1
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Sigal M, Matsumoto S, Beattie A, Katoh T, Suga H. Engineering tRNAs for the Ribosomal Translation of Non-proteinogenic Monomers. Chem Rev 2024; 124:6444-6500. [PMID: 38688034 PMCID: PMC11122139 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.3c00894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2023] [Revised: 02/21/2024] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024]
Abstract
Ribosome-dependent protein biosynthesis is an essential cellular process mediated by transfer RNAs (tRNAs). Generally, ribosomally synthesized proteins are limited to the 22 proteinogenic amino acids (pAAs: 20 l-α-amino acids present in the standard genetic code, selenocysteine, and pyrrolysine). However, engineering tRNAs for the ribosomal incorporation of non-proteinogenic monomers (npMs) as building blocks has led to the creation of unique polypeptides with broad applications in cellular biology, material science, spectroscopy, and pharmaceuticals. Ribosomal polymerization of these engineered polypeptides presents a variety of challenges for biochemists, as translation efficiency and fidelity is often insufficient when employing npMs. In this Review, we will focus on the methodologies for engineering tRNAs to overcome these issues and explore recent advances both in vitro and in vivo. These efforts include increasing orthogonality, recruiting essential translation factors, and creation of expanded genetic codes. After our review on the biochemical optimizations of tRNAs, we provide examples of their use in genetic code manipulation, with a focus on the in vitro discovery of bioactive macrocyclic peptides containing npMs. Finally, an analysis of the current state of tRNA engineering is presented, along with existing challenges and future perspectives for the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxwell Sigal
- Department of Chemistry,
Graduate School of Science, The University
of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Satomi Matsumoto
- Department of Chemistry,
Graduate School of Science, The University
of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Adam Beattie
- Department of Chemistry,
Graduate School of Science, The University
of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Takayuki Katoh
- Department of Chemistry,
Graduate School of Science, The University
of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Suga
- Department of Chemistry,
Graduate School of Science, The University
of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
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2
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Guo QR, Cao YJ. Applications of genetic code expansion technology in eukaryotes. Protein Cell 2024; 15:331-363. [PMID: 37847216 PMCID: PMC11074999 DOI: 10.1093/procel/pwad051] [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: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Unnatural amino acids (UAAs) have gained significant attention in protein engineering and drug development owing to their ability to introduce new chemical functionalities to proteins. In eukaryotes, genetic code expansion (GCE) enables the incorporation of UAAs and facilitates posttranscriptional modification (PTM), which is not feasible in prokaryotic systems. GCE is also a powerful tool for cell or animal imaging, the monitoring of protein interactions in target cells, drug development, and switch regulation. Therefore, there is keen interest in utilizing GCE in eukaryotic systems. This review provides an overview of the application of GCE in eukaryotic systems and discusses current challenges that need to be addressed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiao-ru Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomic, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Genomics, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Yu J Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomic, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Genomics, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen 518055, China
- Institute of Chemical Biology, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen 518132, China
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3
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Bednar RM, Jana S, Kuppa S, Franklin R, Beckman J, Antony E, Cooley RB, Mehl RA. Genetic Incorporation of Two Mutually Orthogonal Bioorthogonal Amino Acids That Enable Efficient Protein Dual-Labeling in Cells. ACS Chem Biol 2021; 16:2612-2622. [PMID: 34590824 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.1c00649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
The ability to site-specifically modify proteins at multiple sites in vivo will enable the study of protein function in its native environment with unprecedented levels of detail. Here, we present a versatile two-step strategy to meet this goal involving site-specific encoding of two distinct noncanonical amino acids bearing bioorthogonal handles into proteins in vivo followed by mutually orthogonal labeling. This general approach, that we call dual encoding and labeling (DEAL), allowed us to efficiently encode tetrazine- and azide-bearing amino acids into a protein and demonstrate for the first time that the bioorthogonal labeling reactions with strained alkene and alkyne labels can function simultaneously and intracellularly with high yields when site-specifically encoded in a single protein. Using our DEAL system, we were able to perform topologically defined protein-protein cross-linking, intramolecular stapling, and site-specific installation of fluorophores all inside living Escherichia coli cells, as well as study the DNA-binding properties of yeast Replication Protein A in vitro. By enabling the efficient dual modification of proteins in vivo, this DEAL approach provides a tool for the characterization and engineering of proteins in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Riley M. Bednar
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Oregon State University, 2011 Agricultural & Life Sciences Building, Corvallis, Oregon 97331-7305, United States
| | - Subhashis Jana
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Oregon State University, 2011 Agricultural & Life Sciences Building, Corvallis, Oregon 97331-7305, United States
| | - Sahiti Kuppa
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, Edward A. Doisy Research Center, 1100 South Grand Blvd., St. Louis, Missouri 63104, United States
| | - Rachel Franklin
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Oregon State University, 2011 Agricultural & Life Sciences Building, Corvallis, Oregon 97331-7305, United States
| | - Joseph Beckman
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Oregon State University, 2011 Agricultural & Life Sciences Building, Corvallis, Oregon 97331-7305, United States
| | - Edwin Antony
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, Edward A. Doisy Research Center, 1100 South Grand Blvd., St. Louis, Missouri 63104, United States
| | - Richard B. Cooley
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Oregon State University, 2011 Agricultural & Life Sciences Building, Corvallis, Oregon 97331-7305, United States
| | - Ryan A. Mehl
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Oregon State University, 2011 Agricultural & Life Sciences Building, Corvallis, Oregon 97331-7305, United States
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4
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Abstract
Within the broad field of synthetic biology, genetic code expansion (GCE) techniques enable creation of proteins with an expanded set of amino acids. This may be invaluable for applications in therapeutics, bioremediation, and biocatalysis. Central to GCE are aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (aaRSs) as they link a non-canonical amino acid (ncAA) to their cognate tRNA, allowing ncAA incorporation into proteins on the ribosome. The ncAA-acylating aaRSs and their tRNAs should not cross-react with 20 natural aaRSs and tRNAs in the host, i.e., they need to function as an orthogonal translating system. All current orthogonal aaRS•tRNA pairs have been engineered from naturally occurring molecules to change the aaRS's amino acid specificity or assign the tRNA to a liberated codon of choice. Here we discuss the importance of orthogonality in GCE, laboratory techniques employed to create designer aaRSs and tRNAs, and provide an overview of orthogonal aaRS•tRNA pairs for GCE purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie Krahn
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Jeffery M Tharp
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Ana Crnković
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Dieter Söll
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States.
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5
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Schoeters F, Van Dijck P. Protein-Protein Interactions in Candida albicans. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:1792. [PMID: 31440220 PMCID: PMC6693483 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.01792] [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: 06/24/2019] [Accepted: 07/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite being one of the most important human fungal pathogens, Candida albicans has not been studied extensively at the level of protein-protein interactions (PPIs) and data on PPIs are not readily available in online databases. In January 2018, the database called "Biological General Repository for Interaction Datasets (BioGRID)" that contains the most PPIs for C. albicans, only documented 188 physical or direct PPIs (release 3.4.156) while several more can be found in the literature. Other databases such as the String database, the Molecular INTeraction Database (MINT), and the Database for Interacting Proteins (DIP) database contain even fewer interactions or do not even include C. albicans as a searchable term. Because of the non-canonical codon usage of C. albicans where CUG is translated as serine rather than leucine, it is often problematic to use the yeast two-hybrid system in Saccharomyces cerevisiae to study C. albicans PPIs. However, studying PPIs is crucial to gain a thorough understanding of the function of proteins, biological processes and pathways. PPIs can also be potential drug targets. To aid in creating PPI networks and updating the BioGRID, we performed an exhaustive literature search in order to provide, in an accessible format, a more extensive list of known PPIs in C. albicans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Floris Schoeters
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Microbiology, Leuven, Belgium
- Laboratory of Molecular Cell Biology, Institute of Botany and Microbiology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Patrick Van Dijck
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Microbiology, Leuven, Belgium
- Laboratory of Molecular Cell Biology, Institute of Botany and Microbiology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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6
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Huot JL, Shikha S, Schneider A. Inducible orthogonal aminoacylation demonstrates that charging is required for mitochondrial tRNA import in Trypanosoma brucei. Sci Rep 2019; 9:10836. [PMID: 31346230 PMCID: PMC6658472 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-47268-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2019] [Accepted: 07/10/2019] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Orthogonal aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase/tRNA pairs have emerged as powerful means of site-specifically introducing non-standard amino acids into proteins in vivo. Using amino acids with crosslinking moieties this method allows the identification of transient protein-protein interactions. Here we have introduced a previously characterized evolved tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase/suppressor tRNATyr pair from E. coli into the parasitic protozoan Trypanosoma brucei. Upon addition of a suitable non-standard amino acid the suppressor tRNATyr was charged and allowed translation of a green fluorescent protein whose gene contained a nonsense mutation. - T. brucei is unusual in that its mitochondrion lacks tRNA genes indicating that all its organellar tRNAs are imported from the cytosol. Expression of the bacterial tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase in our system is tetracycline-inducible. We have therefore used it to demonstrate that cytosolic aminoacylation of the suppressor tRNATyr induces its import into the mitochondrion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan L Huot
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Bern, Freiestrasse 3, Bern, CH-3012, Switzerland.
| | - Shikha Shikha
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Bern, Freiestrasse 3, Bern, CH-3012, Switzerland
| | - André Schneider
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Bern, Freiestrasse 3, Bern, CH-3012, Switzerland.
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7
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Miyazaki R, Akiyama Y, Mori H. A photo-cross-linking approach to monitor protein dynamics in living cells. Biochim Biophys Acta Gen Subj 2019; 1864:129317. [PMID: 30851405 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2019.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2018] [Revised: 02/26/2019] [Accepted: 03/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Proteins, which comprise one of the major classes of biomolecules that constitute a cell, interact with other cellular factors during both their biogenesis and functional states. Studying not only static but also transient interactions of proteins is important to understand their physiological roles and regulation mechanisms. However, only a limited number of methods are available to analyze the dynamic behaviors of proteins at the molecular level in a living cell. The site-directed in vivo photo-cross-linking approach is an elegant technique to capture protein interactions with high spatial resolution in a living cell. SCOPE OF REVIEW Here, we review the in vivo photo-cross-linking approach including its recent applications and the potential problems to be considered. We also introduce a new in vivo photo-cross-linking-based technique (PiXie) to study protein dynamics with high spatiotemporal resolution. MAJOR CONCLUSIONS In vivo photo-cross-linking enables us to capture weak/transient protein interactions with high spatial resolution, and allows for identification of interacting factors. Moreover, the PiXie approach can be used to monitor rapid folding/assembly processes of proteins in living cells. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE In vivo photo-cross-linking is a simple method that has been used to analyze the dynamic interactions of many cellular proteins. Originally developed in Escherichia coli, this system has been extended to studies in various organisms, making it a fundamental technique for investigating dynamic protein interactions in many cellular processes. This article is part of a Special issue entitled "Novel major techniques for visualizing 'live' protein molecules" edited by Dr. Daisuke Kohda.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryoji Miyazaki
- Institute for Frontier Life and Medical Sciences, Kyoto University, Kawahara-cho, Shogoin, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Yoshinori Akiyama
- Institute for Frontier Life and Medical Sciences, Kyoto University, Kawahara-cho, Shogoin, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Mori
- Institute for Frontier Life and Medical Sciences, Kyoto University, Kawahara-cho, Shogoin, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan.
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8
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Tippmann EM, Culpepper S, Bunnel W, Appel N. New perspectives on aryl azide noncanonical amino acid use in yeast. Photochem Photobiol Sci 2019; 18:253-258. [DOI: 10.1039/c8pp00243f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
A photochemically chemically active noncanonical amino acidpara-azido-l-phenylalanine widely used in biology was found to be metabolized bySaccharomyces cerevisiae.
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9
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Huang Y, Liu T. Therapeutic applications of genetic code expansion. Synth Syst Biotechnol 2018; 3:150-158. [PMID: 30345400 PMCID: PMC6190509 DOI: 10.1016/j.synbio.2018.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2018] [Revised: 09/16/2018] [Accepted: 09/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
In nature, a limited, conservative set of amino acids are utilized to synthesize proteins. Genetic code expansion technique reassigns codons and incorporates noncanonical amino acids (ncAAs) through orthogonal aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase (aaRS)/tRNA pairs. The past decade has witnessed the rapid growth in diversity and scope for therapeutic applications of this technology. Here, we provided an update on the recent progress using genetic code expansion in the following areas: antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), bispecific antibodies (BsAb), immunotherapies, long-lasting protein therapeutics, biosynthesized peptides, engineered viruses and cells, as well as other therapeutic related applications, where the technique was used to elucidate the mechanisms of biotherapeutics and drug targets.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Tao Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China
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10
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Schoeters F, Munro CA, d'Enfert C, Van Dijck P. A High-Throughput Candida albicans Two-Hybrid System. mSphere 2018; 3:e00391-18. [PMID: 30135223 PMCID: PMC6106057 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00391-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2018] [Accepted: 07/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Candida albicans is a human fungal pathogen that does not follow the universal codon usage, as it translates the CUG codon into serine rather than leucine. This makes it difficult to study protein-protein interactions using the standard yeast two-hybrid (Y2H) system in the model organism Saccharomyces cerevisiae Due to the lack of adapted tools, only a small number of protein-protein interactions (PPIs) have been detected or studied using C. albicans-optimized tools despite the importance of PPIs to understand cell biology. However, with the sequencing of the whole genome of C. albicans, the availability of an ORFeome collection containing 5,099 open reading frames (ORFs) in Gateway-adapted donor vectors, and the creation of a Gateway-compatible C. albicans-specific two-hybrid (C2H) system, it became possible to study protein-protein interactions on a larger scale using C. albicans itself as the model organism. Erroneous translations are hereby eliminated compared to using the S. cerevisiae Y2H system. Here, we describe the technical adaptations and the first application of the C2H system for a high-throughput screen, thus making it possible to screen thousands of PPIs at once in C. albicans itself. This first, small-scale high-throughput screen, using Pho85 as a bait protein against 1,646 random prey proteins, yielded one interacting partner (Pcl5). The interaction found with the high-throughput setup was further confirmed with a low-throughput C2H experiment and with a coimmunoprecipitation (co-IP) experiment.IMPORTANCECandida albicans is a major fungal pathogen, and due to the rise of fungal infections and emerging resistance to the limited antifungals available, it is important to develop novel and more specific antifungals. Protein-protein interactions (PPIs) can be applied as very specific drug targets. However, because of the aberrant codon usage of C. albicans, the traditional yeast two-hybrid system in Saccharomyces cerevisiae is difficult to use, and only a limited number of PPIs have been described in C. albicans To overcome this, a C. albicans two-hybrid (C2H) system was developed in 2010. The current work describes, for the first time, the application of the C2H system in a high-throughput setup. We hereby show the usefulness of the C2H system to investigate and detect PPIs in C. albicans, making it possible to further elucidate protein networks in C. albicans, which has the potential to lead to the development of novel antifungals which specifically disrupt PPIs important for virulence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Floris Schoeters
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Microbiology, Leuven, Belgium
- KU Leuven Laboratory of Molecular Cell Biology, Institute of Botany and Microbiology, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Carol A Munro
- Medical Research Council Centre for Medical Mycology at the University of Aberdeen, Institute of Medical Sciences, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
| | - Christophe d'Enfert
- Fungal Biology and Pathogenicity Unit, Department of Mycology, Institut Pasteur, INRA, Paris, France
| | - Patrick Van Dijck
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Microbiology, Leuven, Belgium
- KU Leuven Laboratory of Molecular Cell Biology, Institute of Botany and Microbiology, Leuven, Belgium
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11
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Bantel Y, Darwiche R, Rupp S, Schneiter R, Sohn K. Localization and functional characterization of the pathogenesis-related proteins Rbe1p and Rbt4p in Candida albicans. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0201932. [PMID: 30080909 PMCID: PMC6078311 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0201932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2018] [Accepted: 07/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Members of the Cysteine-rich secretory protein, Antigen 5 and Pathogenesis-related 1 (CAP) protein superfamily are important virulence factors in fungi but remain poorly characterized on molecular level. Here, we investigate the cellular localization and molecular function of Rbe1p and Rbt4p, two CAP family members from the human pathogen Candida albicans. We unexpectedly found that Rbe1p localizes to budding sites of yeast cells in a disulfide bond-dependent manner. Furthermore, we show that Rbe1p and Rbt4p bind free cholesterol in vitro and export cholesteryl acetate in vivo. These findings suggest a previously undescribed role for Rbe1p in cell wall-associated processes and a possible connection between the virulence attributes of fungal CAP proteins and sterol binding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yannick Bantel
- Institute of Interfacial Process Engineering and Plasma Technology, University of Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Rabih Darwiche
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Steffen Rupp
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology, Fraunhofer IGB, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Roger Schneiter
- Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Kai Sohn
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology, Fraunhofer IGB, Stuttgart, Germany
- * E-mail:
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12
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A Bimolecular Fluorescence Complementation Tool for Identification of Protein-Protein Interactions in Candida albicans. G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS 2017; 7:3509-3520. [PMID: 28860184 PMCID: PMC5633398 DOI: 10.1534/g3.117.300149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Investigation of protein-protein interactions (PPI) in Candida albicans is essential for understanding the regulation of the signal transduction network that triggers its pathogenic lifestyle. Unique features of C. albicans, such as its alternative codon usage and incomplete meiosis, have enforced the optimization of standard genetic methods as well as development of novel approaches. Since the existing methods for detection of PPI are limited for direct visualization of the interacting complex in vivo, we have established a bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) assay in C. albicans, a powerful technique for studying PPI. We have developed an optimized set of plasmids that allows for N- and C-terminal tagging of proteins with split yeast-enhanced monomeric Venus fragments, so that all eight combinations of fusion orientations can be analyzed. With the use of our BiFC assay we demonstrate three interaction complexes in vivo, which were also confirmed by two-hybrid analysis. Our Candida-optimized BiFC assay represents a useful molecular tool for PPI studies and shows great promise in expanding our knowledge of molecular mechanisms of protein functions.
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13
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Yang ST, Lim SI, Kiessling V, Kwon I, Tamm LK. Site-specific fluorescent labeling to visualize membrane translocation of a myristoyl switch protein. Sci Rep 2016; 6:32866. [PMID: 27605302 PMCID: PMC5015116 DOI: 10.1038/srep32866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2016] [Accepted: 08/16/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Fluorescence approaches have been widely used for elucidating the dynamics of protein-membrane interactions in cells and model systems. However, non-specific multi-site fluorescent labeling often results in a loss of native structure and function, and single cysteine labeling is not feasible when native cysteines are required to support a protein's folding or catalytic activity. Here, we develop a method using genetic incorporation of non-natural amino acids and bio-orthogonal chemistry to site-specifically label with a single fluorescent small molecule or protein the myristoyl-switch protein recoverin, which is involved in rhodopsin-mediated signaling in mammalian visual sensory neurons. We demonstrate reversible Ca(2+)-responsive translocation of labeled recoverin to membranes and show that recoverin favors membranes with negative curvature and high lipid fluidity in complex heterogeneous membranes, which confers spatio-temporal control over down-stream signaling events. The site-specific orthogonal labeling technique is promising for structural, dynamical, and functional studies of many lipid-anchored membrane protein switches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sung-Tae Yang
- Center for Membrane and Cell Physiology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA
| | - Sung In Lim
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904, USA
| | - Volker Kiessling
- Center for Membrane and Cell Physiology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA
| | - Inchan Kwon
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904, USA
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, and Department of Biomedical Science and Engineering, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), Gwangju 61005, Republic of Korea
| | - Lukas K. Tamm
- Center for Membrane and Cell Physiology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA
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14
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Incorporation of non-canonical amino acids into proteins in yeast. Fungal Genet Biol 2016; 89:137-156. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fgb.2016.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2015] [Revised: 02/01/2016] [Accepted: 02/03/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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15
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Shao N, Singh NS, Slade SE, Jones AME, Balasubramanian MK. Site Specific Genetic Incorporation of Azidophenylalanine in Schizosaccharomyces pombe. Sci Rep 2015; 5:17196. [PMID: 26597962 PMCID: PMC4657001 DOI: 10.1038/srep17196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2015] [Accepted: 10/26/2015] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The diversity of protein functions is impacted in significant part by the chemical properties of the twenty amino acids, which are used as building blocks for nearly all proteins. The ability to incorporate unnatural amino acids (UAA) into proteins in a site specific manner can vastly expand the repertoire of protein functions and also allows detailed analysis of protein function. In recent years UAAs have been incorporated in a site-specific manner into proteins in a number of organisms. In nearly all cases, the amber codon is used as a sense codon, and an orthogonal tRNA/aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase (RS) pair is used to generate amber suppressing tRNAs charged with the UAA. In this work, we have developed tools to incorporate the cross-linking amino acid azido-phenylalanine (AzF) through the use of bacterial tRNATyr and a modified version of TyrRS, AzFRS, in Schizosaccharomyces pombe, which is an attractive model organism for the study of cell behavior and function. We have incorporated AzF into three different proteins. We show that the majority of AzF is modified to amino-phenyl alanine, but protein cross-linking was still observed. These studies set the stage for exploitation of this new technology for the analysis of S. pombe proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nan Shao
- Division of Biomedical Cell Biology, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK CV4 7AL.,Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117543.,Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, National University of Singapore, 1 Research Link, Singapore 117604
| | - N Sadananda Singh
- Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, National University of Singapore, 1 Research Link, Singapore 117604
| | - Susan E Slade
- School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK CV4 7AL
| | | | - Mohan K Balasubramanian
- Division of Biomedical Cell Biology, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK CV4 7AL.,Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117543.,Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, National University of Singapore, 1 Research Link, Singapore 117604.,Mechanobiology Institute, 5A Engineering Drive 1, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117411
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Schiller SM. Protein Tectons in Synthetic Biology. Synth Biol (Oxf) 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-02783-8_7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022] Open
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An in vivo photo-cross-linking approach reveals a homodimerization domain of Aha1 in S. cerevisiae. PLoS One 2014; 9:e89436. [PMID: 24614167 PMCID: PMC3948627 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0089436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2013] [Accepted: 01/23/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Protein-protein interactions play an essential role in almost any biological processes. Therefore, there is a particular need for methods which describe the interactions of a defined target protein in its physiological context. Here we report a method to photo-cross-link interacting proteins in S. cerevisiae by using the non-canonical amino acid p-azido-L-phenylalanine (pAzpa). Based on the expanded genetic code the photoreactive non-canonical amino acid pAzpa was site-specifically incorporated at eight positions into a domain of Aha1 that was previously described to bind Hsp90 in vitro to function as a cochaperone of Hsp90 and activates its ATPase activity. In vivo photo-cross-linking to the cognate binding partner of Aha1 was carried out by irradiation of mutant strains with UV light (365 nm) to induce covalent intermolecular bonds. Surprisingly, an interaction between Aha1 and Hsp90 was not detected, although, we could confirm binding of suppressed pAzpa containing Aha1 to Hsp90 by native co-immunoprecipitation. However, a homodimer consisting of two covalently crosslinked Aha1 monomers was identified by mass spectrometry. This homodimer could also be confirmed using p-benzoyl-L-phenylalanine, another photoreactive non-canonical amino acid. Crosslinking was highly specific as it was dependent on irradiation using UV light, the exact position of the non-canonical amino acid in the protein sequence as well as on the addition of the non-canonical amino acid to the growth medium. Therefore it seems possible that an interaction of Aha1 with Hsp90 takes place at different positions than previously described in vitro highlighting the importance of in vivo techniques to study protein-protein interactions. Accordingly, the expanded genetic code can easily be applied to other S. cerevisiae proteins to study their interaction under physiological relevant conditions in vivo.
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