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Sana B, Ding K, Siau JW, Pasula RR, Chee S, Kharel S, Lena JBH, Goh E, Rajamani L, Lam YM, Lim S, Ghadessy JF. Thermostability enhancement of polyethylene terephthalate degrading PETase using self- and nonself-ligating protein scaffolding approaches. Biotechnol Bioeng 2023; 120:3200-3209. [PMID: 37555384 DOI: 10.1002/bit.28523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Revised: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/23/2023] [Indexed: 08/10/2023]
Abstract
Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) hydrolase enzymes show promise for enzymatic PET degradation and green recycling of single-use PET vessels representing a major source of global pollution. Their full potential can be unlocked with enzyme engineering to render activities on recalcitrant PET substrates commensurate with cost-effective recycling at scale. Thermostability is a highly desirable property in industrial enzymes, often imparting increased robustness and significantly reducing quantities required. To date, most engineered PET hydrolases show improved thermostability over their parental enzymes. Here, we report engineered thermostable variants of Ideonella sakaiensis PET hydrolase enzyme (IsPETase) developed using two scaffolding strategies. The first employed SpyCatcher-SpyTag technology to covalently cyclize IsPETase, resulting in increased thermostability that was concomitant with reduced turnover of PET substrates compared to native IsPETase. The second approach using a GFP-nanobody fusion protein (vGFP) as a scaffold yielded a construct with a melting temperature of 80°C. This was further increased to 85°C when a thermostable PETase variant (FAST PETase) was scaffolded into vGFP, the highest reported so far for an engineered PET hydrolase derived from IsPETase. Thermostability enhancement using the vGFP scaffold did not compromise activity on PET compared to IsPETase. These contrasting results highlight potential topological and dynamic constraints imposed by scaffold choice as determinants of enzyme activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barindra Sana
- Disease Intervention Technology Laboratory, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Agency for Science Technology and Research, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Ke Ding
- Disease Intervention Technology Laboratory, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Agency for Science Technology and Research, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Jia Wei Siau
- Disease Intervention Technology Laboratory, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Agency for Science Technology and Research, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Rupali Reddy Pasula
- School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Nanyang Technological Univeristy, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Sharon Chee
- Disease Intervention Technology Laboratory, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Agency for Science Technology and Research, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Sharad Kharel
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Jean-Baptise Henri Lena
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Eunice Goh
- Singapore Eye Research Institute, The Academia, Singapore, Singapore
| | | | - Yeng Ming Lam
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Sierin Lim
- School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Nanyang Technological Univeristy, Singapore, Singapore
| | - John F Ghadessy
- Disease Intervention Technology Laboratory, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Agency for Science Technology and Research, Singapore, Singapore
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David TI, Pestov NB, Korneenko TV, Barlev NA. Non-Immunoglobulin Synthetic Binding Proteins for Oncology. BIOCHEMISTRY. BIOKHIMIIA 2023; 88:1232-1247. [PMID: 37770391 DOI: 10.1134/s0006297923090043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2023] [Revised: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/30/2023]
Abstract
Extensive application of technologies like phage display in screening peptide and protein combinatorial libraries has not only facilitated creation of new recombinant antibodies but has also significantly enriched repertoire of the protein binders that have polypeptide scaffolds without homology to immunoglobulins. These innovative synthetic binding protein (SBP) platforms have grown in number and now encompass monobodies/adnectins, DARPins, lipocalins/anticalins, and a variety of miniproteins such as affibodies and knottins, among others. They serve as versatile modules for developing complex affinity tools that hold promise in both diagnostic and therapeutic settings. An optimal scaffold typically has low molecular weight, minimal immunogenicity, and demonstrates resistance against various challenging conditions, including proteolysis - making it potentially suitable for peroral administration. Retaining functionality under reducing intracellular milieu is also advantageous. However, paramount to its functionality is the scaffold's ability to tolerate mutations across numerous positions, allowing for the formation of a sufficiently large target binding region. This is achieved through the library construction, screening, and subsequent expression in an appropriate system. Scaffolds that exhibit high thermodynamic stability are especially coveted by the developers of new SBPs. These are steadily making their way into clinical settings, notably as antagonists of oncoproteins in signaling pathways. This review surveys the diverse landscape of SBPs, placing particular emphasis on the inhibitors targeting the oncoprotein KRAS, and highlights groundbreaking opportunities for SBPs in oncology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Temitope I David
- Institute of Biomedical Chemistry, Moscow, 119121, Russia
- Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, Phystech School of Biological and Medical Physics, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Dolgoprudny, Moscow Region, 141701, Russia
| | - Nikolay B Pestov
- Institute of Biomedical Chemistry, Moscow, 119121, Russia.
- Laboratory of Tick-Borne Encephalitis and Other Viral Encephalitides, Chumakov Federal Scientific Center for Research and Development of Immune-and-Biological Products, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 108819, Russia
- Group of Cross-Linking Enzymes, Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Moscow, 117997, Russia
| | - Tatyana V Korneenko
- Group of Cross-Linking Enzymes, Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Moscow, 117997, Russia
| | - Nikolai A Barlev
- Institute of Biomedical Chemistry, Moscow, 119121, Russia
- Laboratory of Tick-Borne Encephalitis and Other Viral Encephalitides, Chumakov Federal Scientific Center for Research and Development of Immune-and-Biological Products, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 108819, Russia
- Institute of Cytology Russian Academy of Sciences, St.-Petersburg, 194064, Russia
- School of Medicine, Nazarbayev University, Astana, 010000, Kazakhstan
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Zorko M, Jones S, Langel Ü. Cell-penetrating peptides in protein mimicry and cancer therapeutics. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2022; 180:114044. [PMID: 34774552 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2021.114044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Revised: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Extensive research has been undertaken in the pursuit of anticancer therapeutics. Many anticancer drugs require specificity of delivery to cancer cells, whilst sparing healthy tissue. Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs), now well established as facilitators of intracellular delivery, have in recent years advanced to incorporate target specificity and thus possess great potential for the targeted delivery of anticancer cargoes. Though none have yet been approved for clinical use, this novel technology has already entered clinical trials. In this review we present CPPs, discuss their classification, mechanisms of cargo internalization and highlight strategies for conjugation to anticancer moieties including their incorporation into therapeutic proteins. As the mainstay of this review, strategies to build specificity into tumor targeting CPP constructs through exploitation of the tumor microenvironment and the use of tumor homing peptides are discussed, whilst acknowledging the extensive contribution made by CPP constructs to target specific protein-protein interactions integral to intracellular signaling pathways associated with tumor cell survival and progression. Finally, antibody/antigen CPP conjugates and their potential roles in cancer immunotherapy and diagnostics are considered. In summary, this review aims to harness the potential of CPP-aided drug delivery for future cancer therapies and diagnostics whilst highlighting some of the most recent achievements in selective delivery of anticancer drugs, including cytostatic drugs, to a range of tumor cells both in vitro and in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matjaž Zorko
- University of Ljubljana, Medical Faculty, Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Vrazov trg 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Sarah Jones
- University of Wolverhampton, School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science & Engineering, Wulfruna Street, Wolverhampton WV1 1LY, UK.
| | - Ülo Langel
- University of Stockholm, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Svante Arrhenius väg 16, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden; Institute of Technology, University of Tartu, Nooruse 1, Tartu, Estonia 50411, Estonia.
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Chee SMQ, Wongsantichon J, Yi LS, Sana B, Frosi Y, Robinson RC, Ghadessy FJ. Functional display of bioactive peptides on the vGFP scaffold. Sci Rep 2021; 11:10127. [PMID: 33980885 PMCID: PMC8115314 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-89421-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2021] [Accepted: 04/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Grafting bioactive peptides into recipient protein scaffolds can often increase their activities by conferring enhanced stability and cellular longevity. Here, we describe use of vGFP as a novel scaffold to display peptides. vGFP comprises GFP fused to a bound high affinity Enhancer nanobody that potentiates its fluorescence. We show that peptides inserted into the linker region between GFP and the Enhancer are correctly displayed for on-target interaction, both in vitro and in live cells by pull-down, measurement of target inhibition and imaging analyses. This is further confirmed by structural studies highlighting the optimal display of a vGFP-displayed peptide bound to Mdm2, the key negative regulator of p53 that is often overexpressed in cancer. We also demonstrate a potential biosensing application of the vGFP scaffold by showing target-dependent modulation of intrinsic fluorescence. vGFP is relatively thermostable, well-expressed and inherently fluorescent. These properties make it a useful scaffold to add to the existing tool box for displaying peptides that can disrupt clinically relevant protein–protein interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharon Min Qi Chee
- p53 Laboratory, A*STAR, 8A Biomedical Grove, Singapore, 138648, Singapore
| | - Jantana Wongsantichon
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Lau Sze Yi
- p53 Laboratory, A*STAR, 8A Biomedical Grove, Singapore, 138648, Singapore
| | - Barindra Sana
- p53 Laboratory, A*STAR, 8A Biomedical Grove, Singapore, 138648, Singapore
| | - Yuri Frosi
- p53 Laboratory, A*STAR, 8A Biomedical Grove, Singapore, 138648, Singapore
| | - Robert C Robinson
- School of Biomolecular Science and Engineering (BSE), Vidyasirimedhi Institute of Science and Technology (VISTEC), Rayong, 21210, Thailand.,Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Science, Okayama University, Okayama, 700-8530, Japan
| | - Farid J Ghadessy
- p53 Laboratory, A*STAR, 8A Biomedical Grove, Singapore, 138648, Singapore.
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Mutational and biophysical robustness in a prestabilized monobody. J Biol Chem 2021; 296:100447. [PMID: 33617878 PMCID: PMC8010708 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2021.100447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2020] [Revised: 02/15/2021] [Accepted: 02/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The fibronectin type III (FN3) monobody domain is a promising non-antibody scaffold, which features a less complex architecture than an antibody while maintaining analogous binding loops. We previously developed FN3Con, a hyperstable monobody derivative with diagnostic and therapeutic potential. Prestabilization of the scaffold mitigates the stability–function trade-off commonly associated with evolving a protein domain toward biological activity. Here, we aimed to examine if the FN3Con monobody could take on antibody-like binding to therapeutic targets, while retaining its extreme stability. We targeted the first of the Adnectin derivative of monobodies to reach clinical trials, which was engineered by directed evolution for binding to the therapeutic target VEGFR2; however, this function was gained at the expense of large losses in thermostability and increased oligomerization. In order to mitigate these losses, we grafted the binding loops from Adnectin-anti-VEGFR2 (CT-322) onto the prestabilized FN3Con scaffold to produce a domain that successfully bound with high affinity to the therapeutic target VEGFR2. This FN3Con-anti-VEGFR2 construct also maintains high thermostability, including remarkable long-term stability, retaining binding activity after 2 years of storage at 36 °C. Further investigations into buffer excipients doubled the presence of monomeric monobody in accelerated stability trials. These data suggest that loop grafting onto a prestabilized scaffold is a viable strategy for the development of monobody domains with desirable biophysical characteristics and that FN3Con is therefore well-suited to applications such as the evolution of multiple paratopes or shelf-stable diagnostics and therapeutics.
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Chandler PG, Buckle AM. Development and Differentiation in Monobodies Based on the Fibronectin Type 3 Domain. Cells 2020; 9:E610. [PMID: 32143310 PMCID: PMC7140400 DOI: 10.3390/cells9030610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2019] [Revised: 02/24/2020] [Accepted: 03/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
As a non-antibody scaffold, monobodies based on the fibronectin type III (FN3) domain overcome antibody size and complexity while maintaining analogous binding loops. However, antibodies and their derivatives remain the gold standard for the design of new therapeutics. In response, clinical-stage therapeutic proteins based on the FN3 domain are beginning to use native fibronectin function as a point of differentiation. The small and simple structure of monomeric monobodies confers increased tissue distribution and reduced half-life, whilst the absence of disulphide bonds improves stability in cytosolic environments. Where multi-specificity is challenging with an antibody format that is prone to mis-pairing between chains, multiple FN3 domains in the fibronectin assembly already interact with a large number of molecules. As such, multiple monobodies engineered for interaction with therapeutic targets are being combined in a similar beads-on-a-string assembly which improves both efficacy and pharmacokinetics. Furthermore, full length fibronectin is able to fold into multiple conformations as part of its natural function and a greater understanding of how mechanical forces allow for the transition between states will lead to advanced applications that truly differentiate the FN3 domain as a therapeutic scaffold.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter G. Chandler
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton 3800, Australia;
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Sana B, Chee SMQ, Wongsantichon J, Raghavan S, Robinson RC, Ghadessy FJ. Development and structural characterization of an engineered multi-copper oxidase reporter of protein-protein interactions. J Biol Chem 2019; 294:7002-7012. [PMID: 30770473 PMCID: PMC6497955 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra118.007141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2018] [Revised: 02/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Protein–protein interactions (PPIs) are ubiquitous in almost all biological processes and are often corrupted in diseased states. A detailed understanding of PPIs is therefore key to understanding cellular physiology and can yield attractive therapeutic targets. Here, we describe the development and structural characterization of novel Escherichia coli CueO multi-copper oxidase variants engineered to recapitulate protein–protein interactions with commensurate modulation of their enzymatic activities. The fully integrated single-protein sensors were developed through modular grafting of ligand-specific peptides into a highly compliant and flexible methionine-rich loop of CueO. Sensitive detection of diverse ligand classes exemplified by antibodies, an E3 ligase, MDM2 proto-oncogene (MDM2), and protease (SplB from Staphylococcus aureus) was achieved in a simple mix and measure homogeneous format with visually observable colorimetric readouts. Therapeutic antagonism of MDM2 by small molecules and peptides in clinical development for treatment of cancer patients was assayed using the MDM2-binding CueO enzyme. Structural characterization of the free and MDM2-bound CueO variant provided functional insight into signal-transducing mechanisms of the engineered enzymes and highlighted the robustness of CueO as a stable and compliant scaffold for multiple applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barindra Sana
- From the p53 Laboratory, Agency for Science, Technology, and Research (A*STAR), 8A Biomedical Grove, Singapore 138648, Singapore
| | - Sharon M Q Chee
- From the p53 Laboratory, Agency for Science, Technology, and Research (A*STAR), 8A Biomedical Grove, Singapore 138648, Singapore
| | - Jantana Wongsantichon
- the Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand, and.,the Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, A*STAR, 61 Biopolis Drive, Singapore 138673, Singapore
| | - Sarada Raghavan
- From the p53 Laboratory, Agency for Science, Technology, and Research (A*STAR), 8A Biomedical Grove, Singapore 138648, Singapore
| | - Robert C Robinson
- the Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, A*STAR, 61 Biopolis Drive, Singapore 138673, Singapore
| | - Farid J Ghadessy
- From the p53 Laboratory, Agency for Science, Technology, and Research (A*STAR), 8A Biomedical Grove, Singapore 138648, Singapore,
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