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Laksmi FA, Dewi KS, Nuryana I, Yulianti SE, Ramadhan KP, Hadi MI, Nugraha Y. High-level expression of codon-optimized Taq DNA polymerase under the control of rhaBAD promoter. Anal Biochem 2024; 692:115581. [PMID: 38815728 DOI: 10.1016/j.ab.2024.115581] [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: 01/03/2024] [Revised: 05/24/2024] [Accepted: 05/25/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024]
Abstract
A DNA polymerase from Thermus aquaticus remains the most popular among DNA polymerases. It was widely applied in various fields involving the application of polymerase chain reaction (PCR), implying the high commercial value of this enzyme. For this reason, an attempt to obtain a high yield of Taq DNA polymerase is continuously conducted. In this study, the l-rhamnose-inducible promoter rhaBAD was utilized due to its ability to produce recombinant protein under tight control in E. coli expression system. Instead of full-length Taq polymerase, an N-terminal deletion of Taq polymerase was selected. To obtain a high-level expression, we attempted to optimize the codon by reducing the rare codon and GC content, and in a second attempt, we optimized the culture conditions for protein expression. The production of Taq polymerase using the optimum culture condition improved the level of expression by up to 3-fold. This approach further proved that a high level of recombinant protein expression could be achieved by yielding a purified Taq polymerase of about 8.5 mg/L of culture. This is the first research publication on the production of Taq polymerase with N-terminal deletion in E. coli with the control of the rhaBAD promoter system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fina Amreta Laksmi
- Research Center for Applied Microbiology, National Research and Innovation Agency, Jalan Raya Bogor KM 46, Cibinong, Bogor, 16911, West Java, Indonesia.
| | - Kartika Sari Dewi
- Research Center for Genetic Engineering, National Research and Innovation Agency, Jalan Raya Bogor KM 46, Cibinong, Bogor, 16911, West Java, Indonesia
| | - Isa Nuryana
- Research Center for Applied Microbiology, National Research and Innovation Agency, Jalan Raya Bogor KM 46, Cibinong, Bogor, 16911, West Java, Indonesia
| | - Siti Eka Yulianti
- Research Center for Applied Microbiology, National Research and Innovation Agency, Jalan Raya Bogor KM 46, Cibinong, Bogor, 16911, West Java, Indonesia
| | - Kharisma Panji Ramadhan
- Research Center for Applied Microbiology, National Research and Innovation Agency, Jalan Raya Bogor KM 46, Cibinong, Bogor, 16911, West Java, Indonesia
| | - Moch Irfan Hadi
- Department of Biology, Sunan Ampel State Islamic University, Surabaya, Indonesia
| | - Yudhi Nugraha
- Research Center for Molecular Biology Eijkman, National Research and Innovation Agency, Jalan Raya Bogor KM 46, Cibinong, Bogor, 16911, West Java, Indonesia.
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2
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Sword TT, Dinglasan JLN, Abbas GSK, Barker JW, Spradley ME, Greene ER, Gooden DS, Emrich SJ, Gilchrist MA, Doktycz MJ, Bailey CB. Profiling expression strategies for a type III polyketide synthase in a lysate-based, cell-free system. Sci Rep 2024; 14:12983. [PMID: 38839808 PMCID: PMC11153635 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-61376-w] [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: 12/16/2023] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Some of the most metabolically diverse species of bacteria (e.g., Actinobacteria) have higher GC content in their DNA, differ substantially in codon usage, and have distinct protein folding environments compared to tractable expression hosts like Escherichia coli. Consequentially, expressing biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) from these bacteria in E. coli often results in a myriad of unpredictable issues with regard to protein expression and folding, delaying the biochemical characterization of new natural products. Current strategies to achieve soluble, active expression of these enzymes in tractable hosts can be a lengthy trial-and-error process. Cell-free expression (CFE) has emerged as a valuable expression platform as a testbed for rapid prototyping expression parameters. Here, we use a type III polyketide synthase from Streptomyces griseus, RppA, which catalyzes the formation of the red pigment flaviolin, as a reporter to investigate BGC refactoring techniques. We applied a library of constructs with different combinations of promoters and rppA coding sequences to investigate the synergies between promoter and codon usage. Subsequently, we assess the utility of cell-free systems for prototyping these refactoring tactics prior to their implementation in cells. Overall, codon harmonization improves natural product synthesis more than traditional codon optimization across cell-free and cellular environments. More importantly, the choice of coding sequences and promoters impact protein expression synergistically, which should be considered for future efforts to use CFE for high-yield protein expression. The promoter strategy when applied to RppA was not completely correlated with that observed with GFP, indicating that different promoter strategies should be applied for different proteins. In vivo experiments suggest that there is correlation, but not complete alignment between expressing in cell free and in vivo. Refactoring promoters and/or coding sequences via CFE can be a valuable strategy to rapidly screen for catalytically functional production of enzymes from BCGs, which advances CFE as a tool for natural product research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tien T Sword
- Department of Chemistry, University of Tennessee-Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Jaime Lorenzo N Dinglasan
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, USA
- Graduate School of Genome Science and Technology, University of Tennessee-Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Ghaeath S K Abbas
- Department of Chemistry, University of Tennessee-Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, USA
- School of Chemistry, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - J William Barker
- Department of Chemistry, University of Tennessee-Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Madeline E Spradley
- Department of Biochemistry, Cellular, and Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee-Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Elijah R Greene
- Department of Chemistry, University of Tennessee-Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Damian S Gooden
- Department of Chemistry, University of Tennessee-Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Scott J Emrich
- Graduate School of Genome Science and Technology, University of Tennessee-Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, USA
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Tennessee-Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee-Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Michael A Gilchrist
- Graduate School of Genome Science and Technology, University of Tennessee-Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee-Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Mitchel J Doktycz
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, USA.
- Graduate School of Genome Science and Technology, University of Tennessee-Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, USA.
| | - Constance B Bailey
- Department of Chemistry, University of Tennessee-Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, USA.
- Graduate School of Genome Science and Technology, University of Tennessee-Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, USA.
- School of Chemistry, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
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3
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Arbib C, D'ascenzo A, Rossi F, Santoni D. An Integer Linear Programming Model to Optimize Coding DNA Sequences By Joint Control of Transcript Indicators. J Comput Biol 2024; 31:416-428. [PMID: 38687334 DOI: 10.1089/cmb.2023.0166] [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] [Indexed: 05/02/2024] Open
Abstract
A Coding DNA Sequence (CDS) is a fraction of DNA whose nucleotides are grouped into consecutive triplets called codons, each one encoding an amino acid. Because most amino acids can be encoded by more than one codon, the same amino acid chain can be obtained by a very large number of different CDSs. These synonymous CDSs show different features that, also depending on the organism the transcript is expressed in, could affect translational efficiency and yield. The identification of optimal CDSs with respect to given transcript indicators is in general a challenging task, but it has been observed in recent literature that integer linear programming (ILP) can be a very flexible and efficient way to achieve it. In this article, we add evidence to this observation by proposing a new ILP model that simultaneously optimizes different well-grounded indicators. With this model, we efficiently find solutions that dominate those returned by six existing codon optimization heuristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudio Arbib
- Department of Information Engineering, Computer Science, and Mathematics University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Andrea D'ascenzo
- Department of Information Engineering, Computer Science, and Mathematics University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Rossi
- Department of Information Engineering, Computer Science, and Mathematics University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Daniele Santoni
- Institute for System Analysis and Computer Science Antonio Ruberti National Research Council of Italy, Rome, Italy
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Son SH, Kang J, Shin Y, Lee C, Sung BH, Lee JY, Lee W. Sustainable production of natural products using synthetic biology: Ginsenosides. J Ginseng Res 2024; 48:140-148. [PMID: 38465212 PMCID: PMC10920010 DOI: 10.1016/j.jgr.2023.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2023] [Revised: 12/23/2023] [Accepted: 12/30/2023] [Indexed: 03/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Synthetic biology approaches offer potential for large-scale and sustainable production of natural products with bioactive potency, including ginsenosides, providing a means to produce novel compounds with enhanced therapeutic properties. Ginseng, known for its non-toxic and potent qualities in traditional medicine, has been used for various medical needs. Ginseng has shown promise for its antioxidant and neuroprotective properties, and it has been used as a potential agent to boost immunity against various infections when used together with other drugs and vaccines. Given the increasing demand for ginsenosides and the challenges associated with traditional extraction methods, synthetic biology holds promise in the development of therapeutics. In this review, we discuss recent developments in microorganism producer engineering and ginsenoside production in microorganisms using synthetic biology approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- So-Hee Son
- Research Center for Bio-Based Chemistry, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT), Ulsan, Republic of Korea
| | - Jin Kang
- Synthetic Biology Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Daejeon, Republic of Korea
- Biosystems and Bioengineering Program, Korea National University of Science and Technology (UST), Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - YuJin Shin
- School of Pharmacy, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - ChaeYoung Lee
- School of Pharmacy, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - Bong Hyun Sung
- Synthetic Biology Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Daejeon, Republic of Korea
- Biosystems and Bioengineering Program, Korea National University of Science and Technology (UST), Daejeon, Republic of Korea
- Graduate School of Engineering Biology, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Ju Young Lee
- Research Center for Bio-Based Chemistry, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT), Ulsan, Republic of Korea
| | - Wonsik Lee
- School of Pharmacy, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Republic of Korea
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Zou Z, Kaothien-Nakayama P, Ogawa-Iwamura J, Nakayama H. Metabolic engineering of high-salinity-induced biosynthesis of γ-aminobutyric acid improves salt-stress tolerance in a glutamic acid-overproducing mutant of an ectoine-deficient Halomonas elongata. Appl Environ Microbiol 2024; 90:e0190523. [PMID: 38112419 PMCID: PMC10807429 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01905-23] [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: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023] Open
Abstract
A moderately halophilic eubacterium, Halomonas elongata, has been used as cell factory to produce fine chemical 1,4,5,6-tetrahydro-2-methyl-4-pyrimidinecarboxylic acid (ectoine), which functions as a major osmolyte protecting the cells from high-salinity stress. To explore the possibility of using H. elongata to biosynthesize other valuable osmolytes, an ectoine-deficient salt-sensitive H. elongata deletion mutant strain KA1 (ΔectABC), which only grows well in minimal medium containing up to 3% NaCl, was subjected to an adaptive mutagenesis screening in search of mutants with restored salt tolerance. Consequently, we obtained a mutant, which tolerates 6% NaCl in minimal medium by overproducing L-glutamic acid (Glu). However, this Glu-overproducing (GOP) strain has a lower tolerance level than the wild-type H. elongata, possibly because the acidity of Glu interferes with the pH homeostasis of the cell and hinders its own cellular accumulation. Enzymatic decarboxylation of Glu to γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) by a Glu decarboxylase (GAD) could restore cellular pH homeostasis; therefore, we introduced an engineered salt-inducible HopgadBmut gene, which encodes a wide pH-range GAD mutant, into the genome of the H. elongata GOP strain. We found that the resulting H. elongata GOP-Gad strain exhibits higher salt tolerance than the GOP strain by accumulating high concentration of GABA as an osmolyte in the cell (176.94 µmol/g cell dry weight in minimal medium containing 7% NaCl). With H. elongata OUT30018 genetic background, H. elongata GOP-Gad strain can utilize biomass-derived carbon and nitrogen compounds as its sole carbon and nitrogen sources, making it a good candidate for the development of GABA-producing cell factories.IMPORTANCEWhile the wild-type moderately halophilic H. elongata can synthesize ectoine as a high-value osmolyte via the aspartic acid metabolic pathway, a mutant H. elongata GOP strain identified in this work opens doors for the biosynthesis of alternative valuable osmolytes via glutamic acid metabolic pathway. Further metabolic engineering to install a GAD system into the H. elongata GOP strain successfully created a H. elongata GOP-Gad strain, which acquired higher tolerance to salt stress by accumulating GABA as a major osmolyte. With the ability to assimilate biomass-derived carbon and nitrogen sources and thrive in high-salinity environment, the H. elongata GOP-Gad strain can be used in the development of sustainable GABA-producing cell factories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziyan Zou
- Graduate School of Fisheries and Environmental Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Pulla Kaothien-Nakayama
- Graduate School of Fisheries and Environmental Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Junpei Ogawa-Iwamura
- Graduate School of Fisheries and Environmental Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Hideki Nakayama
- Graduate School of Fisheries and Environmental Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
- Institute of Integrated Science and Technology, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
- Organization for Marine Science and Technology, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
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Mahnoor I, Shabbir H, Nawaz S, Aziz K, Aziz U, Khalid K, Irum S, Andleeb S. Characterization of exclusively non-commensal Neisseria gonorrhoeae pangenome to prioritize globally conserved and thermodynamically stable vaccine candidates using immune-molecular dynamic simulations. Microb Pathog 2023; 185:106439. [PMID: 37944674 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2023.106439] [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: 07/28/2023] [Revised: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
Neisseria gonorrhoeae (Ngo) has emerged as a global threat leading to one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases in the world. It has also become one of the leading antimicrobial resistant organisms, resulting in fewer treatment options and an increased morbidity. Therefore, in recent years, there has been an increased focus on the development of new treatments and preventive strategies to combat its infection. In this study, we have combined the most conserved epitopes from the completely assembled strains of Ngo to develop a universal and a thermodynamically stable vaccine candidate. For our vaccine design, the epitopes were selected for their high immunogenicity, non-allergenicity and non-cytotoxicity, making them the ideal candidates for vaccine development. For the screening process, several reverse vaccinology tools were employed to rigorously extract non-homologous and immunogenic epitopes from the selected proteins. Consequently, a total number of 3 B-cell epitopes and 6 T-cell epitopes were selected and joined by multiple immune-modulating adjuvants and linkers to generate a promiscuous immune response. Additionally, the stability and flexible nature of the vaccine construct was confirmed using various molecular dynamic simulation tools. Overall, the vaccine candidate showed promising binding affinity to various HLA alleles and TLR receptors; however, further studies are needed to assess its efficacy in-vivo. In this way, we have designed a multi-subunit vaccine candidate to potentially combat and control the spread of N. gonorrhoeae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iqra Mahnoor
- Atta-ur-Rehman School of Biosciences, National University of Science and Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan.
| | - Hamna Shabbir
- Atta-ur-Rehman School of Biosciences, National University of Science and Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan.
| | - Shabana Nawaz
- Atta-ur-Rehman School of Biosciences, National University of Science and Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan.
| | - Kinza Aziz
- Atta-ur-Rehman School of Biosciences, National University of Science and Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan.
| | - Ubair Aziz
- School of Interdisciplinary Engineering & Sciences National University of Science and Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan.
| | - Kashaf Khalid
- Atta-ur-Rehman School of Biosciences, National University of Science and Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan.
| | - Sidra Irum
- Atta-ur-Rehman School of Biosciences, National University of Science and Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan.
| | - Saadia Andleeb
- Atta-ur-Rehman School of Biosciences, National University of Science and Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan.
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7
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Sword TT, Dinglasan JLN, Abbas GS, William Barker J, Spradley ME, Greene ER, Gooden DS, Emrich SJ, Gilchrist MA, Doktycz MJ, Bailey CB. Profiling Expression Strategies for a Type III Polyketide Synthase in a Lysate-Based, Cell-free System. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.11.30.569483. [PMID: 38077034 PMCID: PMC10705458 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.30.569483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
Some of the most metabolically diverse species of bacteria (e.g., Actinobacteria) have higher GC content in their DNA, differ substantially in codon usage, and have distinct protein folding environments compared to tractable expression hosts like Escherichia coli. Consequentially, expressing biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) from these bacteria in E. coli frequently results in a myriad of unpredictable issues with protein expression and folding, delaying the biochemical characterization of new natural products. Current strategies to achieve soluble, active expression of these enzymes in tractable hosts, such as BGC refactoring, can be a lengthy trial-and-error process. Cell-free expression (CFE) has emerged as 1) a valuable expression platform for enzymes that are challenging to synthesize in vivo, and as 2) a testbed for rapid prototyping that can improve cellular expression. Here, we use a type III polyketide synthase from Streptomyces griseus, RppA, which catalyzes the formation of the red pigment flaviolin, as a reporter to investigate BGC refactoring techniques. We synergistically tune promoter and codon usage to improve flaviolin production from cell-free expressed RppA. We then assess the utility of cell-free systems for prototyping these refactoring tactics prior to their implementation in cells. Overall, codon harmonization improves natural product synthesis more than traditional codon optimization across cell-free and cellular environments. Refactoring promoters and/or coding sequences via CFE can be a valuable strategy to rapidly screen for catalytically functional production of enzymes from BCGs. By showing the coordinators between CFE versus in vivo expression, this work advances CFE as a tool for natural product research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tien T. Sword
- Department of Chemistry, University of Tennessee-Knoxville (Knoxville, TN USA)
| | - Jaime Lorenzo N. Dinglasan
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (Oak Ridge, TN USA)
- Graduate School of Genome Science & Technology, University of Tennessee-Knoxville Knoxville (Knoxville, TN USA)
| | - Ghaeath S.K. Abbas
- Department of Chemistry, University of Tennessee-Knoxville (Knoxville, TN USA)
- University of Sydney, School of Chemistry (Sydney, NSW, Australia)
| | - J. William Barker
- Department of Chemistry, University of Tennessee-Knoxville (Knoxville, TN USA)
| | - Madeline E. Spradley
- Department of Biochemistry, Cellular, and Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee-Knoxville (Knoxville, TN USA)
| | - Elijah R. Greene
- Department of Chemistry, University of Tennessee-Knoxville (Knoxville, TN USA)
| | - Damian S. Gooden
- Department of Chemistry, University of Tennessee-Knoxville (Knoxville, TN USA)
| | - Scott J. Emrich
- Graduate School of Genome Science & Technology, University of Tennessee-Knoxville Knoxville (Knoxville, TN USA)
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Tennessee-Knoxville (Knoxville, TN USA)
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee-Knoxville (Knoxville, TN USA)
| | - Michael A. Gilchrist
- Graduate School of Genome Science & Technology, University of Tennessee-Knoxville Knoxville (Knoxville, TN USA)
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee-Knoxville (Knoxville, TN USA)
| | - Mitchel J. Doktycz
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (Oak Ridge, TN USA)
- Graduate School of Genome Science & Technology, University of Tennessee-Knoxville Knoxville (Knoxville, TN USA)
| | - Constance B. Bailey
- Department of Chemistry, University of Tennessee-Knoxville (Knoxville, TN USA)
- Graduate School of Genome Science & Technology, University of Tennessee-Knoxville Knoxville (Knoxville, TN USA)
- University of Sydney, School of Chemistry (Sydney, NSW, Australia)
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Pfeifer BA, Beitelshees M, Hill A, Bassett J, Jones CH. Harnessing synthetic biology for advancing RNA therapeutics and vaccine design. NPJ Syst Biol Appl 2023; 9:60. [PMID: 38036580 PMCID: PMC10689799 DOI: 10.1038/s41540-023-00323-3] [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: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent global events have drawn into focus the diversity of options for combatting disease across a spectrum of prophylactic and therapeutic approaches. The recent success of the mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines has paved the way for RNA-based treatments to revolutionize the pharmaceutical industry. However, historical treatment options are continuously updated and reimagined in the context of novel technical developments, such as those facilitated through the application of synthetic biology. When it comes to the development of genetic forms of therapies and vaccines, synthetic biology offers diverse tools and approaches to influence the content, dosage, and breadth of treatment with the prospect of economic advantage provided in time and cost benefits. This can be achieved by utilizing the broad tools within this discipline to enhance the functionality and efficacy of pharmaceutical agent sequences. This review will describe how synthetic biology principles can augment RNA-based treatments through optimizing not only the vaccine antigen, therapeutic construct, therapeutic activity, and delivery vector. The enhancement of RNA vaccine technology through implementing synthetic biology has the potential to shape the next generation of vaccines and therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blaine A Pfeifer
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | | | - Andrew Hill
- Pfizer, 66 Hudson Boulevard, New York, NY, 10001, USA
| | - Justin Bassett
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, USA
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Nuryana I, Laksmi FA, Dewi KS, Akbar FR, Nurhayati, Harmoko R. Codon optimization of a gene encoding DNA polymerase from Pyrococcus furiosus and its expression in Escherichia coli. J Genet Eng Biotechnol 2023; 21:129. [PMID: 37987973 PMCID: PMC10663413 DOI: 10.1186/s43141-023-00605-7] [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: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND DNA polymerase is an essential component in PCR assay for DNA synthesis. Improving DNA polymerase with characteristics indispensable for a powerful assay is crucial because it can be used in wide-range applications. Derived from Pyrococcus furiosus, Pfu DNA polymerase (Pfu pol) is one of the excellent polymerases due to its high fidelity. Therefore, we aimed to develop Pfu pol from a synthetic gene with codon optimization to increase its protein yield in Escherichia coli. RESULTS Recombinant Pfu pol was successfully expressed and purified with a two-step purification process using nickel affinity chromatography, followed by anion exchange chromatography. Subsequently, the purified Pfu pol was confirmed by Western blot analysis, resulting in a molecular weight of approximately 90 kDa. In the final purification process, we successfully obtained a large amount of purified enzyme (26.8 mg/L). Furthermore, the purified Pfu pol showed its functionality and efficiency when tested for DNA amplification using the standard PCR. CONCLUSIONS Overall, a high-level expression of recombinant Pfu pol was achieved by employing our approach in the present study. In the future, our findings will be useful for studies on synthesizing recombinant DNA polymerase in E. coli expression system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isa Nuryana
- Research Center for Applied Microbiology, National Research and Innovation Agency, Jalan Raya Bogor Km 46, Cibinong, Bogor, 16911, Indonesia
| | - Fina Amreta Laksmi
- Research Center for Applied Microbiology, National Research and Innovation Agency, Jalan Raya Bogor Km 46, Cibinong, Bogor, 16911, Indonesia.
| | - Kartika Sari Dewi
- Research Center for Genetic Engineering, National Research and Innovation Agency, Jalan Raya Bogor Km 46, Cibinong, Bogor, 16911, Indonesia
| | - Faiz Raihan Akbar
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences and Mathematics, Universitas Diponegoro, Jalan Prof Soedarto, SH, Kampus UNDIP Tembalang, Semarang, 50275, Indonesia
| | - Nurhayati
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences and Mathematics, Universitas Diponegoro, Jalan Prof Soedarto, SH, Kampus UNDIP Tembalang, Semarang, 50275, Indonesia
| | - Rikno Harmoko
- Research Center for Genetic Engineering, National Research and Innovation Agency, Jalan Raya Bogor Km 46, Cibinong, Bogor, 16911, Indonesia
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10
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Willems T, Hectors W, Rombaut J, De Rop AS, Goegebeur S, Delmulle T, De Mol ML, De Maeseneire SL, Soetaert WK. An exploratory in silico comparison of open-source codon harmonization tools. Microb Cell Fact 2023; 22:227. [PMID: 37932726 PMCID: PMC10626681 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-023-02230-y] [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: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 10/14/2023] [Indexed: 11/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Not changing the native constitution of genes prior to their expression by a heterologous host can affect the amount of proteins synthesized as well as their folding, hampering their activity and even cell viability. Over the past decades, several strategies have been developed to optimize the translation of heterologous genes by accommodating the difference in codon usage between species. While there have been a handful of studies assessing various codon optimization strategies, to the best of our knowledge, no research has been performed towards the evaluation and comparison of codon harmonization algorithms. To highlight their importance and encourage meaningful discussion, we compared different open-source codon harmonization tools pertaining to their in silico performance, and we investigated the influence of different gene-specific factors. RESULTS In total, 27 genes were harmonized with four tools toward two different heterologous hosts. The difference in %MinMax values between the harmonized and the original sequences was calculated (ΔMinMax), and statistical analysis of the obtained results was carried out. It became clear that not all tools perform similarly, and the choice of tool should depend on the intended application. Almost all biological factors under investigation (GC content, RNA secondary structures and choice of heterologous host) had a significant influence on the harmonization results and thus must be taken into account. These findings were substantiated using a validation dataset consisting of 8 strategically chosen genes. CONCLUSIONS Due to the size of the dataset, no complex models could be developed. However, this initial study showcases significant differences between the results of various codon harmonization tools. Although more elaborate investigation is needed, it is clear that biological factors such as GC content, RNA secondary structures and heterologous hosts must be taken into account when selecting the codon harmonization tool.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Willems
- Centre for Industrial Biotechnology and Biocatalysis (InBio.be), Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, Ghent, 9000, Belgium
| | - Wim Hectors
- Centre for Industrial Biotechnology and Biocatalysis (InBio.be), Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, Ghent, 9000, Belgium
| | - Jeltien Rombaut
- Centre for Industrial Biotechnology and Biocatalysis (InBio.be), Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, Ghent, 9000, Belgium
| | - Anne-Sofie De Rop
- Centre for Industrial Biotechnology and Biocatalysis (InBio.be), Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, Ghent, 9000, Belgium
| | - Stijn Goegebeur
- Centre for Industrial Biotechnology and Biocatalysis (InBio.be), Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, Ghent, 9000, Belgium
| | - Tom Delmulle
- Centre for Industrial Biotechnology and Biocatalysis (InBio.be), Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, Ghent, 9000, Belgium
| | - Maarten L De Mol
- Centre for Industrial Biotechnology and Biocatalysis (InBio.be), Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, Ghent, 9000, Belgium
| | - Sofie L De Maeseneire
- Centre for Industrial Biotechnology and Biocatalysis (InBio.be), Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, Ghent, 9000, Belgium.
| | - Wim K Soetaert
- Centre for Industrial Biotechnology and Biocatalysis (InBio.be), Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, Ghent, 9000, Belgium
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11
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Lewin LE, Daniels KG, Hurst LD. Genes for highly abundant proteins in Escherichia coli avoid 5' codons that promote ribosomal initiation. PLoS Comput Biol 2023; 19:e1011581. [PMID: 37878567 PMCID: PMC10599525 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1011581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023] Open
Abstract
In many species highly expressed genes (HEGs) over-employ the synonymous codons that match the more abundant iso-acceptor tRNAs. Bacterial transgene codon randomization experiments report, however, that enrichment with such "translationally optimal" codons has little to no effect on the resultant protein level. By contrast, consistent with the view that ribosomal initiation is rate limiting, synonymous codon usage following the 5' ATG greatly influences protein levels, at least in part by modifying RNA stability. For the design of bacterial transgenes, for simple codon based in silico inference of protein levels and for understanding selection on synonymous mutations, it would be valuable to computationally determine initiation optimality (IO) scores for codons for any given species. One attractive approach is to characterize the 5' codon enrichment of HEGs compared with the most lowly expressed genes, just as translational optimality scores of codons have been similarly defined employing the full gene body. Here we determine the viability of this approach employing a unique opportunity: for Escherichia coli there is both the most extensive protein abundance data for native genes and a unique large-scale transgene codon randomization experiment enabling objective definition of the 5' codons that cause, rather than just correlate with, high protein abundance (that we equate with initiation optimality, broadly defined). Surprisingly, the 5' ends of native genes that specify highly abundant proteins avoid such initiation optimal codons. We find that this is probably owing to conflicting selection pressures particular to native HEGs, including selection favouring low initiation rates, this potentially enabling high efficiency of ribosomal usage and low noise. While the classical HEG enrichment approach does not work, rendering simple prediction of native protein abundance from 5' codon content futile, we report evidence that initiation optimality scores derived from the transgene experiment may hold relevance for in silico transgene design for a broad spectrum of bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loveday E. Lewin
- The Milner Centre for Evolution, Department of Life Sciences, University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom
| | - Kate G. Daniels
- The Milner Centre for Evolution, Department of Life Sciences, University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom
| | - Laurence D. Hurst
- The Milner Centre for Evolution, Department of Life Sciences, University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom
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12
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Sheng Y, Wang H, Ou Y, Wu Y, Ding W, Tao M, Lin S, Deng Z, Bai L, Kang Q. Insertion sequence transposition inactivates CRISPR-Cas immunity. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4366. [PMID: 37474569 PMCID: PMC10359306 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39964-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023] Open
Abstract
CRISPR-Cas immunity systems safeguard prokaryotic genomes by inhibiting the invasion of mobile genetic elements. Here, we screened prokaryotic genomic sequences and identified multiple natural transpositions of insertion sequences (ISs) into cas genes, thus inactivating CRISPR-Cas defenses. We then generated an IS-trapping system, using Escherichia coli strains with various ISs and an inducible cas nuclease, to monitor IS insertions into cas genes following the induction of double-strand DNA breakage as a physiological host stress. We identified multiple events mediated by different ISs, especially IS1 and IS10, displaying substantial relaxed target specificity. IS transposition into cas was maintained in the presence of DNA repair machinery, and transposition into other host defense systems was also detected. Our findings highlight the potential of ISs to counter CRISPR activity, thus increasing bacterial susceptibility to foreign DNA invasion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Sheng
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, and School of Life Sciences & Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 200240, Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Hengyu Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, and School of Life Sciences & Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 200240, Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Yixin Ou
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, and School of Life Sciences & Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 200240, Shanghai, P. R. China
- Haihe Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, 300308, Tianjin, P. R. China
| | - Yingying Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, and School of Life Sciences & Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 200240, Shanghai, P. R. China
- National Engineering Research Center of Edible Fungi, Key Laboratory of Applied Mycological Resources and Utilization (South), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Edible Fungi, Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 201403, Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Wei Ding
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, and School of Life Sciences & Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 200240, Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Meifeng Tao
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, and School of Life Sciences & Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 200240, Shanghai, P. R. China
- Haihe Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, 300308, Tianjin, P. R. China
| | - Shuangjun Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, and School of Life Sciences & Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 200240, Shanghai, P. R. China
- Haihe Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, 300308, Tianjin, P. R. China
| | - Zixin Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, and School of Life Sciences & Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 200240, Shanghai, P. R. China.
- Haihe Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, 300308, Tianjin, P. R. China.
| | - Linquan Bai
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, and School of Life Sciences & Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 200240, Shanghai, P. R. China.
| | - Qianjin Kang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, and School of Life Sciences & Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 200240, Shanghai, P. R. China.
- Haihe Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, 300308, Tianjin, P. R. China.
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13
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Gurdo N, Volke DC, McCloskey D, Nikel PI. Automating the design-build-test-learn cycle towards next-generation bacterial cell factories. N Biotechnol 2023; 74:1-15. [PMID: 36736693 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbt.2023.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2022] [Revised: 01/15/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Automation is playing an increasingly significant role in synthetic biology. Groundbreaking technologies, developed over the past 20 years, have enormously accelerated the construction of efficient microbial cell factories. Integrating state-of-the-art tools (e.g. for genome engineering and analytical techniques) into the design-build-test-learn cycle (DBTLc) will shift the metabolic engineering paradigm from an almost artisanal labor towards a fully automated workflow. Here, we provide a perspective on how a fully automated DBTLc could be harnessed to construct the next-generation bacterial cell factories in a fast, high-throughput fashion. Innovative toolsets and approaches that pushed the boundaries in each segment of the cycle are reviewed to this end. We also present the most recent efforts on automation of the DBTLc, which heralds a fully autonomous pipeline for synthetic biology in the near future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolás Gurdo
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kongens, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Daniel C Volke
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kongens, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Douglas McCloskey
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kongens, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Pablo Iván Nikel
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kongens, Lyngby, Denmark.
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14
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Yang L, Zhang D, Wang M, Yang Y. Effects of solvent polarity on the novel excited-state intramolecular thiol proton transfer and photophysical property compared with the oxygen proton transfer. SPECTROCHIMICA ACTA. PART A, MOLECULAR AND BIOMOLECULAR SPECTROSCOPY 2023; 293:122475. [PMID: 36780743 DOI: 10.1016/j.saa.2023.122475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Revised: 01/04/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Recently, the dual-fluorescent phenomena of excited state intramolecular thiol proton transfer (ESIPT) for 3-thiolflavone derivative (3NTF) were reported by Chou and coworkers for the first time [J. Am. Chem. Soc. 143 (2021) 12715-12724], which opened a new chapter in the field of ESIPT. Based on density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT), the proton transfer processes of 3NTF in toluene, dichloromethane and acetonitrile were studied. By optimizing the structure of the ground (S0) state and first excited (S1) state of 3NTF in different solvents, the hydrogen-bond parameters and proton-transfer potential energy curves were calculated. It was shown that although photo-excitation enhanced the intramolecular hydrogen bonding strength and thus promoted the occurrence of ESIPT, the solvent polarities inhibited the enhancement of the hydrogen bond of S1 state, which was not conducive to ESIPT. The electron spectra analyses were consistent with experimental data, which confirmed the rationality of molecular configurations. The time-evolved excited state dynamics simulation was performed based on the optimized structure of 3NTF, indicating that the ESIPT was an ultrafast photochemical reaction less than 180 fs. Moreover, we compared the potential energy surfaces of ESIPT, electronic structures based on natural transition orbitals (NTOs) method and electron-hole isosurfaces for the 3NTF and the traditional flavone molecule (3NHF), concluded that the unusually large Stokes shift fluorescence of 3NTF was mainly caused by the coupling of ESIPT and twisting intramolecular charge transfer (TICT), and the 3NTF isomer had the more nπ* character in the electron transition process. The nπ* ICT significantly increased with the decrease of solvent polarities, affecting the molecular photophysical properties, this made it more widely used in biomedical, photochemical, materials science and other fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lujia Yang
- Key Laboratory for Microstructural Material Physics of Hebei Province, School of Science, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004, PR China
| | - Dan Zhang
- Key Laboratory for Microstructural Material Physics of Hebei Province, School of Science, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004, PR China
| | - Mingli Wang
- Key Laboratory for Microstructural Material Physics of Hebei Province, School of Science, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004, PR China.
| | - Yunfan Yang
- Key Laboratory for Microstructural Material Physics of Hebei Province, School of Science, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004, PR China.
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15
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Jain R, Jain A, Mauro E, LeShane K, Densmore D. ICOR: improving codon optimization with recurrent neural networks. BMC Bioinformatics 2023; 24:132. [PMID: 37016283 PMCID: PMC10074884 DOI: 10.1186/s12859-023-05246-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 04/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In protein sequences-as there are 61 sense codons but only 20 standard amino acids-most amino acids are encoded by more than one codon. Although such synonymous codons do not alter the encoded amino acid sequence, their selection can dramatically affect the expression of the resulting protein. Codon optimization of synthetic DNA sequences is important for heterologous expression. However, existing solutions are primarily based on choosing high-frequency codons only, neglecting the important effects of rare codons. In this paper, we propose a novel recurrent-neural-network based codon optimization tool, ICOR, that aims to learn codon usage bias on a genomic dataset of Escherichia coli. We compile a dataset of over 7,000 non-redundant, high-expression, robust genes which are used for deep learning. The model uses a bidirectional long short-term memory-based architecture, allowing for the sequential context of codon usage in genes to be learned. Our tool can predict synonymous codons for synthetic genes toward optimal expression in Escherichia coli. RESULTS We demonstrate that sequential context achieved via RNN may yield codon selection that is more similar to the host genome. Based on computational metrics that predict protein expression, ICOR theoretically optimizes protein expression more than frequency-based approaches. ICOR is evaluated on 1,481 Escherichia coli genes as well as a benchmark set of 40 select DNA sequences whose heterologous expression has been previously characterized. ICOR's performance is measured across five metrics: the Codon Adaptation Index, GC-content, negative repeat elements, negative cis-regulatory elements, and codon frequency distribution. CONCLUSIONS The results, based on in silico metrics, indicate that ICOR codon optimization is theoretically more effective in enhancing recombinant expression of proteins over other established codon optimization techniques. Our tool is provided as an open-source software package that includes the benchmark set of sequences used in this study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rishab Jain
- Lattice Automation, 709 E 5th St. #3, Boston, MA, 02127, USA
| | - Aditya Jain
- Harvard Medical School, 25 Shattuck St, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Elizabeth Mauro
- Lattice Automation, 709 E 5th St. #3, Boston, MA, 02127, USA.
| | - Kevin LeShane
- Lattice Automation, 709 E 5th St. #3, Boston, MA, 02127, USA
| | - Douglas Densmore
- Lattice Automation, 709 E 5th St. #3, Boston, MA, 02127, USA
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Boston University, 8 Saint Mary's St., Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Biological Design Center, Boston University, 610 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, MA, 02215, USA
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16
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Patel VK, Das A, Kumari R, Kajla S. Recent progress and challenges in CRISPR-Cas9 engineered algae and cyanobacteria. ALGAL RES 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.algal.2023.103068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/29/2023]
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17
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Liu X, Zhang P, Zhao Q, Huang AC. Making small molecules in plants: A chassis for synthetic biology-based production of plant natural products. JOURNAL OF INTEGRATIVE PLANT BIOLOGY 2023; 65:417-443. [PMID: 35852486 DOI: 10.1111/jipb.13330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Plant natural products have been extensively exploited in food, medicine, flavor, cosmetic, renewable fuel, and other industrial sectors. Synthetic biology has recently emerged as a promising means for the cost-effective and sustainable production of natural products. Compared with engineering microbes for the production of plant natural products, the potential of plants as chassis for producing these compounds is underestimated, largely due to challenges encountered in engineering plants. Knowledge in plant engineering is instrumental for enabling the effective and efficient production of valuable phytochemicals in plants, and also paves the way for a more sustainable future agriculture. In this manuscript, we briefly recap the biosynthesis of plant natural products, focusing primarily on industrially important terpenoids, alkaloids, and phenylpropanoids. We further summarize the plant hosts and strategies that have been used to engineer the production of natural products. The challenges and opportunities of using plant synthetic biology to achieve rapid and scalable production of high-value plant natural products are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyu Liu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Design for Plant Cell Factory of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Department of Biology, School of Life Sciences, SUSTech-PKU Institute of Plant and Food Science, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Peijun Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Design for Plant Cell Factory of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Department of Biology, School of Life Sciences, SUSTech-PKU Institute of Plant and Food Science, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Qiao Zhao
- Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology (SIAT), the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Ancheng C Huang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Design for Plant Cell Factory of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Department of Biology, School of Life Sciences, SUSTech-PKU Institute of Plant and Food Science, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China
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18
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Chen YS, Wu HC, Lin JR, Yang JL, Kuo TY. High-level expression of functional Pfu DNA polymerase recombinant protein by mimicking the enhanced green fluorescence protein gene codon usage. Biotechnol Appl Biochem 2023; 70:97-105. [PMID: 35179798 DOI: 10.1002/bab.2331] [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: 10/19/2021] [Accepted: 02/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Pfu DNA polymerase is a vital enzyme in PCR-related experiments. However, it is not easy to achieve high-level expression and high purity through one-step purification. This paper illustrates the method to acquire the full-length open reading frame of Pfu DNA polymerase. Without altering its amino acids, we have modified the codon usage, based on that of the enhanced green fluorescence protein (eGFP), and named it rPfu. The synthesized rPfu gene has been subcloned into the pET28a plasmid and expressed in four Escherichia coli strains without the pLysS plasmid. Three strains have expressed a high level of soluble Pfu DNA polymerase. With the aid of Ni-NTA His•Bind® resin, we could obtain high purity (>95%) soluble recombinant protein. Compared with the commercial, proofreading DNA polymerase, rPfu's bioactivity was 12,987 U/mg; that is, 88,311 U of rPfu could be obtained from 50 mL cultured E. coli. The purified rPfu was able to amplify the length of DNA fragments at least 5.5 kb. The method of increasing soluble protein's yield using the eGFP codon usage may introduce a new possibility to the expression of other soluble recombinant proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hsing-Chieh Wu
- International Degree Program in Animal Vaccine Technology, International College, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Pingtung, Taiwan
| | - Jin-Ru Lin
- Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Jia-Ling Yang
- Department of Veterinary medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Tsun-Yung Kuo
- Department of Biotechnology and Animal Science, National Ilan University, Yilan, Taiwan
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19
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Gong H, Wen J, Luo R, Feng Y, Guo J, Fu H, Zhou X. Integrated mRNA sequence optimization using deep learning. Brief Bioinform 2023; 24:bbad001. [PMID: 36642413 PMCID: PMC9851294 DOI: 10.1093/bib/bbad001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2022] [Revised: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 12/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The coronavirus disease of 2019 pandemic has catalyzed the rapid development of mRNA vaccines, whereas, how to optimize the mRNA sequence of exogenous gene such as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 spike to fit human cells remains a critical challenge. A new algorithm, iDRO (integrated deep-learning-based mRNA optimization), is developed to optimize multiple components of mRNA sequences based on given amino acid sequences of target protein. Considering the biological constraints, we divided iDRO into two steps: open reading frame (ORF) optimization and 5' untranslated region (UTR) and 3'UTR generation. In ORF optimization, BiLSTM-CRF (bidirectional long-short-term memory with conditional random field) is employed to determine the codon for each amino acid. In UTR generation, RNA-Bart (bidirectional auto-regressive transformer) is proposed to output the corresponding UTR. The results show that the optimized sequences of exogenous genes acquired the pattern of human endogenous gene sequence. In experimental validation, the mRNA sequence optimized by our method, compared with conventional method, shows higher protein expression. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study by introducing deep-learning methods to integrated mRNA sequence optimization, and these results may contribute to the development of mRNA therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haoran Gong
- West China Biomedical Big Data Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
- Med-X Center for Informatics, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Jianguo Wen
- Center for Computational Systems Medicine, School of Biomedical Informatics, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, 77030, USA
- McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Ruihan Luo
- West China Biomedical Big Data Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Yuzhou Feng
- West China Biomedical Big Data Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - JingJing Guo
- West China Biomedical Big Data Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
- Med-X Center for Informatics, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Hongguang Fu
- University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
| | - Xiaobo Zhou
- Center for Computational Systems Medicine, School of Biomedical Informatics, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, 77030, USA
- McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- School of Dentistry, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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20
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Discovery and Heterologous Expression of Unspecific Peroxygenases. Catalysts 2023. [DOI: 10.3390/catal13010206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Since 2004, unspecific peroxygenases, in short UPOs (EC. 1.11.2.1), have been explored. UPOs are closing a gap between P450 monooxygenases and chloroperoxidases. These enzymes are highly active biocatalysts for the selective oxyfunctionalisation of C–H, C=C and C-C bonds. UPOs are secreted fungal proteins and Komagataella phaffii (Pichia pastoris) is an ideal host for high throughput screening approaches and UPO production. Heterologous overexpression of 26 new UPOs by K. phaffii was performed in deep well plate cultivation and shake flask cultivation up to 50 mL volume. Enzymes were screened using colorimetric assays with 2,2-azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS), 2,6-dimethoxyphenol (DMP), naphthalene and 5-nitro-1,3-benzodioxole (NBD) as reporter substrates. The PaDa-I (AaeUPO mutant) and HspUPO were used as benchmarks to find interesting new enzymes with complementary activity profiles as well as good producing strains. Herein we show that six UPOs from Psathyrella aberdarensis, Coprinopsis marcescibilis, Aspergillus novoparasiticus, Dendrothele bispora and Aspergillus brasiliensis are particularly active.
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21
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Afshari E, Cohan RA, Sotoodehnejadnematalahi F, Mousavi SF. In-silico design and evaluation of an epitope-based serotype-independent promising vaccine candidate for highly cross-reactive regions of pneumococcal surface protein A. J Transl Med 2023; 21:13. [PMID: 36627666 PMCID: PMC9830136 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-022-03864-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2022] [Accepted: 12/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The pathogenicity of pneumococcus with high morbidity, mortality, and multi-drug resistance patterns has been increasing. The limited coverage of the licensed polysaccharide-based vaccines and the replacement of the non-vaccine serotypes are the main reasons for producing a successful serotype-independent vaccine. Pneumococcal surface protein A (PspA) is an extremely important virulence factor and an interesting candidate for conserved protein-based pneumococcal vaccine classified into two prominent families containing five clades. PspA family-elicited immunity is clade-dependent, and the level of the PspA cross-reactivity is restricted to the same family. METHODS To cover and overcome the clade-dependent immunity of the PspAs in this study, we designed and tested a PspA1-5c+p vaccine candidate composed of the highest immunodominant coverage of B- and T-cell epitope truncated domain of each clade focusing on two cross-reactive B and C regions of the PspAs. The antigenicity, toxicity, physicochemical properties, 3D structure prediction, stability and flexibility of the designed protein using molecular dynamic (MD) simulation, molecular docking of the construct withHLADRB1*(01:01) and human lactoferrin N-lop, and immune simulation were assessed using immunoinformatics tools. In the experimental section, after intraperitoneal immunization of the mice with Alum adjuvanted recombinant PspA1-5c+p, we evaluated the immune response, cross-reactivity, and functionality of the Anti-PspA1-5c+p antibody using ELISA, Opsonophagocytic killing activity, and serum bactericidal assay. RESULTS For the first time, this work suggested a novel PspA-based vaccine candidate using immunoinformatics tools. The designed PspA1-5c+p protein is predicted to be highly antigenic, non-toxic, soluble, stable with low flexibility in MD simulation, and able to stimulate both humoral and cellular immune responses. The designed protein also could interact strongly with HLADRB1*(01:01) and human lactoferrin N-lop in the docking study. Our immunoinformatics predictions were validated using experimental data. Results showed that the anti-PspA1-5c+p IgG not only had a high titer with strong and same cross-reactivity coverage against all pneumococcal serotypes used but also had high and effective bioactivity for pneumococcal clearance using complement system and phagocytic cells. CONCLUSION Our findings elucidated the potential application of the PspA1-5c+p vaccine candidate as a serotype-independent pneumococcal vaccine with a strong cross-reactivity feature. Further in-vitro and in-vivo investigations against other PspA clades should be performed to confirm the full protection of the PspA1-5c+p vaccine candidate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elnaz Afshari
- grid.411463.50000 0001 0706 2472Department of Biology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Reza Ahangari Cohan
- grid.420169.80000 0000 9562 2611Department of Nanobiotechnology, New Technologies Research Group, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Fattah Sotoodehnejadnematalahi
- grid.411463.50000 0001 0706 2472Department of Biology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Seyed Fazlollah Mousavi
- grid.420169.80000 0000 9562 2611Department of Microbiology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, 69 Pasteur Ave., Tehran, 13164 Iran
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22
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Ryan BJ, Kinsella GK, Henehan GT. Protein Extraction and Purification by Differential Solubilization. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2699:349-368. [PMID: 37647006 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3362-5_17] [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] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
Abstract
The preparation of purified soluble proteins for biochemical studies is essential and the solubility of a protein of interest in various media is central to this process. Selectively altering the solubility of a protein is a rapid and economical step in protein purification and is based on exploiting the inherent physicochemical properties of a polypeptide. Precipitation of proteins, released from cells upon lysis, is often used to concentrate a protein of interest before further purification steps (e.g., ion exchange chromatography, size exclusion chromatography etc).Recombinant proteins may be expressed in host cells as insoluble inclusion bodies due to various influences during overexpression. Such inclusion bodies can often be solubilized to be reconstituted as functional, correctly folded proteins.In this chapter, we examine strategies for extraction/precipitation/solubilization of proteins for protein purification. We also present bioinformatic tools to aid in understanding a protein's propensity to aggregate/solubilize that will be a useful starting point for the development of protein extraction, precipitation, and selective re-solubilization procedures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barry J Ryan
- School of Food Science and Environmental Health, Technological University Dublin, Grangegorman, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Gemma K Kinsella
- School of Food Science and Environmental Health, Technological University Dublin, Grangegorman, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Gary T Henehan
- School of Food Science and Environmental Health, Technological University Dublin, Grangegorman, Dublin, Ireland.
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23
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Zaib S, Rana N, Areeba, Hussain N, Alrbyawi H, Dera AA, Khan I, Khalid M, Khan A, Al-Harrasi A. Designing multi-epitope monkeypox virus-specific vaccine using immunoinformatics approach. J Infect Public Health 2023; 16:107-116. [PMID: 36508944 PMCID: PMC9724569 DOI: 10.1016/j.jiph.2022.11.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Revised: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Monkeypox virus is an enveloped DNA virus that belongs to Poxviridae family. The virus is transmitted from rodents to primates via infected body fluids, skin lesions, and respiratory droplets. After being infected with virus, the patients experience fever, myalgia, maculopapular rash, and fluid-filled blisters. It is necessary to differentiate monkeypox virus from other poxviruses during diagnosis which can be appropriately envisioned via DNA analysis from swab samples. During small outbreaks, the virus is treated with therapies administered in other orthopoxviruses infections and does not have its own specific therapy and vaccine. Consequently, in this article, two potential peptides have been designed. METHODS For the purpose of designing a vaccine, protein sequences were retrieved followed by the prediction of B- and T-cell epitopes. Afterward, vaccine structures were predicted which were docked with toll-like receptors. The docked complexes were analyzed with iMODS. Moreover, vaccine constructs nucleotide sequences were optimized and expressed in silico. RESULTS COP-B7R vaccine construct (V1) has antigenicity score of 0.5400, instability index of 29.33, z-score of - 2.11-, and 42.11% GC content whereas COP-A44L vaccine construct (V2) has an antigenicity score of 0.7784, instability index of 23.33, z-score of - 0.61, and 48.63% GC content. It was also observed that COP-A44L can be expressed as a soluble protein in Escherichia coli as compared to COP-B7R which requires a different expression system. CONCLUSION The obtained results revealed that both vaccine constructs show satisfactory outcomes after in silico investigation and have significant potential to prevent the monkeypox virus. However, COP-A44L gave better results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sumera Zaib
- Department of Basic and Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Central Punjab, Lahore 54590, Pakistan,Corresponding authors
| | - Nehal Rana
- Department of Basic and Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Central Punjab, Lahore 54590, Pakistan
| | - Areeba
- Department of Basic and Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Central Punjab, Lahore 54590, Pakistan
| | - Nadia Hussain
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Al Ain University, Al Ain, UAE,AAU Health and Biomedical Research Center, Al Ain University, Abu Dhabi, UAE
| | - Hamad Alrbyawi
- Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology Department, College of Pharmacy, Taibah University, Medina 42353, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ayed A. Dera
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, The University of Manchester, 131 Princess Street, Manchester M1 7DN, United Kingdom,Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia
| | - Imtiaz Khan
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, The University of Manchester, 131 Princess Street, Manchester M1 7DN, United Kingdom,Corresponding authors
| | - Mohammad Khalid
- Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, King Khalid University, Asir-Abha 61421, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ajmal Khan
- Natural and Medical Sciences Research Center, University of Nizwa, Nizwa 616, Oman
| | - Ahmed Al-Harrasi
- Natural and Medical Sciences Research Center, University of Nizwa, Nizwa 616, Oman,Corresponding authors
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24
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Khandia R, Pandey MK, Khan AA, Rzhepakovsky IV, Gurjar P, Karobari MI. Codon Usage and Context Analysis of Genes Modulated during SARS-CoV-2 Infection and Dental Inflammation. Vaccines (Basel) 2022; 10:1874. [PMID: 36366382 PMCID: PMC9695912 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines10111874] [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] [Received: 09/15/2022] [Revised: 10/30/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2024] Open
Abstract
The overexpression of SARS-CoV-2 primary receptors and co-receptors (ACE2, TMPRSS2, FURIN, and CD147) enhance the likeliness of SARS-CoV-2 infection. The genes for same receptors are overexpressed in the periodontal tissues of periodontitis patients. On the other hand, BMAL1 is recognized to play a crucial role in regulating pulmonary inflammation and enhancing susceptibility to viral infection. Silenced BMAL1 disrupts circadian transcriptional regulations, enhances vulnerability to SARS-CoV-2 infections, and may trigger the further production of TNF-α and other pro-inflammatory cytokines that propagate the cytokine storm and exacerbate periodontal inflammation. Therefore ACE2, TMPRSS2, FURIN, CD147, and BMAL1 are the crossroads between SARS-CoV-2 and Periodontitis genes. The enhanced expression of ACE2, TMPRSS2, FURIN, and CD147 and the diminished expression of BMAL1 may be a strategy to check both ailments simultaneously. In gene manipulation techniques, oligos are introduced, which contain all the necessary information to manipulate gene expression. The data are derived from the studies on genes' molecular patterns, including nucleotide composition, dinucleotide patterns, relative synonymous codon usage, codon usage bias, codon context, and rare and abundant codons. Such information may be used to manipulate the overexpression and underexpression of the genes at the time of SARS-CoV-2 infection and periodontitis to mitigate both ailments simultaneously; it can be explored to uncover possible future treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rekha Khandia
- Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, Barkatullah University, Bhopal 462026, India
| | - Megha Katare Pandey
- Department of Translational Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Bhopal 462020, India
| | - Azmat Ali Khan
- Pharmaceutical Biotechnology Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | | | - Pankaj Gurjar
- Department of Science and Engineering, Novel Global Community Educational Foundation, Hebersham, NSW 2770, Australia
| | - Mohmed Isaqali Karobari
- Conservative Dentistry Unit, School of Dental Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kubang Kerian 16150, Malaysia
- Department of Conservative Dentistry & Endodontics, Saveetha Dental College & Hospitals, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences University, Chennai 600077, India
- Department of Restorative Dentistry & Endodontics, University of Puthisastra, Phnom Penh 12211, Cambodia
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25
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Furtado D, Cortez-Jugo C, Hung YH, Bush AI, Caruso F. mRNA Treatment Rescues Niemann-Pick Disease Type C1 in Patient Fibroblasts. Mol Pharm 2022; 19:3987-3999. [PMID: 36125338 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.2c00463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Messenger RNA (mRNA) holds great potential as a disease-modifying treatment for a wide array of monogenic disorders. Niemann-Pick disease type C1 (NP-C1) is an ultrarare monogenic disease that arises due to loss-of-function mutations in the NPC1 gene, resulting in the entrapment of unesterified cholesterol in the lysosomes of affected cells and a subsequent reduction in their capacity for cholesterol esterification. This causes severe damage to various organs including the brain, liver, and spleen. In this work, we describe the use of NPC1-encoded mRNA to rescue the protein insufficiency and pathogenic phenotype caused by biallelic NPC1 mutations in cultured fibroblasts derived from an NP-C1 patient. We first evaluated engineering strategies for the generation of potent mRNAs capable of eliciting high protein expression across multiple cell types. We observed that "GC3" codon optimization, coupled with N1-methylpseudouridine base modification, yielded an mRNA that was approximately 1000-fold more potent than wild-type, unmodified mRNA in a luciferase reporter assay and consistently superior to other mRNA variants. Our data suggest that the improved expression associated with this design strategy was due in large part to the increased secondary structure of the designed mRNAs. Both codon optimization and base modification appear to contribute to increased secondary structure. Applying these principles to the engineering of NPC1-encoded mRNA, we observed a normalization in NPC1 protein levels after mRNA treatment, as well as a rescue of the mutant phenotype. Specifically, mRNA treatment restored the cholesterol esterification capacity of patient cells to wild-type levels and induced a significant reduction in both unesterified cholesterol levels (>57% reduction compared to Lipofectamine-treated control in a cholesterol esterification assay) and lysosome size (157 μm2 reduction compared to Lipofectamine-treated control). These findings show that engineered mRNA can correct the deficit caused by NPC1 mutations. More broadly, they also serve to further validate the potential of this technology to correct diseases associated with loss-of-function mutations in genes coding for large, complex, intracellular proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denzil Furtado
- Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Christina Cortez-Jugo
- Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Ya Hui Hung
- Melbourne Dementia Research Centre, The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Ashley I Bush
- Melbourne Dementia Research Centre, The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Frank Caruso
- Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
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26
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Expression of Codon-Optimized Gene Encoding Murine Moloney Leukemia Virus Reverse Transcriptase in Escherichia coli. Protein J 2022; 41:515-526. [PMID: 35933571 PMCID: PMC9362449 DOI: 10.1007/s10930-022-10066-5] [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] [Accepted: 07/10/2022] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Moloney murine leukemia virus reverse transcriptase (MMLV-RT) is the most frequently used enzyme in molecular biology for cDNA synthesis. To date, reverse transcription coupled with Polymerase Chain Reaction, known as RT-PCR, has been popular as an excellent approach for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this study, we aimed to improve the enzymatic production and performance of MMLV-RT by optimizing both codon and culture conditions in E. coli expression system. By applying the optimized codon and culture conditions, the enzyme was successfully overexpressed and increased at high level based on the result of SDS-PAGE and Western blotting. The total amount of MMLV-RT has improved 85-fold from 0.002 g L-1 to 0.175 g L-1 of culture. One-step purification by nickel affinity chromatography has been performed to generate the purified enzyme for further analysis of qualitative and quantitative RT activity. Overall, our investigation provides useful strategies to enhance the recombinant enzyme of MMLV-RT in both production and performance. More importantly, the enzyme has shown promising activity to be used for RT-PCR assay.
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27
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Design of typical genes for heterologous gene expression. Sci Rep 2022; 12:9625. [PMID: 35688911 PMCID: PMC9187722 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-13089-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2021] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Heterologous protein expression is an important method for analysing cellular functions of proteins, in genetic circuit engineering and in overexpressing proteins for biopharmaceutical applications and structural biology research. The degeneracy of the genetic code, which enables a single protein to be encoded by a multitude of synonymous gene sequences, plays an important role in regulating protein expression, but substantial uncertainty exists concerning the details of this phenomenon. Here we analyse the influence of a profiled codon usage adaptation approach on protein expression levels in the eukaryotic model organism Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We selected green fluorescent protein (GFP) and human α-synuclein (αSyn) as representatives for stable and intrinsically disordered proteins and representing a benchmark and a challenging test case. A new approach was implemented to design typical genes resembling the codon usage of any subset of endogenous genes. Using this approach, synthetic genes for GFP and αSyn were generated, heterologously expressed and evaluated in yeast. We demonstrate that GFP is expressed at high levels, and that the toxic αSyn can be adapted to endogenous, low-level expression. The new software is publicly available as a web-application for performing host-specific protein adaptations to a set of the most commonly used model organisms ( https://odysseus.motorprotein.de ).
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28
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Leibovich Z, Gronau I. Optimal Design of Synthetic DNA Sequences Without Unwanted Binding Sites. J Comput Biol 2022; 29:974-986. [PMID: 35648072 DOI: 10.1089/cmb.2021.0417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Synthesizing DNA molecules by design has become an essential tool in molecular biology and is expected to become ubiquitous in the coming decade. Successful design of a synthetic DNA molecule often requires satisfying multiple objectives, some of which may conflict with others. One particularly important objective is the elimination of unwanted protein binding sites, which may interfere with the desired function of the synthesized molecule. While most design tools offer this fundamental capability, they do not follow a systematic approach that guarantees elimination of all unwanted sites whenever a feasible solution exists. Furthermore, the algorithms these tools use (when published) are often quite naive and inefficient. We present a formal description of the binding site elimination problem and suggest several efficient algorithms that eliminate unwanted patterns with minimum interference to the desired function of the synthesized sequence. These algorithms are simple, efficient, and flexible and, therefore, can be easily incorporated in all existing DNA design tools, enhancing their design capabilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zehavit Leibovich
- Efi Arazi School of Computer Science, Reichman University, Herzliya, Israel
| | - Ilan Gronau
- Efi Arazi School of Computer Science, Reichman University, Herzliya, Israel
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29
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Bridging H2O and H2S homomeric clusters via H2O-H2S mixed clusters: Impact of the changing ratio of H2O and H2S moieties. COMPUT THEOR CHEM 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.comptc.2022.113740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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30
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Fang E, Liu X, Li M, Zhang Z, Song L, Zhu B, Wu X, Liu J, Zhao D, Li Y. Advances in COVID-19 mRNA vaccine development. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2022; 7:94. [PMID: 35322018 PMCID: PMC8940982 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-022-00950-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 173] [Impact Index Per Article: 86.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2021] [Revised: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 03/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
To date, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has determined 399,600,607 cases and 5,757,562 deaths worldwide. COVID-19 is a serious threat to human health globally. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared COVID-19 pandemic a major public health emergency. Vaccination is the most effective and economical intervention for controlling the spread of epidemics, and consequently saving lives and protecting the health of the population. Various techniques have been employed in the development of COVID-19 vaccines. Among these, the COVID-19 messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine has been drawing increasing attention owing to its great application prospects and advantages, which include short development cycle, easy industrialization, simple production process, flexibility to respond to new variants, and the capacity to induce better immune response. This review summarizes current knowledge on the structural characteristics, antigen design strategies, delivery systems, industrialization potential, quality control, latest clinical trials and real-world data of COVID-19 mRNA vaccines as well as mRNA technology. Current challenges and future directions in the development of preventive mRNA vaccines for major infectious diseases are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enyue Fang
- National Institute for Food and Drug Control, Beijing, 102629, China
- Wuhan Institute of Biological Products, Co., Ltd., Wuhan, 430207, China
| | - Xiaohui Liu
- National Institute for Food and Drug Control, Beijing, 102629, China
| | - Miao Li
- National Institute for Food and Drug Control, Beijing, 102629, China
| | - Zelun Zhang
- National Institute for Food and Drug Control, Beijing, 102629, China
| | - Lifang Song
- National Institute for Food and Drug Control, Beijing, 102629, China
| | - Baiyu Zhu
- Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Xiaohong Wu
- National Institute for Food and Drug Control, Beijing, 102629, China
| | - Jingjing Liu
- National Institute for Food and Drug Control, Beijing, 102629, China
| | - Danhua Zhao
- National Institute for Food and Drug Control, Beijing, 102629, China
| | - Yuhua Li
- National Institute for Food and Drug Control, Beijing, 102629, China.
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31
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Durojaye OA, Sedzro DM, Idris MO, Yekeen AA, Fadahunsi AA, Alakanse OS. Identification of a Potential mRNA-based Vaccine Candidate against the SARS-CoV-2 Spike Glycoprotein: A Reverse Vaccinology Approach. ChemistrySelect 2022; 7:e202103903. [PMID: 35601809 PMCID: PMC9111088 DOI: 10.1002/slct.202103903] [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: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 02/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The emergence of the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) in December 2019 has generated a devastating global consequence which makes the development of a rapidly deployable, effective and safe vaccine candidate an imminent global health priority. The design of most vaccine candidates has been directed at the induction of antibody responses against the trimeric spike glycoprotein of SARS-CoV-2, a class I fusion protein that aids ACE2 (angiotensin-converting enzyme 2) receptor binding. A variety of formulations and vaccinology approaches are being pursued for targeting the spike glycoprotein, including simian and human replication-defective adenoviral vaccines, subunit protein vaccines, nucleic acid vaccines and whole-inactivated SARS-CoV-2. Here, we directed a reverse vaccinology approach towards the design of a nucleic acid (mRNA-based) vaccine candidate. The "YLQPRTFLL" peptide sequence (position 269-277) which was predicted to be a B cell epitope and likewise a strong binder of the HLA*A-0201 was selected for the design of the vaccine candidate, having satisfied series of antigenicity assessments. Through the codon optimization protocol, the nucleotide sequence for the vaccine candidate design was generated and targeted at the human toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7). Bioinformatics analyses showed that the sequence "UACCUGCAGCCGCGUACCUUCCUGCUG" exhibited a strong affinity and likewise was bound to a stable cavity in the TLR7 pocket. This study is therefore expected to contribute to the research efforts directed at securing definitive preventive measures against the SARS-CoV-2 infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olanrewaju Ayodeji Durojaye
- MOE Key Laboratory of Membraneless Organelle and Cellular DynamicsHefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the MicroscaleUniversity of Science and Technology of ChinaHefeiAnhui230027China
- School of Life SciencesUniversity of Science and Technology of ChinaHefeiAnhui230027China
- Department of Chemical SciencesCoal City University, EmeneEnugu StateNigeria
| | - Divine Mensah Sedzro
- MOE Key Laboratory of Membraneless Organelle and Cellular DynamicsHefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the MicroscaleUniversity of Science and Technology of ChinaHefeiAnhui230027China
- School of Life SciencesUniversity of Science and Technology of ChinaHefeiAnhui230027China
| | | | - Abeeb Abiodun Yekeen
- School of Life SciencesUniversity of Science and Technology of ChinaHefeiAnhui230027China
| | - Adeola Abraham Fadahunsi
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringUniversity of Science and Technology of ChinaHefeiAnhui230027China
| | - Oluwaseun Suleiman Alakanse
- School of Life SciencesUniversity of Science and Technology of ChinaHefeiAnhui230027China
- Department of BiochemistryFaculty of Life SciencesUniversity of IlorinIlorinKwara StateNigeria
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32
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Ortega C, Oppezzo P, Correa A. Overcoming the Solubility Problem in E. coli: Available Approaches for Recombinant Protein Production. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2406:35-64. [PMID: 35089549 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1859-2_2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Despite the importance of recombinant protein production in the academy and industrial fields, many issues concerning the expression of soluble and homogeneous products are still unsolved. Several strategies were developed to overcome these obstacles; however, at present, there is no magic bullet that can be applied for all cases. Indeed, several key expression parameters need to be evaluated for each protein. Among the different hosts for protein expression, Escherichia coli is by far the most widely used. In this chapter, we review many of the different tools employed to circumvent protein insolubility problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Ortega
- Recombinant Protein Unit, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Pablo Oppezzo
- Recombinant Protein Unit, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Agustín Correa
- Recombinant Protein Unit, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay.
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33
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Wright G, Rodriguez A, Li J, Milenkovic T, Emrich SJ, Clark PL. CHARMING: Harmonizing synonymous codon usage to replicate a desired codon usage pattern. Protein Sci 2022; 31:221-231. [PMID: 34738275 PMCID: PMC8740841 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2021] [Revised: 10/31/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
There is a growing appreciation that synonymous codon usage, although historically regarded as phenotypically silent, can instead alter a wide range of mechanisms related to functional protein production, a term we use here to describe the net effect of transcription (mRNA synthesis), mRNA half-life, translation (protein synthesis) and the probability of a protein folding correctly to its active, functional structure. In particular, recent discoveries have highlighted the important role that sub-optimal codons can play in modifying co-translational protein folding. These results have drawn increased attention to the patterns of synonymous codon usage within coding sequences, particularly in light of the discovery that these patterns can be conserved across evolution for homologous proteins. Because synonymous codon usage differs between organisms, for heterologous gene expression it can be desirable to make synonymous codon substitutions to match the codon usage pattern from the original organism in the heterologous expression host. Here we present CHARMING (for Codon HARMonizING), a robust and versatile algorithm to design mRNA sequences for heterologous gene expression and other related codon harmonization tasks. CHARMING can be run as a downloadable Python script or via a web portal at http://www.codons.org.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel Wright
- Department of Computer Science & EngineeringUniversity of Notre DameNotre DameIndianaUSA,Present address:
Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer ScienceMilwaukee School of EngineeringMilwaukeeWIUSA
| | - Anabel Rodriguez
- Department of Chemistry & BiochemistryUniversity of Notre DameNotre DameIndianaUSA
| | - Jun Li
- Department of Applied and Computational Mathematics & StatisticsUniversity of Notre DameNotre DameIndianaUSA
| | - Tijana Milenkovic
- Department of Computer Science & EngineeringUniversity of Notre DameNotre DameIndianaUSA
| | - Scott J. Emrich
- Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer ScienceUniversity of TennesseeKnoxvilleTennesseeUSA
| | - Patricia L. Clark
- Department of Chemistry & BiochemistryUniversity of Notre DameNotre DameIndianaUSA
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34
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Fox DM, Branson KM, Walker RC. mRNA codon optimization with quantum computers. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0259101. [PMID: 34714834 PMCID: PMC8555812 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0259101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Reverse translation of polypeptide sequences to expressible mRNA constructs is a NP-hard combinatorial optimization problem. Each amino acid in the protein sequence can be represented by as many as six codons, and the process of selecting the combination that maximizes probability of expression is termed codon optimization. This work investigates the potential impact of leveraging quantum computing technology for codon optimization. A Quantum Annealer (QA) is compared to a standard genetic algorithm (GA) programmed with the same objective function. The QA is found to be competitive in identifying optimal solutions. The utility of gate-based systems is also evaluated using a simulator resulting in the finding that while current generations of devices lack the hardware requirements, in terms of both qubit count and connectivity, to solve realistic problems, future generation devices may be highly efficient.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dillion M. Fox
- Data and Computational Science, Medicinal Sciences and Technology, GlaxoSmithKline, Collegeville, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Kim M. Branson
- Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, Medicinal Sciences and Technology, GlaxoSmithKline, Collegeville, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Ross C. Walker
- Data and Computational Science, Medicinal Sciences and Technology, GlaxoSmithKline, Collegeville, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California San Diego, San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
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35
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Codon optimization of the synthetic 3-ketosphinganine reductase (3KSR) protein for enhancing sphingolipid biosynthetic enzyme expression. Mol Cell Toxicol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s13273-021-00153-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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36
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Bhandari BK, Lim CS, Remus DM, Chen A, van Dolleweerd C, Gardner PP. Analysis of 11,430 recombinant protein production experiments reveals that protein yield is tunable by synonymous codon changes of translation initiation sites. PLoS Comput Biol 2021; 17:e1009461. [PMID: 34610008 PMCID: PMC8519471 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1009461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2021] [Revised: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 09/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Recombinant protein production is a key process in generating proteins of interest in the pharmaceutical industry and biomedical research. However, about 50% of recombinant proteins fail to be expressed in a variety of host cells. Here we show that the accessibility of translation initiation sites modelled using the mRNA base-unpairing across the Boltzmann's ensemble significantly outperforms alternative features. This approach accurately predicts the successes or failures of expression experiments, which utilised Escherichia coli cells to express 11,430 recombinant proteins from over 189 diverse species. On this basis, we develop TIsigner that uses simulated annealing to modify up to the first nine codons of mRNAs with synonymous substitutions. We show that accessibility captures the key propensity beyond the target region (initiation sites in this case), as a modest number of synonymous changes is sufficient to tune the recombinant protein expression levels. We build a stochastic simulation model and show that higher accessibility leads to higher protein production and slower cell growth, supporting the idea of protein cost, where cell growth is constrained by protein circuits during overexpression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bikash K. Bhandari
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Chun Shen Lim
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Daniela M. Remus
- Callaghan Innovation Protein Science and Engineering, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Augustine Chen
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Craig van Dolleweerd
- Biomolecular Interaction Center, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Paul P. Gardner
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
- Biomolecular Interaction Center, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
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Watts A, Sankaranarayanan S, Watts A, Raipuria RK. Optimizing protein expression in heterologous system: Strategies and tools. Meta Gene 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mgene.2021.100899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
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Gupta D, Sharma G, Saraswat P, Ranjan R. Synthetic Biology in Plants, a Boon for Coming Decades. Mol Biotechnol 2021; 63:1138-1154. [PMID: 34420149 DOI: 10.1007/s12033-021-00386-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2021] [Accepted: 08/16/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Recently an enormous expansion of knowledge is seen in various disciplines of science. This surge of information has given rise to concept of interdisciplinary fields, which has resulted in emergence of newer research domains, one of them is 'Synthetic Biology' (SynBio). It captures basics from core biology and integrates it with concepts from the other areas of study such as chemical, electrical, and computational sciences. The essence of synthetic biology is to rewire, re-program, and re-create natural biological pathways, which are carried through genetic circuits. A genetic circuit is a functional assembly of basic biological entities (DNA, RNA, proteins), created using typical design, built, and test cycles. These circuits allow scientists to engineer nearly all biological systems for various useful purposes. The development of sophisticated molecular tools, techniques, genomic programs, and ease of nucleic acid synthesis have further fueled several innovative application of synthetic biology in areas like molecular medicines, pharmaceuticals, biofuels, drug discovery, metabolomics, developing plant biosensors, utilization of prokaryotic systems for metabolite production, and CRISPR/Cas9 in the crop improvement. These applications have largely been dominated by utilization of prokaryotic systems. However, newer researches have indicated positive growth of SynBio for the eukaryotic systems as well. This paper explores advances of synthetic biology in the plant field by elaborating on its core components and potential applications. Here, we have given a comprehensive idea of designing, development, and utilization of synthetic biology in the improvement of the present research state of plant system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dipinte Gupta
- Plant Biotechnology Lab, Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Dayalbagh Educational Institute (Deemed to be University), Dayalbagh, Agra, 282005, India
| | - Gauri Sharma
- Plant Biotechnology Lab, Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Dayalbagh Educational Institute (Deemed to be University), Dayalbagh, Agra, 282005, India
| | - Pooja Saraswat
- Plant Biotechnology Lab, Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Dayalbagh Educational Institute (Deemed to be University), Dayalbagh, Agra, 282005, India
| | - Rajiv Ranjan
- Plant Biotechnology Lab, Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Dayalbagh Educational Institute (Deemed to be University), Dayalbagh, Agra, 282005, India.
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Konur S, Mierla L, Fellermann H, Ladroue C, Brown B, Wipat A, Twycross J, Dun BP, Kalvala S, Gheorghe M, Krasnogor N. Toward Full-Stack In Silico Synthetic Biology: Integrating Model Specification, Simulation, Verification, and Biological Compilation. ACS Synth Biol 2021; 10:1931-1945. [PMID: 34339602 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.1c00143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
We present the Infobiotics Workbench (IBW), a user-friendly, scalable, and integrated computational environment for the computer-aided design of synthetic biological systems. It supports an iterative workflow that begins with specification of the desired synthetic system, followed by simulation and verification of the system in high-performance environments and ending with the eventual compilation of the system specification into suitable genetic constructs. IBW integrates modeling, simulation, verification, and biocompilation features into a single software suite. This integration is achieved through a new domain-specific biological programming language, the Infobiotics Language (IBL), which tightly combines these different aspects of in silico synthetic biology into a full-stack integrated development environment. Unlike existing synthetic biology modeling or specification languages, IBL uniquely blends modeling, verification, and biocompilation statements into a single file. This allows biologists to incorporate design constraints within the specification file rather than using decoupled and independent formalisms for different in silico analyses. This novel approach offers seamless interoperability across different tools as well as compatibility with SBOL and SBML frameworks and removes the burden of doing manual translations for standalone applications. We demonstrate the features, usability, and effectiveness of IBW and IBL using well-established synthetic biological circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Savas Konur
- Department of Computer Science, University of Bradford, Bradford, BD7 1DP, U.K
| | - Laurentiu Mierla
- Department of Computer Science, University of Bradford, Bradford, BD7 1DP, U.K
| | - Harold Fellermann
- Interdisciplinary Computing and Complex Biosystems Research Group, Newcastle University, Newcastle, NE1 7RU, U.K
| | - Christophe Ladroue
- Department of Computer Science, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, U.K
| | - Bradley Brown
- Interdisciplinary Computing and Complex Biosystems Research Group, Newcastle University, Newcastle, NE1 7RU, U.K
| | - Anil Wipat
- Interdisciplinary Computing and Complex Biosystems Research Group, Newcastle University, Newcastle, NE1 7RU, U.K
| | - Jamie Twycross
- School of Computer Science, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG8 1BB, U.K
| | - Boyang Peter Dun
- Department of Computer Science, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Sara Kalvala
- Department of Computer Science, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, U.K
| | - Marian Gheorghe
- Department of Computer Science, University of Bradford, Bradford, BD7 1DP, U.K
| | - Natalio Krasnogor
- Interdisciplinary Computing and Complex Biosystems Research Group, Newcastle University, Newcastle, NE1 7RU, U.K
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Monu, Oram BK, Bandyopadhyay B. A unified cost-effective method for the construction of reliable potential energy surfaces for H 2S and H 2O clusters. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2021; 23:18044-18057. [PMID: 34387290 DOI: 10.1039/d1cp01544c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
A DFT-based methodology has been used to construct the potential energy surface of H2S clusters up to pentamers. Geometrical parameters and energetics show very good agreement with the existing experimental and high-level theoretical results. Distinct stable conformers of three dimers, six trimers, eleven tetramers and twenty-three pentamers have been identified. Both S-HS H-bond and SS interactions are identified in dimers, trimers and pentamers, while no SS interactions could be found in any of the 11 tetramer conformers. The binding energies of the most stable dimer, trimer, tetramer and pentamer are -1.66, -5.21, -8.57 and -12.54 kcal mol-1, respectively. The PES has been found to be exceedingly flat and the energy gap between the most and the least stable conformers was found to be only 0.09, 2.13, 1.65 and 1.13 kcal mol-1, from the dimer to the pentamer, respectively. The proposed method has also been used for water clusters up to the pentamer. The results obtained were found to agree closely with the existing results. Only one conformer was found for the water dimer, whereas four, five and fifteen conformers were obtained for the trimer, tetramer and pentamer, respectively. Atoms in molecular calculations were found to corroborate with the geometric and energetic results for both clusters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monu
- Department of Chemistry, Malaviya National Institute of Technology Jaipur, JLN Marg, Jaipur - 302017, India.
| | - Binod Kumar Oram
- Department of Chemistry, Malaviya National Institute of Technology Jaipur, JLN Marg, Jaipur - 302017, India.
| | - Biman Bandyopadhyay
- Department of Chemistry, Malaviya National Institute of Technology Jaipur, JLN Marg, Jaipur - 302017, India.
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Thermostable cellulose saccharifying microbial enzymes: Characteristics, recent advances and biotechnological applications. Int J Biol Macromol 2021; 188:226-244. [PMID: 34371052 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2021.08.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2021] [Revised: 07/19/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Cellulases play a promising role in the bioconversion of renewable lignocellulosic biomass into fermentable sugars which are subsequently fermented to biofuels and other value-added chemicals. Besides biofuel industries, they are also in huge demand in textile, detergent, and paper and pulp industries. Low titres of cellulase production and processing are the main issues that contribute to high enzyme cost. The success of ethanol-based biorefinery depends on high production titres and the catalytic efficiency of cellulases functional at elevated temperatures with acid/alkali tolerance and the low cost. In view of their wider application in various industrial processes, stable cellulases that are active at elevated temperatures in the acidic-alkaline pH ranges, and organic solvents and salt tolerance would be useful. This review provides a recent update on the advances made in thermostable cellulases. Developments in their sources, characteristics and mechanisms are updated. Various methods such as rational design, directed evolution, synthetic & system biology and immobilization techniques adopted in evolving cellulases with ameliorated thermostability and characteristics are also discussed. The wide range of applications of thermostable cellulases in various industrial sectors is described.
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Wang CH, Liu ZY, Huang CH, Chen CT, Meng FY, Liao YC, Liu YH, Chang CC, Li EY, Chou PT. Chapter Open for the Excited-State Intramolecular Thiol Proton Transfer in the Room-Temperature Solution. J Am Chem Soc 2021; 143:12715-12724. [PMID: 34355563 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.1c05602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
We report here, for the first time, the experimental observation on the excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) reaction of the thiol proton in room-temperature solution. This phenomenon is demonstrated by a derivative of 3-thiolflavone (3TF), namely, 2-(4-(diethylamino)phenyl)-3-mercapto-4H-chromen-4-one (3NTF), which possesses an -S-H···O═ intramolecular H-bond (denoted by the dashed line) and has an S1 absorption at 383 nm. Upon photoexcitation, 3NTF exhibits a distinctly red emission maximized at 710 nm in cyclohexane with an anomalously large Stokes shift of 12 230 cm-1. Upon methylation on the thiol group, 3MeNTF, lacking the thiol proton, exhibits a normal Stokes-shifted emission at 472 nm. These, in combination with the computational approaches, lead to the conclusion of thiol-type ESIPT unambiguously. Further time-resolved study renders an unresolvable (<180 fs) ESIPT rate for 3NTF, followed by a tautomer emission lifetime of 120 ps. In sharp contrast to 3NTF, both 3TF and 3-mercapto-2-(4-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)-4H-chromen-4-one (3FTF) are non-emissive. Detailed computational approaches indicate that all studied thiols undergo thermally favorable ESIPT. However, once forming the proton-transferred tautomer, the lone-pair electrons on the sulfur atom brings non-negligible nπ* contribution to the S1' state (prime indicates the proton-transferred tautomer), for which the relaxation is dominated by the non-radiative deactivation. For 3NTF, the extension of π-electron delocalization by the diethylamino electron-donating group endows the S1' state primarily in the ππ* configuration, exhibiting the prominent tautomer emission. The results open a new chapter in the field of ESIPT, covering the non-canonical sulfur intramolecular H-bond and its associated ESIPT at ambient temperature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun-Hsiang Wang
- Department of Chemistry, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan (R.O.C.)
| | - Zong-Ying Liu
- Department of Chemistry, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan (R.O.C.)
| | - Chun-Hao Huang
- Department of Chemistry, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei 11677, Taiwan (R.O.C.)
| | - Chao-Tsen Chen
- Department of Chemistry, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan (R.O.C.)
| | - Fan-Yi Meng
- Department of Chemistry, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan (R.O.C.)
| | - Yu-Chan Liao
- Department of Chemistry, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan (R.O.C.)
| | - Yi-Hung Liu
- Department of Chemistry, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan (R.O.C.)
| | - Chao-Che Chang
- Department of Chemistry, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan (R.O.C.)
| | - Elise Y Li
- Department of Chemistry, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei 11677, Taiwan (R.O.C.)
| | - Pi-Tai Chou
- Department of Chemistry, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan (R.O.C.)
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Reid RP, Oehlert AM, Suosaari EP, Demergasso C, Chong G, Escudero LV, Piggot AM, Lascu I, Palma AT. Electrical conductivity as a driver of biological and geological spatial heterogeneity in the Puquios, Salar de Llamara, Atacama Desert, Chile. Sci Rep 2021; 11:12769. [PMID: 34140571 PMCID: PMC8211675 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-92105-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Reputed to be the driest desert in the world, the Atacama Desert in the Central Andes of Northern Chile is an extreme environment with high UV radiation, wide temperature variation, and minimum precipitation. Scarce lagoons associated with salt flats (salars) in this desert are the surface expression of shallow groundwater; these ponds serve as refugia for life and often host microbial communities associated with evaporitic mineral deposition. Results based on multidisciplinary field campaigns and associated laboratory examination of samples collected from the Puquios of the Salar de Llamara in the Atacama Desert during austral summer provide unprecedented detail regarding the spatial heterogeneity of physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of these salar environments. Four main lagoons ('Puquios') and more than 400 smaller ponds occur within an area less than 5 km2, and are characterized by high variability in electrical conductivity, benthic and planktonic biota, microbiota, lagoon bottom type, and style of mineral deposition. Results suggest that electrical conductivity is a driving force of system heterogeneity. Such spatial heterogeneity within the Puquios is likely to be expanded with temporal observations incorporating expected seasonal changes in electrical conductivity. The complexity of these Andean ecosystems may be key to their ability to persist in extreme environments at the edge of habitability.
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Affiliation(s)
- R P Reid
- Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, Miami, FL, 33149, USA.
- Bahamas Marine EcoCentre, Miami, FL, 33156, USA.
| | - A M Oehlert
- Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, Miami, FL, 33149, USA
- Bahamas Marine EcoCentre, Miami, FL, 33156, USA
| | - E P Suosaari
- Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, Miami, FL, 33149, USA
- Bahamas Marine EcoCentre, Miami, FL, 33156, USA
- Department of Mineral Sciences, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC, 20560, USA
| | - C Demergasso
- Centro de Biotecnología , Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta, Chile
| | - G Chong
- Departamento de Ciencias Geológicas , Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta, Chile
| | - L V Escudero
- Centro de Biotecnología , Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta, Chile
| | - A M Piggot
- Bahamas Marine EcoCentre, Miami, FL, 33156, USA
- AP Research Inc., Miami, FL, 33157, USA
| | - I Lascu
- Department of Mineral Sciences, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC, 20560, USA
| | - A T Palma
- FisioAqua, Las Condes , 7550024, Santiago, Chile
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Fatemi Motlagh M, Mousavi Gargari SL. A bivalent vaccine against avian necrotic enteritis and coccidiosis. J Appl Microbiol 2021; 132:113-125. [PMID: 34101942 DOI: 10.1111/jam.15178] [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: 01/30/2021] [Revised: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 05/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
AIMS In this study, we attempted to design a recombinant vaccine harbouring domain with a key role in enterocyte attachment and cell invasion in necrotic enteritis (NE) and coccidiosis. METHODS AND RESULTS In this study, we investigated whether a recombinant protein consisting of necrotic enteritis B-like toxin, C-terminal domain of alpha-toxin, apical membrane antigen 1 (AMA1), and Rhoptry neck protein 2 (RON2) which we call "NeCoVac" hereafter, can improve protection against both diseases compared to vaccination with each antigen in previous studies. Birds intestinal lesion scores and specific antibody levels were measured to determine protection after oral gavage challenges with virulent Clostridium perfringens and LIVACOX® T. Birds immunized with NeCoVac were protected up to 84% against NE and coccidiosis compared to unimmunized and even positive groups (groups treated with LIVACOX® T [coccidiosis live vaccine] and tylosin as routine veterinary interventions) (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that vaccination with NeCoVac is highly efficient in protecting birds from NE, coccidiosis and a combination of both diseases. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY The present study is the first one to describe the combinatorial use of AMA1 and RON2 against coccidiosis, and the first report using NeCoVac against NE and coccidiosis together.
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Nie T, Meng F, Zhou L, Lu F, Bie X, Lu Z, Lu Y. In Silico Development of Novel Chimeric Lysins with Highly Specific Inhibition against Salmonella by Computer-Aided Design. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2021; 69:3751-3760. [PMID: 33565867 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.0c07450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Four novel chimeric lysins (P361, P362, P371, and P372), which were the fusion of Salmonella phage lysins and novel antimicrobial peptide LeuA-P, were obtained using bioinformatics analysis and in silico design. The recombinant chimeric lysins were expressed in E. coli BL21(DE3) strain and showed highly specific inhibition against Salmonella. The minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of P362 and P372 to S. typhi CMCC 50071 were 8 and 16 μg/mL, respectively. Both 1 × MIC P362 and P372 could increase the outer membrane permeability and cleave the cell wall peptidoglycan, causing the leakage of intracellular nucleic acids and proteins and ultimately killing Salmonella efficiently without drug resistance. The combination of P362, P372, and potassium sorbate reduced more than 3 log CFU/g counts of microorganisms in contaminated chilled chicken and extended the shelf life by 7 days. The strategy of antimicrobial peptide (AMP)-lysin chimera inspired the inability of phage lysin to specifically inhibit Gram-negative bacteria with dense outer membranes in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting Nie
- College of Food Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province 210095, China
| | - Fanqiang Meng
- College of Food Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province 210095, China
| | - Libang Zhou
- College of Food Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province 210095, China
| | - Fengxia Lu
- College of Food Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province 210095, China
| | - Xiaomei Bie
- College of Food Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province 210095, China
| | - Zhaoxin Lu
- College of Food Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province 210095, China
| | - Yingjian Lu
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Nanjing University of Finance and Economics, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province 210023, China
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Ranaghan MJ, Li JJ, Laprise DM, Garvie CW. Assessing optimal: inequalities in codon optimization algorithms. BMC Biol 2021; 19:36. [PMID: 33607980 PMCID: PMC7893858 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-021-00968-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2020] [Accepted: 01/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Custom genes have become a common resource in recombinant biology over the last 20 years due to the plummeting cost of DNA synthesis. These genes are often "optimized" to non-native sequences for overexpression in a non-native host by substituting synonymous codons within the coding DNA sequence (CDS). A handful of studies have compared native and optimized CDSs, reporting different levels of soluble product due to the accumulation of misfolded aggregates, variable activity of enzymes, and (at least one report of) a change in substrate specificity. No study, to the best of our knowledge, has performed a practical comparison of CDSs generated from different codon optimization algorithms or reported the corresponding protein yields. RESULTS In our efforts to understand what factors constitute an optimized CDS, we identified that there is little consensus among codon-optimization algorithms, a roughly equivalent chance that an algorithm-optimized CDS will increase or diminish recombinant yields as compared to the native DNA, a near ubiquitous use of a codon database that was last updated in 2007, and a high variability of output CDSs by some algorithms. We present a case study, using KRas4B, to demonstrate that a median codon frequency may be a better predictor of soluble yields than the more commonly utilized CAI metric. CONCLUSIONS We present a method for visualizing, analyzing, and comparing algorithm-optimized DNA sequences for recombinant protein expression. We encourage researchers to consider if DNA optimization is right for their experiments, and work towards improving the reproducibility of published recombinant work by publishing non-native CDSs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J Ranaghan
- Center for the Development of Therapeutics, The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, 415 Main Street, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA.
| | - Jeffrey J Li
- Center for the Development of Therapeutics, The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, 415 Main Street, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
| | - Dylan M Laprise
- Center for the Development of Therapeutics, The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, 415 Main Street, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
| | - Colin W Garvie
- Center for the Development of Therapeutics, The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, 415 Main Street, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
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Lin JY, Xue C, Tan SI, Ng IS. Pyridoxal kinase PdxY mediated carbon dioxide assimilation to enhance the biomass in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii CC-400. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2021; 322:124530. [PMID: 33340949 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2020.124530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2020] [Revised: 12/06/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Microalga served as the promising bioresources due to the high efficiency of carbon dioxide conversion. However, the application of microalga is still restricted by low biomass, easier contamination, and high cost of production. To overcome the challenge, engineered Chlamydomonas reinhardtii CC-400 with pyridoxal kinase gene (pdxY) has demonstrated in this study. The results indicated CC-400 with pdxY reached enhanced algal biomass in three different systems, including flask, Two-layer Photo-Reactor (TPR) and airlift Photo-Bioreactor (PBR). The genetic strain PY9 cultured with 1% CO2 in the PBR showed a significant enhancement of biomass up to 1.442 g/L, a 2-times of that of the wild type. We also found the transcriptional levels of carbonic anhydrase (CA) dropped down in PY9 while higher levels of RuBisCo and pdxY occurred, thus the carbon dioxide assimilation under mixotrophic culture dramatically increased. We proofed that pdxY successfully mediated carbon dioxide utilization in CC-400.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia-Yi Lin
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan
| | - Chengfeng Xue
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan
| | - Shih-I Tan
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan
| | - I-Son Ng
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan.
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Wang B, Yang H, Sun J, Dou C, Huang J, Guo FB. BioMaster: An Integrated Database and Analytic Platform to Provide Comprehensive Information About BioBrick Parts. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:593979. [PMID: 33552037 PMCID: PMC7858672 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.593979] [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: 08/31/2020] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Synthetic biology seeks to create new biological parts, devices, and systems, and to reconfigure existing natural biological systems for custom-designed purposes. The standardized BioBrick parts are the foundation of synthetic biology. The incomplete and flawed metadata of BioBrick parts, however, are a major obstacle for designing genetic circuit easily, quickly, and accurately. Here, a database termed BioMaster http://www.biomaster-uestc.cn was developed to extensively complement information about BioBrick parts, which includes 47,934 items of BioBrick parts from the international Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) Registry with more comprehensive information integrated from 10 databases, providing corresponding information about functions, activities, interactions, and related literature. Moreover, BioMaster is also a user-friendly platform for retrieval and analyses of relevant information on BioBrick parts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beibei Wang
- School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
- Centre for Informational Biology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Huayi Yang
- School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Jianan Sun
- School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Chuhao Dou
- School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Jian Huang
- School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
- Centre for Informational Biology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Feng-Biao Guo
- School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
- Centre for Informational Biology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
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Neiers F, Belloir C, Poirier N, Naumer C, Krohn M, Briand L. Comparison of Different Signal Peptides for the Efficient Secretion of the Sweet-Tasting Plant Protein Brazzein in Pichia pastoris. Life (Basel) 2021; 11:life11010046. [PMID: 33450886 PMCID: PMC7828362 DOI: 10.3390/life11010046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2020] [Revised: 01/08/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Brazzein is a small sweet-tasting protein found in the red berries of a West African evergreen shrub, Pentadiplandra brazzeana Baillon. Brazzein is highly soluble and stable over a large pH range and at high temperatures, which are characteristics that suggest its use as a natural sweetener. However, Pentadiplandra brazzeana culture is difficult at a large scale, limiting the natural source of brazzein. Heterologous expression of brazzein has been established in numerous systems, including bacteria, yeast, and transgenic plants. Brazzein requires four disulfide bonds to be active in eliciting an intense sweet taste, and the yeast Pichia pastoris appears to be one of the best options for obtaining functional brazzein in high quantities. Employing yeast secretion in the culture medium allows us to obtain fully active brazzein and facilitate purification later. To increase yeast secretion, we compared seven different signal peptides to successfully achieve brazzein secretion using the yeast P. pastoris. The brazzein proteins corresponding to these signal peptides elicited activation of the sweet taste receptor functionally expressed in a cellular assay. Among these tested signal peptides, three resulted in the secretion of brazzein at high levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabrice Neiers
- Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l’Alimentation, CNRS, INRAE, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, F-21000 Dijon, France; (F.N.); (C.B.); (N.P.)
| | - Christine Belloir
- Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l’Alimentation, CNRS, INRAE, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, F-21000 Dijon, France; (F.N.); (C.B.); (N.P.)
| | - Nicolas Poirier
- Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l’Alimentation, CNRS, INRAE, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, F-21000 Dijon, France; (F.N.); (C.B.); (N.P.)
| | - Christian Naumer
- BRAIN AG, Darmstaedter Str. 34-36, 64673 Zwingenberg, Germany; (C.N.); (M.K.)
| | - Michael Krohn
- BRAIN AG, Darmstaedter Str. 34-36, 64673 Zwingenberg, Germany; (C.N.); (M.K.)
| | - Loïc Briand
- Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l’Alimentation, CNRS, INRAE, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, F-21000 Dijon, France; (F.N.); (C.B.); (N.P.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +33-380-681615
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Gharbavi M, Danafar H, Amani J, Sharafi A. Immuno-informatics analysis and expression of a novel multi-domain antigen as a vaccine candidate against glioblastoma. Int Immunopharmacol 2020; 91:107265. [PMID: 33360829 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2020.107265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2020] [Revised: 11/17/2020] [Accepted: 11/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Glioblastoma multiform is the most common of primary malignant brain tumors in adults. Currently, surgical resection of the tumor mass, followed by adjuvant radiotherapy and chemotherapy are standard treatments for glioblastoma multiform but so far are not effective treatments. Thus, the development of a vaccine, as a safe and efficient strategy for prophylactic or therapeutic purposes against glioblastoma multiform is very necessary. The present study aimed to design the multi-domain vaccine for glioblastoma multiform. An in silico approach was used to select the most potent domains of proteins to induce the host's B- and T-cell immune response against glioblastoma multiform. IL-13Rα-2 (amino acid positions 27-144), TNC (amino acid positions 1900-2100), and PTPRZ-1(amino acid positions 731-884) were found to have potent inducible immune responses. So, we considered them for fusing with a linker A(EAAAK)3A to construct the multi-domain recombinant vaccine. The immuno-informatics analysis of the designed recombinant vaccine construct was performed to evaluate its efficacy. Although the designed recombinant vaccine construct did not show allergen property, its antigenicity was estimated at 0.78. The Physico-chemical properties of the recombinant vaccine construct were characterized and revealed the potency of the vaccine candidate. Then its secondary and tertiary structures, mRNA structure, molecular docking, and immune simulation were predicted using bioinformatics tools. Next, the designed recombinant vaccine construct was synthesized, and cloned into the pET28a vector and expressed in E. coli BL21. Besides, the circular dichroism spectroscopy was utilized for the investigation of the secondary structure changes of the recombinant vaccine construct. The results of the verification assessment of the recombinant vaccine construct expression indicated that in silico analysis was relatively accurate, and relatively change occurred on the protein secondary structure. In our future plan, the vaccine candidate that was confirmed by in silico tools should be validated by further in vitro and in vivo experimental studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahmoud Gharbavi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biomaterials, School of Pharmacy, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran; Zanjan Pharmaceutical Biotechnology Research Center, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran
| | - Hossein Danafar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biomaterials, School of Pharmacy, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran
| | - Jafar Amani
- Applied Microbiology Research Center, Systems Biology and Poisonings Institute, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Ali Sharafi
- Zanjan Pharmaceutical Biotechnology Research Center, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran.
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