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Wu F. Updated analysis to reject the laboratory-engineering hypothesis of SARS-CoV-2. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 224:115481. [PMID: 36804316 PMCID: PMC9937728 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.115481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Revised: 02/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
A clear understanding of the origin of SARS-CoV-2 is important for future pandemic preparedness. Here, I provided an updated analysis of the type IIS endonuclease maps in genomes of alphacoronavirus, betacoronavirus, and SARS-CoV-2. Scenarios to engineer SARS-CoV-2 in the laboratory and the associated workload was also discussed. The analysis clearly shows that the endonuclease fingerprint does not indicate a synthetic origin of SARS-CoV-2 and engineering a SARS-CoV-2 virus in the laboratory is extremely challenging both scientifically and financially. On the contrary, current scientific evidence does support the animal origin of SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fuqing Wu
- Epidemiology, Human Genetics and Environmental Sciences, School of Public Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Texas, USA; Texas Epidemic Public Health Institute, TX, USA.
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2
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Hytönen VP. (Strept)avidin as a template for ligands other than biotin: An overview. Methods Enzymol 2020; 633:21-28. [PMID: 32046847 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2019.10.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Chicken avidin and bacterial streptavidin are workhorses in biotechnology. We have used avidin as a scaffold protein to develop avidin variants with novel ligand-binding affinity, so-called antidins. This article covers the strategy applied in the development of antidins. Using a phage display developed for avidin, immobilized ligands were used to select binders from a phage pool displaying avidin variants with randomized sequence in the protein loops. Antidins binding various ligands with nanomolar affinity were obtained. Antidins have already been demonstrated to be suitable for a diagnostic assay measuring serum progesterone levels and they offer a promising alternative to antibodies for the recognition of small molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vesa P Hytönen
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology and BioMediTech, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland; Fimlab Laboratories, Tampere, Finland.
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3
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Lebedev MO, Yarinich LA, Ivankin AV, Pindyurin AV. Generation of barcoded plasmid libraries for massively parallel analysis of chromatin position effects. Vavilovskii Zhurnal Genet Selektsii 2019. [DOI: 10.18699/vj19.483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The discovery of the position effect variegation phenomenon and the subsequent comprehensive analysis of its molecular mechanisms led to understanding that the local chromatin composition has a dramatic effect on gene activity. To study this effect in a high-throughput mode and at the genome-wide level, the Thousands of Reporters Integrated in Parallel (TRIP) approach based on the usage of barcoded reporter gene constructs was recently developed. Here we describe the construction and quality checks of high-diversity barcoded plasmid libraries supposed to be used for high-throughput analysis of chromatin position effects in Drosophila cells. First, we highlight the critical parameters that should be considered in the generation of barcoded plasmid libraries and introduce a simple method to assess the diversity of random sequences (barcodes) of synthetic oligonucleotides using PCR amplification followed by Sanger sequencing. Second, we compare the conventional restriction-ligation method with the Gibson assembly approach for cloning barcodes into the same plasmid vector. Third, we provide optimized parameters for the construction of barcoded plasmid libraries, such as the vector : insert ratio in the Gibson assembly reaction and the voltage used for electroporation of bacterial cells with ligation products. We also compare different approaches to check the quality of barcoded plasmid libraries. Finally, we briefly describe alternative approaches that can be used for the generation of such libraries. Importantly, all improvements and modifications of the techniques described here can be applied to a wide range of experiments involving barcoded plasmid libraries.
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Affiliation(s)
- M. O. Lebedev
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, SB RAS; Novosibirsk State University
| | - L. A. Yarinich
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, SB RAS; Novosibirsk State University
| | | | - A. V. Pindyurin
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, SB RAS; Novosibirsk State University
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4
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Agrawal N, Lehtonen SI, Uusi-Mäkelä M, Jain P, Viitala S, Määttä JAE, Kähkönen N, Azizi L, Riihimäki TA, Kulomaa MS, Johnson MS, Hytönen VP, Airenne TT. Molecular features of steroid-binding antidins and their use for assaying serum progesterone. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0212339. [PMID: 30785944 PMCID: PMC6382169 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0212339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2018] [Accepted: 01/31/2019] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Chicken avidin (Avd) and streptavidin from Streptomyces avidinii are extensively used in bionanotechnology due to their extremely tight binding to biotin (Kd ~ 10−15 M for chicken Avd). We previously reported engineered Avds known as antidins, which have micro- to nanomolar affinities for steroids, non-natural ligands of Avd. Here, we report the 2.8 Å X-ray structure of the sbAvd-2 (I117Y) antidin co-crystallized with progesterone. We describe the creation of new synthetic phage display libraries and report the experimental as well as computational binding analysis of progesterone-binding antidins. We introduce a next-generation antidin with 5 nM binding affinity for progesterone, and demonstrate the use of antidins for measuring progesterone in serum samples. Our data give insights on how to engineer and alter the binding preferences of Avds and to develop better molecular tools for modern bionanotechnological applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nitin Agrawal
- Structural Bioinformatics Laboratory, Biochemistry, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Åbo Akademi University, Turku, Finland
| | - Soili I. Lehtonen
- BioMediTech Institute and Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | - Meri Uusi-Mäkelä
- BioMediTech Institute and Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | - Purvi Jain
- BioMediTech Institute and Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | - Sari Viitala
- University of Eastern Finland, School of Pharmacy, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Juha A. E. Määttä
- BioMediTech Institute and Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | - Niklas Kähkönen
- BioMediTech Institute and Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | - Latifeh Azizi
- BioMediTech Institute and Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | - Tiina A. Riihimäki
- BioMediTech Institute and Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | - Markku S. Kulomaa
- BioMediTech Institute and Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | - Mark S. Johnson
- Structural Bioinformatics Laboratory, Biochemistry, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Åbo Akademi University, Turku, Finland
| | - Vesa P. Hytönen
- BioMediTech Institute and Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
- Fimlab Laboratories, Tampere, Finland
- * E-mail: (TTA); (VPH)
| | - Tomi T. Airenne
- Structural Bioinformatics Laboratory, Biochemistry, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Åbo Akademi University, Turku, Finland
- * E-mail: (TTA); (VPH)
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Rigoldi F, Donini S, Redaelli A, Parisini E, Gautieri A. Review: Engineering of thermostable enzymes for industrial applications. APL Bioeng 2018; 2:011501. [PMID: 31069285 PMCID: PMC6481699 DOI: 10.1063/1.4997367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 155] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2017] [Accepted: 11/14/2017] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The catalytic properties of some selected enzymes have long been exploited to carry out efficient and cost-effective bioconversions in a multitude of research and industrial sectors, such as food, health, cosmetics, agriculture, chemistry, energy, and others. Nonetheless, for several applications, naturally occurring enzymes are not considered to be viable options owing to their limited stability in the required working conditions. Over the years, the quest for novel enzymes with actual potential for biotechnological applications has involved various complementary approaches such as mining enzyme variants from organisms living in extreme conditions (extremophiles), mimicking evolution in the laboratory to develop more stable enzyme variants, and more recently, using rational, computer-assisted enzyme engineering strategies. In this review, we provide an overview of the most relevant enzymes that are used for industrial applications and we discuss the strategies that are adopted to enhance enzyme stability and/or activity, along with some of the most relevant achievements. In all living species, many different enzymes catalyze fundamental chemical reactions with high substrate specificity and rate enhancements. Besides specificity, enzymes also possess many other favorable properties, such as, for instance, cost-effectiveness, good stability under mild pH and temperature conditions, generally low toxicity levels, and ease of termination of activity. As efficient natural biocatalysts, enzymes provide great opportunities to carry out important chemical reactions in several research and industrial settings, ranging from food to pharmaceutical, cosmetic, agricultural, and other crucial economic sectors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Rigoldi
- Biomolecular Engineering Lab, Dipartimento di Elettronica, Informazione e Bioingegneria, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Stefano Donini
- Center for Nano Science and Technology at Polimi, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via G. Pascoli 70/3, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Alberto Redaelli
- Biomolecular Engineering Lab, Dipartimento di Elettronica, Informazione e Bioingegneria, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Emilio Parisini
- Center for Nano Science and Technology at Polimi, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via G. Pascoli 70/3, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Alfonso Gautieri
- Biomolecular Engineering Lab, Dipartimento di Elettronica, Informazione e Bioingegneria, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133 Milano, Italy
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6
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Lehtonen SI, Tullila A, Agrawal N, Kukkurainen S, Kähkönen N, Koskinen M, Nevanen TK, Johnson MS, Airenne TT, Kulomaa MS, Riihimäki TA, Hytönen VP. Artificial Avidin-Based Receptors for a Panel of Small Molecules. ACS Chem Biol 2016; 11:211-21. [PMID: 26550684 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.5b00906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Proteins with high specificity, affinity, and stability are needed for biomolecular recognition in a plethora of applications. Antibodies are powerful affinity tools, but they may also suffer from limitations such as low stability and high production costs. Avidin and streptavidin provide a promising scaffold for protein engineering, and due to their ultratight binding to D-biotin they are widely used in various biotechnological and biomedical applications. In this study, we demonstrate that the avidin scaffold is suitable for use as a novel receptor for several biologically active small molecules: Artificial, chicken avidin-based proteins, antidins, were generated using a directed evolution method for progesterone, hydrocortisone, testosterone, cholic acid, ketoprofen, and folic acid, all with micromolar to nanomolar affinity and significantly reduced biotin-binding affinity. We also describe the crystal structure of an antidin, sbAvd-2(I117Y), a steroid-binding avidin, which proves that the avidin scaffold can tolerate significant modifications without losing its characteristic tetrameric beta-barrel structure, helping us to further design avidin-based small molecule receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soili I. Lehtonen
- BioMediTech, University of Tampere, Biokatu 6, FI-33014 Tampere, Finland
| | - Antti Tullila
- VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, Tietotie 2, FI-02044 Espoo, Finland
| | - Nitin Agrawal
- Structural
Bioinformatics Laboratory, Biochemistry, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Åbo Akademi University, Tykistökatu 6A, FI-20520 Turku, Finland
| | - Sampo Kukkurainen
- BioMediTech, University of Tampere, Biokatu 6, FI-33014 Tampere, Finland
- Fimlab Laboratories, Biokatu
4, FI-33520 Tampere, Finland
| | - Niklas Kähkönen
- BioMediTech, University of Tampere, Biokatu 6, FI-33014 Tampere, Finland
| | - Masi Koskinen
- BioMediTech, University of Tampere, Biokatu 6, FI-33014 Tampere, Finland
| | - Tarja K. Nevanen
- VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, Tietotie 2, FI-02044 Espoo, Finland
| | - Mark S. Johnson
- Structural
Bioinformatics Laboratory, Biochemistry, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Åbo Akademi University, Tykistökatu 6A, FI-20520 Turku, Finland
| | - Tomi T. Airenne
- Structural
Bioinformatics Laboratory, Biochemistry, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Åbo Akademi University, Tykistökatu 6A, FI-20520 Turku, Finland
| | - Markku S. Kulomaa
- BioMediTech, University of Tampere, Biokatu 6, FI-33014 Tampere, Finland
| | - Tiina A. Riihimäki
- BioMediTech, University of Tampere, Biokatu 6, FI-33014 Tampere, Finland
| | - Vesa P. Hytönen
- BioMediTech, University of Tampere, Biokatu 6, FI-33014 Tampere, Finland
- Fimlab Laboratories, Biokatu
4, FI-33520 Tampere, Finland
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