1
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Cruz-Navarrete FA, Griffin WC, Chan YC, Martin MI, Alejo JL, Brady RA, Natchiar SK, Knudson IJ, Altman RB, Schepartz A, Miller SJ, Blanchard SC. β-Amino Acids Reduce Ternary Complex Stability and Alter the Translation Elongation Mechanism. ACS CENTRAL SCIENCE 2024; 10:1262-1275. [PMID: 38947208 PMCID: PMC11212133 DOI: 10.1021/acscentsci.4c00314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2024] [Revised: 05/20/2024] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 07/02/2024]
Abstract
Templated synthesis of proteins containing non-natural amino acids (nnAAs) promises to expand the chemical space available to biological therapeutics and materials, but existing technologies are still limiting. Addressing these limitations requires a deeper understanding of the mechanism of protein synthesis and how it is perturbed by nnAAs. Here we examine the impact of nnAAs on the formation and ribosome utilization of the central elongation substrate: the ternary complex of native, aminoacylated tRNA, thermally unstable elongation factor, and GTP. By performing ensemble and single-molecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer measurements, we reveal that both the (R)- and (S)-β2 isomers of phenylalanine (Phe) disrupt ternary complex formation to levels below in vitro detection limits, while (R)- and (S)-β3-Phe reduce ternary complex stability by 1 order of magnitude. Consistent with these findings, (R)- and (S)-β2-Phe-charged tRNAs were not utilized by the ribosome, while (R)- and (S)-β3-Phe stereoisomers were utilized inefficiently. (R)-β3-Phe but not (S)-β3-Phe also exhibited order of magnitude defects in the rate of translocation after mRNA decoding. We conclude from these findings that non-natural amino acids can negatively impact the translation mechanism on multiple fronts and that the bottlenecks for improvement must include the consideration of the efficiency and stability of ternary complex formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- F. Aaron Cruz-Navarrete
- Department
of Structural Biology, St. Jude Children’s
Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee 38105, United States
- Department
of Chemical Biology & Therapeutics, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee 38105, United States
| | - Wezley C. Griffin
- Department
of Structural Biology, St. Jude Children’s
Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee 38105, United States
- Department
of Chemical Biology & Therapeutics, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee 38105, United States
| | - Yuk-Cheung Chan
- Department
of Chemistry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, United States
| | - Maxwell I. Martin
- Department
of Structural Biology, St. Jude Children’s
Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee 38105, United States
- Department
of Chemical Biology & Therapeutics, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee 38105, United States
| | - Jose L. Alejo
- Department
of Structural Biology, St. Jude Children’s
Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee 38105, United States
- Department
of Chemical Biology & Therapeutics, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee 38105, United States
| | - Ryan A. Brady
- Department
of Structural Biology, St. Jude Children’s
Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee 38105, United States
- Department
of Chemical Biology & Therapeutics, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee 38105, United States
| | - S. Kundhavai Natchiar
- Department
of Structural Biology, St. Jude Children’s
Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee 38105, United States
- Department
of Chemical Biology & Therapeutics, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee 38105, United States
| | - Isaac J. Knudson
- College
of Chemistry, University of California,
Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Roger B. Altman
- Department
of Structural Biology, St. Jude Children’s
Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee 38105, United States
- Department
of Chemical Biology & Therapeutics, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee 38105, United States
| | - Alanna Schepartz
- College
of Chemistry, University of California,
Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Molecular
and Cell Biology, University of California,
Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- California
Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Chan
Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, California 94158, United States
- Innovation
Investigator, ARC Institute, Palo Alto, California 94304, United States
| | - Scott J. Miller
- Department
of Chemistry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, United States
| | - Scott C. Blanchard
- Department
of Structural Biology, St. Jude Children’s
Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee 38105, United States
- Department
of Chemical Biology & Therapeutics, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee 38105, United States
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2
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Weiss JL, Decker JC, Bolano A, Krahn N. Tuning tRNAs for improved translation. Front Genet 2024; 15:1436860. [PMID: 38983271 PMCID: PMC11231383 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2024.1436860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2024] [Accepted: 06/06/2024] [Indexed: 07/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Transfer RNAs have been extensively explored as the molecules that translate the genetic code into proteins. At this interface of genetics and biochemistry, tRNAs direct the efficiency of every major step of translation by interacting with a multitude of binding partners. However, due to the variability of tRNA sequences and the abundance of diverse post-transcriptional modifications, a guidebook linking tRNA sequences to specific translational outcomes has yet to be elucidated. Here, we review substantial efforts that have collectively uncovered tRNA engineering principles that can be used as a guide for the tuning of translation fidelity. These principles have allowed for the development of basic research, expansion of the genetic code with non-canonical amino acids, and tRNA therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua L Weiss
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
| | - J C Decker
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
| | - Ariadna Bolano
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
| | - Natalie Krahn
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
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3
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Sigal M, Matsumoto S, Beattie A, Katoh T, Suga H. Engineering tRNAs for the Ribosomal Translation of Non-proteinogenic Monomers. Chem Rev 2024; 124:6444-6500. [PMID: 38688034 PMCID: PMC11122139 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.3c00894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2023] [Revised: 02/21/2024] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024]
Abstract
Ribosome-dependent protein biosynthesis is an essential cellular process mediated by transfer RNAs (tRNAs). Generally, ribosomally synthesized proteins are limited to the 22 proteinogenic amino acids (pAAs: 20 l-α-amino acids present in the standard genetic code, selenocysteine, and pyrrolysine). However, engineering tRNAs for the ribosomal incorporation of non-proteinogenic monomers (npMs) as building blocks has led to the creation of unique polypeptides with broad applications in cellular biology, material science, spectroscopy, and pharmaceuticals. Ribosomal polymerization of these engineered polypeptides presents a variety of challenges for biochemists, as translation efficiency and fidelity is often insufficient when employing npMs. In this Review, we will focus on the methodologies for engineering tRNAs to overcome these issues and explore recent advances both in vitro and in vivo. These efforts include increasing orthogonality, recruiting essential translation factors, and creation of expanded genetic codes. After our review on the biochemical optimizations of tRNAs, we provide examples of their use in genetic code manipulation, with a focus on the in vitro discovery of bioactive macrocyclic peptides containing npMs. Finally, an analysis of the current state of tRNA engineering is presented, along with existing challenges and future perspectives for the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxwell Sigal
- Department of Chemistry,
Graduate School of Science, The University
of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Satomi Matsumoto
- Department of Chemistry,
Graduate School of Science, The University
of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Adam Beattie
- Department of Chemistry,
Graduate School of Science, The University
of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Takayuki Katoh
- Department of Chemistry,
Graduate School of Science, The University
of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Suga
- Department of Chemistry,
Graduate School of Science, The University
of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
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4
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Cruz-Navarrete FA, Griffin WC, Chan YC, Martin MI, Alejo JL, Natchiar SK, Knudson IJ, Altman RB, Schepartz A, Miller SJ, Blanchard SC. β-amino acids reduce ternary complex stability and alter the translation elongation mechanism. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.02.24.581891. [PMID: 38464221 PMCID: PMC10925103 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.24.581891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
Templated synthesis of proteins containing non-natural amino acids (nnAAs) promises to vastly expand the chemical space available to biological therapeutics and materials. Existing technologies limit the identity and number of nnAAs than can be incorporated into a given protein. Addressing these bottlenecks requires deeper understanding of the mechanism of messenger RNA (mRNA) templated protein synthesis and how this mechanism is perturbed by nnAAs. Here we examine the impact of both monomer backbone and side chain on formation and ribosome-utilization of the central protein synthesis substate: the ternary complex of native, aminoacylated transfer RNA (aa-tRNA), thermally unstable elongation factor (EF-Tu), and GTP. By performing ensemble and single-molecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) measurements, we reveal the dramatic effect of monomer backbone on ternary complex formation and protein synthesis. Both the (R) and (S)-β2 isomers of Phe disrupt ternary complex formation to levels below in vitro detection limits, while (R)- and (S)-β3-Phe reduce ternary complex stability by approximately one order of magnitude. Consistent with these findings, (R)- and (S)-β2-Phe-charged tRNAs were not utilized by the ribosome, while (R)- and (S)-β3-Phe stereoisomers were utilized inefficiently. The reduced affinities of both species for EF-Tu ostensibly bypassed the proofreading stage of mRNA decoding. (R)-β3-Phe but not (S)-β3-Phe also exhibited order of magnitude defects in the rate of substrate translocation after mRNA decoding, in line with defects in peptide bond formation that have been observed for D-α-Phe. We conclude from these findings that non-natural amino acids can negatively impact the translation mechanism on multiple fronts and that the bottlenecks for improvement must include consideration of the efficiency and stability of ternary complex formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- F. Aaron Cruz-Navarrete
- Department of Structural Biology, St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
- Department of Chemical Biology & Therapeutics, St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
| | - Wezley C. Griffin
- Department of Structural Biology, St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
- Department of Chemical Biology & Therapeutics, St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
| | - Yuk-Cheung Chan
- Department of Chemistry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Maxwell I. Martin
- Department of Structural Biology, St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
- Department of Chemical Biology & Therapeutics, St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
| | - Jose L. Alejo
- Department of Structural Biology, St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
- Department of Chemical Biology & Therapeutics, St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
| | - S. Kundhavai Natchiar
- Department of Structural Biology, St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
- Department of Chemical Biology & Therapeutics, St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
| | - Isaac J. Knudson
- College of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Roger B. Altman
- Department of Structural Biology, St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
- Department of Chemical Biology & Therapeutics, St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
| | - Alanna Schepartz
- College of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
- Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Innovation Investigator, ARC Institute, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA
| | - Scott J. Miller
- Department of Chemistry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Scott C. Blanchard
- Department of Structural Biology, St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
- Department of Chemical Biology & Therapeutics, St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
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5
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McFeely CAL, Shakya B, Makovsky CA, Haney AK, Ashton Cropp T, Hartman MCT. Extensive breaking of genetic code degeneracy with non-canonical amino acids. Nat Commun 2023; 14:5008. [PMID: 37591858 PMCID: PMC10435567 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40529-x] [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: 11/11/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Genetic code expansion (GCE) offers many exciting opportunities for the creation of synthetic organisms and for drug discovery methods that utilize in vitro translation. One type of GCE, sense codon reassignment (SCR), focuses on breaking the degeneracy of the 61 sense codons which encode for only 20 amino acids. SCR has great potential for genetic code expansion, but extensive SCR is limited by the post-transcriptional modifications on tRNAs and wobble reading of these tRNAs by the ribosome. To better understand codon-tRNA pairing, here we develop an assay to evaluate the ability of aminoacyl-tRNAs to compete with each other for a given codon. We then show that hyperaccurate ribosome mutants demonstrate reduced wobble reading, and when paired with unmodified tRNAs lead to extensive and predictable SCR. Together, we encode seven distinct amino acids across nine codons spanning just two codon boxes, thereby demonstrating that the genetic code hosts far more re-assignable space than previously expected, opening the door to extensive genetic code engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clinton A L McFeely
- Department of Chemistry, Virginia Commonwealth University, 1001 W Main St., Richmond, VA, 23284, USA
- Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, 401 College St., Richmond, VA, 23219, USA
| | - Bipasana Shakya
- Department of Chemistry, Virginia Commonwealth University, 1001 W Main St., Richmond, VA, 23284, USA
- Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, 401 College St., Richmond, VA, 23219, USA
| | - Chelsea A Makovsky
- Department of Chemistry, Virginia Commonwealth University, 1001 W Main St., Richmond, VA, 23284, USA
- Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, 401 College St., Richmond, VA, 23219, USA
| | - Aidan K Haney
- Department of Chemistry, Virginia Commonwealth University, 1001 W Main St., Richmond, VA, 23284, USA
| | - T Ashton Cropp
- Department of Chemistry, Virginia Commonwealth University, 1001 W Main St., Richmond, VA, 23284, USA
| | - Matthew C T Hartman
- Department of Chemistry, Virginia Commonwealth University, 1001 W Main St., Richmond, VA, 23284, USA.
- Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, 401 College St., Richmond, VA, 23219, USA.
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6
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Wang Y. Ribozyme synthesis of both L- and D- amino acid oligos. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.04.28.538729. [PMID: 37162832 PMCID: PMC10168322 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.28.538729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
The ribosome is responsible for assembling proteins using 20 naturally occurring L-handed amino acids. However, incorporating non-natural amino acids into a protein is a challenging process needs improvement. In this study, we report a new possible approach to creating nonnatural peptides using ribozymes inspired by the peptidyl transfer center. These RNA scaffolds, which are approximately 100 nucleotides in length, bind to RNase T1 truncated tRNA-like chimeras and bring them into close proximity to facilitate peptide ligation. We used single-molecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer (smFRET) to show close distances between RNA-RNA, tRNALys-tRNALys, and RNA-tRNALys pairs, which strongly suggests that the mechanism of peptide ligation is due to the proximity of the substrate through dimerization of the enzymes. Mass spectrometry analysis confirmed the detection of oligopeptides from four amino acids, including L-Lysine, D-Lysine, L-Phenylalanine, and D-Phenylalanine. These results indicate that ribozymes have greater flexibility in accommodating nonnatural amino acids. Our findings pave the way for potentially new avenues in the synthesis of nonnatural peptides, beyond the limitations of ribosomal peptide synthesis and other existing methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuhong Wang
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA
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7
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Fu X, Huang Y, Shen Y. Improving the Efficiency and Orthogonality of Genetic Code Expansion. BIODESIGN RESEARCH 2022; 2022:9896125. [PMID: 37850140 PMCID: PMC10521639 DOI: 10.34133/2022/9896125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2022] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 10/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The site-specific incorporation of the noncanonical amino acid (ncAA) into proteins via genetic code expansion (GCE) has enabled the development of new and powerful ways to learn, regulate, and evolve biological functions in vivo. However, cellular biosynthesis of ncAA-containing proteins with high efficiency and fidelity is a formidable challenge. In this review, we summarize up-to-date progress towards improving the efficiency and orthogonality of GCE and enhancing intracellular compatibility of introduced translation machinery in the living cells by creation and optimization of orthogonal translation components, constructing genomically recoded organism (GRO), utilization of unnatural base pairs (UBP) and quadruplet codons (four-base codons), and spatial separation of orthogonal translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xian Fu
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518083, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Genome Read and Write, Shenzhen 518120China
| | - Yijian Huang
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518083, China
- School of Future Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yue Shen
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518083, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Genome Read and Write, Shenzhen 518120China
- Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
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8
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Incorporation of backbone modifications in mRNA-displayable peptides. Methods Enzymol 2021; 656:521-544. [PMID: 34325797 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2021.05.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Here we comprehensively summarize the most recent efforts in our research team, aiming at installing N-methyl and azole backbones into peptides expressed in translation. The genetic code reprogramming using the Flexible In-vitro Translation system (FIT system) has proven to be the most reliable and versatile approach for ribosomally installing various exotic amino acids. However, it had been yet difficult in translating diverse kinds of multiple and consecutive sequences of N-methyl amino acids (MeAAs). We have recently reported that a semi-rational fine tuning of MeAA-tRNA affinities for EF-Tu by altering tRNA T-stem sequence achieves efficient delivery of MeAA-tRNAs to the ribosome. Indeed, this approach has made it possible to express N-methyl-peptides containing multiple MeAAs with a remarkably high fidelity. Another interesting backbone modification in peptides is azole moieties often found in natural products, but they are explicitly installed by post-translational modifying enzymes. We have recently devised a method to bypass such enzymatic processes where a bromovinyl group-containing amino acid is incorporated into the peptide by genetic code reprogramming and then chemically converted to an azole group via an intramolecular heterocyclization reaction. These methods will grant more drug-like properties to peptides than ordinary peptides in terms of protease resistance and cell membrane permeability. Particularly when they can be integrated with in vitro mRNA display, such as the RaPID system, the discovery of de novo bioactive peptides can be realized.
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9
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Adaligil E, Song A, Hallenbeck KK, Cunningham CN, Fairbrother WJ. Ribosomal Synthesis of Macrocyclic Peptides with β 2- and β 2,3-Homo-Amino Acids for the Development of Natural Product-Like Combinatorial Libraries. ACS Chem Biol 2021; 16:1011-1018. [PMID: 34008946 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.1c00062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
The development of large, natural-product-like, combinatorial macrocyclic peptide libraries is essential in the quest to develop therapeutics for "undruggable" cellular targets. Herein we report the ribosomal synthesis of macrocyclic peptides containing one or more β2-homo-amino acids (β2haa) to enable their incorporation into mRNA display-based selection libraries. We confirmed the compatibility of 14 β2-homo-amino acids, (S)- and (R)-stereochemistry, for single incorporation into a macrocyclic peptide with low to high translation efficiency. Interestingly, N-methylation of the backbone amide of β2haa prevented the incorporation of this amino acid subclass by the ribosome. Additionally, we designed and incorporated several α,β-disubstituted β2,3-homo-amino acids (β2,3haa) with different R-groups on the α- and β-carbons of the same amino acid. Incorporation of these β2,3haa enables increased diversity in a single position of a macrocyclic peptide without significantly increasing the overall molecular weight, which is an important consideration for passive cell permeability. We also successfully incorporated multiple (S)-β2hAla into a single macrocycle with other non-proteinogenic amino acids, confirming that this class of β-amino acid is suitable for development of large scale macrocyclic peptide libraries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emel Adaligil
- Department of Early Discovery Biochemistry, Genentech, 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Aimin Song
- Department of Early Discovery Biochemistry, Genentech, 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Kenneth K. Hallenbeck
- Department of Early Discovery Biochemistry, Genentech, 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Christian N. Cunningham
- Department of Early Discovery Biochemistry, Genentech, 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Wayne J. Fairbrother
- Department of Early Discovery Biochemistry, Genentech, 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
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10
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Iwane Y, Kimura H, Katoh T, Suga H. Uniform affinity-tuning of N-methyl-aminoacyl-tRNAs to EF-Tu enhances their multiple incorporation. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 49:10807-10817. [PMID: 33997906 PMCID: PMC8565323 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkab288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2020] [Revised: 04/05/2021] [Accepted: 05/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
In ribosomal translation, the accommodation of aminoacyl-tRNAs into the ribosome is mediated by elongation factor thermo unstable (EF-Tu). The structures of proteinogenic aminoacyl-tRNAs (pAA-tRNAs) are fine-tuned to have uniform binding affinities to EF-Tu in order that all proteinogenic amino acids can be incorporated into the nascent peptide chain with similar efficiencies. Although genetic code reprogramming has enabled the incorporation of non-proteinogenic amino acids (npAAs) into the nascent peptide chain, the incorporation of some npAAs, such as N-methyl-amino acids (MeAAs), is less efficient, especially when MeAAs frequently and/or consecutively appear in a peptide sequence. Such poor incorporation efficiencies can be attributed to inadequate affinities of MeAA-tRNAs to EF-Tu. Taking advantage of flexizymes, here we have experimentally verified that the affinities of MeAA-tRNAs to EF-Tu are indeed weaker than those of pAA-tRNAs. Since the T-stem of tRNA plays a major role in interacting with EF-Tu, we have engineered the T-stem sequence to tune the affinity of MeAA-tRNAs to EF-Tu. The uniform affinity-tuning of the individual pairs has successfully enhanced the incorporation of MeAAs, achieving the incorporation of nine distinct MeAAs into both linear and thioether-macrocyclic peptide scaffolds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshihiko Iwane
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Kimura
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Takayuki Katoh
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Suga
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
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11
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Hirose H, Tsiamantas C, Katoh T, Suga H. In vitro expression of genetically encoded non-standard peptides consisting of exotic amino acid building blocks. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2019; 58:28-36. [DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2018.10.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2018] [Accepted: 10/26/2018] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
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12
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Liljeruhm J, Wang J, Kwiatkowski M, Sabari S, Forster AC. Kinetics of d-Amino Acid Incorporation in Translation. ACS Chem Biol 2019; 14:204-213. [PMID: 30648860 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.8b00952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Despite the stereospecificity of translation for l-amino acids (l-AAs) in vivo, synthetic biologists have enabled ribosomal incorporation of d-AAs in vitro toward encoding polypeptides with pharmacologically desirable properties. However, the steps in translation limiting d-AA incorporation need clarification. In this work, we compared d- and l-Phe incorporation in translation by quench-flow kinetics, measuring 250-fold slower incorporation into the dipeptide for the d isomer from a tRNAPhe-based adaptor (tRNAPheB). Incorporation was moderately hastened by tRNA body swaps and higher EF-Tu concentrations, indicating that binding by EF-Tu can be rate-limiting. However, from tRNAAlaB with a saturating concentration of EF-Tu, the slow d-Phe incorporation was unexpectedly very efficient in competition with incorporation of the l isomer, indicating fast binding to EF-Tu, fast binding of the resulting complex to the ribosome, and rate-limiting accommodation/peptide bond formation. Subsequent elongation with an l-AA was confirmed to be very slow and inefficient. This understanding helps rationalize incorporation efficiencies in vitro and stereospecific mechanisms in vivo and suggests approaches for improving incorporation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josefine Liljeruhm
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Uppsala University, Husargatan 3, Box 596, 751 24 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Jinfan Wang
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Uppsala University, Husargatan 3, Box 596, 751 24 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Marek Kwiatkowski
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Uppsala University, Husargatan 3, Box 596, 751 24 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Samudra Sabari
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Uppsala University, Husargatan 3, Box 596, 751 24 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Anthony C. Forster
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Uppsala University, Husargatan 3, Box 596, 751 24 Uppsala, Sweden
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13
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Wang J, Forster AC. Ribosomal incorporation of unnatural amino acids: lessons and improvements from fast kinetics studies. Curr Opin Chem Biol 2018; 46:180-187. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2018.07.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2018] [Revised: 05/21/2018] [Accepted: 07/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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14
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Uhlenbeck OC, Schrader JM. Evolutionary tuning impacts the design of bacterial tRNAs for the incorporation of unnatural amino acids by ribosomes. Curr Opin Chem Biol 2018; 46:138-145. [PMID: 30059836 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2018.07.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2018] [Revised: 04/27/2018] [Accepted: 07/13/2018] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
In order to function on the ribosome with uniform rate and adequate accuracy, each bacterial tRNA has evolved to have a characteristic sequence and set of modifications that compensate for the differing physical properties of its esterified amino acid and its codon-anticodon interaction. The sequence of the T-stem of each tRNA compensates for the differential effect of the esterified amino acid on the binding and release of EF-Tu during decoding. The sequence and modifications in the anticodon loop and core of tRNA impact the codon-anticodon strength and the ability of the tRNA to bend during codon recognition. These discoveries impact the design of tRNAs for the efficient and accurate incorporation of unnatural amino acids into proteins using bacterial translation systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olke C Uhlenbeck
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA.
| | - Jared M Schrader
- Department of Biological Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202, USA.
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15
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Kubyshkin V, Acevedo-Rocha CG, Budisa N. On universal coding events in protein biogenesis. Biosystems 2018; 164:16-25. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biosystems.2017.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2017] [Revised: 10/02/2017] [Accepted: 10/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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16
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Wang J, Forster AC. Translational roles of the C75 2'OH in an in vitro tRNA transcript at the ribosomal A, P and E sites. Sci Rep 2017; 7:6709. [PMID: 28751745 PMCID: PMC5532260 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-06991-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2017] [Accepted: 06/21/2017] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Aminoacyl-tRNAs containing a deoxy substitution in the penultimate nucleotide (C75 2′OH → 2′H) have been widely used in translation for incorporation of unnatural amino acids (AAs). However, this supposedly innocuous modification surprisingly increased peptidyl-tRNAAlaugc drop off in biochemical assays of successive incorporations. Here we predict the function of this tRNA 2′OH in the ribosomal A, P and E sites using recent co-crystal structures of ribosomes and tRNA substrates and test these structure-function models by systematic kinetics analyses. Unexpectedly, the C75 2′H did not affect A- to P-site translocation nor peptidyl donor activity of tRNAAlaugc. Rather, the peptidyl acceptor activity of the A-site Ala-tRNAAlaugc and the translocation of the P-site deacylated tRNAAlaugc to the E site were impeded. Delivery by EF-Tu was not significantly affected. This broadens our view of the roles of 2′OH groups in tRNAs in translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinfan Wang
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Uppsala University, Husargatan 3, Box 596, Uppsala, 75124, Sweden
| | - Anthony C Forster
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Uppsala University, Husargatan 3, Box 596, Uppsala, 75124, Sweden.
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17
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Chemla Y, Friedman M, Heltberg M, Bakhrat A, Nagar E, Schwarz R, Jensen MH, Alfonta L. Expanding the Genetic Code of a Photoautotrophic Organism. Biochemistry 2017; 56:2161-2165. [PMID: 28394580 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.7b00131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The photoautotrophic freshwater cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus is widely used as a chassis for biotechnological applications as well as a photosynthetic bacterial model. In this study, a method for expanding the genetic code of this cyanobacterium has been established, thereby allowing the incorporation of unnatural amino acids into proteins. This was achieved through UAG stop codon suppression, using an archaeal pyrrolysyl orthogonal translation system. We demonstrate incorporation of unnatural amino acids into green fluorescent protein with 20 ± 3.5% suppression efficiency. The introduced components were shown to be orthogonal to the host translational machinery. In addition, we observed that no significant growth impairment resulted from the integration of the system. To interpret the observations, we modeled and investigated the competition over the UAG codon between release factor 1 and pyl-tRNACUA. On the basis of the model results, and the fact that 39.6% of the stop codons in the S. elongatus genome are UAG stop codons, the suppression efficiency in S. elongatus is unexpectedly high. The reason for this unexpected suppression efficiency has yet to be determined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yonatan Chemla
- Department of Life Sciences and Ilse Katz Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev , Beer-Sheva 84105, Israel
| | - Mor Friedman
- Department of Life Sciences and Ilse Katz Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev , Beer-Sheva 84105, Israel
| | - Mathias Heltberg
- Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen , Blegdamsvej 17, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Anna Bakhrat
- Department of Life Sciences and Ilse Katz Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev , Beer-Sheva 84105, Israel
| | - Elad Nagar
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University , Ramat-Gan 5290002, Israel
| | - Rakefet Schwarz
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University , Ramat-Gan 5290002, Israel
| | - Mogens Høgh Jensen
- Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen , Blegdamsvej 17, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Lital Alfonta
- Department of Life Sciences and Ilse Katz Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev , Beer-Sheva 84105, Israel
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18
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Reynolds NM, Vargas-Rodriguez O, Söll D, Crnković A. The central role of tRNA in genetic code expansion. Biochim Biophys Acta Gen Subj 2017; 1861:3001-3008. [PMID: 28323071 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2017.03.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2017] [Accepted: 03/14/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The development of orthogonal translation systems (OTSs) for genetic code expansion (GCE) has allowed for the incorporation of a diverse array of non-canonical amino acids (ncAA) into proteins. Transfer RNA, the central molecule in the translation of the genetic message into proteins, plays a significant role in the efficiency of ncAA incorporation. SCOPE OF REVIEW Here we review the biochemical basis of OTSs for genetic code expansion. We focus on the role of tRNA and discuss strategies used to engineer tRNA for the improvement of ncAA incorporation into proteins. MAJOR CONCLUSIONS The engineering of orthogonal tRNAs for GCE has significantly improved the incorporation of ncAAs. However, there are numerous unintended consequences of orthogonal tRNA engineering that cannot be predicted ab initio. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE Genetic code expansion has allowed for the incorporation of a great diversity of ncAAs and novel chemistries into proteins, making significant contributions to our understanding of biological molecules and interactions. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled "Biochemistry of Synthetic Biology - Recent Developments" Guest Editor: Dr. Ilka Heinemann and Dr. Patrick O'Donoghue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noah M Reynolds
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520-8114, USA.
| | - Oscar Vargas-Rodriguez
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520-8114, USA
| | - Dieter Söll
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520-8114, USA; Department of Chemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520-8114, USA
| | - Ana Crnković
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520-8114, USA.
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19
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Rewiring protein synthesis: From natural to synthetic amino acids. Biochim Biophys Acta Gen Subj 2017; 1861:3024-3029. [PMID: 28095316 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2017.01.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2016] [Revised: 01/11/2017] [Accepted: 01/12/2017] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The protein synthesis machinery uses 22 natural amino acids as building blocks that faithfully decode the genetic information. Such fidelity is controlled at multiple steps and can be compromised in nature and in the laboratory to rewire protein synthesis with natural and synthetic amino acids. SCOPE OF REVIEW This review summarizes the major quality control mechanisms during protein synthesis, including aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases, elongation factors, and the ribosome. We will discuss evolution and engineering of such components that allow incorporation of natural and synthetic amino acids at positions that deviate from the standard genetic code. MAJOR CONCLUSIONS The protein synthesis machinery is highly selective, yet not fixed, for the correct amino acids that match the mRNA codons. Ambiguous translation of a codon with multiple amino acids or complete reassignment of a codon with a synthetic amino acid diversifies the proteome. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE Expanding the genetic code with synthetic amino acids through rewiring protein synthesis has broad applications in synthetic biology and chemical biology. Biochemical, structural, and genetic studies of the translational quality control mechanisms are not only crucial to understand the physiological role of translational fidelity and evolution of the genetic code, but also enable us to better design biological parts to expand the proteomes of synthetic organisms. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled "Biochemistry of Synthetic Biology - Recent Developments" Guest Editor: Dr. Ilka Heinemann and Dr. Patrick O'Donoghue.
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20
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Katoh T, Tajima K, Suga H. Consecutive Elongation of D-Amino Acids in Translation. Cell Chem Biol 2016; 24:46-54. [PMID: 28042044 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2016.11.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2016] [Revised: 11/01/2016] [Accepted: 11/21/2016] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Recent progress in the field of genetic code reprogramming using a reconstituted cell-free translation system has made it possible to incorporate a wide array of non-proteinogenic amino acids, including N-methyl-amino acids and D-amino acids. Despite the fact that up to ten N-methyl-amino acid residues can be continuously elongated, the successive incorporation of even two D-amino acids into a nascent peptide chain remains a formidable challenge, thus far being nearly impossible. Here we report achievement of continuous D-amino acid elongation by the use of engineered tRNAs and optimized concentrations of translation factors, enabling us to incorporate up to ten consecutive D-Ser residues into a nascent peptide chain. We have also expressed macrocyclic peptides consisting of four or five consecutive D-amino acids consisting of D-Phe, D-Ser, D-Ala, or D-Cys closed by either a disulfide bond or a thioether bond.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takayuki Katoh
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan; JST, PRESTO, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.
| | - Kenya Tajima
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Suga
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan; JST, CREST, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.
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21
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Kawakami T, Ogawa K, Hatta T, Goshima N, Natsume T. Directed Evolution of a Cyclized Peptoid-Peptide Chimera against a Cell-Free Expressed Protein and Proteomic Profiling of the Interacting Proteins to Create a Protein-Protein Interaction Inhibitor. ACS Chem Biol 2016; 11:1569-77. [PMID: 27010125 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.5b01014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
N-alkyl amino acids are useful building blocks for the in vitro display evolution of ribosomally synthesized peptides because they can increase the proteolytic stability and cell permeability of these peptides. However, the translation initiation substrate specificity of nonproteinogenic N-alkyl amino acids has not been investigated. In this study, we screened various N-alkyl amino acids and nonamino carboxylic acids for translation initiation with an Escherichia coli reconstituted cell-free translation system (PURE system) and identified those that efficiently initiated translation. Using seven of these efficiently initiating acids, we next performed in vitro display evolution of cyclized peptidomimetics against an arbitrarily chosen model human protein (β-catenin) cell-free expressed from its cloned cDNA (HUPEX) and identified a novel β-catenin-binding cyclized peptoid-peptide chimera. Furthermore, by a proteomic approach using direct nanoflow liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (DNLC-MS/MS), we successfully identified which protein-β-catenin interaction is inhibited by the chimera. The combination of in vitro display evolution of cyclized N-alkyl peptidomimetics and in vitro expression of human proteins would be a powerful approach for the high-speed discovery of diverse human protein-targeted cyclized N-alkyl peptidomimetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takashi Kawakami
- Molecular Profiling Research
Center for Drug Discovery (molprof), National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 2-4-7 Aomi, Koto-ku, Tokyo 135-0064, Japan
| | - Koji Ogawa
- Molecular Profiling Research
Center for Drug Discovery (molprof), National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 2-4-7 Aomi, Koto-ku, Tokyo 135-0064, Japan
| | - Tomohisa Hatta
- Molecular Profiling Research
Center for Drug Discovery (molprof), National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 2-4-7 Aomi, Koto-ku, Tokyo 135-0064, Japan
| | - Naoki Goshima
- Molecular Profiling Research
Center for Drug Discovery (molprof), National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 2-4-7 Aomi, Koto-ku, Tokyo 135-0064, Japan
| | - Tohru Natsume
- Molecular Profiling Research
Center for Drug Discovery (molprof), National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 2-4-7 Aomi, Koto-ku, Tokyo 135-0064, Japan
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22
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Xu H, Wang Y, Lu J, Zhang B, Zhang Z, Si L, Wu L, Yao T, Zhang C, Xiao S, Zhang L, Xia Q, Zhou D. Re-exploration of the Codon Context Effect on Amber Codon-Guided Incorporation of Noncanonical Amino Acids in Escherichia coli by the Blue-White Screening Assay. Chembiochem 2016; 17:1250-6. [PMID: 27028123 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.201600117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The effect of codon context on amber codon-guided incorporation of noncanonical amino acids (NAAs) has been previously examined by antibiotic selection. Here, we re-explored this effect by screening a library in which three nucleotides upstream and downstream of the amber codon were randomised, and inserted within the lacZ-α gene. Thousands of clones were obtained and distinguished by the depth of blue colour upon exposure to X-gal. Large-scale sequencing revealed remarkable preferences in nucleotides downstream of the amber codon, and moderate preferences for upstream nucleotides. Nucleotide preference was quantified by a dual-luciferase assay, which verified that the optimum context for NAA incorporation, AATTAGACT, was applicable to different proteins. Our work provides a general guide for engineering amber codons into genes of interest in bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huan Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, No. 38 Xueyuan Road, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Yan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, No. 38 Xueyuan Road, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Jiaqi Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, No. 38 Xueyuan Road, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Bo Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, No. 38 Xueyuan Road, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Ziwei Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, No. 38 Xueyuan Road, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Longlong Si
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, No. 38 Xueyuan Road, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Ling Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, No. 38 Xueyuan Road, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Tianzhuo Yao
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, No. 38 Xueyuan Road, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Chuanling Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, No. 38 Xueyuan Road, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Sulong Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, No. 38 Xueyuan Road, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Lihe Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, No. 38 Xueyuan Road, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Qing Xia
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, No. 38 Xueyuan Road, Beijing, 100191, China.
| | - Demin Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, No. 38 Xueyuan Road, Beijing, 100191, China.
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23
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Protein Elongation, Co-translational Folding and Targeting. J Mol Biol 2016; 428:2165-85. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2016.03.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2016] [Revised: 03/21/2016] [Accepted: 03/22/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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24
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Melo Czekster C, Robertson WE, Walker AS, Söll D, Schepartz A. In Vivo Biosynthesis of a β-Amino Acid-Containing Protein. J Am Chem Soc 2016; 138:5194-7. [PMID: 27086674 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.6b01023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
It has recently been reported that ribosomes from erythromycin-resistant Escherichia coli strains, when isolated in S30 extracts and incubated with chemically mis-acylated tRNA, can incorporate certain β-amino acids into full length DHFR in vitro. Here we report that wild-type E. coli EF-Tu and phenylalanyl-tRNA synthetase collaborate with these mutant ribosomes and others to incorporate β(3)-Phe analogs into full length DHFR in vivo. E. coli harboring the most active mutant ribosomes are robust, with a doubling time only 14% longer than wild-type. These results reveal the unexpected tolerance of E. coli and its translation machinery to the β(3)-amino acid backbone and should embolden in vivo selections for orthogonal translational machinery components that incorporate diverse β-amino acids into proteins and peptides. E. coli harboring mutant ribosomes may possess the capacity to incorporate many non-natural, non-α-amino acids into proteins and other sequence-programmed polymeric materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clarissa Melo Czekster
- Department of Chemistry, ‡Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, and §Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University , New Haven, Connecticut 06520-8107, United States
| | - Wesley E Robertson
- Department of Chemistry, ‡Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, and §Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University , New Haven, Connecticut 06520-8107, United States
| | - Allison S Walker
- Department of Chemistry, ‡Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, and §Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University , New Haven, Connecticut 06520-8107, United States
| | - Dieter Söll
- Department of Chemistry, ‡Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, and §Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University , New Haven, Connecticut 06520-8107, United States
| | - Alanna Schepartz
- Department of Chemistry, ‡Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, and §Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University , New Haven, Connecticut 06520-8107, United States
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25
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Ho JM, Reynolds NM, Rivera K, Connolly M, Guo LT, Ling J, Pappin DJ, Church GM, Söll D. Efficient Reassignment of a Frequent Serine Codon in Wild-Type Escherichia coli. ACS Synth Biol 2016; 5:163-71. [PMID: 26544153 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.5b00197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Expansion of the genetic code through engineering the translation machinery has greatly increased the chemical repertoire of the proteome. This has been accomplished mainly by read-through of UAG or UGA stop codons by the noncanonical aminoacyl-tRNA of choice. While stop codon read-through involves competition with the translation release factors, sense codon reassignment entails competition with a large pool of endogenous tRNAs. We used an engineered pyrrolysyl-tRNA synthetase to incorporate 3-iodo-l-phenylalanine (3-I-Phe) at a number of different serine and leucine codons in wild-type Escherichia coli. Quantitative LC-MS/MS measurements of amino acid incorporation yields carried out in a selected reaction monitoring experiment revealed that the 3-I-Phe abundance at the Ser208AGU codon in superfolder GFP was 65 ± 17%. This method also allowed quantification of other amino acids (serine, 33 ± 17%; phenylalanine, 1 ± 1%; threonine, 1 ± 1%) that compete with 3-I-Phe at both the aminoacylation and decoding steps of translation for incorporation at the same codon position. Reassignments of different serine (AGU, AGC, UCG) and leucine (CUG) codons with the matching tRNA(Pyl) anticodon variants were met with varying success, and our findings provide a guideline for the choice of sense codons to be reassigned. Our results indicate that the 3-iodo-l-phenylalanyl-tRNA synthetase (IFRS)/tRNA(Pyl) pair can efficiently outcompete the cellular machinery to reassign select sense codons in wild-type E. coli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanne M. Ho
- Department
of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | | | - Keith Rivera
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold
Spring Harbor, New York 11724, United States
| | - Morgan Connolly
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold
Spring Harbor, New York 11724, United States
| | | | | | - Darryl J. Pappin
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold
Spring Harbor, New York 11724, United States
| | - George M. Church
- Department
of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
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26
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Wang J, Kwiatkowski M, Forster AC. Kinetics of tRNAPyl-mediated amber suppression inEscherichia colitranslation reveals unexpected limiting steps and competing reactions. Biotechnol Bioeng 2016; 113:1552-9. [DOI: 10.1002/bit.25917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2015] [Revised: 12/17/2015] [Accepted: 12/21/2015] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jinfan Wang
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology; Uppsala University; Husargatan 3, Box 596 Uppsala 75124 Sweden
| | - Marek Kwiatkowski
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology; Uppsala University; Husargatan 3, Box 596 Uppsala 75124 Sweden
| | - Anthony C. Forster
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology; Uppsala University; Husargatan 3, Box 596 Uppsala 75124 Sweden
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27
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Fujino T, Murakami H. In VitroSelection Combined with Ribosomal Translation Containing Non-proteinogenic Amino Acids. CHEM REC 2016; 16:365-77. [DOI: 10.1002/tcr.201500239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2015] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tomoshige Fujino
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, School of Engineering; Nagoya University; Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku Nagoya 464-8603 Japan
| | - Hiroshi Murakami
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, School of Engineering; Nagoya University; Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku Nagoya 464-8603 Japan
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28
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Wang J, Kwiatkowski M, Forster AC. Kinetics of Ribosome-Catalyzed Polymerization Using Artificial Aminoacyl-tRNA Substrates Clarifies Inefficiencies and Improvements. ACS Chem Biol 2015; 10:2187-92. [PMID: 26191973 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.5b00335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Ribosomal synthesis of polymers of unnatural amino acids (AAs) is limited by low incorporation efficiencies using the artificial AA-tRNAs, but the kinetics have yet to be studied. Here, kinetics were performed on five consecutive incorporations using various artificial AA-tRNAs with all intermediate products being analyzed. Yields within a few seconds displayed similar trends to our prior yields after 30 min without preincubation, demonstrating the relevance of fast kinetics to traditional long-incubation translations. Interestingly, the two anticodon swaps were much less inhibitory in the present optimized system, which should allow more flexibility in the engineering of artificial AA-tRNAs. The biggest kinetic defect was caused by the penultimate dC introduced from the standard, chemoenzymatic, charging method. This prompted peptidyl-tRNA drop-off, decreasing processivities during five consecutive AA incorporations. Indeed, two tRNA charging methods that circumvented the dC dramatically improved efficiencies of ribosomal, consecutive, unnatural AA incorporations to give near wild-type kinetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinfan Wang
- Department of Cell and Molecular
Biology, Uppsala University, Husargatan 3, Box
596, Uppsala 75124, Sweden
| | - Marek Kwiatkowski
- Department of Cell and Molecular
Biology, Uppsala University, Husargatan 3, Box
596, Uppsala 75124, Sweden
| | - Anthony C. Forster
- Department of Cell and Molecular
Biology, Uppsala University, Husargatan 3, Box
596, Uppsala 75124, Sweden
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29
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Library construction, selection and modification strategies to generate therapeutic peptide-based modulators of protein-protein interactions. Future Med Chem 2015; 6:2073-92. [PMID: 25531969 DOI: 10.4155/fmc.14.134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
In the modern age of proteomics, vast numbers of protein-protein interactions (PPIs) are being identified as causative agents in pathogenesis, and are thus attractive therapeutic targets for intervention. Although traditionally regarded unfavorably as druggable agents relative to small molecules, peptides in recent years have gained considerable attention. Their previous dismissal had been largely due to the susceptibility of unmodified peptides to the barriers and pressures exerted by the circulation, immune system, proteases, membranes and other stresses. However, recent advances in high-throughput peptide isolation techniques, as well as a huge variety of direct modification options and approaches to allow targeted delivery, mean that peptides and their mimetics can now be designed to circumvent many of these traditional barriers. As a result, an increasing number of peptide-based drugs are reaching clinical trials and patients beyond.
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30
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Rogers JM, Suga H. Discovering functional, non-proteinogenic amino acid containing, peptides using genetic code reprogramming. Org Biomol Chem 2015; 13:9353-63. [PMID: 26280393 DOI: 10.1039/c5ob01336d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
The protein synthesis machinery of the cell, the ribosome and associated factors, is able to accurately follow the canonical genetic code, that which maps RNA sequence to protein sequence, to assemble functional proteins from the twenty or so proteinogenic amino acids. A number of innovative methods have arisen to take advantage of this accurate, and efficient, machinery to direct the assembly of non-proteinogenic amino acids. We review and compare these routes to 'reprogram the genetic code' including in vitro translation, engineered aminoacyl tRNA synthetases, and RNA 'flexizymes'. These studies show that the ribosome is highly tolerant of unnatural amino acids, with hundreds of unusual substrates of varying structure and chemistries being incorporated into protein chains. We also discuss how these methods have been coupled to selection techniques, such as phage display and mRNA display, opening up an exciting new avenue for the production of proteins and peptides with properties and functions beyond that which is possible using proteins composed entirely of the proteinogenic amino acids.
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Affiliation(s)
- J M Rogers
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Tokyo, Graduate School of Science, Tokyo, Japan.
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31
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Terasaka N, Iwane Y, Geiermann AS, Goto Y, Suga H. Recent developments of engineered translational machineries for the incorporation of non-canonical amino acids into polypeptides. Int J Mol Sci 2015; 16:6513-31. [PMID: 25803109 PMCID: PMC4394545 DOI: 10.3390/ijms16036513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2015] [Revised: 03/13/2015] [Accepted: 03/16/2015] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetic code expansion and reprogramming methodologies allow us to incorporate non-canonical amino acids (ncAAs) bearing various functional groups, such as fluorescent groups, bioorthogonal functional groups, and post-translational modifications, into a desired position or multiple positions in polypeptides both in vitro and in vivo. In order to efficiently incorporate a wide range of ncAAs, several methodologies have been developed, such as orthogonal aminoacyl-tRNA-synthetase (AARS)–tRNA pairs, aminoacylation ribozymes, frame-shift suppression of quadruplet codons, and engineered ribosomes. More recently, it has been reported that an engineered translation system specifically utilizes an artificially built genetic code and functions orthogonally to naturally occurring counterpart. In this review we summarize recent advances in the field of ribosomal polypeptide synthesis containing ncAAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naohiro Terasaka
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.
| | - Yoshihiko Iwane
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.
| | - Anna-Skrollan Geiermann
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.
| | - Yuki Goto
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.
| | - Hiroaki Suga
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.
- Japan Science and Technology Agency, Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology, University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.
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Passioura T, Suga H. Reprogramming the genetic code in vitro. Trends Biochem Sci 2014; 39:400-8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tibs.2014.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2014] [Revised: 07/16/2014] [Accepted: 07/16/2014] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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Wang J, Kwiatkowski M, Pavlov MY, Ehrenberg M, Forster AC. Peptide formation by N-methyl amino acids in translation is hastened by higher pH and tRNA(Pro). ACS Chem Biol 2014; 9:1303-11. [PMID: 24673854 DOI: 10.1021/cb500036a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Applications of N-methyl amino acids (NMAAs) in drug discovery are limited by their low efficiencies of ribosomal incorporation, and little is known mechanistically about the steps leading to incorporation. Here, we demonstrate that a synthetic tRNA body based on a natural N-alkyl amino acid carrier, tRNA(Pro), increases translation incorporation rates of all three studied NMAAs compared with tRNA(Phe)- and tRNA(Ala)-based bodies. We also investigate the pH dependence of the incorporation rates and find that the rates increase dramatically in the range of pH 7 to 8.5 with the titration of a single proton. Results support a rate-limiting peptidyl transfer step dependent on deprotonation of the N-nucleophile of the NMAA. Competition experiments demonstrate that several futile cycles of delivery and rejection of A-site NMAA-tRNA are required per peptide bond formed and that increasing magnesium ion concentration increases incorporation yield. Data clarify the mechanism of ribosomal NMAA incorporation and provide three generalizable ways to improve incorporation of NMAAs in translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinfan Wang
- Department of Cell and Molecular
Biology, Uppsala University, Husargatan 3, Box
596, Uppsala 75124, Sweden
| | - Marek Kwiatkowski
- Department of Cell and Molecular
Biology, Uppsala University, Husargatan 3, Box
596, Uppsala 75124, Sweden
| | - Michael Y. Pavlov
- Department of Cell and Molecular
Biology, Uppsala University, Husargatan 3, Box
596, Uppsala 75124, Sweden
| | - Måns Ehrenberg
- Department of Cell and Molecular
Biology, Uppsala University, Husargatan 3, Box
596, Uppsala 75124, Sweden
| | - Anthony C. Forster
- Department of Cell and Molecular
Biology, Uppsala University, Husargatan 3, Box
596, Uppsala 75124, Sweden
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