, Graz University of Technology, Petersgasse 14, 8010 Graz, Austria.
| | - Birgit Wiltschi
- acib - Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology, Petersgasse 14, 8010 Graz, Austria; Institute of Molecular Biotechnology, Graz University of Technology, Petersgasse 14, 8010 Graz, Austria; Institute of Bioprocess Science and Engineering, Department of Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Muthgasse 18, 1190 Vienna, Austria.
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2
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Pereira J, Lupas AN. New β-Propellers Are Continuously Amplified From Single Blades in all Major Lineages of the β-Propeller Superfamily. Front Mol Biosci 2022; 9:895496. [PMID: 35755816 PMCID: PMC9218822 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2022.895496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2022] [Accepted: 05/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
β-Propellers are toroidal folds, in which consecutive supersecondary structure units of four anti-parallel β-strands-called blades-are arranged radially around a central axis. Uniquely among toroidal folds, blades span the full range of sequence symmetry, from near identity to complete divergence, indicating an ongoing process of amplification and differentiation. We have proposed that the major lineages of β-propellers arose through this mechanism and that therefore their last common ancestor was a single blade, not a fully formed β-propeller. Here we show that this process of amplification and differentiation is also widespread within individual lineages, yielding β-propellers with blades of more than 60% pairwise sequence identity in most major β-propeller families. In some cases, the blades are nearly identical, indicating a very recent amplification event, but even in cases where such recently amplified β-propellers have more than 80% overall sequence identity to each other, comparison of their DNA sequence shows that the amplification occurred independently.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joana Pereira
- Department of Protein Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Biology, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Andrei N Lupas
- Department of Protein Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Biology, Tübingen, Germany
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3
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Tenorio CA, Parker JB, Blaber M. Functionalization of a symmetric protein scaffold: Redundant folding nuclei and alternative oligomeric folding pathways. Protein Sci 2022; 31:e4301. [PMID: 35481645 PMCID: PMC8996475 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2021] [Revised: 03/12/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Successful de novo protein design ideally targets specific folding kinetics, stability thermodynamics, and biochemical functionality, and the simultaneous achievement of all these criteria in a single step design is challenging. Protein design is potentially simplified by separating the problem into two steps: (a) an initial design of a protein "scaffold" having appropriate folding kinetics and stability thermodynamics, followed by (b) appropriate functional mutation-possibly involving insertion of a peptide functional "cassette." This stepwise approach can also separate the orthogonal effects of the "stability/function" and "foldability/function" tradeoffs commonly observed in protein design. If the scaffold is a protein architecture having an exact rotational symmetry, then there is the potential for redundant folding nuclei and multiple equivalent sites of functionalization; thereby enabling broader functional adaptation. We describe such a "scaffold" and functional "cassette" design strategy applied to a β-trefoil threefold symmetric architecture and a heparin ligand functionality. The results support the availability of redundant folding nuclei within this symmetric architecture, and also identify a minimal peptide cassette conferring heparin affinity. The results also identify an energy barrier of destabilization that switches the protein folding pathway from monomeric to trimeric, thereby identifying another potential advantage of symmetric protein architecture in de novo design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Connie A. Tenorio
- Department of Biomedical Sciences Florida State University Tallahassee Florida USA
| | - Joseph B. Parker
- Department of Biomedical Sciences Florida State University Tallahassee Florida USA
| | - Michael Blaber
- Department of Biomedical Sciences Florida State University Tallahassee Florida USA
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4
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Khersonsky O, Fleishman SJ. What Have We Learned from Design of Function in Large Proteins? BIODESIGN RESEARCH 2022; 2022:9787581. [PMID: 37850148 PMCID: PMC10521758 DOI: 10.34133/2022/9787581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 10/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The overarching goal of computational protein design is to gain complete control over protein structure and function. The majority of sophisticated binders and enzymes, however, are large and exhibit diverse and complex folds that defy atomistic design calculations. Encouragingly, recent strategies that combine evolutionary constraints from natural homologs with atomistic calculations have significantly improved design accuracy. In these approaches, evolutionary constraints mitigate the risk from misfolding and aggregation, focusing atomistic design calculations on a small but highly enriched sequence subspace. Such methods have dramatically optimized diverse proteins, including vaccine immunogens, enzymes for sustainable chemistry, and proteins with therapeutic potential. The new generation of deep learning-based ab initio structure predictors can be combined with these methods to extend the scope of protein design, in principle, to any natural protein of known sequence. We envision that protein engineering will come to rely on completely computational methods to efficiently discover and optimize biomolecular activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga Khersonsky
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Sarel J. Fleishman
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
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5
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Jackson C, Toth-Petroczy A, Kolodny R, Hollfelder F, Fuxreiter M, Caroline Lynn Kamerlin S, Tokuriki N. Adventures on the routes of protein evolution — in memoriam Dan Salah Tawfik (1955 - 2021). J Mol Biol 2022; 434:167462. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2022.167462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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6
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Khairol Mokhtar NHI, Hussin A, Hamid AA, Zainal Ariffin SH, Shahidan MA. Systematic Optimisation of Microtiter Plate Lectin Assay to Improve Sialic Acid Linkage Detection. Comb Chem High Throughput Screen 2021; 25:1507-1517. [PMID: 34342257 DOI: 10.2174/1386207324666210802122538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2020] [Revised: 06/02/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
AIMS We aimed to develop a high-throughput lectin assay with minimized background signals to investigate the interactions of lectins and sialic acid glycans, focusing on prostate-specific antigen (PSA). BACKGROUND High background signals resulting from nonspecific binding are a significant concern for microtiter plate-based enzyme-linked lectin sorbent assays (ELLSAs), as they can mask specific binding signals and cause false-positive results. METHODS In this study, we constructed an ELLSA based on different washing step parameters, including the number of washing cycles, NaCl and Tween-20 concentrations, and the type of blocking agent and evaluated the effects on both specific and nonspecific binding signals. Furthermore, we performed a PSA binding assay using the optimized ELLSA. RESULTS The optimal washing parameters based on the highest specific binding signal proposed four cycles of washing steps using a washing buffer containing a high salt concentration (0.5 M NaCl) and mild detergent (0.05% Tween-20). The utilization of the optimized washing parameters in this assay was shown to be sufficient to obtain the optimal binding signals without the use of any blocking agent. Binding assays performed using the optimized ELLSA revealed that the glycan of the PSA sample used in this study mainly consists of terminal α2,6-linked sialic acid, as strongly recognized by Sambucus nigra agglutinin (SNA) with a KD value of 12.38 nM. CONCLUSION The ELLSA reported in this study provides a simple yet sensitive assay for sialic acid linkage recognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nur Hanina Izzati Khairol Mokhtar
- School of Biological Science and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600, Bangi, Selangor. Malaysia
| | - Ainulkhir Hussin
- Department of Pathology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Ministry of Health, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. Malaysia
| | - Aidil Abdul Hamid
- School of Biological Science and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600, Bangi, Selangor. Malaysia
| | - Shahrul Hisham Zainal Ariffin
- School of Biological Science and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600, Bangi, Selangor. Malaysia
| | - Muhammad Ashraf Shahidan
- School of Biological Science and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600, Bangi, Selangor. Malaysia
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7
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Ferruz N, Noske J, Höcker B. Protlego: A Python package for the analysis and design of chimeric proteins. Bioinformatics 2021; 37:3182-3189. [PMID: 33901273 PMCID: PMC8504633 DOI: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btab253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2020] [Revised: 03/05/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Motivation Duplication and recombination of protein fragments have led to the highly diverse protein space that we observe today. By mimicking this natural process, the design of protein chimeras via fragment recombination has proven experimentally successful and has opened a new era for the design of customizable proteins. The in silico building of structural models for these chimeric proteins, however, remains a manual task that requires a considerable degree of expertise and is not amenable for high-throughput studies. Energetic and structural analysis of the designed proteins often require the use of several tools, each with their unique technical difficulties and available in different programming languages or web servers. Results We implemented a Python package that enables automated, high-throughput design of chimeras and their structural analysis. First, it fetches evolutionarily conserved fragments from a built-in database (also available at fuzzle.uni-bayreuth.de). These relationships can then be represented via networks or further selected for chimera construction via recombination. Designed chimeras or natural proteins are then scored and minimized with the Charmm and Amber forcefields and their diverse structural features can be analyzed at ease. Here, we showcase Protlego’s pipeline by exploring the relationships between the P-loop and Rossmann superfolds, building and characterizing their offspring chimeras. We believe that Protlego provides a powerful new tool for the protein design community. Availability and implementation Protlego runs on the Linux platform and is freely available at (https://hoecker-lab.github.io/protlego/) with tutorials and documentation. Supplementary information Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noelia Ferruz
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Jakob Noske
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Birte Höcker
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
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8
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Mylemans B, Noguchi H, Deridder E, Lescrinier E, Tame JRH, Voet ARD. Influence of circular permutations on the structure and stability of a six-fold circular symmetric designer protein. Protein Sci 2020; 29:2375-2386. [PMID: 33006397 DOI: 10.1002/pro.3961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2020] [Revised: 09/23/2020] [Accepted: 09/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The β-propeller fold is adopted by a sequentially diverse family of repeat proteins with apparent rotational symmetry. While the structure is mostly stabilized by hydrophobic interactions, an additional stabilization is provided by hydrogen bonds between the N-and C-termini, which are almost invariably part of the same β-sheet. This feature is often referred to as the "Velcro" closure. The positioning of the termini within a blade is variable and depends on the protein family. In order to investigate the influence of this location on protein structure, folding and stability, we created different circular permutants, and a circularized version, of the designer propeller protein named Pizza. This protein is perfectly symmetrical, possessing six identical repeats. While all mutants adopt the same structure, the proteins lacking the "Velcro" closure were found to be significantly less resistant to thermal and chemical denaturation. This could explain why such proteins are rarely observed in nature. Interestingly the most common "Velcro" configuration for this protein family was not the most stable among the Pizza variants tested. The circularized version shows dramatically improved stability, which could have implications for future applications.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Els Deridder
- Department of Chemistry, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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9
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Mylemans B, Laier I, Kamata K, Akashi S, Noguchi H, Tame JRH, Voet ARD. Structural plasticity of a designer protein sheds light on β-propeller protein evolution. FEBS J 2020; 288:530-545. [PMID: 32343866 DOI: 10.1111/febs.15347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2020] [Revised: 04/07/2020] [Accepted: 04/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
β-propeller proteins are common in nature, where they are observed to adopt 4- to 10-fold internal rotational pseudo-symmetry. This size diversity can be explained by the evolutionary process of gene duplication and fusion. In this study, we investigated a distorted β-propeller protein, an apparent intermediate between two symmetries. From this template, we created a perfectly symmetric 9-bladed β-propeller named Cake, using computational design and ancestral sequence reconstruction. The designed repeat sequence was found to be capable of generating both 8-fold and 9-fold propellers which are highly stable. Cake variants with 2-10 identical copies of the repeat sequence were characterised by X-ray crystallography and in solution. They were found to be highly stable, and to self-assemble into 8- or 9-fold symmetrical propellers. These findings show that the β-propeller fold allows sufficient structural plasticity to permit a given blade to assemble different forms, a transition from even to odd changes in blade number, and provide a potential explanation for the wide diversity of repeat numbers observed in natural propeller proteins. DATABASE: Structural data are available in Protein Data Bank database under the accession numbers 6TJB, 6TJC, 6TJD, 6TJE, 6TJF, 6TJG, 6TJH and 6TJI.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ina Laier
- Department of Chemistry, KU Leuven, Belgium
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10
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Ferruz N, Lobos F, Lemm D, Toledo-Patino S, Farías-Rico JA, Schmidt S, Höcker B. Identification and Analysis of Natural Building Blocks for Evolution-Guided Fragment-Based Protein Design. J Mol Biol 2020; 432:3898-3914. [PMID: 32330481 PMCID: PMC7322520 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2020.04.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2019] [Revised: 04/12/2020] [Accepted: 04/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Natural evolution has generated an impressively diverse protein universe via duplication and recombination from a set of protein fragments that served as building blocks. The application of these concepts to the design of new proteins using subdomain-sized fragments from different folds has proven to be experimentally successful. To better understand how evolution has shaped our protein universe, we performed an all-against-all comparison of protein domains representing all naturally existing folds and identified conserved homologous protein fragments. Overall, we found more than 1000 protein fragments of various lengths among different folds through similarity network analysis. These fragments are present in very different protein environments and represent versatile building blocks for protein design. These data are available in our web server called F(old P)uzzle (fuzzle.uni-bayreuth.de), which allows to individually filter the dataset and create customized networks for folds of interest. We believe that our results serve as an invaluable resource for structural and evolutionary biologists and as raw material for the design of custom-made proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noelia Ferruz
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Francisco Lobos
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany; Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Dominik Lemm
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Saacnicteh Toledo-Patino
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany; Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Tübingen, Germany
| | | | - Steffen Schmidt
- Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Tübingen, Germany; Computational Biochemistry, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany.
| | - Birte Höcker
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany; Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Tübingen, Germany.
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11
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Tenorio CA, Longo LM, Parker JB, Lee J, Blaber M. Ab initio folding of a trefoil-fold motif reveals structural similarity with a β-propeller blade motif. Protein Sci 2020; 29:1172-1185. [PMID: 32142181 DOI: 10.1002/pro.3850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2020] [Revised: 03/01/2020] [Accepted: 03/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Many protein architectures exhibit evidence of internal rotational symmetry postulated to be the result of gene duplication/fusion events involving a primordial polypeptide motif. A common feature of such structures is a domain-swapped arrangement at the interface of the N- and C-termini motifs and postulated to provide cooperative interactions that promote folding and stability. De novo designed symmetric protein architectures have demonstrated an ability to accommodate circular permutation of the N- and C-termini in the overall architecture; however, the folding requirement of the primordial motif is poorly understood, and tolerance to circular permutation is essentially unknown. The β-trefoil protein fold is a threefold-symmetric architecture where the repeating ~42-mer "trefoil-fold" motif assembles via a domain-swapped arrangement. The trefoil-fold structure in isolation exposes considerable hydrophobic area that is otherwise buried in the intact β-trefoil trimeric assembly. The trefoil-fold sequence is not predicted to adopt the trefoil-fold architecture in ab initio folding studies; rather, the predicted fold is closely related to a compact "blade" motif from the β-propeller architecture. Expression of a trefoil-fold sequence and circular permutants shows that only the wild-type N-terminal motif definition yields an intact β-trefoil trimeric assembly, while permutants yield monomers. The results elucidate the folding requirements of the primordial trefoil-fold motif, and also suggest that this motif may sample a compact conformation that limits hydrophobic residue exposure, contains key trefoil-fold structural features, but is more structurally homologous to a β-propeller blade motif.
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Affiliation(s)
- Connie A Tenorio
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA
| | - Liam M Longo
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA
| | - Joseph B Parker
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA
| | - Jihun Lee
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA
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12
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Notova S, Bonnardel F, Lisacek F, Varrot A, Imberty A. Structure and engineering of tandem repeat lectins. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2019; 62:39-47. [PMID: 31841833 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2019.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2019] [Revised: 11/07/2019] [Accepted: 11/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Through their ability to bind complex glycoconjugates, lectins have unique specificity and potential for biomedical and biotechnological applications. In particular, lectins with short repeated peptides forming carbohydrate-binding domains are not only of high interest for understanding protein evolution but can also be used as scaffold for engineering novel receptors. Synthetic glycobiology now provides the tools for engineering the specificity of lectins as well as their structure, multivalency and topologies. This review focuses on the structure and diversity of two families of tandem-repeat lectins, that is, β-trefoils and β-propellers, demonstrated as the most promising scaffold for engineering novel lectins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simona Notova
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CERMAV, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - François Bonnardel
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CERMAV, 38000 Grenoble, France; SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, CH-1227 Geneva, Switzerland; Computer Science Department, UniGe, CH-1227 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Frédérique Lisacek
- SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, CH-1227 Geneva, Switzerland; Computer Science Department, UniGe, CH-1227 Geneva, Switzerland; Section of Biology, UniGe, CH-1205 Geneva, Switzerland
| | | | - Anne Imberty
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CERMAV, 38000 Grenoble, France.
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13
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Afanasieva E, Chaudhuri I, Martin J, Hertle E, Ursinus A, Alva V, Hartmann MD, Lupas AN. Structural diversity of oligomeric β-propellers with different numbers of identical blades. eLife 2019; 8:49853. [PMID: 31613220 PMCID: PMC6805158 DOI: 10.7554/elife.49853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2019] [Accepted: 09/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
β-Propellers arise through the amplification of a supersecondary structure element called a blade. This process produces toroids of between four and twelve repeats, which are almost always arranged sequentially in a single polypeptide chain. We found that new propellers evolve continuously by amplification from single blades. We therefore investigated whether such nascent propellers can fold as homo-oligomers before they have been fully amplified within a single chain. One- to six-bladed building blocks derived from two seven-bladed WD40 propellers yielded stable homo-oligomers with six to nine blades, depending on the size of the building block. High-resolution structures for tetramers of two blades, trimers of three blades, and dimers of four and five blades, respectively, show structurally diverse propellers and include a novel fold, highlighting the inherent flexibility of the WD40 blade. Our data support the hypothesis that subdomain-sized fragments can provide structural versatility in the evolution of new proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evgenia Afanasieva
- Department of Protein Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Indronil Chaudhuri
- Department of Protein Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Jörg Martin
- Department of Protein Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Eva Hertle
- Department of Protein Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Astrid Ursinus
- Department of Protein Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Vikram Alva
- Department of Protein Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Marcus D Hartmann
- Department of Protein Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Andrei N Lupas
- Department of Protein Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Tübingen, Germany
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14
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Bonnardel F, Kumar A, Wimmerova M, Lahmann M, Perez S, Varrot A, Lisacek F, Imberty A. Architecture and Evolution of Blade Assembly in β-propeller Lectins. Structure 2019; 27:764-775.e3. [PMID: 30853410 DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2019.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2018] [Revised: 01/10/2019] [Accepted: 02/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Lectins with a β-propeller fold bind glycans on the cell surface through multivalent binding sites and appropriate directionality. These proteins are formed by repeats of short domains, raising questions about evolutionary duplication. However, these repeats are difficult to detect in translated genomes and seldom correctly annotated in sequence databases. To address these issues, we defined the blade signature of the five types of β-propellers using 3D-structural data. With these templates, we predicted 3,887 β-propeller lectins in 1,889 species and organized this information in a searchable online database. The data reveal a widespread distribution of β-propeller lectins across species. Prediction also emphasizes multiple architectures and led to the discovery of a β-propeller assembly scenario. This was confirmed by producing and characterizing a predicted protein coded in the genome of Kordia zhangzhouensis. The crystal structure uncovers an intermediate in the evolution of β-propeller assembly and demonstrates the power of our tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- François Bonnardel
- University of Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CERMAV, 38000 Grenoble, France; Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, 1227 Geneva, Switzerland; Computer Science Department, UniGe, 1227 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Atul Kumar
- University of Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CERMAV, 38000 Grenoble, France; CEITEC, Masaryk University, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Michaela Wimmerova
- CEITEC, Masaryk University, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic; NCBR, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Martina Lahmann
- School of Chemistry, University of Bangor, LL57 2UW Bangor, UK
| | - Serge Perez
- University of Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, DPM, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Annabelle Varrot
- University of Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CERMAV, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Frédérique Lisacek
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, 1227 Geneva, Switzerland; Computer Science Department, UniGe, 1227 Geneva, Switzerland; Section of Biology, UniGe, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland.
| | - Anne Imberty
- University of Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CERMAV, 38000 Grenoble, France.
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15
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Alva V, Lupas AN. From ancestral peptides to designed proteins. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2017; 48:103-109. [PMID: 29195087 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2017.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2017] [Accepted: 11/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The diversity of modern proteins arose through the combinatorial shuffling and differentiation of a limited number of autonomously folding domain prototypes, but the origin of these prototypes themselves has long remained poorly understood. In recent years, the proposal that they originated by repetition, accretion, and recombination from an ancestral set of peptides, which evolved as cofactors of RNA-based replication and catalysis, has gained wide acceptance, supported by the systematic identification of such ancestral peptides and the experimental recapitulation of the mechanisms by which they could have yielded the first folded proteins. Inspired by this evolutionary process, protein engineers have seized on design from pre-optimized peptide components as a powerful approach to generating proteins with novel topology and functionality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vikram Alva
- Department of Protein Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Andrei N Lupas
- Department of Protein Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
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16
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Benedek A, Horváth A, Hirmondó R, Ozohanics O, Békési A, Módos K, Révész Á, Vékey K, Nagy GN, Vértessy BG. Potential steps in the evolution of a fused trimeric all-β dUTPase involve a catalytically competent fused dimeric intermediate. FEBS J 2016; 283:3268-86. [PMID: 27380921 DOI: 10.1111/febs.13800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2015] [Revised: 06/08/2016] [Accepted: 07/04/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Deoxyuridine 5'-triphosphate nucleotidohydrolase (dUTPase) is essential for genome integrity. Interestingly, this enzyme from Drosophila virilis has an unusual form, as three monomer repeats are merged with short linker sequences, yielding a fused trimer-like dUTPase fold. Unlike homotrimeric dUTPases that are encoded by a single repeat dut gene copy, the three repeats of the D. virilis dut gene are not identical due to several point mutations. We investigated the potential evolutionary pathway that led to the emergence of this extant fused trimeric dUTPase in D. virilis. The herein proposed scenario involves two sequential gene duplications followed by sequence divergence amongst the dut repeats. This pathway thus requires the existence of a transient two-repeat-containing fused dimeric dUTPase intermediate. We identified the corresponding ancestral dUTPase single repeat enzyme together with its tandem repeat evolutionary intermediate and characterized their enzymatic function and structural stability. We additionally engineered and characterized artificial single or tandem repeat constructs from the extant enzyme form to investigate the influence of the emergent residue alterations on the formation of a functional assembly. The observed severely impaired stability and catalytic activity of these latter constructs provide a plausible explanation for evolutionary persistence of the extant fused trimeric D. virilis dUTPase form. For the ancestral homotrimeric and the fused dimeric intermediate forms, we observed strong catalytic and structural competence, verifying viability of the proposed evolutionary pathway. We conclude that the progression along the herein described evolutionary trajectory is determined by the retained potential of the enzyme for its conserved three-fold structural symmetry.
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Affiliation(s)
- András Benedek
- Institute of Enzymology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary. .,Department of Applied Biotechnology and Food Science, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Hungary.
| | - András Horváth
- Institute of Enzymology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Rita Hirmondó
- Institute of Enzymology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Olivér Ozohanics
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Angéla Békési
- Institute of Enzymology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Károly Módos
- Institute of Biophysics and Radiation Biology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Ágnes Révész
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Károly Vékey
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Gergely N Nagy
- Institute of Enzymology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary. .,Department of Applied Biotechnology and Food Science, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Hungary.
| | - Beáta G Vértessy
- Institute of Enzymology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary. .,Department of Applied Biotechnology and Food Science, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Hungary.
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17
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Steinmetz A, Vallée F, Beil C, Lange C, Baurin N, Beninga J, Capdevila C, Corvey C, Dupuy A, Ferrari P, Rak A, Wonerow P, Kruip J, Mikol V, Rao E. CODV-Ig, a universal bispecific tetravalent and multifunctional immunoglobulin format for medical applications. MAbs 2016; 8:867-78. [PMID: 26984268 DOI: 10.1080/19420862.2016.1162932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Bispecific immunoglobulins (Igs) typically contain at least two distinct variable domains (Fv) that bind to two different target proteins. They are conceived to facilitate clinical development of biotherapeutic agents for diseases where improved clinical outcome is obtained or expected by combination therapy compared to treatment by single agents. Almost all existing formats are linear in their concept and differ widely in drug-like and manufacture-related properties. To overcome their major limitations, we designed cross-over dual variable Ig-like proteins (CODV-Ig). Their design is akin to the design of circularly closed repeat architectures. Indeed, initial results showed that the traditional approach of utilizing (G4S)x linkers for biotherapeutics design does not identify functional CODV-Igs. Therefore, we applied an unprecedented molecular modeling strategy for linker design that consistently results in CODV-Igs with excellent biochemical and biophysical properties. CODV architecture results in a circular self-contained structure functioning as a self-supporting truss that maintains the parental antibody affinities for both antigens without positional effects. The format is universally suitable for therapeutic applications targeting both circulating and membrane-localized proteins. Due to the full functionality of the Fc domains, serum half-life extension as well as antibody- or complement-dependent cytotoxicity may support biological efficiency of CODV-Igs. We show that judicious choice in combination of epitopes and paratope orientations of bispecific biotherapeutics is anticipated to be critical for clinical outcome. Uniting the major advantages of alternative bispecific biotherapeutics, CODV-Igs are applicable in a wide range of disease areas for fast-track multi-parametric drug optimization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anke Steinmetz
- c Sanofi R&D, LGCR, Center de Recherche Vitry-sur-Seine , Vitry-sur-Seine Cedex , France
| | - François Vallée
- c Sanofi R&D, LGCR, Center de Recherche Vitry-sur-Seine , Vitry-sur-Seine Cedex , France
| | - Christian Beil
- a Sanofi-Aventis Deutschland GmbH, R&D, Global Biotherapeutics, Industriepark Hoechst , Frankfurt am Main , Germany
| | - Christian Lange
- a Sanofi-Aventis Deutschland GmbH, R&D, Global Biotherapeutics, Industriepark Hoechst , Frankfurt am Main , Germany
| | - Nicolas Baurin
- c Sanofi R&D, LGCR, Center de Recherche Vitry-sur-Seine , Vitry-sur-Seine Cedex , France
| | - Jochen Beninga
- a Sanofi-Aventis Deutschland GmbH, R&D, Global Biotherapeutics, Industriepark Hoechst , Frankfurt am Main , Germany
| | - Cécile Capdevila
- b Sanofi R&D, Global Biotherapeutics, Center de Recherche Vitry-sur-Seine , Vitry-sur-Seine Cedex , France
| | - Carsten Corvey
- a Sanofi-Aventis Deutschland GmbH, R&D, Global Biotherapeutics, Industriepark Hoechst , Frankfurt am Main , Germany
| | - Alain Dupuy
- c Sanofi R&D, LGCR, Center de Recherche Vitry-sur-Seine , Vitry-sur-Seine Cedex , France
| | - Paul Ferrari
- b Sanofi R&D, Global Biotherapeutics, Center de Recherche Vitry-sur-Seine , Vitry-sur-Seine Cedex , France
| | - Alexey Rak
- c Sanofi R&D, LGCR, Center de Recherche Vitry-sur-Seine , Vitry-sur-Seine Cedex , France
| | - Peter Wonerow
- a Sanofi-Aventis Deutschland GmbH, R&D, Global Biotherapeutics, Industriepark Hoechst , Frankfurt am Main , Germany
| | - Jochen Kruip
- a Sanofi-Aventis Deutschland GmbH, R&D, Global Biotherapeutics, Industriepark Hoechst , Frankfurt am Main , Germany
| | - Vincent Mikol
- c Sanofi R&D, LGCR, Center de Recherche Vitry-sur-Seine , Vitry-sur-Seine Cedex , France
| | - Ercole Rao
- a Sanofi-Aventis Deutschland GmbH, R&D, Global Biotherapeutics, Industriepark Hoechst , Frankfurt am Main , Germany
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18
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Clark PL. How to Build a Complex, Functional Propeller Protein, From Parts. Trends Biochem Sci 2016; 41:290-292. [PMID: 26971075 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibs.2016.02.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2016] [Accepted: 02/29/2016] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
By combining ancestral sequence reconstruction and in vitro evolution, Smock et al. identified single motifs that assemble into a functional five-bladed β-propeller, and a likely route for conversion into the more complex, extant single chain fusion. Interestingly, although sequence diversification destabilized five-motif fusions, it also destabilized aggregation-prone intermediates, increasing the level of functional protein in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia L Clark
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA.
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19
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Khersonsky O, Fleishman SJ. Why reinvent the wheel? Building new proteins based on ready-made parts. Protein Sci 2016; 25:1179-87. [PMID: 26821641 DOI: 10.1002/pro.2892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2015] [Revised: 01/20/2016] [Accepted: 01/27/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
We protein engineers are ambivalent about evolution: on the one hand, evolution inspires us with myriad examples of biomolecular binders, sensors, and catalysts; on the other hand, these examples are seldom well-adapted to the engineering tasks we have in mind. Protein engineers have therefore modified natural proteins by point substitutions and fragment exchanges in an effort to generate new functions. A counterpoint to such design efforts, which is being pursued now with greater success, is to completely eschew the starting materials provided by nature and to design new protein functions from scratch by using de novo molecular modeling and design. While important progress has been made in both directions, some areas of protein design are still beyond reach. To this end, we advocate a synthesis of these two strategies: by using design calculations to both recombine and optimize fragments from natural proteins, we can build stable and as of yet un-sampled structures, thereby granting access to an expanded repertoire of conformations and desired functions. We propose that future methods that combine phylogenetic analysis, structure and sequence bioinformatics, and atomistic modeling may well succeed where any one of these approaches has failed on its own.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga Khersonsky
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 76100, Israel
| | - Sarel J Fleishman
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 76100, Israel
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20
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Smock RG, Yadid I, Dym O, Clarke J, Tawfik DS. De Novo Evolutionary Emergence of a Symmetrical Protein Is Shaped by Folding Constraints. Cell 2016; 164:476-86. [PMID: 26806127 PMCID: PMC4735018 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2015.12.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2015] [Revised: 10/05/2015] [Accepted: 12/07/2015] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Molecular evolution has focused on the divergence of molecular functions, yet we know little about how structurally distinct protein folds emerge de novo. We characterized the evolutionary trajectories and selection forces underlying emergence of β-propeller proteins, a globular and symmetric fold group with diverse functions. The identification of short propeller-like motifs (<50 amino acids) in natural genomes indicated that they expanded via tandem duplications to form extant propellers. We phylogenetically reconstructed 47-residue ancestral motifs that form five-bladed lectin propellers via oligomeric assembly. We demonstrate a functional trajectory of tandem duplications of these motifs leading to monomeric lectins. Foldability, i.e., higher efficiency of folding, was the main parameter leading to improved functionality along the entire evolutionary trajectory. However, folding constraints changed along the trajectory: initially, conflicts between monomer folding and oligomer assembly dominated, whereas subsequently, upon tandem duplication, tradeoffs between monomer stability and foldability took precedence. Inferred 47-aminoacid ancestral motifs fold into functional β-propeller assemblies Motif duplication, fusion, and diversification yield functional monomeric propellers Folding efficiency was the key parameter optimized throughout propeller emergence Single-motif precursors in extant genomes support the reconstructed emergence pathway
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert G Smock
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Itamar Yadid
- Metabolic Pathways and Enzyme Evolution Laboratory, Migal Galilee Research Institute, Kiryat Shmona 11016, Israel
| | - Orly Dym
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Jane Clarke
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK
| | - Dan S Tawfik
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel.
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21
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Cahn JKB, Brinkmann-Chen S, Buller AR, Arnold FH. Artificial domain duplication replicates evolutionary history of ketol-acid reductoisomerases. Protein Sci 2015; 25:1241-8. [PMID: 26644020 DOI: 10.1002/pro.2852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2015] [Accepted: 12/01/2015] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
The duplication of protein structural domains has been proposed as a common mechanism for the generation of new protein folds. A particularly interesting case is the class II ketol-acid reductoisomerase (KARI), which putatively arose from an ancestral class I KARI by duplication of the C-terminal domain and corresponding loss of obligate dimerization. As a result, the class II enzymes acquired a deeply embedded figure-of-eight knot. To test this evolutionary hypothesis we constructed a novel class II KARI by duplicating the C-terminal domain of a hyperthermostable class I KARI. The new protein is monomeric, as confirmed by gel filtration and X-ray crystallography, and has the deeply knotted class II KARI fold. Surprisingly, its catalytic activity is nearly unchanged from the parent KARI. This provides strong evidence in support of domain duplication as the mechanism for the evolution of the class II KARI fold and demonstrates the ability of domain duplication to generate topological novelty in a function-neutral manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jackson K B Cahn
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, 91125
| | - Sabine Brinkmann-Chen
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, 91125
| | - Andrew R Buller
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, 91125
| | - Frances H Arnold
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, 91125
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22
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Xia X, Longo LM, Sutherland MA, Blaber M. Evolution of a protein folding nucleus. Protein Sci 2015; 25:1227-40. [PMID: 26610273 DOI: 10.1002/pro.2848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2015] [Accepted: 11/10/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The folding nucleus (FN) is a cryptic element within protein primary structure that enables an efficient folding pathway and is the postulated heritable element in the evolution of protein architecture; however, almost nothing is known regarding how the FN structurally changes as complex protein architecture evolves from simpler peptide motifs. We report characterization of the FN of a designed purely symmetric β-trefoil protein by ϕ-value analysis. We compare the structure and folding properties of key foldable intermediates along the evolutionary trajectory of the β-trefoil. The results show structural acquisition of the FN during gene fusion events, incorporating novel turn structure created by gene fusion. Furthermore, the FN is adjusted by circular permutation in response to destabilizing functional mutation. FN plasticity by way of circular permutation is made possible by the intrinsic C3 cyclic symmetry of the β-trefoil architecture, identifying a possible selective advantage that helps explain the prevalence of cyclic structural symmetry in the proteome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue Xia
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, 32306-4300
| | - Liam M Longo
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, 32306-4300.,Department of Biological Chemistry, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Mason A Sutherland
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, 32306-4300
| | - Michael Blaber
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, 32306-4300
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23
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Designed protein reveals structural determinants of extreme kinetic stability. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2015; 112:14605-10. [PMID: 26554002 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1510748112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The design of stable, functional proteins is difficult. Improved design requires a deeper knowledge of the molecular basis for design outcomes and properties. We previously used a bioinformatics and energy function method to design a symmetric superfold protein composed of repeating structural elements with multivalent carbohydrate-binding function, called ThreeFoil. This and similar methods have produced a notably high yield of stable proteins. Using a battery of experimental and computational analyses we show that despite its small size and lack of disulfide bonds, ThreeFoil has remarkably high kinetic stability and its folding is specifically chaperoned by carbohydrate binding. It is also extremely stable against thermal and chemical denaturation and proteolytic degradation. We demonstrate that the kinetic stability can be predicted and modeled using absolute contact order (ACO) and long-range order (LRO), as well as coarse-grained simulations; the stability arises from a topology that includes many long-range contacts which create a large and highly cooperative energy barrier for unfolding and folding. Extensive data from proteomic screens and other experiments reveal that a high ACO/LRO is a general feature of proteins with strong resistances to denaturation and degradation. These results provide tractable approaches for predicting resistance and designing proteins with sufficient topological complexity and long-range interactions to accommodate destabilizing functional features as well as withstand chemical and proteolytic challenge.
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24
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Balaji S. Internal symmetry in protein structures: prevalence, functional relevance and evolution. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2015; 32:156-66. [PMID: 26093245 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2015.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2015] [Revised: 05/05/2015] [Accepted: 05/06/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Symmetry has been found at various levels of biological organization in the protein structural universe. Numerous evolutionary studies have proposed connections between internal symmetry within protein tertiary structures, quaternary associations and protein functions. Recent computational methods, such as SymD and CE-Symm, facilitate a large-scale detection of internal symmetry in protein structures. Based on the results from these methods, about 20% of SCOP folds, superfamilies and families are estimated to have structures with internal symmetry (Figure 1d). All-β and membrane proteins fold classes contain a relatively high number of unique instances of internal symmetry. In addition to the axis of symmetry, anecdotal evidence suggests that, the region of connection or contact between symmetric units could coincide with functionally relevant sites within a fold. General principles that underlie protein internal symmetry and their connections to protein structural integrity and functions remain to be elucidated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Santhanam Balaji
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge CB2 0QH, United Kingdom.
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25
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Lectin engineering, a molecular evolutionary approach to expanding the lectin utilities. Molecules 2015; 20:7637-56. [PMID: 25923514 PMCID: PMC6272786 DOI: 10.3390/molecules20057637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2015] [Revised: 04/20/2015] [Accepted: 04/20/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In the post genomic era, glycomics—the systematic study of all glycan structures of a given cell or organism—has emerged as an indispensable technology in various fields of biology and medicine. Lectins are regarded as “decipherers of glycans”, being useful reagents for their structural analysis, and have been widely used in glycomic studies. However, the inconsistent activity and availability associated with the plant-derived lectins that comprise most of the commercially available lectins, and the limit in the range of glycan structures covered, have necessitated the development of innovative tools via engineering of lectins on existing scaffolds. This review will summarize the current state of the art of lectin engineering and highlight recent technological advances in this field. The key issues associated with the strategy of lectin engineering including selection of template lectin, construction of a mutagenesis library, and high-throughput screening methods are discussed.
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26
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Voet ARD, Noguchi H, Addy C, Simoncini D, Terada D, Unzai S, Park SY, Zhang KYJ, Tame JRH. Computational design of a self-assembling symmetrical β-propeller protein. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2014; 111:15102-7. [PMID: 25288768 PMCID: PMC4210308 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1412768111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The modular structure of many protein families, such as β-propeller proteins, strongly implies that duplication played an important role in their evolution, leading to highly symmetrical intermediate forms. Previous attempts to create perfectly symmetrical propeller proteins have failed, however. We have therefore developed a new and rapid computational approach to design such proteins. As a test case, we have created a sixfold symmetrical β-propeller protein and experimentally validated the structure using X-ray crystallography. Each blade consists of 42 residues. Proteins carrying 2-10 identical blades were also expressed and purified. Two or three tandem blades assemble to recreate the highly stable sixfold symmetrical architecture, consistent with the duplication and fusion theory. The other proteins produce different monodisperse complexes, up to 42 blades (180 kDa) in size, which self-assemble according to simple symmetry rules. Our procedure is suitable for creating nano-building blocks from different protein templates of desired symmetry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arnout R D Voet
- Structural Bioinformatics Team, Division of Structural and Synthetic Biology, Center for Life Science Technologies, RIKEN, 1-7-22 Suehiro, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan; and Drug Design Laboratory, Graduate School of Medical Life Science, Yokohama City University, 1-7-29 Suehiro, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan
| | - Hiroki Noguchi
- Drug Design Laboratory, Graduate School of Medical Life Science, Yokohama City University, 1-7-29 Suehiro, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan
| | - Christine Addy
- Drug Design Laboratory, Graduate School of Medical Life Science, Yokohama City University, 1-7-29 Suehiro, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan
| | - David Simoncini
- Structural Bioinformatics Team, Division of Structural and Synthetic Biology, Center for Life Science Technologies, RIKEN, 1-7-22 Suehiro, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan; and
| | - Daiki Terada
- Drug Design Laboratory, Graduate School of Medical Life Science, Yokohama City University, 1-7-29 Suehiro, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan
| | - Satoru Unzai
- Drug Design Laboratory, Graduate School of Medical Life Science, Yokohama City University, 1-7-29 Suehiro, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan
| | - Sam-Yong Park
- Drug Design Laboratory, Graduate School of Medical Life Science, Yokohama City University, 1-7-29 Suehiro, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan
| | - Kam Y J Zhang
- Structural Bioinformatics Team, Division of Structural and Synthetic Biology, Center for Life Science Technologies, RIKEN, 1-7-22 Suehiro, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan; and
| | - Jeremy R H Tame
- Drug Design Laboratory, Graduate School of Medical Life Science, Yokohama City University, 1-7-29 Suehiro, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan
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27
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Longo LM, Kumru OS, Middaugh CR, Blaber M. Evolution and design of protein structure by folding nucleus symmetric expansion. Structure 2014; 22:1377-84. [PMID: 25242458 DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2014.08.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2014] [Revised: 08/02/2014] [Accepted: 08/08/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Models of symmetric protein evolution typically invoke gene duplication and fusion events, in which repetition of a structural motif generates foldable, stable symmetric protein architecture. Success of such evolutionary processes suggests that the duplicated structural motif must be capable of nucleating protein folding. If correct, symmetric expansion of a folding nucleus sequence derived from an extant symmetric fold may be an elegant and computationally tractable solution to de novo protein design. We report the efficient de novo design of a β-trefoil protein by symmetric expansion of a β-trefoil folding nucleus, previously identified by ɸ-value analysis. The resulting protein, having exact sequence symmetry, exhibits superior folding properties compared to its naturally evolved progenitor-with the potential for redundant folding nuclei. In principle, folding nucleus symmetric expansion can be applied to any given symmetric protein fold (that is, nearly one-third of the known proteome) provided information of the folding nucleus is available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liam M Longo
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306-4300, USA
| | - Ozan S Kumru
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66047, USA
| | - C Russell Middaugh
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66047, USA
| | - Michael Blaber
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306-4300, USA.
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28
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Höcker B. Design of proteins from smaller fragments-learning from evolution. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2014; 27:56-62. [PMID: 24865156 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2014.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2014] [Revised: 04/29/2014] [Accepted: 04/29/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Nature has generated an impressive set of proteins with diverse folds and functions. It has been able to do so using mechanisms such as duplication and fusion as well as recombination of smaller protein fragments that serve as building blocks. These evolutionary mechanisms provide a template for the rational design of new proteins from fragments of existing proteins. Design by duplication and fusion has been explored for a number of symmetric protein folds, while design by rational recombination has just emerged. First experiments in recombining fragments from the same and different folds are proving successful in building new proteins that harbor easily evolvable properties originating from the parents. Overall, duplication and recombination of smaller fragments shows much potential for future applications in the design of proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Birte Höcker
- Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Spemannstr. 35, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
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29
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Longo LM, Blaber M. Symmetric protein architecture in protein design: top-down symmetric deconstruction. Methods Mol Biol 2014; 1216:161-182. [PMID: 25213415 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-1486-9_8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Top-down symmetric deconstruction (TDSD) is a joint experimental and computational approach to generate a highly stable, functionally benign protein scaffold for intended application in subsequent functional design studies. By focusing on symmetric protein folds, TDSD can leverage the dramatic reduction in sequence space achieved by applying a primary structure symmetric constraint to the design process. Fundamentally, TDSD is an iterative symmetrization process, in which the goal is to maintain or improve properties of thermodynamic stability and folding cooperativity inherent to a starting sequence (the "proxy"). As such, TDSD does not attempt to solve the inverse protein folding problem directly, which is computationally intractable. The present chapter will take the reader through all of the primary steps of TDSD-selecting a proxy, identifying potential mutations, establishing a stability/folding cooperativity screen-relying heavily on a successful TDSD solution for the common β-trefoil fold.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liam M Longo
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Florida State University, 1115 West Call Street, Tallahassee, FL, 32306-4300, USA
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30
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Longo L, Lee J, Tenorio C, Blaber M. Alternative Folding Nuclei Definitions Facilitate the Evolution of a Symmetric Protein Fold from a Smaller Peptide Motif. Structure 2013; 21:2042-50. [DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2013.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2013] [Revised: 09/09/2013] [Accepted: 09/11/2013] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Tandem-repeat proteins: regularity plus modularity equals design-ability. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2013; 23:622-31. [PMID: 23831287 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2013.06.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2013] [Revised: 06/13/2013] [Accepted: 06/14/2013] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Researchers in the field of rational protein design face a significant challenge, which arises from the two defining and inter-related features of typical globular protein structures, namely topological complexity and cooperativity. In striking contrast to globular proteins, tandem repeat proteins, such as ankyrin, tetratricopeptide and leucine-rich repeats, have regular, modular, linearly arrayed structures which makes it especially straightforward to dissect and redesign their properties. Here we review what we have learnt about the biophysics of natural repeat proteins and recent progress in applying that knowledge to engineer the thermodynamics, folding pathways and molecular recognition properties of tandem repeat proteins, and we discuss the wealth of possibilities presented for the extension of this modular construction process to build new molecules for use in medicine and biotechnology.
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Sawyer N, Chen J, Regan L. All repeats are not equal: a module-based approach to guide repeat protein design. J Mol Biol 2013; 425:1826-1838. [PMID: 23434848 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2013.02.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2012] [Revised: 02/11/2013] [Accepted: 02/12/2013] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Repeat proteins composed of tandem arrays of a short structural motif often mediate protein-protein interactions. Past efforts to design repeat protein-based molecular recognition tools have focused on the creation of templates from the consensus of individual repeats, regardless of their natural context. Such an approach assumes that all repeats are essentially equivalent. In this study, we present the results of a "module-based" approach in which modules composed of tandem repeats are aligned to identify repeat-specific features. Using this approach to analyze tetratricopeptide repeat modules that contain three tandem repeats (3TPRs), we identify two classes of 3TPR modules with distinct structural signatures that are correlated with different sets of functional residues. Our analyses also reveal a high degree of correlation between positions across the entire ligand-binding surface, indicative of a coordinated, coevolving binding surface. Extension of our analyses to different repeat protein modules reveals more examples of repeat-specific features, especially in armadillo repeat modules. In summary, the module-based analyses that we present effectively capture key repeat-specific features that will be important to include in future repeat protein design templates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas Sawyer
- Integrated Graduate Program in Physical and Engineering Biology, Yale University, 266 Whitney Avenue, New Haven, CT 06511, USA.,Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, 266 Whitney Avenue, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - Jieming Chen
- Integrated Graduate Program in Physical and Engineering Biology, Yale University, 266 Whitney Avenue, New Haven, CT 06511, USA.,Program in Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Yale University, 266 Whitney Avenue, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - Lynne Regan
- Integrated Graduate Program in Physical and Engineering Biology, Yale University, 266 Whitney Avenue, New Haven, CT 06511, USA.,Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, 266 Whitney Avenue, New Haven, CT 06511, USA.,Program in Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Yale University, 266 Whitney Avenue, New Haven, CT 06511, USA.,Department of Chemistry, Yale University, 266 Whitney Avenue, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
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Zhang K, Li H, Bhuripanyo K, Zhao B, Chen TF, Zheng N, Yin J. Engineering new protein-protein interactions on the β-propeller fold by yeast cell surface display. Chembiochem 2013; 14:426-30. [PMID: 23401304 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.201200718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2012] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
REINVENTING THE WHEEL: The β-propeller domain folds like a wheel to provide key protein-protein interactions in the cell. Here we used high-throughput yeast sorting to "invent" β-propellers of new binding specificities with cellular targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keya Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, University of Chicago, 929 E57th Street, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
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34
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Arnaud J, Audfray A, Imberty A. Binding sugars: from natural lectins to synthetic receptors and engineered neolectins. Chem Soc Rev 2013; 42:4798-813. [PMID: 23353569 DOI: 10.1039/c2cs35435g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 117] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
The large diversity and complexity of glycan structures together with their crucial role in many biological or pathological processes require the development of new high-throughput techniques for analyses. Lectins are classically used for characterising, imaging or targeting glycoconjugates and, when printed on microarrays, they are very useful tools for profiling glycomes. Development of recombinant lectins gives access to reliable and reproducible material, while engineering of new binding sites on existing scaffolds allows tuning of specificity. From the accumulated knowledge on protein-carbohydrate interactions, it is now possible to use nucleotide and peptide (bio)synthesis for producing new carbohydrate-binding molecules. Such a biomimetic approach can also be addressed by boron chemistry and supra-molecular chemistry for the design of fully artificial glycosensors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Arnaud
- Centre de Recherche sur les Macromolécules Végétales (CERMAV-CNRS), affiliated to Grenoble-Université and ICMG, Grenoble, France
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Blaber M, Lee J, Longo L. Emergence of symmetric protein architecture from a simple peptide motif: evolutionary models. Cell Mol Life Sci 2012; 69:3999-4006. [PMID: 22790181 PMCID: PMC11115074 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-012-1077-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2012] [Revised: 06/22/2012] [Accepted: 06/26/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Structural symmetry is observed in the majority of fundamental protein folds and gene duplication and fusion evolutionary processes are postulated to be responsible. However, convergent evolution leading to structural symmetry has also been proposed; additionally, there is debate regarding the extent to which exact primary structure symmetry is compatible with efficient protein folding. Issues of symmetry in protein evolution directly impact strategies for de novo protein design as symmetry can substantially simplify the design process. Additionally, when considering gene duplication and fusion in protein evolution, there are two competing models: "emergent architecture" and "conserved architecture". Recent experimental work has shed light on both the evolutionary process leading to symmetric protein folds as well as the ability of symmetric primary structure to efficiently fold. Such studies largely support a "conserved architecture" evolutionary model, suggesting that complex protein architecture was an early evolutionary achievement involving oligomerization of smaller polypeptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Blaber
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Florida State University, 1115 West Call St., Tallahassee, FL, 32306-4300, USA,
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36
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Artificial proteins from combinatorial approaches. Trends Biotechnol 2012; 30:512-20. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2012.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2012] [Revised: 06/01/2012] [Accepted: 06/06/2012] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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Longo LM, Blaber M. Protein design at the interface of the pre-biotic and biotic worlds. Arch Biochem Biophys 2012; 526:16-21. [DOI: 10.1016/j.abb.2012.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2012] [Accepted: 06/23/2012] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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38
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Blaber M, Lee J. Designing proteins from simple motifs: opportunities in Top-Down Symmetric Deconstruction. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2012; 22:442-50. [PMID: 22726756 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2012.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2012] [Revised: 05/16/2012] [Accepted: 05/24/2012] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
The purpose of this review is to describe the development of 'top-down' approaches to protein design. It will be argued that a diverse number of studies over the past decade, involving many investigators, and focused upon elucidating the role of symmetry in protein evolution and design, are converging into a novel top-down approach to protein design. Top-down design methodologies have successfully produced comparatively simple polypeptide 'building blocks' (typically comprising 40-60 amino acids) useful in generating complex protein architecture, and have produced compelling data in support of macro-evolutionary pathways of protein structure. Furthermore, a distillation of the experimental approaches utilized in such studies suggests the potential for method formalism, one that may accelerate future success in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Blaber
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306-4300, United States.
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39
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Kipnis Y, Dellus-Gur E, Tawfik DS. TRINS: a method for gene modification by randomized tandem repeat insertions. Protein Eng Des Sel 2012; 25:437-44. [DOI: 10.1093/protein/gzs023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
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40
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Goncearenco A, Berezovsky IN. Exploring the evolution of protein function in Archaea. BMC Evol Biol 2012; 12:75. [PMID: 22646318 PMCID: PMC3458885 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2148-12-75] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2011] [Accepted: 02/24/2012] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Despite recent progress in studies of the evolution of protein function, the questions what were the first functional protein domains and what were their basic building blocks remain unresolved. Previously, we introduced the concept of elementary functional loops (EFLs), which are the functional units of enzymes that provide elementary reactions in biochemical transformations. They are presumably descendants of primordial catalytic peptides. Results We analyzed distant evolutionary connections between protein functions in Archaea based on the EFLs comprising them. We show examples of the involvement of EFLs in new functional domains, as well as reutilization of EFLs and functional domains in building multidomain structures and protein complexes. Conclusions Our analysis of the archaeal superkingdom yields the dominating mechanisms in different periods of protein evolution, which resulted in several levels of the organization of biochemical function. First, functional domains emerged as combinations of prebiotic peptides with the very basic functions, such as nucleotide/phosphate and metal cofactor binding. Second, domain recombination brought to the evolutionary scene the multidomain proteins and complexes. Later, reutilization and de novo design of functional domains and elementary functional loops complemented evolution of protein function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Goncearenco
- Computational Biology Unit, Uni Research, University of Bergen, N-5008 Bergen, Norway
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Broom A, Doxey AC, Lobsanov YD, Berthin LG, Rose DR, Howell PL, McConkey BJ, Meiering EM. Modular evolution and the origins of symmetry: reconstruction of a three-fold symmetric globular protein. Structure 2011; 20:161-71. [PMID: 22178248 DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2011.10.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2011] [Revised: 10/09/2011] [Accepted: 10/24/2011] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Abstract
The high frequency of internal structural symmetry in common protein folds is presumed to reflect their evolutionary origins from the repetition and fusion of ancient peptide modules, but little is known about the primary sequence and physical determinants of this process. Unexpectedly, a sequence and structural analysis of symmetric subdomain modules within an abundant and ancient globular fold, the β-trefoil, reveals that modular evolution is not simply a relic of the ancient past, but is an ongoing and recurring mechanism for regenerating symmetry, having occurred independently in numerous existing β-trefoil proteins. We performed a computational reconstruction of a β-trefoil subdomain module and repeated it to form a newly three-fold symmetric globular protein, ThreeFoil. In addition to its near perfect structural identity between symmetric modules, ThreeFoil is highly soluble, performs multivalent carbohydrate binding, and has remarkably high thermal stability. These findings have far-reaching implications for understanding the evolution and design of proteins via subdomain modules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aron Broom
- Guelph-Waterloo Centre for Graduate Studies in Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ontario, N2L 3G1, Canada
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