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Datta Darshan VM, Arumugam N, Almansour AI, Sivaramakrishnan V, Kanchi S. In silico energetic and molecular dynamic simulations studies demonstrate potential effect of the point mutations with implications for protein engineering in BDNF. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 271:132247. [PMID: 38750847 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.132247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2024] [Revised: 05/01/2024] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024]
Abstract
Protein engineering by directed evolution is time-consuming. Hence, in silico techniques like FoldX-Yasara for ∆∆G calculation, and SNPeffect for predicting propensity for aggregation, amyloid formation, and chaperone binding are employed to design proteins. Here, we used in silico techniques to engineer BDNF-NTF3 interaction and validated it using mutations with known functional implications for NGF dimer. The structures of three mutants representing a positive, negative, or neutral ∆∆G involving two interface residues in BDNF and two mutations representing a neutral and positive ∆∆G in NGF, which is aligned with BDNF, were selected for molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. Our MD results conclude that the secondary structure of individual protomers of the positive and negative mutants displayed a similar or different conformation from the NTF3 monomer, respectively. The positive mutants showed fewer hydrophobic interactions and higher hydrogen bonds compared to the wild-type, negative, and neutral mutants with similar SASA, suggesting solvent-mediated disruption of hydrogen-bonded interactions. Similar results were obtained for mutations with known functional implications for NGF and BDNF. The results suggest that mutations with known effects in homologous proteins could help in validation, and in silico directed evolution experiments could be a viable alternative to the experimental technique used for protein engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- V M Datta Darshan
- Disease Biology Lab, Department of Biosciences, Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning, Prasanthi Nilayam, Andhra Pradesh 515134, India
| | - Natarajan Arumugam
- Department of Chemistry, College of Science, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2455, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdulrahman I Almansour
- Department of Chemistry, College of Science, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2455, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Venketesh Sivaramakrishnan
- Disease Biology Lab, Department of Biosciences, Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning, Prasanthi Nilayam, Andhra Pradesh 515134, India.
| | - Subbarao Kanchi
- Department of Physics, Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning, Prasanthi Nilayam, Andhra Pradesh 515134, India.
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Jung JW, Park PG, Lee WK, Shin JH, Jang MH, Seo EH, An T, Kim YB, Moon MH, Choi SK, Yun JS, Hong KJ, Kim SR. Production of Plant-Derived Japanese Encephalitis Virus Multi-Epitope Peptide in Nicotiana benthamiana and Immunological Response in Mice. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:11643. [PMID: 37511402 PMCID: PMC10380836 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241411643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2023] [Revised: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The current production of the Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) vaccine is based on animal cells, where various risk factors for human health should be resolved. This study used a transient expression system to express the chimeric protein composed of antigenic epitopes from the JEV envelope (E) protein in Nicotiana benthamiana. JEV multi-epitope peptide (MEP) sequences fused with FLAG-tag or 6× His-tag at the C- or N-terminus for the purification were introduced into plant expression vectors and used for transient expression. Among the constructs, vector pSK480, which expresses MEP fused with a FLAG-tag at the C-terminus, showed the highest level of expression and yield in purification. Optimization of transient expression procedures further improved the target protein yield. The purified MEP protein was applied to an ICR mouse and successfully induced an antibody against JEV, which demonstrates the potential of the plant-produced JEV MEP as an alternative vaccine candidate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jae-Wan Jung
- Department of Life Science, Sogang University, Seoul 04107, Republic of Korea
- PhytoMab Co., Seoul 04107, Republic of Korea
| | - Pil-Gu Park
- Department of Microbiology, Gachon University College of Medicine, Incheon 21936, Republic of Korea
| | - Won-Kyung Lee
- Department of Life Science, Sogang University, Seoul 04107, Republic of Korea
| | - Jun-Hye Shin
- Department of Life Science, Sogang University, Seoul 04107, Republic of Korea
- PhytoMab Co., Seoul 04107, Republic of Korea
| | - Mi-Hwa Jang
- Department of Life Science, Sogang University, Seoul 04107, Republic of Korea
- PhytoMab Co., Seoul 04107, Republic of Korea
| | - Eun-Hye Seo
- Department of Microbiology, Gachon University College of Medicine, Incheon 21936, Republic of Korea
- BK21 Plus, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Konkuk University School of Medicine, Seoul 05029, Republic of Korea
| | - Timothy An
- Department of Microbiology, Gachon University College of Medicine, Incheon 21936, Republic of Korea
| | - Young Beom Kim
- Department of Chemistry, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Myeong Hee Moon
- Department of Chemistry, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea
| | | | - Jee Sun Yun
- Eubiologics Co., Seoul 06026, Republic of Korea
| | - Kee-Jong Hong
- Department of Microbiology, Gachon University College of Medicine, Incheon 21936, Republic of Korea
| | - Seong-Ryong Kim
- Department of Life Science, Sogang University, Seoul 04107, Republic of Korea
- PhytoMab Co., Seoul 04107, Republic of Korea
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Matching amino acids membrane preference profile to improve activity of antimicrobial peptides. Commun Biol 2022; 5:1199. [PMID: 36347951 PMCID: PMC9643456 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-04164-4] [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: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are cationic antibiotics that can kill multidrug-resistant bacteria via membrane insertion. However, their weak activity limits their clinical use. Ironically, the cationic charge of AMPs is essential for membrane binding, but it obstructs membrane insertion. In this study, we postulate that this problem can be overcome by locating cationic amino acids at the energetically preferred membrane surface. All amino acids have an energetically preferred or less preferred membrane position profile, and this profile is strongly related to membrane insertion. However, most AMPs do not follow this profile. One exception is protegrin-1, a powerful but neglected AMP. In the present study, we found that a potent AMP, WCopW5, strongly resembles protegrin-1 and that the match between its sequence and the preferred position profile closely correlates with its antimicrobial activity. One of its derivatives, WCopW43, has antimicrobial activity comparable to that of the most effective AMPs in clinical use.
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Cao L, Zhang L, Zhang X, Liu J, Jia MA, Zhang J, Liu J, Wang F. Types of Interferons and Their Expression in Plant Systems. J Interferon Cytokine Res 2022; 42:62-71. [PMID: 35171703 DOI: 10.1089/jir.2021.0148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Interferons (IFNs) are divided into 3 types (type I, type II, and type III) on the basis of sequence homology and functional properties. Recombinant IFNs have been approved by regulatory agencies in many countries for clinical treatment of hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and other diseases; these IFNs are mainly produced in microorganisms and mammalian cell systems. However, there are serious obstacles to the production of recombinant IFNs in microorganism systems; for example, the recombinant IFN may have different glycosylation patterns from the native protein, be present in insoluble inclusion bodies, be contaminated with impurities such as endotoxins and nucleic acids, have a short half-life in human blood, and incur high production costs. Some medicinal proteins have been successfully expressed in plants and used in clinical applications, suggesting that plants may also be a good system for IFN expression. However, there are still many technical problems that need to be addressed before the clinical application of plant-expressed IFNs, such as increasing the amount of recombinant protein expression and ensuring that the IFN is modified with the correct type of glycosylation. In this article, we review the classification of IFNs, their roles in antiviral signal transduction pathways, their clinical applications, and their expression in plant systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linggai Cao
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, China National Tobacco Corporation, Guizhou Academy of Tobacco Science, Guiyang, China
| | - Lili Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, China National Tobacco Corporation, Guizhou Academy of Tobacco Science, Guiyang, China
| | - Xiaolian Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, China National Tobacco Corporation, Guizhou Academy of Tobacco Science, Guiyang, China
| | - Jia Liu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences (Shenzhen), Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Meng-Ao Jia
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, China National Tobacco Corporation, Guizhou Academy of Tobacco Science, Guiyang, China
| | - Jishun Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, China National Tobacco Corporation, Guizhou Academy of Tobacco Science, Guiyang, China
| | - Jiemin Liu
- Guizhou Provincial People's Hospital, Guiyang, China
| | - Feng Wang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, China National Tobacco Corporation, Guizhou Academy of Tobacco Science, Guiyang, China
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