1
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Sorgenfrei FA, Sloan JJ, Weissensteiner F, Zechner M, Mehner NA, Ellinghaus TL, Schachtschabel D, Seemayer S, Kroutil W. Solvent concentration at 50% protein unfolding may reform enzyme stability ranking and process window identification. Nat Commun 2024; 15:5420. [PMID: 38926341 PMCID: PMC11208486 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49774-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
As water miscible organic co-solvents are often required for enzyme reactions to improve e.g., the solubility of the substrate in the aqueous medium, an enzyme is required which displays high stability in the presence of this co-solvent. Consequently, it is of utmost importance to identify the most suitable enzyme or the appropriate reaction conditions. Until now, the melting temperature is used in general as a measure for stability of enzymes. The experiments here show, that the melting temperature does not correlate to the activity observed in the presence of the solvent. As an alternative parameter, the concentration of the co-solvent at the point of 50% protein unfolding at a specific temperature T in shortc U 50 T is introduced. Analyzing a set of ene reductases,c U 50 T is shown to indicate the concentration of the co-solvent where also the activity of the enzyme drops fastest. Comparing possible rankings of enzymes according to melting temperature andc U 50 T reveals a clearly diverging outcome also depending on the specific solvent used. Additionally, plots ofc U 50 versus temperature enable a fast identification of possible reaction windows to deduce tolerated solvent concentrations and temperature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frieda A Sorgenfrei
- Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology c/o University of Graz, Heinrichstrasse 28, 8010, Graz, Austria
| | - Jeremy J Sloan
- BASF SE, Carl-Bosch-Strasse 38, 67056, Ludwigshafen, Germany
| | - Florian Weissensteiner
- Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology c/o University of Graz, Heinrichstrasse 28, 8010, Graz, Austria
- Department of Chemistry, University of Graz, NAWI Graz, Heinrichstrasse 28, 8010, Graz, Austria
| | - Marco Zechner
- Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology c/o University of Graz, Heinrichstrasse 28, 8010, Graz, Austria
| | - Niklas A Mehner
- BASF SE, Carl-Bosch-Strasse 38, 67056, Ludwigshafen, Germany
| | | | | | - Stefan Seemayer
- BASF SE, Carl-Bosch-Strasse 38, 67056, Ludwigshafen, Germany.
| | - Wolfgang Kroutil
- Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology c/o University of Graz, Heinrichstrasse 28, 8010, Graz, Austria.
- Department of Chemistry, University of Graz, NAWI Graz, Heinrichstrasse 28, 8010, Graz, Austria.
- BioTechMed Graz, 8010, Graz, Austria.
- Field of Excellence BioHealth, University of Graz, 8010, Graz, Austria.
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2
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Ai H, He Z, Deng Z, Chu GC, Shi Q, Tong Z, Li JB, Pan M, Liu L. Structural and mechanistic basis for nucleosomal H2AK119 deubiquitination by single-subunit deubiquitinase USP16. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2024:10.1038/s41594-024-01342-2. [PMID: 38918638 DOI: 10.1038/s41594-024-01342-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024]
Abstract
Epigenetic regulators have a crucial effect on gene expression based on their manipulation of histone modifications. Histone H2AK119 monoubiquitination (H2AK119Ub), a well-established hallmark in transcription repression, is dynamically regulated by the opposing activities of Polycomb repressive complex 1 (PRC1) and nucleosome deubiquitinases including the primary human USP16 and Polycomb repressive deubiquitinase (PR-DUB) complex. Recently, the catalytic mechanism for the multi-subunit PR-DUB complex has been described, but how the single-subunit USP16 recognizes the H2AK119Ub nucleosome and cleaves the ubiquitin (Ub) remains unknown. Here we report the cryo-EM structure of USP16-H2AK119Ub nucleosome complex, which unveils a fundamentally distinct mode of H2AK119Ub deubiquitination compared to PR-DUB, encompassing the nucleosome recognition pattern independent of the H2A-H2B acidic patch and the conformational heterogeneity in the Ub motif and the histone H2A C-terminal tail. Our work highlights the mechanism diversity of H2AK119Ub deubiquitination and provides a structural framework for understanding the disease-causing mutations of USP16.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huasong Ai
- New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
- Institute of Translational Medicine, School of Pharmacy, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, National Center for Translational Medicine (Shanghai), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zaozhen He
- New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Zhiheng Deng
- New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Guo-Chao Chu
- New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
- School of Food and Biological Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, China
| | - Qiang Shi
- New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Zebin Tong
- New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Jia-Bin Li
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Man Pan
- Institute of Translational Medicine, School of Pharmacy, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, National Center for Translational Medicine (Shanghai), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
| | - Lei Liu
- New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.
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3
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Puhl AC, Raman R, Havener TM, Minerali E, Hickey AJ, Ekins S. Identification of New Modulators and Inhibitors of Palmitoyl-Protein Thioesterase 1 for CLN1 Batten Disease and Cancer. ACS OMEGA 2024; 9:11870-11882. [PMID: 38496939 PMCID: PMC10938339 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c09607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2023] [Revised: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
Palmitoyl-protein thioesterase 1 (PPT1) is an understudied enzyme that is gaining attention due to its role in the depalmitoylation of several proteins involved in neurodegenerative diseases and cancer. PPT1 is overexpressed in several cancers, specifically cholangiocarcinoma and esophageal cancers. Inhibitors of PPT1 lead to cell death and have been shown to enhance the killing of tumor cells alongside known chemotherapeutics. PPT1 is hence a viable target for anticancer drug development. Furthermore, mutations in PPT1 cause a lysosomal storage disorder called infantile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (CLN1 disease). Molecules that can inhibit, stabilize, or modulate the activity of this target are needed to address these diseases. We used PPT1 enzymatic assays to identify molecules that were subsequently tested by using differential scanning fluorimetry and microscale thermophoresis. Selected compounds were also tested in neuroblastoma cell lines. The resulting PPT1 screening data was used for building machine learning models to help select additional compounds for testing. We discovered two of the most potent PPT1 inhibitors reported to date, orlistat (IC50 178.8 nM) and palmostatin B (IC50 11.8 nM). When tested in HepG2 cells, it was found that these molecules had decreased activity, indicating that they were likely not penetrating the cells. The combination of in vitro enzymatic and biophysical assays enabled the identification of several molecules that can bind or inhibit PPT1 and may aid in the discovery of modulators or chaperones. The molecules identified could be used as a starting point for further optimization as treatments for other potential therapeutic applications outside CLN1 disease, such as cancer and neurological diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana C. Puhl
- Collaborations
Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 840 Main Campus Drive, Lab 3510, Raleigh, North Carolina 27606, United States
| | - Renuka Raman
- Collaborations
Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 840 Main Campus Drive, Lab 3510, Raleigh, North Carolina 27606, United States
| | - Tammy M. Havener
- UNC
Catalyst for Rare Diseases, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Eni Minerali
- Collaborations
Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 840 Main Campus Drive, Lab 3510, Raleigh, North Carolina 27606, United States
| | - Anthony J. Hickey
- UNC
Catalyst for Rare Diseases, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
- RTI
International, Research Triangle
Park, North Carolina 27709, United States
| | - Sean Ekins
- Collaborations
Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 840 Main Campus Drive, Lab 3510, Raleigh, North Carolina 27606, United States
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4
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Li L, Liu X, Bai Y, Yao B, Luo H, Tu T. High-Throughput Screening Techniques for the Selection of Thermostable Enzymes. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2024; 72:3833-3845. [PMID: 38285533 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.3c07554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2024]
Abstract
The acquisition of a thermostable enzyme is an indispensable prerequisite for its successful implementation in industrial applications and the development of novel functionalities. Various protein engineering approaches, including rational design, semirational design, and directed evolution, have been employed to enhance thermostability. However, all of these approaches require sensitive and reliable high-throughput screening (HTS) technologies to efficiently and rapidly identify variants with improved properties. While numerous reviews focus on modification strategies for enhancing enzyme thermostability, there is a dearth of literature reviewing HTS methods specifically aimed at this objective. Herein, we present a comprehensive overview of various HTS methods utilized for modifying enzyme thermostability across different screening platforms. Additionally, we highlight significant recent examples that demonstrate the successful application of these methods. Furthermore, we address the technical challenges associated with HTS technologies used for screening thermostable enzyme variants and discuss valuable perspectives to promote further advancements in this field. This review serves as an authoritative reference source offering theoretical support for selecting appropriate screening strategies tailored to specific enzymes with the aim of improving their thermostability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lanxue Li
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feeding, Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Xiaoqing Liu
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Yingguo Bai
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feeding, Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Bin Yao
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feeding, Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Huiying Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feeding, Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Tao Tu
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feeding, Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China
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5
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Feoli A, Sarno G, Castellano S, Sbardella G. DMSO-Related Effects on Ligand-Binding Properties of Lysine Methyltransferases G9a and SETD8. Chembiochem 2024; 25:e202300809. [PMID: 38205880 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202300809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Revised: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
Being the standard solvent for preparing stock solutions of compounds for drug discovery, DMSO is always present in assay buffers in concentrations ranging from 0.1 % to 5 % (v/v). Even at the lowest concentrations, DMSO-containing solutions can have significant effects on individual proteins and possible pitfalls cannot be eliminated. Herein, we used two protein systems, the lysine methyltransferases G9a/KMT1 C and SETD8/KMT5 A, to study the effects of DMSO on protein stability and on the binding of the corresponding inhibitors, using different biophysical methods such as nano Differential Scanning Fluorimetry (nanoDSF), Differential Scanning Fluorimetry (DSF), microscale thermophoresis (MST), and surface plasmon resonance (SPR), all widely used in drug discovery screening campaigns. We demonstrated that the effects of DMSO are protein- and technique-dependent and cannot be predicted or extrapolated on the basis of previous studies using different proteins and/or different assays. Moreover, we showed that the application of orthogonal biophysical methods can lead to different binding affinity data, thus confirming the importance of using at least two different orthogonal assays in screening campaigns. This variability should be taken into account in the selection and characterization of hit compounds, in order to avoid data misinterpretation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Feoli
- Epigenetic Med Chem Lab, Department of Pharmacy, University of Salerno, via Giovanni Paolo II 132, 84084, Fisciano, SA, Italy
| | - Giuliana Sarno
- Epigenetic Med Chem Lab, Department of Pharmacy, University of Salerno, via Giovanni Paolo II 132, 84084, Fisciano, SA, Italy
- PhD Program in Drug Discovery and Development, University of Salerno, via Giovanni Paolo II 132, I-84084, Fisciano, SA, Italy
| | - Sabrina Castellano
- Epigenetic Med Chem Lab, Department of Pharmacy, University of Salerno, via Giovanni Paolo II 132, 84084, Fisciano, SA, Italy
| | - Gianluca Sbardella
- Epigenetic Med Chem Lab, Department of Pharmacy, University of Salerno, via Giovanni Paolo II 132, 84084, Fisciano, SA, Italy
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6
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Evic V, Soic R, Mocibob M, Kekez M, Houser J, Wimmerová M, Matković-Čalogović D, Gruic-Sovulj I, Kekez I, Rokov-Plavec J. Evolutionarily conserved cysteines in plant cytosolic seryl-tRNA synthetase are important for its resistance to oxidation. FEBS Lett 2023; 597:2975-2992. [PMID: 37804069 DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.14748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2023] [Revised: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/08/2023]
Abstract
We have previously identified a unique disulfide bond in the crystal structure of Arabidopsis cytosolic seryl-tRNA synthetase involving cysteines evolutionarily conserved in all green plants. Here, we discovered that both cysteines are important for protein stability, but with opposite effects, and that their microenvironment may promote disulfide bond formation in oxidizing conditions. The crystal structure of the C244S mutant exhibited higher rigidity and an extensive network of noncovalent interactions correlating with its higher thermal stability. The activity of the wild-type showed resistance to oxidation with H2 O2 , while the activities of cysteine-to-serine mutants were impaired, indicating that the disulfide link may enable the protein to function under oxidative stress conditions which can be beneficial for an efficient plant stress response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Evic
- Division of Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Ruzica Soic
- Division of General and Inorganic Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Marko Mocibob
- Division of Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Mario Kekez
- Division of Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Josef Houser
- Central European Institute of Technology (CEITEC), Brno, Czech Republic
- National Centre for Biomolecular Research, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Michaela Wimmerová
- Central European Institute of Technology (CEITEC), Brno, Czech Republic
- National Centre for Biomolecular Research, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Dubravka Matković-Čalogović
- Division of General and Inorganic Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Ita Gruic-Sovulj
- Division of Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Ivana Kekez
- Division of General and Inorganic Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Jasmina Rokov-Plavec
- Division of Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
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7
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Gao X, McFadden WM, Wen X, Emanuelli A, Lorson ZC, Zheng H, Kirby KA, Sarafianos SG. Use of TSAR, Thermal Shift Analysis in R, to identify Folic Acid as a Molecule that Interacts with HIV-1 Capsid. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.11.29.569293. [PMID: 38076946 PMCID: PMC10705415 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.29.569293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
Thermal shift assay (TSA) is a versatile biophysical technique for studying protein interactions. Here, we report a free, open-source software tool TSAR (Thermal Shift Analysis in R) to expedite and automate the analysis of thermal shift data derived either from individual experiments or large screens of chemical libraries. The TSAR package incorporates multiple, dynamic workflows to facilitate the analysis of TSA data and returns publication-ready graphics or processed results. Further, the package includes a graphic user interface (GUI) that enables easy use by non-programmers, aiming to simplify TSA analysis while diversifying visualization. To exemplify the utility of TSAR we screened a chemical library of vitamins to identify molecules that interact with the capsid protein (CA) of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). Our data show that hexameric CA interacts with folic acid in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- X. Gao
- Center for ViroScience and Cure, Laboratory of Biochemical Pharmacology, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
- Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA
| | - W. M. McFadden
- Center for ViroScience and Cure, Laboratory of Biochemical Pharmacology, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
- Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA
| | - X. Wen
- Center for ViroScience and Cure, Laboratory of Biochemical Pharmacology, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
- Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA
| | - A. Emanuelli
- Center for ViroScience and Cure, Laboratory of Biochemical Pharmacology, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
- Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA
| | - Z. C. Lorson
- Center for ViroScience and Cure, Laboratory of Biochemical Pharmacology, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
- Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA
| | - H. Zheng
- Center for ViroScience and Cure, Laboratory of Biochemical Pharmacology, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
- Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA
| | - K. A. Kirby
- Center for ViroScience and Cure, Laboratory of Biochemical Pharmacology, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
- Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA
| | - S. G. Sarafianos
- Center for ViroScience and Cure, Laboratory of Biochemical Pharmacology, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
- Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA
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8
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Wang H, Yang Q, Liu X, Xu Z, Shao M, Li D, Duan Y, Tang J, Yu X, Zhang Y, Hao A, Wang Y, Chen J, Zhu C, Guddat L, Chen H, Zhang L, Chen X, Jiang B, Sun L, Rao Z, Yang H. Structure-based discovery of dual pathway inhibitors for SARS-CoV-2 entry. Nat Commun 2023; 14:7574. [PMID: 37990007 PMCID: PMC10663540 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42527-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Since 2019, SARS-CoV-2 has evolved rapidly and gained resistance to multiple therapeutics targeting the virus. Development of host-directed antivirals offers broad-spectrum intervention against different variants of concern. Host proteases, TMPRSS2 and CTSL/CTSB cleave the SARS-CoV-2 spike to play a crucial role in the two alternative pathways of viral entry and are characterized as promising pharmacological targets. Here, we identify compounds that show potent inhibition of these proteases and determine their complex structures with their respective targets. Furthermore, we show that applying inhibitors simultaneously that block both entry pathways has a synergistic antiviral effect. Notably, we devise a bispecific compound, 212-148, exhibiting the dual-inhibition ability of both TMPRSS2 and CTSL/CTSB, and demonstrate antiviral activity against various SARS-CoV-2 variants with different viral entry profiles. Our findings offer an alternative approach for the discovery of SARS-CoV-2 antivirals, as well as application for broad-spectrum treatment of viral pathogenic infections with similar entry pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haofeng Wang
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies and School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Clinical Research and Trial Center, Shanghai, P.R. China
| | - Qi Yang
- Guangzhou Laboratory, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaoce Liu
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies and School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Clinical Research and Trial Center, Shanghai, P.R. China
| | - Zili Xu
- School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Maolin Shao
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies and School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Clinical Research and Trial Center, Shanghai, P.R. China
| | - Dongxu Li
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies and School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Clinical Research and Trial Center, Shanghai, P.R. China
| | - Yinkai Duan
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies and School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Clinical Research and Trial Center, Shanghai, P.R. China
| | | | - Xianqiang Yu
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies and School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yumin Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Special Pathogens, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Aihua Hao
- The Fifth People's Hospital of Shanghai, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, and Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yajie Wang
- The Fifth People's Hospital of Shanghai, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, and Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jie Chen
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies and School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Clinical Research and Trial Center, Shanghai, P.R. China
| | - Chenghao Zhu
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies and School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Luke Guddat
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, the University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Hongli Chen
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies and School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Leike Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Special Pathogens, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China.
| | | | - Biao Jiang
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies and School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
| | - Lei Sun
- The Fifth People's Hospital of Shanghai, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, and Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
| | - Zihe Rao
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies and School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Clinical Research and Trial Center, Shanghai, P.R. China
- Guangzhou Laboratory, Guangzhou, China
- Laboratory of Structural Biology, School of Life Sciences and School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, College of Life Sciences and College of Pharmacy, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Haitao Yang
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies and School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China.
- Shanghai Clinical Research and Trial Center, Shanghai, P.R. China.
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9
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Poljovka A, Musil M, Bednář D, Chovanová K, Bauerová-Hlinková V, Bellová J, Kohútová L, Baráth P, Zámocký M. Comparison of Fungal Thermophilic and Mesophilic Catalase-Peroxidases for Their Antioxidative Properties. Antioxidants (Basel) 2023; 12:1382. [PMID: 37507921 PMCID: PMC10376177 DOI: 10.3390/antiox12071382] [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: 05/31/2023] [Revised: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 07/01/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Catalase-peroxidases (KatGs) are unique bifunctional oxidoreductases that contain heme in their active centers allowing both the peroxidatic and catalatic reaction modes. These originally bacterial enzymes are broadly distributed among various fungi allowing them to cope with reactive oxygen species present in the environment or inside the cells. We used various biophysical, biochemical, and bioinformatics methods to investigate differences between catalase-peroxidases originating in thermophilic and mesophilic fungi from different habitats. Our results indicate that the architecture of the active center with a specific post-translational modification is highly similar in mesophilic and thermophilic KatG and also the peroxidatic acitivity with ABTS, guaiacol, and L-DOPA. However, only the thermophilic variant CthedisKatG reveals increased manganese peroxidase activity at elevated temperatures. The catalatic activity releasing molecular oxygen is comparable between CthedisKatG and mesophilic MagKatG1 over a broad temperature range. Two constructed point mutations in the active center were performed selectively blocking the formation of described post-translational modification in the active center. They exhibited a total loss of catalatic activity and changes in the peroxidatic activity. Our results indicate the capacity of bifunctional heme enzymes in the variable reactivity for potential biotech applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrej Poljovka
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská Cesta 21, 84551 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Miloš Musil
- Loschmidt Laboratories, Department of Experimental Biology and RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, 61137 Brno, Czech Republic
- International Clinical Research Centre, St. Anne's University Hospital Brno, 65691 Brno, Czech Republic
- Department of Information Systems, Faculty of Information Technology, Brno University of Technology, 61200 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - David Bednář
- Loschmidt Laboratories, Department of Experimental Biology and RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, 61137 Brno, Czech Republic
- International Clinical Research Centre, St. Anne's University Hospital Brno, 65691 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Katarína Chovanová
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská Cesta 21, 84551 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Vladena Bauerová-Hlinková
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská Cesta 21, 84551 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Jana Bellová
- Department of Glycobiology, Institute of Chemistry, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská Cesta 9, 84538 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Lenka Kohútová
- Department of Glycobiology, Institute of Chemistry, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská Cesta 9, 84538 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Peter Baráth
- Department of Glycobiology, Institute of Chemistry, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská Cesta 9, 84538 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Marcel Zámocký
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská Cesta 21, 84551 Bratislava, Slovakia
- Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava, Mlynská Dolina, Ilkovičova 6, 84215 Bratislava, Slovakia
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10
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Maus H, Hammerschmidt SJ, Hinze G, Barthels F, Pérez Carrillo VH, Hellmich UA, Basché T, Schirmeister T. The effects of allosteric and competitive inhibitors on ZIKV protease conformational dynamics explored through smFRET, nanoDSF, DSF, and 19F NMR. Eur J Med Chem 2023; 258:115573. [PMID: 37379675 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2023.115573] [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: 02/13/2023] [Revised: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023]
Abstract
Zika and dengue viruses cause mosquito-borne diseases of high epidemic relevance. The viral NS2B-NS3 proteases play crucial roles in the pathogen replication cycle and are validated drug targets. They can adopt at least two conformations depending on the position of the NS2B cofactor. Recently, we reported ligand-induced conformational changes of dengue virus NS2B-NS3 protease by single-molecule Förster resonance energy transfer (smFRET). Here, we investigated the conformational dynamics of the homologous Zika virus protease through an integrated methodological approach combining smFRET, thermal shift assays (DSF and nanoDSF) and 19F NMR spectroscopy. Our results show that allosteric inhibitors favor the open conformation and competitive inhibitors stabilize the closed conformation of the Zika virus protease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Maus
- Institute of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences (IPBW), Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Stefan J Hammerschmidt
- Institute of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences (IPBW), Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Gerald Hinze
- Department of Chemistry, Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Fabian Barthels
- Institute of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences (IPBW), Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Victor H Pérez Carrillo
- Institute of Organic Chemistry & Macromolecular Chemistry (IOMC), Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Ute A Hellmich
- Institute of Organic Chemistry & Macromolecular Chemistry (IOMC), Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Thomas Basché
- Department of Chemistry, Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Tanja Schirmeister
- Institute of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences (IPBW), Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany.
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11
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Duan XC, Li XX, Li XM, Wang S, Zhang FQ, Qian P. Exploiting Broad-Spectrum Chimeric Lysin to Cooperate with Mupirocin against Staphylococcus aureus-Induced Skin Infections and Delay the Development of Mupirocin Resistance. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0505022. [PMID: 37125939 PMCID: PMC10269905 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.05050-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Staphylococcus aureus often leads to severe skin infections. However, S. aureus is facing a crisis of antibiotic resistance. The combination of phage and antibiotics is effective for drug-resistant S. aureus infections. Therefore, it is worth exploiting novel antibacterial agents to cooperate with antibiotics against S. aureus infections. Herein, a novel chimeric lysin ClyQ was constructed, which was composed of a cysteine- and histidine-dependent amidohydrolase/peptidase (CHAP) catalytic domain from S. aureus phage lysin LysGH15 and cell wall-binding domain (CBD) from Enterococcus faecalis phage lysin PlyV12. ClyQ had an exceptionally broad host range targeting streptococci, staphylococci, E. faecalis, and E. rhusiopathiae. ClyQ combined with mupirocin (2.64 log reduction) was more effective at treating S. aureus skin infections than ClyQ (0.46 log reduction) and mupirocin (2.23 log reduction) alone. Of equal importance, none of S. aureus ATCC 29213 or S3 exposed to ClyQ developed resistance, and the combination of ClyQ and mupirocin delayed the development of mupirocin resistance. Collectively, chimeric lysin ClyQ enriches the reservoirs for treating S. aureus infections. Our findings may provide a way to alleviate the current antibiotic resistance crisis. IMPORTANCE Staphylococcus aureus, as an Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter species (ESKAPE) pathogen, can escape the elimination of existing antibiotics. At present, phages and phage lysins against S. aureus infections are considered alternative antibacterial agents. However, the development of broad-spectrum chimeric phage lysins to cooperate with antibiotics against S. aureus infections remains at its initial stage. In this study, we found that the broad-host-range chimeric lysin ClyQ can synergize with mupirocin to treat S. aureus skin infections. Furthermore, the development of S. aureus resistance to mupirocin is delayed by the combination of ClyQ and mupirocin in vitro. Our results bring research attention toward the development of chimeric lysin that cooperates with antibiotics to overcome bacterial infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-chao Duan
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
- Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, The Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Wuhan, China
| | - Xin-xin Li
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
- Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, The Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Wuhan, China
| | - Xiang-min Li
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
- Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, The Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Wuhan, China
| | - Shuang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
- Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, The Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Wuhan, China
| | - Fen-qiang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
- Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, The Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Wuhan, China
| | - Ping Qian
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
- Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, The Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Wuhan, China
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12
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Llowarch P, Usselmann L, Ivanov D, Holdgate GA. Thermal unfolding methods in drug discovery. BIOPHYSICS REVIEWS 2023; 4:021305. [PMID: 38510342 PMCID: PMC10903397 DOI: 10.1063/5.0144141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
Thermal unfolding methods, applied in both isolated protein and cell-based settings, are increasingly used to identify and characterize hits during early drug discovery. Technical developments over recent years have facilitated their application in high-throughput approaches, and they now are used more frequently for primary screening. Widespread access to instrumentation and automation, the ability to miniaturize, as well as the capability and capacity to generate the appropriate scale and quality of protein and cell reagents have all played a part in these advances. As the nature of drug targets and approaches to their modulation have evolved, these methods have broadened our ability to provide useful chemical start points. Target proteins without catalytic function, or those that may be difficult to express and purify, are amenable to these methods. Here, we provide a review of the applications of thermal unfolding methods applied in hit finding during early drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Poppy Llowarch
- High Throughput Screening, Hit Discovery, Discovery Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Alderley Park, United Kingdom
| | - Laura Usselmann
- High Throughput Screening, Hit Discovery, Discovery Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Alderley Park, United Kingdom
| | - Delyan Ivanov
- High Throughput Screening, Hit Discovery, Discovery Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Alderley Park, United Kingdom
| | - Geoffrey A. Holdgate
- High Throughput Screening, Hit Discovery, Discovery Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Alderley Park, United Kingdom
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13
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Chen J, Zhou X, Fu L, Xu H. Natural Product-Based Screening for Lead Compounds Targeting SARS CoV-2 M pro. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2023; 16:767. [PMID: 37242550 PMCID: PMC10222270 DOI: 10.3390/ph16050767] [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: 03/29/2023] [Revised: 04/26/2023] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Drugs that cure COVID-19 have been marketed; however, this disease continues to ravage the world without becoming extinct, and thus, drug discoveries are still relevant. Since Mpro has known advantages as a drug target, such as the conserved nature of the active site and the absence of homologous proteins in the body, it receives the attention of many researchers. Meanwhile, the role of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in the control of epidemics in China has also led to a focus on natural products, with the hope of finding some promising lead molecules through screening. In this study, we selected a commercial library of 2526 natural products from plants, animals and microorganisms with known biological activity for drug discovery, which had previously been reported for compound screening of the SARS CoV-2 S protein, but had not been tested on Mpro. This library contains compounds from a variety of Chinese herbs, including Lonicerae Japonicae Flos, Forsythiae Fructus and Scutellariae Radix, which are derived from traditional Chinese medicine prescriptions that have been shown to be effective against COVID-19. We used the conventional FRET method for the initial screening. After two rounds of selection, the remaining 86 compounds were divided into flavonoids, lipids, phenylpropanoids, phenols, quinones, alkaloids, terpenoids and steroids according to the skeleton structures, with inhibition rates greater than 70%. The top compounds in each group were selected to test the effective concentration ranges; the IC50 values were as follows: (-)-gallocatechin gallate (1.522 ± 0.126 μM), ginkgolic acid C15:1 (9.352 ± 0.531 μM), hematoxylin (1.025 ± 0.042 μM), fraxetin (2.486 ± 0.178 μM), wedelolactone (1.003 ± 0.238 μM), hydroxytyrosol acetate (3.850 ± 0.576 μM), vanitiolide (2.837 ± 0.225 μM), β,β-dimethylacrylalkannin (2.731 ± 0.308 μM), melanin (7.373 ± 0.368 μM) and cholesteryl sodium sulfate (2.741 ± 0.234μM). In the next step, we employed two biophysical techniques, SPR and nanoDSF, to obtain KD/Kobs values: hematoxylin (0.7 μM), (-)-gallocatechin gallate (126 μM), ginkgolic acid C15:1 (227 μM), wedelolactone (0.9770 μM), β,β-dimethylacrylalkannin (1.9004 μM,), cholesteryl sodium sulfate (7.5950 μM) and melanin (11.5667 μM), which allowed better assessments of the binding levels. Here, seven compounds were the winners. Then, molecular docking experiments were specially performed by AutoDock Vina to analyze the mode of interactions within Mpro and ligands. We finally formulated the present in silico study to predict pharmacokinetic parameters as well as drug-like properties, which is presumably the step that tells humans whether the compounds are drug-like or not. Moreover, hematoxylin, melanin, wedelolactone, β,β-dimethylacrylalkannin and cholesteryl sodium sulfate are in full compliance with the "Lipinski" principle and possess reasonable ADME/T properties, they have a greater potential of being lead compounds. The proposed five compounds are also the first to be found to have potential inhibitory effects on SARS CoV-2 Mpro. We hope that the results in this manuscript may serve as benchmarks for the above potentials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Chen
- Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China
- School of Chinese Medicine, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Xiang Zhou
- Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Traditional Chinese Medicine, National Medical Products Administration, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China
- State Key Laboratory of Innovative Drug and Efficient Energy-Saving Pharmaceutical Equipment, Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang 330004, China
| | - Lifeng Fu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Haiyu Xu
- Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China
- Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Traditional Chinese Medicine, National Medical Products Administration, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China
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14
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Cheff DM, Cheng Q, Guo H, Travers J, Klumpp-Thomas C, Shen M, Arnér ESJ, Hall MD. Development of an assay pipeline for the discovery of novel small molecule inhibitors of human glutathione peroxidases GPX1 and GPX4. Redox Biol 2023; 63:102719. [PMID: 37244126 DOI: 10.1016/j.redox.2023.102719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Revised: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Selenoprotein glutathione peroxidases (GPX), like ubiquitously expressed GPX1 and the ferroptosis modulator GPX4, enact antioxidant activities by reducing hydroperoxides using glutathione. Overexpression of these enzymes is common in cancer and can be associated with the development of resistance to chemotherapy. GPX1 and GPX4 inhibitors have thus shown promise as anti-cancer agents, and targeting other GPX isoforms may prove equally beneficial. Existing inhibitors are often promiscuous, or modulate GPXs only indirectly, so novel direct inhibitors identified through screening against GPX1 and GPX4 could be valuable. Here, we developed optimized glutathione reductase (GR)-coupled GPX assays for the biochemical high-throughput screen (HTS) of almost 12,000 compounds with proposed mechanisms of action. Initial hits were triaged using a GR counter-screen, assessed for isoform specificity against an additional GPX isoform, GPX2, and were assessed for general selenocysteine-targeting activity using a thioredoxin reductase (TXNRD1) assay. Importantly, 70% of the GPX1 inhibitors identified in the primary screen, including several cephalosporin antibiotics, were found to also inhibit TXNRD1, while auranofin, previously known as a TXNRD1 inhibitor, also inhibited GPX1 (but not GPX4). Additionally, every GPX1 inhibitor identified (including omapatrilat, tenatoprazole, cefoxitin and ceftibuten) showed similar inhibitory activity against GPX2. Some compounds inhibiting GPX4 but not GPX1 or GPX2, also inhibited TXNRD1 (26%). Compounds only inhibiting GPX4 included pranlukast sodium hydrate, lusutrombopag, brilanestrant, simeprevir, grazoprevir (MK-5172), paritaprevir, navitoclax, venetoclax and VU0661013. Two compounds (metamizole sodium and isoniazid sodium methanesulfate) inhibited all three GPXs but not TXNRD1, while 2,3-dimercaptopropanesulfonate, PI4KIII beta inhibitor 3, SCE-2174 and cefotetan sodium inhibited all tested selenoproteins (but not GR). The detected overlaps in chemical space suggest that the counter screens introduced here should be imperative for identification of specific GPX inhibitors. With this approach, we could indeed identify novel GPX1/GPX2- or GPX4-specific inhibitors, thus presenting a validated pipeline for future identification of specific selenoprotein-targeting agents. Our study also identified GPX1/GPX2, GPX4 and/or TXNRD1 as targets for several previously developed pharmacologically active compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dorian M Cheff
- Early Translation Branch, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institute of Health, 9800 Medical Center Drive, Rockville, MD, 20850, United States; Division of Biochemistry, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, SE, 171 77, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Qing Cheng
- Division of Biochemistry, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, SE, 171 77, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Hui Guo
- Early Translation Branch, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institute of Health, 9800 Medical Center Drive, Rockville, MD, 20850, United States
| | - Jameson Travers
- Early Translation Branch, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institute of Health, 9800 Medical Center Drive, Rockville, MD, 20850, United States
| | - Carleen Klumpp-Thomas
- Early Translation Branch, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institute of Health, 9800 Medical Center Drive, Rockville, MD, 20850, United States
| | - Min Shen
- Early Translation Branch, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institute of Health, 9800 Medical Center Drive, Rockville, MD, 20850, United States
| | - Elias S J Arnér
- Division of Biochemistry, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, SE, 171 77, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Selenoprotein Research and the National Tumor Biology Laboratory, National Institute of Oncology, Budapest, Hungary.
| | - Matthew D Hall
- Early Translation Branch, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institute of Health, 9800 Medical Center Drive, Rockville, MD, 20850, United States.
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15
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Lisina S, Inam W, Huhtala M, Howaili F, Zhang H, Rosenholm JM. Nano Differential Scanning Fluorimetry as a Rapid Stability Assessment Tool in the Nanoformulation of Proteins. Pharmaceutics 2023; 15:pharmaceutics15051473. [PMID: 37242715 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15051473] [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: 02/22/2023] [Revised: 04/20/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The development and production of innovative protein-based therapeutics is a complex and challenging avenue. External conditions such as buffers, solvents, pH, salts, polymers, surfactants, and nanoparticles may affect the stability and integrity of proteins during formulation. In this study, poly (ethylene imine) (PEI) functionalized mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) were used as a carrier for the model protein bovine serum albumin (BSA). To protect the protein inside MSNs after loading, polymeric encapsulation with poly (sodium 4-styrenesulfonate) (NaPSS) was used to seal the pores. Nano differential scanning fluorimetry (NanoDSF) was used to assess protein thermal stability during the formulation process. The MSN-PEI carrier matrix or conditions used did not destabilize the protein during loading, but the coating polymer NaPSS was incompatible with the NanoDSF technique due to autofluorescence. Thus, another pH-responsive polymer, spermine-modified acetylated dextran (SpAcDEX), was applied as a second coating after NaPSS. It possessed low autofluorescence and was successfully evaluated with the NanoDSF method. Circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy was used to determine protein integrity in the case of interfering polymers such as NaPSS. Despite this limitation, NanoDSF was found to be a feasible and rapid tool to monitor protein stability during all steps needed to create a viable nanocarrier system for protein delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofia Lisina
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Laboratory, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Åbo Akademi University, 20500 Turku, Finland
| | - Wali Inam
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Laboratory, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Åbo Akademi University, 20500 Turku, Finland
| | - Mikko Huhtala
- Structural Bioinformatics Laboratory, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Biochemistry, Åbo Akademi University, 20500 Turku, Finland
| | - Fadak Howaili
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Laboratory, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Åbo Akademi University, 20500 Turku, Finland
| | - Hongbo Zhang
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Laboratory, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Åbo Akademi University, 20500 Turku, Finland
| | - Jessica M Rosenholm
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Laboratory, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Åbo Akademi University, 20500 Turku, Finland
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16
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Vasina M, Kovar D, Damborsky J, Ding Y, Yang T, deMello A, Mazurenko S, Stavrakis S, Prokop Z. In-depth analysis of biocatalysts by microfluidics: An emerging source of data for machine learning. Biotechnol Adv 2023; 66:108171. [PMID: 37150331 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2023.108171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Revised: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Nowadays, the vastly increasing demand for novel biotechnological products is supported by the continuous development of biocatalytic applications which provide sustainable green alternatives to chemical processes. The success of a biocatalytic application is critically dependent on how quickly we can identify and characterize enzyme variants fitting the conditions of industrial processes. While miniaturization and parallelization have dramatically increased the throughput of next-generation sequencing systems, the subsequent characterization of the obtained candidates is still a limiting process in identifying the desired biocatalysts. Only a few commercial microfluidic systems for enzyme analysis are currently available, and the transformation of numerous published prototypes into commercial platforms is still to be streamlined. This review presents the state-of-the-art, recent trends, and perspectives in applying microfluidic tools in the functional and structural analysis of biocatalysts. We discuss the advantages and disadvantages of available technologies, their reproducibility and robustness, and readiness for routine laboratory use. We also highlight the unexplored potential of microfluidics to leverage the power of machine learning for biocatalyst development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michal Vasina
- Loschmidt Laboratories, Department of Experimental Biology and RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, 602 00 Brno, Czech Republic; International Clinical Research Centre, St. Anne's University Hospital, 656 91 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - David Kovar
- Loschmidt Laboratories, Department of Experimental Biology and RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, 602 00 Brno, Czech Republic; International Clinical Research Centre, St. Anne's University Hospital, 656 91 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jiri Damborsky
- Loschmidt Laboratories, Department of Experimental Biology and RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, 602 00 Brno, Czech Republic; International Clinical Research Centre, St. Anne's University Hospital, 656 91 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Yun Ding
- Institute for Chemical and Bioengineering, ETH Zürich, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Tianjin Yang
- Institute for Chemical and Bioengineering, ETH Zürich, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland; Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Andrew deMello
- Institute for Chemical and Bioengineering, ETH Zürich, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Stanislav Mazurenko
- Loschmidt Laboratories, Department of Experimental Biology and RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, 602 00 Brno, Czech Republic; International Clinical Research Centre, St. Anne's University Hospital, 656 91 Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Stavros Stavrakis
- Institute for Chemical and Bioengineering, ETH Zürich, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland.
| | - Zbynek Prokop
- Loschmidt Laboratories, Department of Experimental Biology and RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, 602 00 Brno, Czech Republic; International Clinical Research Centre, St. Anne's University Hospital, 656 91 Brno, Czech Republic.
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17
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Cheff DM, Huang C, Scholzen KC, Gencheva R, Ronzetti MH, Cheng Q, Hall MD, Arnér ESJ. The ferroptosis inducing compounds RSL3 and ML162 are not direct inhibitors of GPX4 but of TXNRD1. Redox Biol 2023; 62:102703. [PMID: 37087975 PMCID: PMC10149367 DOI: 10.1016/j.redox.2023.102703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Revised: 04/15/2023] [Accepted: 04/16/2023] [Indexed: 04/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Ferroptosis is defined as cell death triggered by iron-dependent lipid peroxidation that is preventable by antioxidant compounds such as ferrostatin-1. Endogenous suppressors of ferroptosis include FSP-1 and the selenoprotein GPX4, the latter of which directly enzymatically reduces lipid hydroperoxides. Small molecules that trigger ferroptosis include RSL3, ML162, and ML210; these compounds are often used in studies of ferroptosis and are generally considered as GPX4 inhibitors. Here, we found that RSL3 and ML162 completely lack capacity of inhibiting the enzymatic activity of recombinant selenoprotein GPX4. Surprisingly, these compounds were instead found to be efficient inhibitors of another selenoprotein, TXNRD1. Other known inhibitors of TXNRD1, including auranofin, TRi-1 and TRi-2, are also efficient inducers of cell death but that cell death could not be suppressed with ferrostatin-1. Our results collectively suggest that prior studies using RSL3 and ML162 may need to be reevaluated in the context of ferroptosis with regards to additional enzyme targets and mechanisms of action that may be involved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dorian M Cheff
- Division of Biochemistry, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 77, Stockholm, Sweden; Early Translation Branch, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, 20850, United States
| | - Chuying Huang
- Division of Biochemistry, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 77, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Karoline C Scholzen
- Division of Biochemistry, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 77, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Radosveta Gencheva
- Division of Biochemistry, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 77, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Michael H Ronzetti
- Early Translation Branch, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, 20850, United States
| | - Qing Cheng
- Division of Biochemistry, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 77, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Matthew D Hall
- Early Translation Branch, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, 20850, United States
| | - Elias S J Arnér
- Division of Biochemistry, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 77, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Selenoprotein Research and the National Tumor Biology Laboratory, National Institute of Oncology, Budapest, Hungary.
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18
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Dieplinger J, Pinto JT, Dekner M, Brachtl G, Paudel A. Impact of Different Saccharides on the In-Process Stability of a Protein Drug During Evaporative Drying: From Sessile Droplet Drying to Lab-Scale Spray Drying. Pharm Res 2023; 40:1283-1298. [PMID: 37012535 DOI: 10.1007/s11095-023-03498-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/05/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Solid biopharmaceutical products can circumvent lower temperature storage and transport and increase remote access with lower carbon emissions and energy consumption. Saccharides are known stabilizers in a solid protein produced via lyophilization and spray drying (SD). Thus, it is essential to understand the interactions between saccharides and proteins and the stabilization mechanism. METHODS A miniaturized single droplet drying (MD) method was developed to understand how different saccharides stabilize proteins during drying. We applied our MD to different aqueous saccharide-protein systems and transferred our findings to SD. RESULTS The poly- and oligosaccharides tend to destabilize the protein during drying. The oligosaccharide, Hydroxypropyl β-cyclodextrin (HPβCD) shows high aggregation at a high saccharide-to-protein molar ratio (S/P ratio) during MD, and the finding is supported by nanoDSF results. The polysaccharide, Dextran (DEX) leads to larger particles, whereas HPBCD leads to smaller particles. Furthermore, DEX is not able to stabilize the protein at higher S/P ratios either. In contrast, the disaccharide Trehalose Dihydrate (TD) does not increase or induce protein aggregation during the drying of the formulation. It can preserve the protein's secondary structure during drying, already at low concentrations. CONCLUSION During the drying of S/P formulations containing the saccharides TD and DEX, the MD approach could anticipate the in-process (in) stability of protein X at laboratory-scale SD. In contrast, for the systems with HPβCD, the results obtained by SD were contradictory to MD. This underlines that depending on the drying operation, careful consideration needs to be applied to the selection of saccharides and their ratios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johanna Dieplinger
- Research Center for Pharmaceutical Engineering GmbH, Graz, Austria
- Institute of Process and Particle Engineering, Technical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Joana T Pinto
- Research Center for Pharmaceutical Engineering GmbH, Graz, Austria
| | | | | | - Amrit Paudel
- Research Center for Pharmaceutical Engineering GmbH, Graz, Austria.
- Institute of Process and Particle Engineering, Technical University of Graz, Graz, Austria.
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19
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do Nascimento MA, Leão RA, Froidevaux R, Wojcieszak R, de Souza ROA, Itabaiana I. A new approach for the direct acylation of bio-oil enriched with levoglucosan: kinetic study and lipase thermostability. Biochem Eng J 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bej.2023.108915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/31/2023]
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20
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Huang B, Fan T, Wang K, Zhang H, Yu C, Nie S, Qi Y, Zheng WM, Han J, Fan Z, Sun S, Ye S, Yang H, Bu D. Accurate and efficient protein sequence design through learning concise local environment of residues. BIOINFORMATICS (OXFORD, ENGLAND) 2023; 39:7077134. [PMID: 36916746 PMCID: PMC10027430 DOI: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btad122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Revised: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 02/19/2023] [Indexed: 03/15/2023]
Abstract
MOTIVATION Computational protein sequence design has been widely applied in rational protein engineering and increasing the design accuracy and efficiency is highly desired. RESULTS Here, we present ProDESIGN-LE, an accurate and efficient approach to protein sequence design. ProDESIGN-LE adopts a concise but informative representation of the residue's local environment and trains a transformer to learn the correlation between local environment of residues and their amino acid types. For a target backbone structure, ProDESIGN-LE uses the transformer to assign an appropriate residue type for each position based on its local environment within this structure, eventually acquiring a designed sequence with all residues fitting well with their local environments. We applied ProDESIGN-LE to design sequences for 68 naturally occurring and 129 hallucinated proteins within 20 s per protein on average. The designed proteins have their predicted structures perfectly resembling the target structures with a state-of-the-art average TM-score exceeding 0.80. We further experimentally validated ProDESIGN-LE by designing five sequences for an enzyme, chloramphenicol O-acetyltransferase type III (CAT III), and recombinantly expressing the proteins in Escherichia coli. Of these proteins, three exhibited excellent solubility, and one yielded monomeric species with circular dichroism spectra consistent with the natural CAT III protein. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION The source code of ProDESIGN-LE is available at https://github.com/bigict/ProDESIGN-LE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Huang
- Key Lab of Intelligent Information Processing, SKLP, Institute of Computing Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100110, China
| | - Tingwen Fan
- Key Lab of Microbial Physiological & Metabolic Engineering, State Key Lab of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Kaiyue Wang
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Big Data-based Precision Medicine, School of Engineering Medicine, Beihang University, Beijing 100083, China
- Key Laboratory of Big Data-based Precision Medicine (Beihang University), Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of the People's Republic of China, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Haicang Zhang
- Key Lab of Intelligent Information Processing, SKLP, Institute of Computing Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100110, China
- Zhongke Big Data Academy, Zhengzhou, Henan 450046, China
| | - Chungong Yu
- Key Lab of Intelligent Information Processing, SKLP, Institute of Computing Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100110, China
- Zhongke Big Data Academy, Zhengzhou, Henan 450046, China
| | - Shuyu Nie
- Key Lab of Microbial Physiological & Metabolic Engineering, State Key Lab of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- School of Life Sciences, Hebei University, Baoding, Hebei 071002, China
| | - Yangshuo Qi
- Key Lab of Microbial Physiological & Metabolic Engineering, State Key Lab of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- School of Life Sciences, Hebei University, Baoding, Hebei 071002, China
| | - Wei-Mou Zheng
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100110, China
- Institute of Theoretical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Jian Han
- Key Lab of Microbial Physiological & Metabolic Engineering, State Key Lab of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Zheng Fan
- Institutional Center for Shared Technologies and Facilities, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Shiwei Sun
- Key Lab of Intelligent Information Processing, SKLP, Institute of Computing Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100110, China
- Zhongke Big Data Academy, Zhengzhou, Henan 450046, China
| | - Sheng Ye
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Big Data-based Precision Medicine, School of Engineering Medicine, Beihang University, Beijing 100083, China
- Key Laboratory of Big Data-based Precision Medicine (Beihang University), Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of the People's Republic of China, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Huaiyi Yang
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100110, China
- Key Lab of Microbial Physiological & Metabolic Engineering, State Key Lab of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Dongbo Bu
- Key Lab of Intelligent Information Processing, SKLP, Institute of Computing Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100110, China
- Zhongke Big Data Academy, Zhengzhou, Henan 450046, China
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21
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Engrola FSS, Paquete-Ferreira J, Santos-Silva T, Correia MAS, Leisico F, Santos MFA. Screening of Buffers and Additives for Protein Stabilization by Thermal Shift Assay: A Practical Approach. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2652:199-213. [PMID: 37093477 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3147-8_11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/25/2023]
Abstract
Thermal shift assay (TSA), also commonly designed by differential scanning fluorimetry (DSF) or ThermoFluor, is a technique relatively easy to implement and perform, useful in a myriad of applications. In addition to versatility, it is also rather inexpensive, making it suitable for high-throughput approaches. TSA uses a fluorescent dye to monitor the thermal denaturation of the protein under study and determine its melting temperature (Tm). One of its main applications is to identify the best buffers and additives that enhance protein stability.Understanding the TSA operating mode and the main methodological steps is a central key to designing effective experiments and retrieving meaningful conclusions. This chapter intends to present a straightforward TSA protocol, with different troubleshooting tips, to screen effective protein stabilizers such as buffers and additives, as well as data treatment and analysis. TSA results provide conditions in which the protein of interest is stable and therefore suitable to carry out further biophysical and structural characterization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filipa S S Engrola
- Associate Laboratory i4HB - Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, NOVA School of Science and Technology, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Caparica, Portugal
- UCIBIO, Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit, Chemistry Department, NOVA School of Science and Technology, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Caparica, Portugal
| | - João Paquete-Ferreira
- Associate Laboratory i4HB - Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, NOVA School of Science and Technology, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Caparica, Portugal
- UCIBIO, Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit, Chemistry Department, NOVA School of Science and Technology, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Caparica, Portugal
| | - Teresa Santos-Silva
- Associate Laboratory i4HB - Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, NOVA School of Science and Technology, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Caparica, Portugal
- UCIBIO, Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit, Chemistry Department, NOVA School of Science and Technology, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Caparica, Portugal
| | - Márcia A S Correia
- Associate Laboratory i4HB - Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, NOVA School of Science and Technology, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Caparica, Portugal.
- UCIBIO, Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit, Chemistry Department, NOVA School of Science and Technology, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Caparica, Portugal.
| | - Francisco Leisico
- Associate Laboratory i4HB - Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, NOVA School of Science and Technology, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Caparica, Portugal.
- UCIBIO, Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit, Chemistry Department, NOVA School of Science and Technology, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Caparica, Portugal.
- Institut de Biologie Structurale, UMR 5075, University Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CEA, Grenoble, France.
| | - Marino F A Santos
- Associate Laboratory i4HB - Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, NOVA School of Science and Technology, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Caparica, Portugal.
- UCIBIO, Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit, Chemistry Department, NOVA School of Science and Technology, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Caparica, Portugal.
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22
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Ronzetti M, Baljinnyam B, Jalal I, Pal U, Simeonov A. Application of biophysical methods for improved protein production and characterization: A case study on an high-temperature requirement A-family bacterial protease. Protein Sci 2022; 31:e4498. [PMID: 36334045 PMCID: PMC9679970 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2022] [Revised: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
The high-temperature requirement A (HtrA) serine protease family presents an attractive target class for antibacterial therapeutics development. These proteins possess dual protease and chaperone functions and contain numerous binding sites and regulatory loops, displaying diverse oligomerization patterns dependent on substrate type and occupancy. HtrA proteins that are natively purified coelute with contaminating peptides and activating species, shifting oligomerization and protein structure to differently activated populations. Here, a redesigned HtrA production results in cleaner preparations with high yields by overexpressing and purifying target protein from inclusion bodies under denaturing conditions, followed by a high-throughput screen for optimal refolding buffer composition using function-agnostic biophysical techniques that do not rely on target-specific measurements. We use Borrelia burgdorferi HtrA to demonstrate the effectiveness of our function-agnostic approach, while characterization with both new and established biophysical methods shows the retention of proteolytic and chaperone activity of the refolded protein. This systematic workflow and toolset will translate to the production of HtrA-family proteins in higher quantities of pure and monodisperse composition than the current literature standard, with applicability to a broad array of protein purification strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Ronzetti
- National Center for Advancing Translational SciencesNational Institutes of HealthRockvilleMarylandUSA
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Agriculture & Natural ResourcesUniversity of MarylandCollege ParkMarylandUSA
| | - Bolormaa Baljinnyam
- National Center for Advancing Translational SciencesNational Institutes of HealthRockvilleMarylandUSA
| | | | - Utpal Pal
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Agriculture & Natural ResourcesUniversity of MarylandCollege ParkMarylandUSA
| | - Anton Simeonov
- National Center for Advancing Translational SciencesNational Institutes of HealthRockvilleMarylandUSA
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23
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Ronzetti MH, Baljinnyam B, Itkin Z, Jain S, Rai G, Zakharov AV, Pal U, Simeonov A. Application of temperature-responsive HIS-tag fluorophores to differential scanning fluorimetry screening of small molecule libraries. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:1040039. [PMID: 36506591 PMCID: PMC9729254 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.1040039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Differential scanning fluorimetry is a rapid and economical biophysical technique used to monitor perturbations to protein structure during a thermal gradient, most often by detecting protein unfolding events through an environment-sensitive fluorophore. By employing an NTA-complexed fluorophore that is sensitive to nearby structural changes in histidine-tagged protein, a robust and sensitive differential scanning fluorimetry (DSF) assay is established with the specificity of an affinity tag-based system. We developed, optimized, and miniaturized this HIS-tag DSF assay (HIS-DSF) into a 1536-well high-throughput biophysical platform using the Borrelial high temperature requirement A protease (BbHtrA) as a proof of concept for the workflow. A production run of the BbHtrA HIS-DSF assay showed a tight negative control group distribution of Tm values with an average coefficient of variation of 0.51% and median coefficient of variation of compound Tm of 0.26%. The HIS-DSF platform will provide an additional assay platform for future drug discovery campaigns with applications in buffer screening and optimization, target engagement screening, and other biophysical assay efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael H. Ronzetti
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, United States,Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States
| | - Bolormaa Baljinnyam
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, United States,*Correspondence: Bolormaa Baljinnyam, ; Anton Simeonov,
| | - Zina Itkin
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, United States
| | - Sankalp Jain
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, United States
| | - Ganesha Rai
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, United States
| | - Alexey V. Zakharov
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, United States
| | - Utpal Pal
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States
| | - Anton Simeonov
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, United States,*Correspondence: Bolormaa Baljinnyam, ; Anton Simeonov,
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24
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Abstract
Trypsin is a long-known serine protease widely used in biochemical, analytical, biotechnological, or biocatalytic applications. The high biotechnological potential is based on its high catalytic activity, substrate specificity, and catalytic robustness in non-physiological reaction conditions. The latter is mainly due to its stable protein fold, to which six intramolecular disulfide bridges make a significant contribution. Although trypsin does not depend on cofactors, it essentially requires the binding of calcium ions to its calcium-binding site to obtain complete enzymatic activity and stability. This behavior is inevitably associated with a limitation of the enzyme’s applicability. To make trypsin intrinsically calcium-independent, we removed the native calcium-binding site and replaced it with another disulfide bridge. The resulting stabilized apo-trypsin (aTn) retains full catalytic activity as proven by enzyme kinetics. Studies using Ellmann’s reagent further prove that the two inserted cysteines at positions Glu70 and Glu80 are in their oxidized state, creating the desired functional disulfide bond. Furthermore, aTn is independent of calcium ions, possesses increased thermal and functional stability, and significantly reduced autolysis compared to wildtype trypsin. Finally, we confirmed our experimental data by solving the X-ray crystal structure of aTn.
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25
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Mehta V, Khanppnavar B, Schuster D, Kantarci I, Vercellino I, Kosturanova A, Iype T, Stefanic S, Picotti P, Korkhov VM. Structure of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Cya, an evolutionary ancestor of the mammalian membrane adenylyl cyclases. eLife 2022; 11:77032. [PMID: 35980026 PMCID: PMC9433096 DOI: 10.7554/elife.77032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Mycobacterium tuberculosis adenylyl cyclase (AC) Rv1625c / Cya is an evolutionary ancestor of the mammalian membrane ACs and a model system for studies of their structure and function. Although the vital role of ACs in cellular signaling is well established, the function of their transmembrane (TM) regions remains unknown. Here we describe the cryo-EM structure of Cya bound to a stabilizing nanobody at 3.6 Å resolution. The TM helices 1-5 form a structurally conserved domain that facilitates the assembly of the helical and catalytic domains. The TM region contains discrete pockets accessible from the extracellular and cytosolic side of the membrane. Neutralization of the negatively charged extracellular pocket Ex1 destabilizes the cytosolic helical domain and reduces the catalytic activity of the enzyme. The TM domain acts as a functional component of Cya, guiding the assembly of the catalytic domain and providing the means for direct regulation of catalytic activity in response to extracellular ligands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ved Mehta
- Laboratory of Biomolecular Research, Paul Scherrer Institute, Villigen, Switzerland
| | - Basavraj Khanppnavar
- Laboratory of Biomolecular Research, Paul Scherrer Institute, Villigen, Switzerland
| | - Dina Schuster
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biophysics, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Ilayda Kantarci
- Laboratory of Biomolecular Research, Paul Scherrer Institute, Villigen, Switzerland
| | - Irene Vercellino
- Laboratory of Biomolecular Research, Paul Scherrer Institute, Villigen, Switzerland
| | - Angela Kosturanova
- Laboratory of Biomolecular Research, Paul Scherrer Institute, Villigen, Switzerland
| | - Tarun Iype
- Laboratory of Biomolecular Research, Paul Scherrer Institute, Villigen, Switzerland
| | - Sasa Stefanic
- Institute of Parasitology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Paola Picotti
- Institute of Molecular Systems Biology, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Volodymyr M Korkhov
- Laboratory of Biomolecular Research, Paul Scherrer Institute, Villigen, Switzerland
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26
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Protick F, Amit SK, Amar K, Nath SD, Akand R, Davis VA, Nilufar S, Chowdhury F. Additive Manufacturing of Viscoelastic Polyacrylamide Substrates for Mechanosensing Studies. ACS OMEGA 2022; 7:24384-24395. [PMID: 35874232 PMCID: PMC9301700 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.2c01817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Polymerized polyacrylamide (PAA) substrates are linearly elastic hydrogels that are widely used in mechanosensing studies due to their biocompatibility, wide range of functionalization capability, and tunable mechanical properties. However, such cellular response on purely elastic substrates, which do not mimic the viscoelastic living tissues, may not be physiologically relevant. Because the cellular response on 2D viscoelastic PAA substrates remains largely unknown, we used stereolithography (SLA)-based additive manufacturing technique to create viscoelastic PAA substrates with tunable mechanical properties that allow us to identify physiologically relevant cellular behaviors. Three PAA substrates of different complex moduli were fabricated by SLA. By embedding fluorescent markers during the additive manufacturing of the substrates, we show a homogeneous and uniform composition throughout, which conventional manufacturing techniques cannot produce. Rheological investigation of the additively manufactured PAA substrates shows a viscoelastic behavior with a 5-10% loss moduli compared to their elastic moduli, mimicking the living tissues. To understand the cell mechanosensing on the dissipative PAA substrates, single live cells were seeded on PAA substrates to establish the basic relationships between cell traction, cytoskeletal prestress, and cell spreading. With the increasing substrate moduli, we observed a concomitant increase in cellular traction and prestress, but not cell spreading, suggesting that cell spreading can be decoupled from traction and intracellular prestress in physiologically relevant environments. Together, additively manufactured PAA substrates fill the void of lacking real tissue like viscoelastic materials that can be used in a variety of mechanosensing studies with superior reproducibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fardeen
Kabir Protick
- School
of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Materials Engineering, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Carbondale, Illinois 62901, United States
| | - Sadat Kamal Amit
- Samuel
Ginn Department of Chemical Engineering, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama 36849, United States
| | - Kshitij Amar
- School
of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Materials Engineering, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Carbondale, Illinois 62901, United States
| | - Shukantu Dev Nath
- School
of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Materials Engineering, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Carbondale, Illinois 62901, United States
| | - Rafee Akand
- School
of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Materials Engineering, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Carbondale, Illinois 62901, United States
| | - Virginia A. Davis
- Samuel
Ginn Department of Chemical Engineering, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama 36849, United States
| | - Sabrina Nilufar
- School
of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Materials Engineering, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Carbondale, Illinois 62901, United States
| | - Farhan Chowdhury
- School
of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Materials Engineering, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Carbondale, Illinois 62901, United States
- Biomedical
Engineering Program, School of Electrical, Computer, and Biomedical
Engineering, Southern Illinois University
Carbondale, Carbondale, Illinois 62901, United
States
- Materials
Technology Center, Southern Illinois University
Carbondale, Carbondale, Illinois 62901, United
States
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27
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Sheludko YV, Slagman S, Gittings S, Charnock SJ, Land H, Berglund P, Fessner WD. Enantioselective Synthesis of Pharmaceutically Relevant Bulky Arylbutylamines Using Engineered Transaminases. Adv Synth Catal 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/adsc.202200403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Samantha Gittings
- Prozomix Limited UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND
| | - Simon J. Charnock
- Prozomix Limited UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND
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28
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Wen X, Lin H, Ning Y, Liu G, Ren Y, Li C, Zhang C, Lin J, Song X, Lin J. D-Allulose (D-Psicose) Biotransformation From Allitol by a Newly Found NAD(P)-Dependent Alcohol Dehydrogenase From Gluconobacter frateurii NBRC 3264 and the Enzyme Characterization. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:870168. [PMID: 35547110 PMCID: PMC9083112 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.870168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The NAD(P)-dependent alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) gene was cloned from Gluconobacter frateurii NBRC 3264 and expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 star (DE3). The expressed enzyme was purified and the characteristics were investigated. The results showed that this ADH can convert allitol into D-allulose (D-psicose), which is the first reported enzyme with this catalytic ability. The optimum temperature and pH of this enzyme were 50°C and pH 7.0, respectively, and the enzyme showed a maximal activity in the presence of Co2+. At 1 mM Co2+ and allitol concentrations of 50, 150, and 250 mM, the D-allulose yields of 97, 56, and 38%, respectively, were obtained after reaction for 4 h under optimal conditions, which were much higher than that obtained by using the epimerase method of about 30%.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Wen
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
| | - Huibin Lin
- Shandong Academy of Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Yuhang Ning
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
| | - Guangwen Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
| | - Yilin Ren
- Qingdao Longding Biotech Limited Company, Qingdao, China
| | - Can Li
- School of Biological Engineering, Qilu University of Technology, Jinan, China
| | - Chengjia Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
| | - Jianqun Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
| | - Xin Song
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
| | - Jianqiang Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
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29
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Vasina M, Velecký J, Planas-Iglesias J, Marques SM, Skarupova J, Damborsky J, Bednar D, Mazurenko S, Prokop Z. Tools for computational design and high-throughput screening of therapeutic enzymes. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2022; 183:114143. [PMID: 35167900 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2022.114143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2021] [Revised: 02/04/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Therapeutic enzymes are valuable biopharmaceuticals in various biomedical applications. They have been successfully applied for fibrinolysis, cancer treatment, enzyme replacement therapies, and the treatment of rare diseases. Still, there is a permanent demand to find new or better therapeutic enzymes, which would be sufficiently soluble, stable, and active to meet specific medical needs. Here, we highlight the benefits of coupling computational approaches with high-throughput experimental technologies, which significantly accelerate the identification and engineering of catalytic therapeutic agents. New enzymes can be identified in genomic and metagenomic databases, which grow thanks to next-generation sequencing technologies exponentially. Computational design and machine learning methods are being developed to improve catalytically potent enzymes and predict their properties to guide the selection of target enzymes. High-throughput experimental pipelines, increasingly relying on microfluidics, ensure functional screening and biochemical characterization of target enzymes to reach efficient therapeutic enzymes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michal Vasina
- Loschmidt Laboratories, Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlarska 2, Brno, Czech Republic; Loschmidt Laboratories, RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlarska 2, Brno, Czech Republic; International Clinical Research Centre, St. Anne's University Hospital, Pekarska 53, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Velecký
- Loschmidt Laboratories, Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlarska 2, Brno, Czech Republic; Loschmidt Laboratories, RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlarska 2, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Joan Planas-Iglesias
- Loschmidt Laboratories, Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlarska 2, Brno, Czech Republic; Loschmidt Laboratories, RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlarska 2, Brno, Czech Republic; International Clinical Research Centre, St. Anne's University Hospital, Pekarska 53, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Sergio M Marques
- Loschmidt Laboratories, Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlarska 2, Brno, Czech Republic; Loschmidt Laboratories, RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlarska 2, Brno, Czech Republic; International Clinical Research Centre, St. Anne's University Hospital, Pekarska 53, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jana Skarupova
- Loschmidt Laboratories, Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlarska 2, Brno, Czech Republic; Loschmidt Laboratories, RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlarska 2, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jiri Damborsky
- Loschmidt Laboratories, Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlarska 2, Brno, Czech Republic; Loschmidt Laboratories, RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlarska 2, Brno, Czech Republic; International Clinical Research Centre, St. Anne's University Hospital, Pekarska 53, Brno, Czech Republic; Enantis, INBIT, Kamenice 34, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - David Bednar
- Loschmidt Laboratories, Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlarska 2, Brno, Czech Republic; Loschmidt Laboratories, RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlarska 2, Brno, Czech Republic; International Clinical Research Centre, St. Anne's University Hospital, Pekarska 53, Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Stanislav Mazurenko
- Loschmidt Laboratories, Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlarska 2, Brno, Czech Republic; Loschmidt Laboratories, RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlarska 2, Brno, Czech Republic; International Clinical Research Centre, St. Anne's University Hospital, Pekarska 53, Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Zbynek Prokop
- Loschmidt Laboratories, Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlarska 2, Brno, Czech Republic; Loschmidt Laboratories, RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlarska 2, Brno, Czech Republic; International Clinical Research Centre, St. Anne's University Hospital, Pekarska 53, Brno, Czech Republic.
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30
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Gelley S, Lankry H, Glusac J, Fishman A. Yeast-derived potato patatins: Biochemical and biophysical characterization. Food Chem 2022; 370:130984. [PMID: 34509145 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2021.130984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Revised: 08/09/2021] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Potato patatin is considered a valuable plant protein by the food industry for its exceptional functional properties and nutritional value. Nonetheless, it has not been widely used due to its low abundance in potatoes and high cost. Pichia pastoris was utilized for expression of patatin to overcome agricultural limitations. Biochemical and biophysical characterization of Patatin-B2 (rPatB2) and Patatin-17 (rPat17) is described. rPatB2 and rPat17 had higher zeta potential and superior solubility at various pH conditions in comparison with commercial patatin, whereas particle size distribution was similar. Inflection temperatures were higher than potato isolated patatins. Antioxidant capacity of rPatB2 and rPat17 was similar to that of commercial patatin and the specific enzymatic activity of rPatB2 was 5-fold higher than rPat17 and patatins isolated from potato. Results indicate yeast-derived patatin properties are comparable to patatins from potatoes, suggesting their potential use in various plant-based products such as meat and dairy analogues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sivan Gelley
- Department of Biotechnology and Food Engineering, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 3200003, Israel
| | - Hodaya Lankry
- Department of Biotechnology and Food Engineering, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 3200003, Israel
| | - Jovana Glusac
- Department of Biotechnology and Food Engineering, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 3200003, Israel
| | - Ayelet Fishman
- Department of Biotechnology and Food Engineering, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 3200003, Israel.
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31
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Microbial Transglutaminase-Mediated Formation of Erythropoietin-Polyester Conjugates. J Biotechnol 2022; 346:1-10. [PMID: 35038459 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiotec.2022.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2021] [Revised: 01/12/2022] [Accepted: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Erythropoietin (EPO) is a glycoprotein hormone that has been used to treat anemia in patients with chronic kidney disease and in cancer patients who are receiving chemotherapy. Here, we investigated the accessibility of the glutamine (Gln, Q) residues of recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEPO) towards a thermoresistant variant microbial transglutaminase (mTGase), TG16 with the aim of developing novel rHuEPO conjugates that may potentially enhance its biological efficacy. As a model bioconjugation, we studied the reactivity of rHuEPO towards TG16 with a low molar mass amine group containing substrate, monodansyl cadaverine (MDC). The reactions were carried out at a Tm of 54.3 °C, the transition temperature of rHuEPO. Characterization by SDS-PAGE and mass spectrometry confirmed the conjugates formation. Then, we examined the conjugation of rHuEPO with a biodegradable and biocompatible polyester, poly(D-sorbitol adipate) (PDSA). To achieve this, PDSA was enzymatically synthesized using lipase B from Candida antartica (CAL-B), chemically modified with side chains having free primary amine (NH2) groups that can be acyl acceptor substrate of TG16, thoroughly characterized by 1H NMR spectroscopy, and then applied for the TG16-mediated conjugation reaction with rHuEPO. rHuEPO conjugates generated by this approach were identified by SDS-PAGE proving that the amine-grafted PDSA is accepted as a substrate for TG16. The successful conjugation was further verified by the detection of high molar mass fluorescent bands after labelling of amine-grafted PDSA with rhodamine B-isothiocyanate. Overall, this enzymatic procedure is considered as an effective approach to prepare biodegradable rHuEPO-polymer conjugates even in the presence of N- and O-glycans.
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32
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Kunz P. Assessing the Aggregation Propensity of Single-Domain Antibodies upon Heat-Denaturation Employing the ΔT m Shift. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2446:233-244. [PMID: 35157276 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2075-5_11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Nano differential scanning fluorimetry is used to quantify protein thermostability and has substantially expanded the spectrum of convenient biophysical parameters used to characterize proteins. Here, this technique is used to measure the ΔTm shift for single-domain antibodies (sdAbs), which represents a comprehensive metric for the aggregation propensity of sdAbs upon heat-denaturation. By relating two melting curves at different protein concentrations, the ΔTm shift described in this protocol is ideally suited for high-throughput measurements to guide protein engineering, formulation development, and developability assessment of sdAbs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Kunz
- Coriolis Pharma Research GmbH, Martinsried, Germany.
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33
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Nano Differential Scanning Fluorimetry-Based Thermal Stability Screening and Optimal Buffer Selection for Immunoglobulin G. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2021; 15:ph15010029. [PMID: 35056086 PMCID: PMC8778976 DOI: 10.3390/ph15010029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2021] [Revised: 12/12/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Nano differential scanning fluorimetry (nanoDSF) is a high-throughput protein stability screening technique that simultaneously monitors protein unfolding and aggregation properties. The thermal stability of immunoglobulin G (IgG) was investigated in three different buffers (sodium acetate, sodium citrate, and sodium phosphate) ranging from pH 4 to 8. In all three buffers, the midpoint temperature of thermal unfolding (Tm) showed a tendency to increase as the pH increased, but the aggregation propensity was different depending on the buffer species. The best stability against aggregation was obtained in the sodium acetate buffers below pH 4.6. On the other hand, IgG in the sodium citrate buffer had higher aggregation and viscosity than in the sodium acetate buffer at the same pH. Difference of aggregation between acetate and citrate buffers at the same pH could be explained by a protein-protein interaction study, performed with dynamic light scattering, which suggested that intermolecular interaction is attractive in citrate buffer but repulsive in acetate buffer. In conclusion, this study indicates that the sodium acetate buffer at pH 4.6 is suitable for IgG formulation, and the nanoDSF method is a powerful tool for thermal stability screening and optimal buffer selection in antibody formulations.
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34
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Morris P, García-Arrazola R, Rios-Solis L, Dalby PA. Biophysical characterization of the inactivation of E. coli transketolase by aqueous co-solvents. Sci Rep 2021; 11:23584. [PMID: 34880340 PMCID: PMC8654844 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-03001-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2021] [Accepted: 11/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Transketolase (TK) has been previously engineered, using semi-rational directed evolution and substrate walking, to accept increasingly aliphatic, cyclic, and then aromatic substrates. This has ultimately led to the poor water solubility of new substrates, as a potential bottleneck to further exploitation of this enzyme in biocatalysis. Here we used a range of biophysical studies to characterise the response of both E. coli apo- and holo-TK activity and structure to a range of polar organic co-solvents: acetonitrile (AcCN), n-butanol (nBuOH), ethyl acetate (EtOAc), isopropanol (iPrOH), and tetrahydrofuran (THF). The mechanism of enzyme deactivation was found to be predominantly via solvent-induced local unfolding. Holo-TK is thermodynamically more stable than apo-TK and yet for four of the five co-solvents it retained less activity than apo-TK after exposure to organic solvents, indicating that solvent tolerance was not simply correlated to global conformational stability. The co-solvent concentrations required for complete enzyme inactivation was inversely proportional to co-solvent log(P), while the unfolding rate was directly proportional, indicating that the solvents interact with and partially unfold the enzyme through hydrophobic contacts. Small amounts of aggregate formed in some cases, but this was not sufficient to explain the enzyme inactivation. TK was found to be tolerant to 15% (v/v) iPrOH, 10% (v/v) AcCN, or 6% (v/v) nBuOH over 3 h. This work indicates that future attempts to engineer the enzyme to better tolerate co-solvents should focus on increasing the stability of the protein to local unfolding, particularly in and around the cofactor-binding loops.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phattaraporn Morris
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, University College London, Bernard Katz Building, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
- Chemical Metrology and Biometry Department, National Institute of Metrology, 3/4-5 Moo 3, Klong 5, Klong Luang, 12120, Pathumthani, Thailand
| | - Ribia García-Arrazola
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, University College London, Bernard Katz Building, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Leonardo Rios-Solis
- Institute for Bioengineering, School of Engineering, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3JL, UK
- Centre for Synthetic and Systems Biology (SynthSys), University of Edinburgh, King's Buildings, Edinburgh, EH9 3JL, UK
| | - Paul A Dalby
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, University College London, Bernard Katz Building, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK.
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35
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Fúster Fernández I, Hecquet L, Fessner W. Transketolase Catalyzed Synthesis of
N
‐Aryl Hydroxamic Acids. Adv Synth Catal 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/adsc.202101100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Inés Fúster Fernández
- Institut für Organische Chemie und Biochemie Technische Universität Darmstadt Alarich-Weiss-Str. 4 64287 Darmstadt Germany
| | - Laurence Hecquet
- Institut de Chimie de Clermont-Ferrand CNRS Auvergne Clermont INP Université Clermont Auverne 63000 Clermont-Ferrand France
| | - Wolf‐Dieter Fessner
- Institut für Organische Chemie und Biochemie Technische Universität Darmstadt Alarich-Weiss-Str. 4 64287 Darmstadt Germany
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36
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Henneberg F, Chari A. Chromatography-Free Purification Strategies for Large Biological Macromolecular Complexes Involving Fractionated PEG Precipitation and Density Gradients. Life (Basel) 2021; 11:1289. [PMID: 34947821 PMCID: PMC8707722 DOI: 10.3390/life11121289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2021] [Revised: 11/10/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
A complex interplay between several biological macromolecules maintains cellular homeostasis. Generally, the demanding chemical reactions which sustain life are not performed by individual macromolecules, but rather by several proteins that together form a macromolecular complex. Understanding the functional interactions amongst subunits of these macromolecular machines is fundamental to elucidate mechanisms by which they maintain homeostasis. As the faithful function of macromolecular complexes is essential for cell survival, their mis-function leads to the development of human diseases. Furthermore, detailed mechanistic interrogation of the function of macromolecular machines can be exploited to develop and optimize biotechnological processes. The purification of intact macromolecular complexes is an essential prerequisite for this; however, chromatographic purification schemes can induce the dissociation of subunits or the disintegration of the whole complex. Here, we discuss the development and application of chromatography-free purification strategies based on fractionated PEG precipitation and orthogonal density gradient centrifugation that overcomes existing limitations of established chromatographic purification protocols. The presented case studies illustrate the capabilities of these procedures for the purification of macromolecular complexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabian Henneberg
- Department of Structural Dynamics, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Am Fassberg 11, D-37077 Göttingen, Germany;
| | - Ashwin Chari
- Department of Structural Dynamics, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Am Fassberg 11, D-37077 Göttingen, Germany;
- Research Group for Structural Biochemistry and Mechanisms, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Am Fassberg 11, D-37077 Göttingen, Germany
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37
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Walport LJ, Low JKK, Matthews JM, Mackay JP. The characterization of protein interactions - what, how and how much? Chem Soc Rev 2021; 50:12292-12307. [PMID: 34581717 DOI: 10.1039/d1cs00548k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Protein interactions underlie most molecular events in biology. Many methods have been developed to identify protein partners, to measure the affinity with which these biomolecules interact and to characterise the structures of the complexes. Each approach has its own advantages and limitations, and it can be difficult for the newcomer to determine which methodology would best suit their system. This review provides an overview of many of the techniques most widely used to identify protein partners, assess stoichiometry and binding affinity, and determine low-resolution models for complexes. Key methods covered include: yeast two-hybrid analysis, affinity purification mass spectrometry and proximity labelling to identify partners; size-exclusion chromatography, scattering methods, native mass spectrometry and analytical ultracentrifugation to estimate stoichiometry; isothermal titration calorimetry, biosensors and fluorometric methods (including microscale thermophoresis, anisotropy/polarisation, resonance energy transfer, AlphaScreen, and differential scanning fluorimetry) to measure binding affinity; and crosslinking and hydrogen-deuterium exchange mass spectrometry to probe the structure of complexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louise J Walport
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Rd, London NW1 1AT, UK.,Department of Chemistry, Molecular Sciences Research Hub, Imperial College London, London W12 0BZ, UK
| | - Jason K K Low
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.
| | - Jacqueline M Matthews
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.
| | - Joel P Mackay
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.
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38
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Catalytic and structural insights into a stereospecific and thermostable Class II aldolase HpaI from Acinetobacter baumannii. J Biol Chem 2021; 297:101280. [PMID: 34624314 PMCID: PMC8560999 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2021.101280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2021] [Revised: 10/01/2021] [Accepted: 10/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Aldolases catalyze the reversible reactions of aldol condensation and cleavage and have strong potential for the synthesis of chiral compounds, widely used in pharmaceuticals. Here, we investigated a new Class II metal aldolase from the p-hydroxyphenylacetate degradation pathway in Acinetobacter baumannii, 4-hydroxy-2-keto-heptane-1,7-dioate aldolase (AbHpaI), which has various properties suitable for biocatalysis, including stereoselectivity/stereospecificity, broad aldehyde utilization, thermostability, and solvent tolerance. Notably, the use of Zn2+ by AbHpaI as a native cofactor is distinct from other enzymes in this class. AbHpaI can also use other metal ion (M2+) cofactors, except Ca2+, for catalysis. We found that Zn2+ yielded the highest enzyme complex thermostability (Tm of 87 °C) and solvent tolerance. All AbHpaI•M2+ complexes demonstrated preferential cleavage of (4R)-2-keto-3-deoxy-D-galactonate ((4R)-KDGal) over (4S)-2-keto-3-deoxy-D-gluconate ((4S)-KDGlu), with AbHpaI•Zn2+ displaying the highest R/S stereoselectivity ratio (sixfold higher than other M2+ cofactors). For the aldol condensation reaction, AbHpaI•M2+ only specifically forms (4R)-KDGal and not (4S)-KDGlu and preferentially catalyzes condensation rather than cleavage by ∼40-fold. Based on 11 X-ray structures of AbHpaI complexed with M2+ and ligands at 1.85 to 2.0 Å resolution, the data clearly indicate that the M2+ cofactors form an octahedral geometry with Glu151 and Asp177, pyruvate, and water molecules. Moreover, Arg72 in the Zn2+-bound form governs the stereoselectivity/stereospecificity of AbHpaI. X-ray structures also show that Ca2+ binds at the trimer interface via interaction with Asp51. Hence, we conclude that AbHpaI•Zn2+ is distinctive from its homologues in substrate stereospecificity, preference for aldol formation over cleavage, and protein robustness, and is attractive for biocatalytic applications.
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39
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Desmons S, Grayson-Steel K, Nuñez-Dallos N, Vendier L, Hurtado J, Clapés P, Fauré R, Dumon C, Bontemps S. Enantioselective Reductive Oligomerization of Carbon Dioxide into l-Erythrulose via a Chemoenzymatic Catalysis. J Am Chem Soc 2021; 143:16274-16283. [PMID: 34546049 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.1c07872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
A cell-free enantioselective transformation of the carbon atom of CO2 has never been reported. In the urgent context of transforming CO2 into products of high value, the enantiocontrolled synthesis of chiral compounds from CO2 would be highly desirable. Using an original hybrid chemoenzymatic catalytic process, we report herein the reductive oligomerization of CO2 into C3 (dihydroxyacetone, DHA) and C4 (l-erythrulose) carbohydrates, with perfect enantioselectivity of the latter chiral product. This was achieved with the key intermediacy of formaldehyde. CO2 is first reduced selectively by 4e- by an iron-catalyzed hydroboration reaction, leading to the isolation and complete characterization of a new bis(boryl)acetal compound derived from dimesitylborane. In an aqueous buffer solution at 30 °C, this compound readily releases formaldehyde, which is then involved in selective enzymatic transformations, giving rise either (i) to DHA using a formolase (FLS) catalysis or (ii) to l-erythrulose with a cascade reaction combining FLS and d-fructose-6-phosphate aldolase (FSA) A129S variant. Finally, the nature of the synthesized products is noteworthy, since carbohydrates are of high interest for the chemical and pharmaceutical industries. The present results prove that the cell-free de novo synthesis of carbohydrates from CO2 as a sustainable carbon source is a possible alternative pathway in addition to the intensely studied biomass extraction and de novo syntheses from fossil resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Desmons
- LCC-CNRS, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, F-31077 Toulouse Cedex 4, France.,TBI, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, INRAE, INSA, 31077 Toulouse, France
| | | | - Nelson Nuñez-Dallos
- LCC-CNRS, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, F-31077 Toulouse Cedex 4, France.,Department of Chemistry, Universidad de los Andes, Carrera 1 No. 18A-12, 111711 Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Laure Vendier
- LCC-CNRS, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, F-31077 Toulouse Cedex 4, France
| | - John Hurtado
- Department of Chemistry, Universidad de los Andes, Carrera 1 No. 18A-12, 111711 Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Pere Clapés
- Biological Chemistry Department, Institute for Advanced Chemistry of Catalonia, IQAC-CSIC, Jordi Girona 18-26, 08034 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Régis Fauré
- TBI, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, INRAE, INSA, 31077 Toulouse, France
| | - Claire Dumon
- TBI, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, INRAE, INSA, 31077 Toulouse, France
| | - Sébastien Bontemps
- LCC-CNRS, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, F-31077 Toulouse Cedex 4, France
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40
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Benavente JL, Siliqi D, Infantes L, Lagartera L, Mills A, Gago F, Ruiz-López N, Botella MA, Sánchez-Barrena MJ, Albert A. The structure and flexibility analysis of the Arabidopsis synaptotagmin 1 reveal the basis of its regulation at membrane contact sites. Life Sci Alliance 2021; 4:e202101152. [PMID: 34408000 PMCID: PMC8380656 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.202101152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2021] [Revised: 07/21/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Non-vesicular lipid transfer at ER and plasma membrane (PM) contact sites (CS) is crucial for the maintenance of membrane lipid homeostasis. Extended synaptotagmins (E-Syts) play a central role in this process as they act as molecular tethers of ER and PM and as lipid transfer proteins between these organelles. E-Syts are proteins constitutively anchored to the ER through an N-terminal hydrophobic segment and bind the PM via a variable number of C-terminal C2 domains. Synaptotagmins (SYTs) are the plant orthologous of E-Syts and regulate the ER-PM communication in response to abiotic stress. Combining different structural and biochemical techniques, we demonstrate that the binding of SYT1 to lipids occurs through a Ca2+-dependent lipid-binding site and by a site for phosphorylated forms of phosphatidylinositol, thus integrating two different molecular signals in response to stress. In addition, we show that SYT1 displays three highly flexible hinge points that provide conformational freedom to facilitate lipid extraction, protein loading, and subsequent transfer between PM and ER.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan L Benavente
- Instituto de Química Física "Rocasolano," Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Dritan Siliqi
- Istituto di Cristallografia, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Bari, Italy
| | - Lourdes Infantes
- Instituto de Química Física "Rocasolano," Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Alberto Mills
- Área de Farmacología, Departamento de Ciencias Biomédicas, Unidad Asociada al IQM-CSIC, Universidad de Alcalá, Madrid, Spain
| | - Federico Gago
- Área de Farmacología, Departamento de Ciencias Biomédicas, Unidad Asociada al IQM-CSIC, Universidad de Alcalá, Madrid, Spain
| | - Noemí Ruiz-López
- Departamento de Biología Molecular y Bioquímica. Instituto de Hortofruticultura Subtropical y Mediterránea "La Mayora," Universidad de Málaga-CSIC (IHSM-UMA-CSIC), Universidad de Málaga, Campus de Teatinos, Málaga, Spain
| | - Miguel A Botella
- Departamento de Biología Molecular y Bioquímica. Instituto de Hortofruticultura Subtropical y Mediterránea "La Mayora," Universidad de Málaga-CSIC (IHSM-UMA-CSIC), Universidad de Málaga, Campus de Teatinos, Málaga, Spain
| | - María J Sánchez-Barrena
- Instituto de Química Física "Rocasolano," Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Armando Albert
- Instituto de Química Física "Rocasolano," Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
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41
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Atsavapranee B, Stark CD, Sunden F, Thompson S, Fordyce PM. Fundamentals to function: Quantitative and scalable approaches for measuring protein stability. Cell Syst 2021; 12:547-560. [PMID: 34139165 DOI: 10.1016/j.cels.2021.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2021] [Revised: 04/16/2021] [Accepted: 05/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Folding a linear chain of amino acids into a three-dimensional protein is a complex physical process that ultimately confers an impressive range of diverse functions. Although recent advances have driven significant progress in predicting three-dimensional protein structures from sequence, proteins are not static molecules. Rather, they exist as complex conformational ensembles defined by energy landscapes spanning the space of sequence and conditions. Quantitatively mapping the physical parameters that dictate these landscapes and protein stability is therefore critical to develop models that are capable of predicting how mutations alter function of proteins in disease and informing the design of proteins with desired functions. Here, we review the approaches that are used to quantify protein stability at a variety of scales, from returning multiple thermodynamic and kinetic measurements for a single protein sequence to yielding indirect insights into folding across a vast sequence space. The physical parameters derived from these approaches will provide a foundation for models that extend beyond the structural prediction to capture the complexity of conformational ensembles and, ultimately, their function.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Catherine D Stark
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; ChEM-H, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Fanny Sunden
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Samuel Thompson
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
| | - Polly M Fordyce
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; ChEM-H, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA 94110, USA.
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Hendrikse NM, Sandegren A, Andersson T, Blomqvist J, Makower Å, Possner D, Su C, Thalén N, Tjernberg A, Westermark U, Rockberg J, Svensson Gelius S, Syrén PO, Nordling E. Ancestral lysosomal enzymes with increased activity harbor therapeutic potential for treatment of Hunter syndrome. iScience 2021; 24:102154. [PMID: 33665572 PMCID: PMC7907806 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.102154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2020] [Revised: 11/11/2020] [Accepted: 02/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
We show the successful application of ancestral sequence reconstruction to enhance the activity of iduronate-2-sulfatase (IDS), thereby increasing its therapeutic potential for the treatment of Hunter syndrome—a lysosomal storage disease caused by impaired function of IDS. Current treatment, enzyme replacement therapy with recombinant human IDS, does not alleviate all symptoms, and an unmet medical need remains. We reconstructed putative ancestral sequences of mammalian IDS and compared them with extant IDS. Some ancestral variants displayed up to 2-fold higher activity than human IDS in in vitro assays and cleared more substrate in ex vivo experiments in patient fibroblasts. This could potentially allow for lower dosage or enhanced therapeutic effect in enzyme replacement therapy, thereby improving treatment outcomes and cost efficiency, as well as reducing treatment burden. In summary, we showed that ancestral sequence reconstruction can be applied to lysosomal enzymes that function in concert with modern enzymes and receptors in cells. Reconstruction of ancestral lysosomal enzymes that function in complex cellular context Ancestral iduronate-2-sulfatases with increased activity compared with the human enzyme Increased clearance of substrate in patient fibroblasts indicates therapeutic potential
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie M. Hendrikse
- Swedish Orphan Biovitrum AB, Stockholm 112 76, Sweden
- Science for Life Laboratory, School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Solna 171 21, Sweden
- Department of Fibre and Polymer Technology, School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm 100 44, Sweden
| | | | | | | | - Åsa Makower
- Swedish Orphan Biovitrum AB, Stockholm 112 76, Sweden
| | | | - Chao Su
- Swedish Orphan Biovitrum AB, Stockholm 112 76, Sweden
| | - Niklas Thalén
- Department of Protein Science, School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm 10691, Sweden
| | | | | | - Johan Rockberg
- Department of Protein Science, School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm 10691, Sweden
| | | | - Per-Olof Syrén
- Science for Life Laboratory, School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Solna 171 21, Sweden
- Department of Fibre and Polymer Technology, School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm 100 44, Sweden
- Department of Protein Science, School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm 10691, Sweden
- Corresponding author
| | - Erik Nordling
- Swedish Orphan Biovitrum AB, Stockholm 112 76, Sweden
- Corresponding author
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43
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Czubinski J. Insight into thermally induced structural changes of lupin seed γ-conglutin. Food Chem 2021; 354:129480. [PMID: 33765465 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2021.129480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2020] [Revised: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 02/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
A multidimensional analysis aimed to determine the thermal impact on γ-conglutin at the two oligomeric states was carried out. A wide range of biophysical and bioinformatic methods allowed to get insight into a thermal unfolding mechanism. The determined midpoint transition temperature (Tm) values were remarkably different, being 56.5 °C and 71.1 °C for γ-conglutin monomer and hexamer, respectively. The unfolding pattern for hexamer molecules included aggregation/precipitation, while monomers tended to form soluble aggregates after heat exposure. Interestingly, differences in the aromatic amino acid residues movements indicate that during thermal treatment of γ-conglutin hexamer red-shift occurred contrary to the monomer in the case of which blue-shift was noted. The obtained results provide an essential contribution to expand our knowledge about the molecular characterization of this intriguing lupin seed protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaroslaw Czubinski
- Department of Food Biochemistry and Analysis, Poznan University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 28, 60-637 Poznan, Poland.
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44
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Edwards RJ, Mansouri K, Stalls V, Manne K, Watts B, Parks R, Janowska K, Gobeil SMC, Kopp M, Li D, Lu X, Mu Z, Deyton M, Oguin TH, Sprenz J, Williams W, Saunders KO, Montefiori D, Sempowski GD, Henderson R, Munir Alam S, Haynes BF, Acharya P. Cold sensitivity of the SARS-CoV-2 spike ectodomain. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2021; 28:128-131. [PMID: 33402708 PMCID: PMC7878407 DOI: 10.1038/s41594-020-00547-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2020] [Accepted: 12/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein, a primary target for COVID-19 vaccine development, presents its receptor binding domain in two conformations, the receptor-accessible 'up' or receptor-inaccessible 'down' states. Here we report that the commonly used stabilized S ectodomain construct '2P' is sensitive to cold temperatures, and this cold sensitivity is abrogated in a 'down' state-stabilized ectodomain. Our findings will impact structural, functional and vaccine studies that use the SARS-CoV-2 S ectodomain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert J Edwards
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Durham, NC, USA.
- Department of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
| | | | | | | | - Brian Watts
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Rob Parks
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Durham, NC, USA
| | | | | | - Megan Kopp
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Dapeng Li
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Xiaozhi Lu
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Zekun Mu
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Durham, NC, USA
| | | | | | | | - Wilton Williams
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Kevin O Saunders
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Surgery, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - David Montefiori
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Surgery, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | | | - Rory Henderson
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - S Munir Alam
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Barton F Haynes
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Immunology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Priyamvada Acharya
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Durham, NC, USA.
- Department of Surgery, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
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45
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Guo C, Ni Y, Biewenga L, Pijning T, Thunnissen AWH, Poelarends GJ. Using Mutability Landscapes To Guide Enzyme Thermostabilization. Chembiochem 2021; 22:170-175. [PMID: 32790123 PMCID: PMC7821111 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202000442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Revised: 08/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Thermostabilizing enzymes while retaining their activity and enantioselectivity for applied biocatalysis is an important topic in protein engineering. Rational and computational design strategies as well as directed evolution have been used successfully to thermostabilize enzymes. Herein, we describe an alternative mutability-landscape approach that identified three single mutations (R11Y, R11I and A33D) within the enzyme 4-oxalocrotonate tautomerase (4-OT), which has potential as a biocatalyst for pharmaceutical synthesis, that gave rise to significant increases in apparent melting temperature Tm (up to 20 °C) and in half-life at 80 °C (up to 111-fold). Introduction of these beneficial mutations in an enantioselective but thermolabile 4-OT variant (M45Y/F50A) afforded improved triple-mutant enzyme variants showing an up to 39 °C increase in Tm value, with no reduction in catalytic activity or enantioselectivity. This study illustrates the power of mutability-landscape-guided protein engineering for thermostabilizing enzymes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Guo
- Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Biology Groningen Research Institute of PharmacyUniversity of GroningenAntonius Deusinglaan 19713 AVGroningen (TheNetherlands
| | - Yan Ni
- Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Biology Groningen Research Institute of PharmacyUniversity of GroningenAntonius Deusinglaan 19713 AVGroningen (TheNetherlands
- Present address: Department of Biomedical EngineeringEindhoven University of Technology5600 MBEindhoven (TheNetherlands
| | - Lieuwe Biewenga
- Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Biology Groningen Research Institute of PharmacyUniversity of GroningenAntonius Deusinglaan 19713 AVGroningen (TheNetherlands
- Present address: Department of Biomedical EngineeringEindhoven University of Technology5600 MBEindhoven (TheNetherlands
| | - Tjaard Pijning
- Structural Biology GroupGroningen Institute of Biomolecular Sciences and BiotechnologyUniversity of GroningenNijenborgh 79747 AGGroningen (TheNetherlands
| | - Andy‐Mark W. H. Thunnissen
- Molecular Enzymology Group Groningen Institute of Biomolecular Sciences and BiotechnologyUniversity of GroningenNijenborgh 49747 AGGroningen (TheNetherlands
| | - Gerrit J. Poelarends
- Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Biology Groningen Research Institute of PharmacyUniversity of GroningenAntonius Deusinglaan 19713 AVGroningen (TheNetherlands
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46
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Mo X, Cai X, Hui Q, Sun H, Yu R, Bu R, Yan B, Ou Q, Li Q, He S, Jiang C. Whole genome sequencing and metabolomics analyses reveal the biosynthesis of nerol in a multi-stress-tolerant Meyerozyma guilliermondii GXDK6. Microb Cell Fact 2021; 20:4. [PMID: 33413399 PMCID: PMC7789178 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-020-01490-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Nerol (C10H18O), an acyclic monoterpene, naturally presents in plant essential oils, and is used widely in food, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals as the valuable fragrance. Meanwhile, chemical synthesis is the only strategy for large-scale production of nerol, and the disadvantages of chemical synthesis greatly limit the production and its application. These defects drive the interests of researchers shift to the production of nerol by eco-friendly methods known as biosynthesis methods. However, the main technical bottleneck restricting the biosynthesis of nerol is the lacking of corresponding natural aroma-producing microorganisms. RESULTS In this study, a novel multi-stress-tolerant probiotics Meyerozyma guilliermondii GXDK6 with aroma-producing properties was identified by whole genome sequencing and metabolomics technology. GXDK6 showed a broad pH tolerance in the range of 2.5-10.0. The species also showed salt tolerance with up to 12% NaCl and up to 18% of KCl or MgCl2. GXDK6 exhibited heavy-metal Mn2+ tolerance of up to 5494 ppm. GXDK6 could also ferment with a total of 21 kinds of single organic matter as the carbon source, and produce abundant aromatic metabolites. Results from the gas chromatography-mass spectrometry indicated the production of 8-14 types of aromatic metabolites (isopentanol, nerol, geraniol, phenylethanol, isobutanol, etc.) when GXDK6 was fermented up to 72 h with glucose, sucrose, fructose, or xylose as the single carbon source. Among them, nerol was found to be a novel aromatic metabolite from GXDK6 fermentation, and its biosynthesis mechanism had also been further revealed. CONCLUSION A novel aroma-producing M. guilliermondii GXDK6 was identified successfully by whole genome sequencing and metabolomics technology. GXDK6 showed high multi-stress-tolerant properties with acid-base, salty, and heavy-metal environments. The aroma-producing mechanism of nerol in GXDK6 had also been revealed. These findings indicated the aroma-producing M. guilliermondii GXDK6 with multi-stress-tolerant properties has great potential value in the fermentation industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueyan Mo
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, Guangxi Research Center for Microbial and Enzyme Engineering Technology, College of Life Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530004, China
| | - Xinghua Cai
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, Guangxi Research Center for Microbial and Enzyme Engineering Technology, College of Life Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530004, China
| | - Qinyan Hui
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, Guangxi Research Center for Microbial and Enzyme Engineering Technology, College of Life Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530004, China
| | - Huijie Sun
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, Guangxi Research Center for Microbial and Enzyme Engineering Technology, College of Life Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530004, China
| | - Ran Yu
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, Guangxi Research Center for Microbial and Enzyme Engineering Technology, College of Life Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530004, China
| | - Ru Bu
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, Guangxi Research Center for Microbial and Enzyme Engineering Technology, College of Life Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530004, China
| | - Bing Yan
- Guangxi Key Lab of Mangrove Conservation and Utilization, Guangxi Mangrove Research Center, Guangxi Academy of Sciences, Beihai, 536000, China
| | - Qian Ou
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, Guangxi Research Center for Microbial and Enzyme Engineering Technology, College of Life Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530004, China
| | - Quanwen Li
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, Guangxi Research Center for Microbial and Enzyme Engineering Technology, College of Life Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530004, China
| | - Sheng He
- Guangxi Birth Defects Prevention and Control Institute, Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Nanning, 530033, China.
| | - Chengjian Jiang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, Guangxi Research Center for Microbial and Enzyme Engineering Technology, College of Life Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530004, China.
- Guangxi Key Lab of Mangrove Conservation and Utilization, Guangxi Mangrove Research Center, Guangxi Academy of Sciences, Beihai, 536000, China.
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47
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Slagman S, Fessner WD. Biocatalytic routes to anti-viral agents and their synthetic intermediates. Chem Soc Rev 2021; 50:1968-2009. [DOI: 10.1039/d0cs00763c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
An assessment of biocatalytic strategies for the synthesis of anti-viral agents, offering guidelines for the development of sustainable production methods for a future COVID-19 remedy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sjoerd Slagman
- Institut für Organische Chemie und Biochemie
- Technische Universität Darmstadt
- Germany
| | - Wolf-Dieter Fessner
- Institut für Organische Chemie und Biochemie
- Technische Universität Darmstadt
- Germany
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48
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Liu Z, Liang Q, Wang P, Kong Q, Fu X, Mou H. Improving the kinetic stability of a hyperthermostable β-mannanase by a rationally combined strategy. Int J Biol Macromol 2020; 167:405-414. [PMID: 33278432 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2020.11.202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2020] [Revised: 11/24/2020] [Accepted: 11/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Feasible and easily accessible methods for the rational design of enzyme engineering strategies remain to be established. Thus, a new rationally combined strategy based on disulfide bond engineering and HotSpot Wizard 3.0 was proposed and experimentally demonstrated to be effective using a hyperthermostable β-mannanase. Ten of 42 mutants showed prominent enhancement of kinetic stability with 26.4%-39.9% increases in t1/2 (75 °C) compared with the parent enzyme ManAKH. The best mutant, D273-V308, showed apparent increases in both optimal temperature (5 °C) and T50 (6.8 °C), as well as advanced catalytic efficiency. The low rate of inactive mutants and the high rate of positive mutants indicated that newly introduced screening factors (distance from catalytic residues, Gibbs free energy term, molecular simulation, and visual inspections) greatly enhance the design of thermostable β-mannanase. Moreover, these findings further advance the industrial application of β-mannanase (ManAK) in food and food-related applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhemin Liu
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Qingping Liang
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Peng Wang
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Qing Kong
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Xiaodan Fu
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Haijin Mou
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China.
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49
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Puhl AC, Lane TR, Vignaux PA, Zorn KM, Capodagli GC, Neiditch MB, Freundlich JS, Ekins S. Computational Approaches to Identify Molecules Binding to Mycobacterium tuberculosis KasA. ACS OMEGA 2020; 5:29935-29942. [PMID: 33251429 PMCID: PMC7689923 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.0c04271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Accepted: 10/07/2020] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Tuberculosis is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) and is a deadly disease resulting in the deaths of approximately 1.5 million people with 10 million infections reported in 2018. Recently, a key condensation step in the synthesis of mycolic acids was shown to require β-ketoacyl-ACP synthase (KasA). A crystal structure of KasA with the small molecule DG167 was recently described, which provided a starting point for using computational structure-based approaches to identify additional molecules binding to this protein. We now describe structure-based pharmacophores, docking and machine learning studies with Assay Central as a computational tool for the identification of small molecules targeting KasA. We then tested these compounds using nanoscale differential scanning fluorimetry and microscale thermophoresis. Of note, we identified several molecules including the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drugs sildenafil and flubendazole with K d values between 30-40 μM. This may provide additional starting points for further optimization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana C. Puhl
- Collaborations
Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 840 Main Campus Drive, Lab 3510, Raleigh, North Carolina 27606, United States
| | - Thomas R. Lane
- Collaborations
Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 840 Main Campus Drive, Lab 3510, Raleigh, North Carolina 27606, United States
| | - Patricia A. Vignaux
- Collaborations
Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 840 Main Campus Drive, Lab 3510, Raleigh, North Carolina 27606, United States
| | - Kimberley M. Zorn
- Collaborations
Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 840 Main Campus Drive, Lab 3510, Raleigh, North Carolina 27606, United States
| | - Glenn C. Capodagli
- Department
of Microbiology, Biochemistry, and Molecular Genetics, Rutgers University − New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey 07103, United States
| | - Matthew B. Neiditch
- Department
of Microbiology, Biochemistry, and Molecular Genetics, Rutgers University − New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey 07103, United States
| | - Joel S. Freundlich
- Department
of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience, Rutgers University − New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey 07103, United States
- Division
of Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine and the Ruy V. Lourenço
Center for the Study of Emerging and Re-emerging Pathogens, Rutgers University - New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey 07103, United States
| | - Sean Ekins
- Collaborations
Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 840 Main Campus Drive, Lab 3510, Raleigh, North Carolina 27606, United States
- . Tel.: +1 215-687-1320
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50
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Visootsat A, Nakamura A, Wang TW, Iino R. Combined Approach to Engineer a Highly Active Mutant of Processive Chitinase Hydrolyzing Crystalline Chitin. ACS OMEGA 2020; 5:26807-26816. [PMID: 33111007 PMCID: PMC7581260 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.0c03911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2020] [Accepted: 09/25/2020] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Serratia marcescens chitinase A (SmChiA) processively hydrolyzes recalcitrant biomass crystalline chitin under mild conditions. Here, we combined multiple sequence alignment, site-saturation mutagenesis, and automated protein purification and activity measurement with liquid-handling robot to reduce the number of mutation trials and shorten the screening time for hydrolytic activity improvement of SmChiA. The amino acid residues, which are not conserved in the alignment and are close to the aromatic residues along the substrate-binding sites in the crystal structure, were selected for site-saturation mutagenesis. Using the previously identified highly active F232W/F396W mutant as a template, we identified the F232W/F396W/S538V mutant, which shows further improved hydrolytic activity just by trying eight different sites. Importantly, valine was not found in the multiple sequence alignment at Ser538 site of SmChiA. Our combined approach allows engineering of highly active enzyme mutants, which cannot be identified only by the introduction of predominant amino acid residues in the multiple sequence alignment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akasit Visootsat
- Department
of Functional Molecular Science, School of Physical Sciences, SOKENDAI (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), Hayama, Kanagawa 240-0193, Japan
- Institute
for Molecular Science, National Institutes
of Natural Sciences, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8787, Japan
| | - Akihiko Nakamura
- Department
of Applied Life Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Shizuoka University, Shizuoka, Shizuoka 422-8529, Japan
| | | | - Ryota Iino
- Department
of Functional Molecular Science, School of Physical Sciences, SOKENDAI (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), Hayama, Kanagawa 240-0193, Japan
- Institute
for Molecular Science, National Institutes
of Natural Sciences, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8787, Japan
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