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Fram B, Su Y, Truebridge I, Riesselman AJ, Ingraham JB, Passera A, Napier E, Thadani NN, Lim S, Roberts K, Kaur G, Stiffler MA, Marks DS, Bahl CD, Khan AR, Sander C, Gauthier NP. Simultaneous enhancement of multiple functional properties using evolution-informed protein design. Nat Commun 2024; 15:5141. [PMID: 38902262 PMCID: PMC11190266 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49119-x] [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: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2024] [Indexed: 06/22/2024] Open
Abstract
A major challenge in protein design is to augment existing functional proteins with multiple property enhancements. Altering several properties likely necessitates numerous primary sequence changes, and novel methods are needed to accurately predict combinations of mutations that maintain or enhance function. Models of sequence co-variation (e.g., EVcouplings), which leverage extensive information about various protein properties and activities from homologous protein sequences, have proven effective for many applications including structure determination and mutation effect prediction. We apply EVcouplings to computationally design variants of the model protein TEM-1 β-lactamase. Nearly all the 14 experimentally characterized designs were functional, including one with 84 mutations from the nearest natural homolog. The designs also had large increases in thermostability, increased activity on multiple substrates, and nearly identical structure to the wild type enzyme. This study highlights the efficacy of evolutionary models in guiding large sequence alterations to generate functional diversity for protein design applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Fram
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Data Sciences, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Yang Su
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ian Truebridge
- Institute for Protein Innovation, Boston, MA, USA
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- AI Proteins, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Adam J Riesselman
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Program in Biomedical Informatics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - John B Ingraham
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Alessandro Passera
- Department of Data Sciences, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Campus-Vienna-Biocenter 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria
| | - Eve Napier
- School of Biochemistry and Immunology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - Nicole N Thadani
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Apriori Bio, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Samuel Lim
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kristen Roberts
- Selux Diagnostics Inc., 56 Roland Street, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Gurleen Kaur
- Selux Diagnostics Inc., 56 Roland Street, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Michael A Stiffler
- Department of Data Sciences, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Dyno Therapeutics, 343 Arsenal Street, Watertown, MA, USA
| | - Debora S Marks
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Christopher D Bahl
- Institute for Protein Innovation, Boston, MA, USA
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- AI Proteins, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Amir R Khan
- School of Biochemistry and Immunology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
- Division of Newborn Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Chris Sander
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Data Sciences, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Nicholas P Gauthier
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Data Sciences, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA.
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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Fram B, Truebridge I, Su Y, Riesselman AJ, Ingraham JB, Passera A, Napier E, Thadani NN, Lim S, Roberts K, Kaur G, Stiffler M, Marks DS, Bahl CD, Khan AR, Sander C, Gauthier NP. Simultaneous enhancement of multiple functional properties using evolution-informed protein design. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.05.09.539914. [PMID: 37214973 PMCID: PMC10197589 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.09.539914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Designing optimized proteins is important for a range of practical applications. Protein design is a rapidly developing field that would benefit from approaches that enable many changes in the amino acid primary sequence, rather than a small number of mutations, while maintaining structure and enhancing function. Homologous protein sequences contain extensive information about various protein properties and activities that have emerged over billions of years of evolution. Evolutionary models of sequence co-variation, derived from a set of homologous sequences, have proven effective in a range of applications including structure determination and mutation effect prediction. In this work we apply one of these models (EVcouplings) to computationally design highly divergent variants of the model protein TEM-1 β-lactamase, and characterize these designs experimentally using multiple biochemical and biophysical assays. Nearly all designed variants were functional, including one with 84 mutations from the nearest natural homolog. Surprisingly, all functional designs had large increases in thermostability and most had a broadening of available substrates. These property enhancements occurred while maintaining a nearly identical structure to the wild type enzyme. Collectively, this work demonstrates that evolutionary models of sequence co-variation (1) are able to capture complex epistatic interactions that successfully guide large sequence departures from natural contexts, and (2) can be applied to generate functional diversity useful for many applications in protein design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Fram
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ian Truebridge
- Institute for Protein Innovation, Boston, Massachusetts, Boston, MA, USA
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School; Boston, MA, USA
- current address: AI Proteins; Boston, MA, USA
| | - Yang Su
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Adam J. Riesselman
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Program in Biomedical Informatics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - John B. Ingraham
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Alessandro Passera
- Department of Data Sciences, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- current address: Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Campus-Vienna-Biocenter 1, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Eve Napier
- School of Biochemistry and Immunology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - Nicole N. Thadani
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Samuel Lim
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kristen Roberts
- Selux Diagnostics, Inc., 56 Roland Street, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Gurleen Kaur
- Selux Diagnostics, Inc., 56 Roland Street, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Michael Stiffler
- Department of Data Sciences, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Debora S. Marks
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Christopher D. Bahl
- Institute for Protein Innovation, Boston, Massachusetts, Boston, MA, USA
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School; Boston, MA, USA
- current address: AI Proteins; Boston, MA, USA
| | - Amir R. Khan
- School of Biochemistry and Immunology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
- Division of Newborn Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Chris Sander
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Nicholas P. Gauthier
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Data Sciences, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
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Abstract
Class C β-lactamases or cephalosporinases can be classified into two functional groups (1, 1e) with considerable molecular variability (≤20% sequence identity). These enzymes are mostly encoded by chromosomal and inducible genes and are widespread among bacteria, including Proteobacteria in particular. Molecular identification is based principally on three catalytic motifs (64SXSK, 150YXN, 315KTG), but more than 70 conserved amino-acid residues (≥90%) have been identified, many close to these catalytic motifs. Nevertheless, the identification of a tiny, phylogenetically distant cluster (including enzymes from the genera Legionella, Bradyrhizobium, and Parachlamydia) has raised questions about the possible existence of a C2 subclass of β-lactamases, previously identified as serine hydrolases. In a context of the clinical emergence of extended-spectrum AmpC β-lactamases (ESACs), the genetic modifications observed in vivo and in vitro (point mutations, insertions, or deletions) during the evolution of these enzymes have mostly involved the Ω- and H-10/R2-loops, which vary considerably between genera, and, in some cases, the conserved triplet 150YXN. Furthermore, the conserved deletion of several amino-acid residues in opportunistic pathogenic species of Acinetobacter, such as A. baumannii, A. calcoaceticus, A. pittii and A. nosocomialis (deletion of residues 304-306), and in Hafnia alvei and H. paralvei (deletion of residues 289-290), provides support for the notion of natural ESACs. The emergence of higher levels of resistance to β-lactams, including carbapenems, and to inhibitors such as avibactam is a reality, as the enzymes responsible are subject to complex regulation encompassing several other genes (ampR, ampD, ampG, etc.). Combinations of resistance mechanisms may therefore be at work, including overproduction or change in permeability, with the loss of porins and/or activation of efflux systems.
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Ishikawa T, Furukawa N, Caselli E, Prati F, Taracila MA, Bethel CR, Ishii Y, Shimizu-Ibuka A, Bonomo RA. Insights Into the Inhibition of MOX-1 β-Lactamase by S02030, a Boronic Acid Transition State Inhibitor. Front Microbiol 2022; 12:720036. [PMID: 34970229 PMCID: PMC8713471 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.720036] [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: 06/03/2021] [Accepted: 11/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The rise of multidrug resistant (MDR) Gram-negative bacteria has accelerated the development of novel inhibitors of class A and C β-lactamases. Presently, the search for novel compounds with new mechanisms of action is a clinical and scientific priority. To this end, we determined the 2.13-Å resolution crystal structure of S02030, a boronic acid transition state inhibitor (BATSI), bound to MOX-1 β-lactamase, a plasmid-borne, expanded-spectrum AmpC β-lactamase (ESAC) and compared this to the previously reported aztreonam (ATM)-bound MOX-1 structure. Superposition of these two complexes shows that S02030 binds in the active-site cavity more deeply than ATM. In contrast, the SO3 interactions and the positional change of the β-strand amino acids from Lys315 to Asn320 were more prominent in the ATM-bound structure. MICs were performed using a fixed concentration of S02030 (4 μg/ml) as a proof of principle. Microbiological evaluation against a laboratory strain of Escherichia coli expressing MOX-1 revealed that MICs against ceftazidime are reduced from 2.0 to 0.12 μg/ml when S02030 is added at a concentration of 4 μg/ml. The IC50 and Ki of S02030 vs. MOX-1 were 1.25 ± 0.34 and 0.56 ± 0.03 μM, respectively. Monobactams such as ATM can serve as informative templates for design of mechanism-based inhibitors such as S02030 against ESAC β-lactamases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatsuya Ishikawa
- Department of Applied Life Sciences, Niigata University of Pharmacy and Applied Life Sciences, Niigata, Japan
| | | | - Emilia Caselli
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Fabio Prati
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Magdalena A Taracila
- Louis Stokes Cleveland Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, United States.,Department of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - Christopher R Bethel
- Louis Stokes Cleveland Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - Yoshikazu Ishii
- Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Toho University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Akiko Shimizu-Ibuka
- Department of Applied Life Sciences, Niigata University of Pharmacy and Applied Life Sciences, Niigata, Japan
| | - Robert A Bonomo
- Louis Stokes Cleveland Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, United States.,Department of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, United States.,Departments of Pharmacology, Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Biochemistry, and Proteomics and Bioinformatics, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, United States.,CWRU-Cleveland VAMC Center for Antimicrobial Resistance and Epidemiology (Case VA CARES), Cleveland, OH, United States
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Molecular Characterization of a Novel Family VIII Esterase with β-Lactamase Activity ( PsEstA) from Paenibacillus sp. Biomolecules 2019; 9:biom9120786. [PMID: 31779208 PMCID: PMC6995599 DOI: 10.3390/biom9120786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2019] [Revised: 11/19/2019] [Accepted: 11/24/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Molecular information about family VIII esterases, which have similarities with class C β-lactamases and penicillin-binding proteins, remains largely unknown. In this study, a novel family VIII esterase with β-lactamase activity (PsEstA) from Paenibacillus sp. was characterized using several biochemical and biophysical methods. PsEstA was effective on a broad range of substrates including tertiary butyl acetate, glyceryl tributyrate, glucose pentaacetate, olive oil, and p-nitrophenyl esters. Additionally, PsEstA hydrolyzed nitrocefin, cefotaxime, and 7-aminocephalosporanic acid. Interestingly, two forms of immobilized PsEstA (CLEAs-PsEstA and mCLEAs-PsEstA) showed high recycling property and enhanced stability, but hybrid nanoflowers (hNFs) of PsEstA require improvement. This study provides a molecular understanding of substrate specificities, catalytic regulation, and immobilization of PsEstA, which can be efficiently used in biotechnological applications.
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Khoshnood S, Heidary M, Mirnejad R, Bahramian A, Sedighi M, Mirzaei H. Drug-resistant gram-negative uropathogens: A review. Biomed Pharmacother 2017; 94:982-994. [PMID: 28810536 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2017.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2017] [Revised: 07/31/2017] [Accepted: 08/02/2017] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Urinary tract infection(UTI) caused by Gram-negative bacteria is the second most common infectious presentation in community medical practice. Approximately 150 million people are diagnosed with UTI each year worldwide. Drug resistance in Gram-negative uropathogens is a major global concern which can lead to poor clinical outcomes including treatment failure, development of bacteremia, requirement for intravenous therapy, hospitalization, and extended length of hospital stay. The mechanisms of drug resistance in these bacteria are important due to they are often not identified by routine susceptibility tests and have an exceptional potential for outbreaks. Treatment of UTIs depends on the access to effective drugs, which is now threatened by antibiotic resistant Gram-negative uropathogens. Although several effective antibiotics with activity against highly resistant Gram-negatives are available, there is not a unique antibiotic with activity against the high variety of resistance. Therefore, antimicrobial susceptibility tests, correlation between clinicians and laboratories, development of more rapid diagnostic methods, and continuous monitoring of drug resistance are urgent priorities. In this review, we will discuss about the current global status of drug-resistant Gram-negative uropathogens and their mechanisms of drug resistance to provide new insights into their treatment options.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saeed Khoshnood
- Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
| | - Mohsen Heidary
- Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Reza Mirnejad
- Molecular Biology Research Center, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Aghil Bahramian
- Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mansour Sedighi
- Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Habibollah Mirzaei
- Department of Virology, School of Medicine, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
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Tripathi R, Nair NN. Deacylation Mechanism and Kinetics of Acyl-Enzyme Complex of Class C β-Lactamase and Cephalothin. J Phys Chem B 2016; 120:2681-90. [PMID: 26918257 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.5b11623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the molecular details of antibiotic resistance by the bacterial enzymes β-lactamases is vital for the development of novel antibiotics and inhibitors. In this spirit, the detailed mechanism of deacylation of the acyl-enzyme complex formed by cephalothin and class C β-lactamase is investigated here using hybrid quantum-mechanical/molecular-mechanical molecular dynamics methods. The roles of various active-site residues and substrate in the deacylation reaction are elucidated. We identify the base that activates the hydrolyzing water molecule and the residue that protonates the catalytic serine (Ser64). Conformational changes in the active sites and proton transfers that potentiate the efficiency of the deacylation reaction are presented. We have also characterized the oxyanion holes and other H-bonding interactions that stabilize the reaction intermediates. Together with the kinetic and mechanistic details of the acylation reaction, we analyze the complete mechanism and the overall kinetics of the drug hydrolysis. Finally, the apparent rate-determining step in the drug hydrolysis is scrutinized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ravi Tripathi
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur , Kanpur 208016, India
| | - Nisanth N Nair
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur , Kanpur 208016, India
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